Being healthy is both a physical and mental challenge, and it doesn’t happen overnight. From the basics of diet and exercise to the technology of the 21st century, health and wellness activities help us keep our lives balanced.
Wellness 101
Defining “wellness,” according to the National Wellness Institute, involves a combination of six dimensions that bring together a holistic value of physical, social, occupational, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual crosspoints. Engaging in healthy activities is the way to pursue overall wellness for the mind and body.
In part, wellness is:
- Spiritual focus, embracing nature and the environment, and living a satisfying lifestyle.
- Positive thoughts, pushing through the hard times, and affirming the blessings in our lives.
- Being the best we can be and not lamenting the negatives…we all have them.
- Removing “should,” “ought,” and “must” from daily thoughts. These (sometimes) destructive words can weigh down life’s positives.
- Enjoying the little things.
Whatever your mindset is, check out these wellness trends.
1. Breathing
Deep breathing and holding your breath for a couple of seconds helps release the tension in your body. Inhaling deeply, and exhaling slowly, for a longer time than your inhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system and calms your mind and body. Try the 4-4-8 technique to help regulate your breaths.
2. Conscious Eating
Other than mealtime, it’s easy to lose track of the food you’re snacking on, especially when you’re not really paying attention to it. Chew slowly. “Taste” each morsel. Keep a food diary to determine how much you’ve had at any particular time and what time of the day you’ve begun snacking.
Mindful eating with healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats (or meat substitutes) stock our bodies with protein, vitamins, and fiber. The better we eat, the better we feel — both physically and mentally.
3. Active Online Fitness
From workout and fitness apps like Peloton, Noom, My Fitness Pal, and Apple –– just to name a few –– exercising at home is among the latest fitness trends. Virtual classes are online for activities like yoga, spin, Pilates, and dancing. Don’t have time to go to the gym? Log on to your favorite fitness app and get moving!
4. Mental Health
Meditation apps that help calm the mind and promote healthy sleep are available with a tap of your cellphone. Guided meditation sessions last anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour.
5. Professional Mental Telehealth
Professional help from licensed physicians and therapists is now available online through telehealth services. Struggling with depression, anxiety, and “the blues” is no longer a negative stigma, but one that is being taken more seriously, (especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic). Contacting a mental health professional through a telehealth service is now a mainstream option.
6. Home “Visits”
Don’t have time for an in-person appointment? Virtual meeting software brings the good doctor to your home, virtually. You can also book online sessions with physical therapists, nutritionists, personal trainers, and other health professionals.
7. Techno Fashion
Digital technology is on the rise. From wristwatches to rings to bodily attachments, you can wear a fitness tracker that keeps track of steps walked, heart rates, sleep stages, body temperature, and blood sugar levels. With the right kind of system, digital health technology wearers can transfer their information directly to their doctor’s office.
8. Outdoor Activity
Fresh air awaits! Outdoor activity is a great way to clear your mind, whether or not you’re an “outdoorsy” kind of person. Walk around the block, down to the mailbox, across the street, and back a few times… anything to get moving.
9. Garden Delights
Gardening is a productive way to be active while growing flowers, plants, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Sensory gardens bring various plants together that enhance your five senses… sound, sight, taste, touch, and smell. Greenery of different sizes, sweet fruits, colorful flowers, fragrant herbs, and soft earth draw birds, bees, and butterflies to feast on nectar while pollinating other plants. Textured stones, bird feeders and baths, and hanging windchimes add to this outdoor oasis.
10. Home Improvement
When outdoors… do something! A homeowner’s key to health and wellness starts with fixing, cleaning, crafting, and maintaining. Being productive and caring for that expensive investment helps us stay focused, balanced, and steady.
Keeping up with all the latest health trends can be a challenge. But the main thing is that trying new things helps us stay fresh in mind, body, and spirit. And “new” things give us something new to talk about with friends and family.
About the Guest Author
Teri Silver is a journalist and outdoor enthusiast. She and her husband live on 5 acres with a vast lawn, three gardens, a farm, a pond, many trees, and a lot of yard work! The best parts of the year are summer and fall when home-grown veggies are on the dinner table.
