With kids back in school and the fall season upon us, now is the time when we start thinking about all that sick time we'll have to take when someone inevitably catches some kind of ick.
But what if there was a way to stay above the wellness line, and arm your body with a line of defense to fight back when germs, viruses, and bacteria come knocking?
There actually are several things you can do to help you and your family stay safe this season, and throughout the year.
1. Eat well
Doing whatever you can to reduce or eliminate sugar is first and foremost when it comes to taking care of your health. That's easier said than done with many kids!
Fortunately there are some delicious treats you can make for your kiddos that will satisfy their sweet tooth while simultaneously supporting their immune system as well.
NingXia Red is an antioxidant juice that my family drinks every day. Not only is it delicious, but it's FULL of good-for-you antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. I have some great recipes for a Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie, as well as NingXia Red gummies, for the kiddos who love their fruit snacks. These are included in my free Back to School Wellness guide. You can grab that here! The guide also includes some diffuser recipes, wellness capsule recipes, and a checklist of items to have on hand that will help keep your family healthy and safe.
You also want to make sure that your family is consuming lots of foods with Vitamin C, antioxidants, probiotics, and prebiotics. Garlic is a great one too! Load up on oranges, spinach, and berries.
2. Exercise
Before you groan at me, exercise doesn't have to mean hitting the gym. There are lots of ways for your family to exercise together! Here are just a few ideas:
- Hit the bike trail
- Throw on some music for a dance party
- Pull out that old Twister game
- Go ice skating
- Take everyone bowling (just try to avoid the snack counter!)
- Laser tag
- Hiking
If you need some ideas to get a workout in yourself, I highly recommend JessicaSmithTV on YouTube! She has TONS of free workouts, some as quick as 5 minutes and some as long as over an hour. Whether you're looking for indoor walking, cardio, yoga, kickboxing, HIIT, or strength training, you can find it all on her channel.
3. Know what can deplete your immune system
Did you know that our bodies were not designed to handle the plethora of synthetic chemicals and toxins we're forced to process every day? From products such as household cleaners, body wash, candles, home fragrances, perfumes, lotions, makeup, just to name a few.
As a result, our bodies become sluggish and overloaded, working hard to overcompensate - meaning that our energy levels are lower, and our immune system function is not as strong as it could be. We're much more susceptible to illness because our bodies are spending so much time trying to process all of these chemicals.
Some of these chemicals are beyond our control, because they're found in our environment or in public places. However, we have complete control over what we allow inside our homes. Research greenwashing to make sure you're armed against companies who claim to be "green" or safe and toxin-free, then make educated decisions about the types of products you'll bring into your home. I am SO grateful that I work for a company where I can be sure each and every product is pure, plant-based, free of synthetic chemicals and toxins, and actually does good things for me and my family!
If you would like more information about Young Living and how their products can help you, please reach out to me any time. I would be honored to answer your questions and walk alongside you into a lifestyle of wellness.
4. Mindset actually does matter
You may not realize this, but the more stress you're under, the easier it is for you to get sick. Stress triggers the production of the hormone cortisol in your body, which can lower your ability to fight infection. It can also cause higher blood pressure and contribute to poor sleep.
There are lots of ways to improve your mindset:
- Meditation
- Mantras
- Gratitude journal
- Essential oils
- Maintaining good gut health through nutrition
- Sleep
Again, many of these can seem easier said than done, but my role as a wellness coach is to walk with you every step of the way to help you find what works best for your lifestyle and family.
5. Consistency in your daily routines
A lot of people swear by taking over-the-counter products when they start to feel a little under the weather. Sometimes this works; sometimes it doesn't.
It is much easier to stay healthy when you are consistent with your daily wellness regimen. That includes taking your supplements regularly; using essential oils daily (topically, aromatically, and if you're using Young Living, internally is a great method as well); spoiling your body with healthy food and regular exercise; keeping your mind focused on positivity.
These are just a few ways to help your family stay well this season.
If you'd like to get started with a 3-day Kick Start Your Immune System challenge, you can find that in my Drops of Blessings community on Facebook.
