Guest Post: Mental & Physical Wellness

I stumbled across Errign's blog a few months ago, and have really enjoyed getting to know part of her life through her posts. After reading this post, please go over and check her blog out. Thanks Errign for guest posting! 

Hi Everyone!  I’m Errign & I blog over at Errign’s Adventures, where I try to focus on living the best life for me, whatever that may mean at the time.  When Karolina asked me to write a guest post about what wellness means to me, I was both excited and intrigued with the topic, since I know the definition of wellness can vary so much.

Personally, my total body wellness comes from both mental and physical wellness.  I don’t dwell as much on the spiritual aspect of wellness, because I find personally that if I’m both physically and mentally well, I feel at peace.  Being at peace for me is enough, though for others, spiritually may be more important, but I guess that’s the beauty of being individuals, right?  So, I figured I’d focus on my definitions of physical and mental wellness and how I go about achieving them.

Physical Wellness:  For me, physical wellness begins in the most obvious place – taking enough proper care of my body so I don’t get sick.  Luckily, I am a pretty healthy person – I got the flu for the first time a few years ago and I seriously thought I was dying.  To keep myself from getting sick, I get the right amount of sleep for me (I think this really does vary person to person, regardless of what doctors & studies tell us), I eat healthy, wholesome foods that make me feel good, and I exercise.  Exercise is my biggest part of physical wellness, because it balances me out & keeps me centered so well.  I have favorite forms of exercise – running, mountain biking, yoga, and skiing.  I enjoy the rush of endorphins and the accomplishment in reaching a new goal, but I mostly use exercise as a way to appreciate my body and respect my health.  A day or two without exercise certainly won’t kill me, but exercise is how I keep myself together and is where physical wellness really begins to tie into mental wellness, for me.

Mental Wellness:  Mental wellness is obviously, the feelings and appreciation I have for myself.  I like to think of maintaining my mental wellness as a massage or a nap for my brain.  Maintaining my mental wellness is sometimes something I can struggle with, because personally, I usually have to take time to recharge, relax and withdraw from the world to maintain mental wellness.  Unfortunately, “taking it easy” is not something my type-a control freak personality does lightly and I spend a lot of time reminding myself to take a break, to take a night off go-go-go, and to take rest days from exercise.  My favorite ways to boost my mental wellness are to plan days where I have no responsibilities to anyone but myself, to watch movies or TV shows I love, to take long hot showers, and by taking the time to be in nature by myself, whether I’m skiing, mountain biking, running, or just taking a walk with my dog.  I love to schedule fun girl’s dates with my friends for pedicures or drinks out, or just an evening in on one of our couches with some Ben & Jerry’s and Circle of Friends.  I do think that mental wellness is even more important than physical wellness, even though they’re so intertwined and it’s a constant learning experience for me to remember to respect my mental wellness.

I truly do believe that proper levels of mental and physical wellness must go hand in hand for me to function properly, and on the days that I just feel “off”, I can usually pinpoint why & how I am going to adjust.  I know wellness means different things to different people, so thank Karolina for letting me share my viewpoint!  To anyone reading, come on over to my blog & say hi!

Self Love: Learning To Relax

Like I mentioned in my post yesterday, I'm at the beach right now!

Fantastic, isn't it?

It's beautiful, and I'd definitely be fine staying here another week or two! One thing I love about vacations like this is that there are no real responsibilities. I can do what I want to do, when I want to do it. I can disconnect from the world of email, clients, chores, and grocery shopping to focus on taking care of me! Remember that, generally speaking, we cannot give to others what we don't have. And so, from time to time, I think it's crucial to take some time away to relax, breathe, and rejuvenate. 

That being said, here are some of my favorite ways to take care of myself on a relaxing vacation:

• Reading: I love to read, but most of the time when I have the time to read, it's something related to work. While I love that type of reading, it's good to kick back with a fun book and enjoy it without having to apply it to work!
• Walks on the Beach: I obviously love being around people and observing them, and the beach is a perfect place for that! The beach obviously draws all sorts of people, and many times I break down in laughter over the characters I see there. Besides that, I love walking in the surf with waves hitting my legs! Thrown in a yummy drink, and it's even better!
• Yoga By the Pool: Let's be honest. What better location is there for yoga then under palm trees or by a pool? This slows my mind and my breathing, and gets me to focus on my body and the movements I'm making. It's the perfect component to a self care week!
• Journal: We see things different on paper then we do in our heads, and writing provides that different perspective on ourself or a situation that we are in currently. Writing provides a way of working through. It's also a great place to keep track of goals and progress. 
• Sleeping in! No more early morning alarm clock this week for me!

