We’ve had a crazy past year, and now more than ever we are beginning to realize the importance of taking care of our health and wellness.

I’m not sure about all of you, but lately, I feel like I’ve been muddling through life and just surviving… I think with everything going on & the hardships we have endured throughout the pandemic, it’s important to take a step back & check in on ourselves.

That’s why today I want to talk all about wellness & equip you with some strategies and tools to help you take small steps to enhance your wellbeing.

What is Wellness?

I know “wellness” is a buzzword lately, but beneath its surface, it’s actually a very useful principle.

Wellness is an active process of making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life

So what this means, is wellness is about taking small steps and actions to build a life where you live & feel your best.

Additionally, Wellness takes a holistic view of your health. This means health and well-being are comprised of more than just your physical health. In addition to physical health, wellness includes emotional, spiritual, environmental, financial, social, intellectual, and occupational domains that all influence your health & well-being.

Wellness is about balance.

Another important concept about wellness is that it emphasizes balance in our lives, meaning that it promotes making sure we have time to do the things that make us feel happy and fulfilled. This includes working, having fun, spending time with family and friends, participating in the community, being physically active, praying, relaxing, and sleeping.

When it comes to wellness, there’s not a “one size fits all” it’s about finding the tools and strategies that work for you.

Below, I’m going to share some different tips to help you enhance your well-being. Take what tips resonate with you, and if you have any other wellness tips to share with others who are struggling, share them in the comments below!

1. Sleep

Did you know, a person who sleeps 7 hours each night, spends a total of 106 days asleep in a given year?!

Although scientists still aren’t exactly sure why we sleep, this may shine a light on the importance of sleep, as we spend nearly 1/3 of our lives doing it! Our body’s natural tendencies to regulate sleep, similarly to eating, drinking, and breathing suggest that sleep serves a similar critical role in our health and wellbeing.

What we do know is that regular sleep has many benefits for both our physical and mental health:

1. Physically, sleep provides an opportunity to restore tissues and allow for muscle growth and protein synthesis to occur. In addition, sleep plays an important role in regulating our hormones. For example, several studies have found we produce more hunger hormones when we don’t sleep.
2. Mentally, sleep plays an important role in improving our concentration, problem-solving abilities, creativity, and social skills. Although the exact mechanisms are unknown, sleep is believed to help consolidate memories, which is essential for learning new information.

So learning about these benefits, you’re probably asking the question, “So how much sleep do I actually need?”

Looking to the Canadian Movement Guidelines, it is recommended adults get 7 to 9 hours of good-quality sleep on a regular basis, with consistent bed and wake-up times.

If you’re having trouble with sleep, I have 3 strategies you can try.

1. Set regular sleep and wake times. Coming back to the movement guidelines, it’s recommended to have consistent sleep and wake times. This is because there are various hormones that are involved in the sleep/wake cycle, and a consistent sleep schedule helps regulate these hormones, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up every day. I recommend trying to go to sleep around the same time each night, and waking up around the same time each day.
2. Watch your caffeine intake. Caffeine is something that can give us a boost when we need it, however, it’s best to consume caffeine in the morning or early afternoon, and avoiding it in the evening, as it can interfere with our sleep. Swap your favourite coffee for a decaf coffee in the afternoon, or try an herbal tea, eat a snack, or do some movement in the afternoon if you need a pick-me-up.
3. Use light to your advantage. Our sleep/wake cycle is heavily influenced by light, and we can use this to our advantage. To promote sleep in the evenings, try to avoid bright screens or blue light before bedtime. Instead of watching a tv show, try reading a book, doing a sleep meditation, or winding down with a self-care routine. In the mornings, light can help stimulate us to wake up, and we can promote wakefulness by opening the blinds and letting the light hit our eyes.

What helps you sleep? Let me know in the comments!

2. Mindfulness

I know you’ve probably heard about mindfulness before & if you’re anything like me, you probably rolled your eyes because it doesn’t seem that sitting in one spot with your legs crossed will add many benefits to your life. However, over time I’ve actually come to realize that mindfulness doesn’t have to look like sitting in one spot in silence. Mindfulness is something you can adapt to meet your own needs & preferences and it actually can bring positive change to our well-being.

Mindfulness is all about being in the present moment. Right here, right now.

It’s about letting go of the past because it’s already happened, and not worrying about the future because it’s unknown. It’s about taking control of your life, right here, right now & doing what you can in each moment to appreciate what you have and make the most of it.

My favourite quote is:

Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.

Mindfulness is about celebrating today and in practicing mindfulness, we get better at savoring the pleasures in life and coping with stress.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness & it’s all about finding what works for you. I don’t have enough time to go into detail about each type of mindfulness today, but here’s a quick breakdown:

1. Meditation. These are done stationary.
   1. Guided meditations
   2. Visualization
   3. Sound baths
   4. Breathing exercises
2. Movement Based. These integrate the movement of your body with mindfulness.
   1. Yoga and movement-based meditations
   2. Body Scans/Progressive Muscle Relaxation
   3. Walking meditations/Forest bathing
3. Finding Flow. Have you ever got fully immersed into something that hours passed by and you didn’t even realize it? This is called being in a state of “flow”, and it’s actually a way of practicing mindfulness. Finding activities you love that bring you into this state of flow is a great way to practice mindfulness. Some examples can include doing a craft, painting, making music, exercising… any activity you enjoy doing!

