Wellness Wednesday - National Smile Month

Mother and son

There is power in a smile. It conveys feelings of happiness, hope, joy, and improves your mood. Behind your powerful smile is the health care of your mouth. Did you know that our oral health influences our every day wellness?

National Smile Month, observed in June, is designed to bring awareness to our oral health and provide tips for maintaining your smile. Here's what I learned from a Delta Dental article:

1.    The health of our mouth can impact our cardiovascular system.

2.    People with high blood pressure often have higher levels of plaque buildup on their teeth.

3.    One study indicated that people who brush less than twice a day are at a higher risk of heart disease than those who brush twice a day for two minutes. 

Go out there and work your smile this month and watch your mood change. Even when you don't feel like smiling, do it anyway. In the words of gospel artist Kirk Franklin, "...even when you hurt, smile." 

Your challenge this month is to smile every day. Check in and let me know how you feel at the end of each week.

Feel Good Friday – How Do You Live Your Best Life – 3 Ways to Get Started

 

Stretched out on a couch, sipping flavored water, and snacking on a Honeycrisp apple with smooth peanut butter…my best life. This is only the beginning of my idea of living my best life. There are also adventures planned, art classes to try, and even weekend excursions.

What is your idea of living your best life? I have friends who have been zip lining, white water rafting, and parasailing. Those activities are not on my list, but I admire my friends for being intentional and chasing their adventures.

Skydiving

Living your best life means pursuing things that are meaningful to you, not things that someone else thinks you should be doing. On the list of friends pursuing their best life, are my sons. They too have been parasailing, and most recently skydiving. They are living their best life and they didn’t wait until they turned 50 or wait for the perfect circumstances.

Skydiving - a sibling adventure

Let’s do it…live our best life. Here are 3 Ways to do that:

1.      Take pleasure in the simple things – we sometimes forget to appreciate what we have smile, or made you sigh in appreciation.

2.      Live in the present – is there something you have been putting off, waiting for the right time? Do you want to try a new hobby, run a marathon, or simply walk a mile without breathing heavy? Just start where you are.

3.      Manage your inner critic – don’t let negative thoughts hijack your happiness. Shut it down. You deserve happiness, joy, and any other positivity you can think of.

What will be your first step toward living your best life? It doesn’t need to be a big step; any forward movement is good. Begin a new project, grab a book you’ve anted to read and head to a beach for relaxation. Any step you take toward something positive for yourself, is a step in the right direction.

 

Wellness Wednesday – 5 Ways to Invest in Your Spiritual Well-being

 

Family Relaxing - Brothers with their Grandma

Is your spiritual bank account running low? Don’t let it lead to insufficient funds, make a deposit today. Spirituality has been described as the belief in something greater than yourself. Just as you would take care of your mental and physical health, your spiritual health should be included too.

There are benefits to investing in your spiritual well-being. Here are 4 benefits listed by The Hartford:

·         Feeling calmer, more centered, more mindful

·         Decreasing anxiety

·         Giving you a sense of community

·         Developing your values and feeling more attuned to your emotions

We have to be intentional about our well-being. I say we because I have to remind myself to make time for self-care. The Hartford article also listed 12 Ways toinvest in yourself, I will share my top 5, in no particular order.

1.      Meditate – meditation can reduce symptoms of stress and possibly reduce headaches.

2.      Spend Time in Nature – reduces stress and increases happiness.

3.      Digital Detox – take time away from technology.

4.      Practice Mindfulness – focus on the present moment without worrying about the past or future.

5.      Do a Good Deed – helping someone else can give you an emotional boost.

Don’t let your spiritual bank account lie dormant, take action today. Round out your mental and physical well-being by activating your spiritual well-being.

What tips do you have for investing in spiritual well-being?