Alright, I'm off to continue my self-care vacation! 

What I'd like to know:

What's your favorite beach activity?

How are you taking care of yourself this weekend?

Thankfulness Project Monday

"For today and its blessings, I owe the world an attitude of gratitude."

-Unknown

An attitude of gratitude. What would that look like in your life? Part of the practice of listing what I'm thankful for is to create a mindset of always acknowledging what I've been blessed with in my life. I wonder what our lives would look like if we lived in an attitude of gratitude... how would our health and wellness change?

Here are a few of the things I'm thankful for right now:

• Greek Yogurt: This stuff is DELICIOUS! It comes in many different flavors, which I love! Plain yogurt is also fantastic because you can add all sorts of nuts or fresh fruit to it. Delicious and SO healthy! I could eat this stuff every day. Oh wait...I already do... :D
• New Swimsuits: This past week was spent doing a whole lot of swim suit shopping. While I don't like the whole trying it on experience (bad lighting, tons of mirrors, unflattering angles...need I say more?), the getting to wear it part is lots of fun! And of course it only means one thing: SUMMER! 
• Family Workouts: Ok, so we don't necessarily all go to the gym and do the exact same workout. But if my brother is there lifting, he'll run a lap or two with me. My mom will come and do weights. We'll do pilates or all go to a yoga class. It's fantastic! I think it's so important for families as a whole to work on health and wellness together, and I'm thankful that my family does!
• A Phone Call From My Brother: One of my brothers has been overseas for awhile, and I haven't had much of a chance to talk to him. We're really close, and it's been a little sad for me to not really know where he's at or what he's doing. A phone call this weekend made it MUCH better, and it was fun to hear his voice & catch up on what's going on in his life. I'm thankful for a fantastic relationship with all my siblings, and specifically right now for a phone call this week from one of them. 
• Movies: This weekend I watched the most recent Harry Potter Movie (anyone else REALLY excited for the final movie?), which in my mind is always a fun choice. I also watched a movie I had never heard of before entitled Like Dandelion Dust. It's FANTASTIC. Not funny, certainly, but it was an incredibly interesting movie, with an issue that was thought provoking to me as a counselor. It's fun to be able to lose yourself in the story lines of movies, or simply sit back and take a break from life for a bit. 

What I'd like to know:

What was your favorite part of the weekend?

What genre of movies do you like best?

What are you thankful for right now?

Working Out While You Work

Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it.  ~Author Unknown

The last two evenings I've spent shoveling mulch from a huge pile on the driveway into a wheelbarrow. Then the mulch was dumped in the backyard. This morning I will spend the morning spreading the mulch...I'm trying to not get too excited about it:) Also, please try to not be jealous as you think of me sweating away in piles of wood. Seriously. 


Ok, enough of the sarcasm. As I was shoveling yesterday, I began to think of the nature of household chores, and how easy it is to complain about it. We can't avoid the housework (ok...I guess we can avoid it, but not if we want clean, safe, and healthy houses!), but we CAN make it fun. Why make it a miserable time for ourself, our significant other, or our children? 


I got to thinking. What could possibly be remotely "fun" about shoveling mulch? Well, I was complaining in my head about not getting a workout in, and then realized that I could use this as my workout. This immediately shifted my focus. I got into a healthy and safe position, and focused on different muscles as I shoveled. I did yoga and pilates like moves while I was waiting for the mulch to be dumped in the backyard. Did I look a little stupid? Sure. Did I feel better about the time I spent shoveling? Absolutely. I got my heart rate up, and threw a little strength training in there too.


My point is this. You can make healthy choices even while doing your household chores. Better yet. If someone else is there with you, try to make a game out of it. There's no need for the chores to be a waste of time and not fun! Summer is a great time to set a new, healthy pattern for your work, so take the first step today and try to increase health in this area! You'll dread the housework a lot less... 


Do you ever do a workout while doing a daily task or chore? What's your most dreaded chore?

Embracing the Sweat

I know I've talked about my love of walking/dislike of running before on this blog. If you don't remember the post or are new to the blog, you can read the post here. I just don't think I have a runners body...at all. But I'm determined to try to become a runner. Yes, i know there are plenty of other ways to get cardio exercise in, and yes, I do some of those regularly. But I'm not giving up on my dream of running.