Check out my box breathing video for a breathing exercise & if you’re interested in learning more about mindfulness, check out my YouTube Channel!

3. Movement

As a kinesiology graduate, I could talk about the benefits of physical activity for days. Here are a few of my favourite facts that highlight the importance of movement for our well-being:

• Helps prevent & manage chronic diseases
• Strengthens our bones and muscles, improves balance & coordination
• Helps our minds: brings us into the present moment & can help with stress, anxiety, and depression.

If you’re someone who struggles to incorporate physical activity into your day, here are a few tips.

1. Take regular breaks. Take time throughout the day to stand up, stretch, and move around. A general rule of thumb is to take a short movement break for every hour you work throughout the day.
2. Find activities you enjoy doing. The key to unlocking the benefits of regular exercise is to do it regularly. It’s easiest to engage in activities we enjoy, rather than the ones we find daunting. 
3. Just do it. Nike really hit the nail on the head when they came up with this branding. To start incorporating fitness into your lifestyle it all starts with one step in the right direction & to “Just Do It” – I always find once I exercise once, I feel more inclined to do it again. It’s like an upward cycle. Sometimes all we need is a small push and it gets easier and easier to do it.
4. Find a buddy. Finding someone to exercise with is a great strategy to socialize and keep you accountable with physical activity. Reaching out and asking a friend to join you on your endeavors can also help you get the courage to do it! 

BONUS TIP:

Use the outdoors to your advantage. Again, I could probably go into an entire video on this topic alone, but being in nature is beneficial to our wellbeing & when paired with exercise it can provide a powerful wellness combination for both our bodies and minds. Being outdoors can add further benefits to physical activity by helping to lower our stress hormones and improving our moods. I’m curious.. what’s your go-to nature spot in your city?

If you want to be active at home, I do have options for you on my YouTube Channel. My workouts are focused on being fun & you can check them out here!

4. Nutrition

You can’t talk about exercise without talking about nutrition. When it comes to our nutrition, the foods we eat are broken down by our bodies and used for fuel & the building blocks to become you! Eating a balanced diet can have numerous benefits for our health and wellbeing. This can span from influencing our mood to providing us fuel to sustain our bodies to get through our day.

When it comes to nourishing our bodies, I’m not a dietitian, but I can share some tips about healthy eating:

1. 

   Eat a balanced plate – I recommend looking at the resources from dietitians Canada about building a healthy plate. The Canada Food Guide has been recently updated & provides a very good general outline on healthy eating. Here’s what they recommend:

   1. Eat whole grains. This includes foods such as whole grain oats, brown rice, and quinoa.
   2. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. For each meal, it’s recommended half your plate is vegetables. Opt for a salad, roasted veggies, or even some carrots and dip to each meal for added fibre & vitamins/minerals.
   3. Drink lots of water. In general, 8 cups of water a day is recommended. However, it’s most important to listen to your body and drink when you are thirsty. If you don’t enjoy drinking water on its own, try herbal tea, or adding cucumber/fruit to your water.
   4. Go for lean protein sources. Eating foods such as lean chicken breast, turkey and fish are great options. Protein sources can also include plant-based options such as beans, tofu, and tempeh.
   5. Eat your healthy fats. healthy fats help us feel full and provide sustained energy throughout the day. Healthy fat sources can include nuts/seeds, avocados, eggs, fish, and much more!
2. Remember, it’s not about perfection
   Just like with fitness, nutrition is not about striving to eat the “best” or “purest” foods. Rather, it’s about nourishing your body with foods that help you function at your best. Yes! This still includes a treat from time to time (or daily if you’re me)! A balanced diet should still allow you to live your life to the fullest.

For more reading about nutrition, I’d recommend checking out unlockfood.ca to learn more about healthy eating.

5. Connect with Others

Humans are innately social creatures and being connected to others is an important aspect of our well-being. Heck, in prehistoric times, our survival depended on being included in a group!

Today, we have the benefit (for the most part) of being able to choose our friends & who we surround ourselves with. Finding people you can trust can help provide support during hard times, and give us opportunities to experience new joys.

Here are some tips to connect with others:

1. Check-in with your friends – Reach out to a friend & ask how they are doing. A simple text or phone call can go a long way!
2. Try a new activity/club/workshop – To meet new people, place yourself in an environment where you can make new social connections. If you love cycling, try a cycling group! If you love crafts, maybe try a pottery class. By putting yourself in new environments, you may meet someone with similar interests & spark new opportunities for social connection.
3. Talk to someone new – Mustering up the courage to talk to someone new can be challenging. The next time you’re out at a social event, try scouting out potential friendships & don’t be afraid to approach people to start a conversation. Having some conversation starters prepared ahead of time can help you spark new conversations & connections.

There you have it!

Five wellness tips and strategies you can use to help promote your health and wellbeing. Your next step is to come up with a Game Plan for integrating these strategies into your daily life.

I want to know… what your game plan is moving forward? What is the first step you are going to take to begin focusing on your wellness?

Let me know in the comments below & be sure to add in any other wellness tips that have helped you so far this year.

Take care!

Xoxo,

Heather