For members of my exclusive Essentially Vibrant community, we're going to begin a three-week Fall Into Wellness series to implement everything we've learned and walk through it together! I'd be happy to give you more information about that, just reach out to me anytime!
Tell me, which steps are you and your family going to take to stay above the wellness line this year?
To grab my free guide on 5 Ways To Boost Your Energy, click here.
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When we talk about boosting our energy, we often hear things like "drink more water", "get some exercise", "take your vitamins", and other things we need to physically DO.
But what are some external sources that can sometimes increase - or zap - our energy?
Exposure to Light
Have you heard of Seasonal Depressive Disorder? It's a real thing. That's when some people experience feelings of depression during the months when there is much less sunlight. The weather isn't as pretty, so we often stay indoors.
It's also common for people who work indoors under florescent lights all day to experience some symptoms of fatigue and depression, due to lack of natural light.
If you find this is the case for you as well, try making a habit of spending at least 10-15 intentional minutes outdoors each day. Even if it's cloudy, you can still reap the benefits of UV exposure and increased Vitamin D, which will boost your energy.
Scent
Our sense of smell is very powerful and can bring up a lot of memories. If we smell something that reminds us of something painful, that can drain our energy. Synthetic fragrances made in a lab with lots of chemicals can be incredibly draining as well, because our bodies weren't designed to process manmade chemicals. When we're around a lot of "fragrances", our bodies are fighting to work through those which means other functions (e.g. energy producing functions) can sometimes lag.
It's helpful to surround yourself with natural scents that uplift and encourage you. Fresh baked bread or desserts are wonderful if they invoke happy memories. Flowers and plants are great choices. An easy way to access scents like this is with essential oils! Just be sure you know the source of the oils you use, because so many are mis-labled and actually contain fillers or synthetic chemicals to make them more cost effective (I will only use Young Living because of their transparency and commitment to quality).
What You See
Scientists tell us that many different colors can invoke certain emotions, which can greatly affect our energy. Surrounding yourself with bright colors like yellow, orange, and green can be helpful. More muted colors such as grays, browns, and blacks might drain energy.
If you're able to paint your walls with colors that energize you, go for it! If that's not an option, some things you can do are to buy decorations like wall art, flowers, pillows, desk accessories in the colors of your choice.
What You Hear
When you surround yourself with sounds of complaints, or the musings of the melancholy, it's easy to take those feelings on yourself. Negative feelings like these can very quickly suck the life and energy right out of you!
If you find yourself listening to people who tend to complain a lot, make an effort to infuse the conversation with positivity, or consider spending less time with those people and more time with those who are upbeat.
Take some time to think about the music, podcasts, and shows you listen to. Do you feel encouraged, lifted up, and optimistic afterwards? Or do they leave you feeling sad or downtrodden? What enters our minds via words and music can have a dramatic effect on our emotions, which can then affect our energy levels.
After evaluating these different external elements, what are some areas where you think you could benefit from a few tweaks or changes?
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Gyms can advertise all they want that they're no judgement zones and everyone is welcome, but for me...NOPE. I just don't like them.
Lee and I have gone a few times (pre-Covid) and mostly do the 30-minute circuit because no one else uses it. But honestly? I hate the gym.
I do not like working out with other people around. I am not that graceful, I do not flow well, I look ridiculous, and I'd much rather look silly in private, thankyouverymuch.
For those of you who are like me and hate the gym, I thought I'd share a few of the FREE workouts I've found to do at home!
First, you have your basic walking/jogging/swimming (if you have a pool - I don't).
Second, YOUTUBE.
It's my favorite.
Here are some of the best (in my opinion!) fitness instructors on YouTube, who have full workout videos available.
If you're just starting out...
- Walk at Home by Leslie Sansone
- Lucy Wyndham-Read
- Pahla B. Fitness (she does a lot for 50+ fitness)
- Up to the BEat Fit
If you're intermediate...
- JessicaSmithTV (she is my FAVORITE - she has a TON of beginner and more advanced ones too)
- BodyFit by Amy (she has a bunch of prenatal and postnatal workouts as well)
- AngieFitnessTV
For the more advanced peeps...
