Bring Your Life Into Balance

Bring Your Life Into Balance

            We are learning everyday about the ways in which we can maintain a healthy emotional state of mind.  It is integral to everything we do in life. The intent to empower you with the knowledge and support needed to take charge of your life and make healthy choices. 

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Stress, mood swings and life's daily challenges can knock your life out of balance leaving you feeling anxious, depressed, angry, and worried. If emotions are interfering with your career or personal relationships, use this toolkit to take control of your life. By learning skills that change your response to stressful experience, you can boost your emotional health and emotional intelligence.

Daily life can seem like a never-ending ride, leaving you feeling frustrated, anxious, depressed, and unfulfilled. But it doesn't have to be this way; you can get off the emotional rollercoaster. You can bring your life into balance by learning more about:

1) Stress and how to avoid becoming overwhelmed.

2) Why your emotions matter to you and to others.

3) What you can do to harness the energy of your emotions and make them work for you.

4) How you can become calm, energized, focused and more aware of yourself and others.

Like anything worthwhile, achieving the balance emotional awareness delivers will take practice. But no matter how long you've felt stressed, overwhelmed, or out-of-sync with yourself, other people, or your life.

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Physical Activity Prolongs Your Optimal Health

Physical Activity Prolongs Your Optimal Health

            Without regular physical activity, the body slowly loses its strength, stamina and ability to function well. And for each hour of regular exercise you get, you'll gain about two hours of additional life expectancy, even if you don't start until middle age.

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 Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, for as little as 30 minutes a day has the proven health benefits listed above as well as:

1) Improves blood circulation, which reduces the risk of heart disease

2) Keeps weight under control

3) Helps in the battle to quit smoking

4) Improves blood cholesterol levels

5) Prevents and manages high blood pressure

6) Prevents bone loss

7) Boosts energy level

8) Helps manage stress

9) Releases tension

10) Promotes enthusiasm and optimism

11) Counters anxiety and depression

12) Helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly

13) Improves self-image

14) Increases muscle strength, increasing the ability to do other physical activities

15) Provides a way to share an activity with family and friends

16) Reduces coronary heart disease in women by 30-40 percent

17) Reduces risk of stroke by 20 percent in moderately active people and by 27 percent in highly active ones

18) Establishes good heart-healthy habits in children and counters the conditions (obesity, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, poor lifestyle habits, etc.) that lead to heart attack and stroke later in life

19) Helps delay or prevent chronic illnesses and diseases associated with aging and maintains quality of life and independence longer for seniors

 Once you get over the inertia and find creative ways to fit physical activity into your life, you'll agree that the effort to get moving is worth it.

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Physical Activity Improves Quality Of Life

Physical Activity Improves Quality Of Life

            Physical activity needs to be a regular, permanent habit to produce benefits. Set yourself up to succeed right from the start by choosing activities that appeal to you, exercising safely, charting your progress to see your success, and making your activity routine fit your personal lifestyle. Here are a few ways to make physical activity a regular part of your daily life.

Make it a priority. Many of us lead busy lives, and it's easy to put physical activity at the bottom of the "to do" list. Though, being active is one of the most important things you can do each day to maintain and improve your health. Make a point to include physical activities throughout your day. 

Try being active first thing in the morning before you get busy. Think of your time to exercise as a special appointment, and mark it on your calendar.

Make it easy. If it's difficult or costs too much, you probably won't be active. You are more likely to exercise if it's easy to do. Put your 2-pound weights next to your easy chair so you can do some lifting while you watch TV. Walk up and down the soccer field during your grandchild’s game.

Walk the entire mall or every aisle of the grocery store when you go shopping. When you go out to get the mail, walk around the block. Join a gym or fitness center that's close to home. You can be active all at once, or break it up into smaller amounts throughout the day. Do more of the activities you already like and know how to do.

Make it social. Many people agree that having an "exercise buddy" keeps them going.  If you don't already have an exercise partner, find one by joining a walking club at your local mall or an exercise class at a nearby senior center. Take a walk during lunch with a co-worker.

Make it interesting and make it fun. Do things you enjoy and pick up the pace a bit. If you love the outdoors, try biking, fishing, jogging, or hiking. Listen to music or a book on CD while walking, gardening, or raking. Plan a hiking trip at a nearby park.

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Play, Creativity, And Lifelong Learning

Play, Creativity, And Lifelong Learning

        Play is simultaneously a source of relaxation and stimulation for the brain and body. A sure (and fun) way to develop your imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and mental health is to play with your romantic partner, office-mates, children, grandchildren, and friends.

Play is often described as a time when we feel most alive, yet we often take it for granted and may completely forget about it. But play isn't a luxury - it's a necessity. Play is as important to our physical and mental health as getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising. Play teaches us how to manage and transform our "negative" emotions and experiences. It supercharges learning, helps us relieve stress, and connects us to others and the world around us. Play can also make work more productive and pleasurable.

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Despite the power of play, somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us stop playing. We exchange play for work and responsibilities. When we do have some leisure time, we're more likely to zone out in front of the TV or computer than to engage in creative, brain-stimulating play. By giving ourselves permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, we can continue to reap its benefits throughout life.

The lifelong benefits of play:

1) Play connects us to others

          Sharing joy, laughter, and fun with others promotes bonding and strengthens a sense of community. We develop empathy, compassion, trust, and the capacity for intimacy through regular play.

2) Play fosters creativity, flexibility, and learning

Play is a doorway to learning. Play stimulates our imaginations, helping us adapt and solve problems. Play arouses curiosity, which leads to discovery and creativity. The components of play - curiosity, discovery, novelty, risk-taking, trial and error, pretense, games, social etiquette, and other increasingly complex adaptive activities - are the same as the components of learning.

3) Play is an antidote to loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and depression

When we play vigorously, we trigger a mix of endorphins that lift our spirits and distractions that distance us from pain, fear, and other burdens. And when we play with other people, whether they’re friends or strangers, we are reminded that we are not alone in this world. We can connect to others in delightful and meaningful ways that banish loneliness.

4) Play teaches us perseverance

The rewards of learning or mastering a new game teach us that perseverance is worthwhile. Perseverance is a trait necessary to healthy adulthood, and it is learned largely through play. Perseverance and violence are rarely found together.

5) Play makes us happy

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  Beyond all these excellent reasons for playing, there is simply the sheer joy of it. Play is a state of being that is happy and joyous. Jumping into and out of the world of play on a daily basis can preserve and nourish our own hearts, and the hearts of our communities.

6) Play and relationships

Play is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. Playing together for the fun of it brings joy, vitality, and resilience to relationships. Play can also heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Through regular play, we learn to trust one another and feel safe. Trust enables us to work together, open ourselves to intimacy, and try new things. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humor and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships- as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends.

7) Play helps us develop and improve our social skills

Social skills are learned in the give and take of play. Verbal communication and body language, safety and danger, freedom and boundaries, cooperation and teamwork: all are discovered and practiced repeatedly during infant and childhood play. We continue to refine these skills in adulthood through play and playful communication.

8) Play teaches us how to cooperate with others

Play is a powerful catalyst for positive socialization. Through play, children learn how to "play nicely" with others - to work together, follow mutually agreed upon rules, and socialize in groups. As adults, play continues to confer these benefits. Evidence even shows that play may be an antidote to violence. In fact, those who avoid or have never learned to play may become lost in the world of fear, rage, and obsessive worry.

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Deep-Breathing Exercises & Mental Performance

Deep-Breathing Exercises & Mental Performance

            Everyone has difficulty concentrating during times of physical or mental stress. Staying focused and relaxed when you experience mental fatigue or physical strain isn't always easy. 

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Specific deep-breathing exercises can provide a number of benefits for your mental and physical well-being and help improve your mental performance in a variety of settings.

Benefits:

            Although everyone is capable of deep, abdominal breathing, most people only take short, shallow breaths that stem from the chest and rib cage.

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Breathing in this manner can make you feel anxious and decrease your mental performance, because it prevents oxygenated air from reaching the lowest portion of your lungs. Learning the proper way to breathe through performing deep-breathing exercises may help to reduce stress, slow your heart rate, lower your blood pressure and help you feel more calm and focused.

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            A variety of deep-breathing exercises can be used to promote health, improve mental performance and enhance feelings of well-being. Conscious abdominal breathing is one of the simplest deep breathing exercises to learn, as it only requires that you pay attention to breathing from your belly. Pranayama is a yogic breathing technique that focuses on breath control to increase mental focus and soothe feelings of fatigue.

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Improve Mental And Emotional Health By Taking Care Of Yourself

Improve Mental And Emotional Health By Taking Care Of Yourself

            In order to maintain and strengthen your mental and emotional health, it’s important to pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Don’t let stress and negative emotions build up. Try to maintain a balance between your daily responsibilities and the things you enjoy. If you take care of yourself, you’ll be better prepared to deal with challenges if and when they arise.

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Taking care of yourself includes pursuing activities that naturally release endorphin and contribute to feeling good. In addition to physical exercise, endorphin are also naturally released when we:

1) Do things that positively impact others. Being useful to others and being valued for what you do can help build self-esteem.

2) Practice self-discipline. Self-control naturally leads to a sense of hopefulness and can help you overcome despair, helplessness, and other negative thoughts.

3) Learn or discover new things. Think of it as “intellectual candy”. Try taking an adult education class, join a book club, visit a museum, learn a new language, or simply travel somewhere new.

4) Enjoy the beauty of nature or art. Studies show that simply walking through a garden can lower blood pressure and reduce stress. The same goes for strolling through a park or an art gallery, hiking, admiring architecture, or sitting on a beach.

5) Manage your stress levels. 

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Stress takes a heavy toll on mental and emotional health, so it’s important to keep it under control. While not all stressors can be avoided, stress management strategies can help you bring things back into balance.

6) Limit unhealthy mental habits like worrying. Try to avoid becoming absorbed by repetitive mental habits – negative thoughts about yourself and the world that suck up time, drain your energy, and trigger feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.

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Mental & Emotional & Physical Health

Physical Health Is Connected To Mental And Emotional Health

            Taking care of your body is a powerful first step towards mental and emotional health. The mind and the body are linked. When you improve your physical health, you’ll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. For example, exercise not only strengthens our heart and lungs, but also releases endorphin, powerful chemicals that energize us and lift our mood.

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The activities you engage in and the daily choices you make affect the way you feel physically and emotionally.

1) Get enough rest. To have good mental and emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body. That includes getting enough sleep. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night in order to function optimally.

2) Learn about good nutrition and practice it. The subject of nutrition is complicated and not always easy to put into practice. But the more you learn about what you eat and how it affects your energy and mood, the better you can feel.

3) Exercise to relieve stress and lift your mood. Exercise is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and depression. Look for small ways to add activity to your day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going on a short walk. To get the most mental health benefits, aim for 30 minutes or more of exercise per day.

4) Get a dose of sunlight every day. Sunlight lifts your mood, so try to get at least 10 to 15 minutes of sun per day. This can be done while exercising, gardening, or socializing.

5) Limit alcohol and avoid cigarettes and other drugs. These are stimulants that may unnaturally make you feel good in the short term, but have long-term negative consequences for mood and emotional health.

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