These are only a few of the ones that I use regularly, but there are SO many more for you to explore!
If you try one, let me know which one and what you think!
Do you have any other YouTube favorite fitness instructors you would add to this?
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We've all heard the saying, "Ignorance is bliss."
Although we don't necessarily want to be ignorant, there is something to that.
Have you noticed that the people who are considered conspiracy theorists, or those who tend to be nervous about current events, or people with short tempers, all seem to have one thing in common: they watch a LOT of news.
I'm not saying the news in and of itself is bad. I think we just need to be careful about the types of things our minds and hearts are consuming.
Studies have shown links between playing violent video games and the impact that can have on people's minds, and their intents.
There have also been links between listen to certain types of music, and watching certain types of TV shows.
Granted, I know a good number of people who watch violent TV shows and listen to disheartening music who are still positive, upbeat, happy people. But they're the exception, not the rule. They have also made the choice to BE happy, rather than leave it up to their circumstances to make that decision for them.
Scripture tells us in Philippians 4:8, "Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things."
In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we're told, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Another good verse to remember is, "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."
Those three scriptures are proof enough for me that God has given us every tool we need to CHOOSE what we think about.
What we think about, what we focus on, what we listen to and hear the most, is what shapes everything we do. It determines our beliefs, which determine our actions, which determine our entire lives.
In my Essentially Vibrant group on Facebook, I'm running a 21 Days of Encouragement series with a quote, a journal prompt, and a coordinating essential oil to use. Today's quote is by an unknown author and says,
"Remember - most of your stress comes from the way you respond, not the way life is. Adjust your attitude, and all that extra stress is gone."
What we think about determines our attitude about EVERYTHING.
What we think about comes from what we allow into our hearts and minds - from the news, to TV shows and movies, to music, to even certain people and the types of conversations we have with them.
Something to consider today: how often do you find yourself listening to something that uplifts and encourages you, rather than something negative?
Let me know what the last encouraging thing is that you watched or listened to! If you need some ideas of encouraging TV shows or things to listen to, let me know. I'm here to help!
If you're feeling exhausted and would love 5 easy ways to boost your energy, grab my free guide here!
In our current social climate, with COVID and riots and now hurricane season approaching, it's easy for us to feel overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted, and just unmotivated. We can sometimes get anxious or depressed when we focus on the things that are troubling us.
One surefire way to turn yourself completely around is to focus outward.
When we take our thoughts away from our own problems and shortcomings, suddenly the world seems a little bit brighter.
A positive outlook is easier to cultivate when we focus on those around us. So how can we practically put this into action?
By doing the simplest of actions: Random Acts of Kindness, affectionately called RAKs.
Not only can these help us to focus on others, but we get a rush of endorphins when we do something nice for someone else, and this can also help us to feel more empowered and in control.
Let's start with RAKs in the home.
- Do someone's chore for them (even a parent doing a child's chore!)
- Leave love notes around, on their pillow, in their bathroom, at their seat in the kitchen
- Bring them a treat from the grocery store
- Make their favorite meal or dessert
- Announce a movie night and have their favorite movie (or one they've been wanting to see) all cued up and ready to go
Here are some ideas for RAKs in the office, for those who aren't working remotely or will be going back to the office eventually:
- Bring in bagels or donuts
- Leave a note of encouragement on their desk
- Bring in an extra cup of coffee from Starbucks
- Buy someone's lunch
- Wash out someone's coffee mug or lunch dish in the breakroom
Need some random ideas for when you're out and about? I have some of those for you too:
- Bake bread or cookies to bring to your neighbor (this is especially great if you don't know them or better if you do but don't like them!)
- Pay for the order behind you in the drive through
- Give someone a sincere compliment instead of just thinking about how much you admire their outfit or hair or whatever
- Leave a substantially larger tip than normal
I know you could easily do an internet search for these, but I wanted to share a few to get you started.
Here's my suggestion: make a list of 5 RAKs that you will do within the next week and as you cross each one off, write the name of the person next to it.
What other Random Acts of Kindness can you think of, or what have you done or had someone do for you that really blessed you?