That being said, on Tuesday night I was at the gym for a 75 minute Hatha Yoga Class (AMAZING, by the way!). After class, I saw the track with all the pretty ellipticals, treadmills, bikes, and stair step machines in the middle of it. I haven't done much running lately, so I decided to give it another shot. What resulted from this quick decision was 4 miles of running and walking, back and forth. Because I ran on the track, I was able to make sure that I split my 4 miles into exactly even halves, giving me a 2 mile walk and 2 mile run. It was WONDERFUL. I know, right? Coming from the mouth of the girl who hates running. I KNOW. But I really did love it. I don't know if I'll ever be the type of person who will write "I went out for an easy 5 mile run" on this blog, and I'm ok with that. I'm choosing to live in the shades of gray in exercise instead of clinging to all or nothing types of thoughts. After these 4 miles, I dutifully foam rolled, and found that when I woke up yesterday, I wasn't even too sore at all. Success on all accounts? I think so.

So where does sweating come in to my run? I was a dancer until college (read: lots of hours of sweating), which I loved. But then I got to college, and my work outs centered around our gym. For some reason, I panicked about the idea of sweating in front of people I didn't know too well. What resulted was me wearing 1 of 2 shirts that didn't really show sweat, and not pushing myself the way I could've. Trust me, I feel a little pathetic even admitting that. Hey- I have a fear of sweat.

I've had enough of it and I'm no longer going to embrace my fear of sweat. Instead, I'm embracing the sweat and working out in WHAT I want in the WAY I want and at the INTENSITY that I want. What's a little sweat going to do, anyways?

Are you afraid of anything at the gym? What has this fear kept you from doing? 

Thankfulness Project Monday

Blessings are oftentimes not valued till they are gone.--Thomas Fuller

It's Monday, which means another post of some of my blessings and things I'm thankful for over this past week! It's been a hectic week with an unexpected trip thrown in, so it's good to get back to my regular life and posting schedule! You can read my previous Thankfulness Project Post here (you can get background information to my Thankfulness Project from this link as well). 

So, with that being said, here are a few of the things that I'm thankful for over the past week:

• Doing Things That "Scare" Me: You'll have to click on the link to read my entire post based around this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. Because of everything going on in Greece right now (google news "Greece" and you can read what's going on if you're interested!), it was neat to be able to stand there in person and get to see part of the country's history playing out. What a neat experience!
• Fantastic Fridays/ Life's Tiny Delights: While I'm trying to work on my title for my Friday posts, you can read this past Friday's post at the link above to get the background on this if you're interested! I feel thankful that I've started the practice of bookending my week with my Thankfulness Project posts on Monday and my Life's Tiny Delights post on Fridays. I don't think that we're often mindful enough of our blessings and the joys we've been given, and life quickly passes us by. I think it's a crucial practice to develop in the process of increasing wellness and mental health. 
• My Health: I spent this weekend at a nursing home (post to come on this soon!), which naturally lead to me being around a lot of people who can no longer live their life the way they used to. I'm so thankful that I'm healthy and strong enough to be independent and take care of my life. Again, I feel like we often take this for granted (I know I do!), and that's unfortunate. While I complain sometimes about unloading my dishwasher or having to dust (to give 2 examples!), I also realize that I have the ability to do these things for myself, and ultimately I'm so thankful for that. This weekend put that in perspective for me. 
• Social Support: We each struggle with things, whether big or small, in our daily living. Life can be hard enough on it's own, and it's wonderful when we have friends to help carry the burden and support us through whatever pain, suffering, or frustration that we experience. Due to the events of this weekend (again, the nursing home), I've felt so thankful to have a number of people there for me, supporting & encouraging along the way. We all need to feel like we're being cheered on at certain points in life, don't we? :)
• Yoga: I've had a lot of neck and back pain that has turned into bad headaches or migraines over the last 10-12 days, and yoga has done a good job of relieving some of that pain. Not only physical wellness, but it helps with mental wellness as well! I look forward very much to my yoga days, and I'm thankful that at this point I have the opportunity and ability to take these classes! 

Ok, enough with me now! What I'd like to know from you:

How was your weekend? What are your blessings from the last week?

Thankfulness Project Monday

I'm so very sorry for my lack of posting this past week. I've had a few major projects that I've been working on, and this has made free time very scarce. I hope to get back to a more regular posting schedule soon. That being said, I of course couldn't miss the list of things I'm thankful for:

• Easter Weekend: I had a long weekend, and spent some time with my family. It was fun, relaxing, and the perfect break for an incredibly hectic week for me. It was much needed!
• The Hope & Promise in Easter: I'm so thankful for the cross and all the promises and hopes that it means in life. 
• Spring Dresses! Ok, I understand that this may seem just a little pathetic, especially following the first two on my list. BUT, they are fun, and can help brighten my mood:) After months of the cold, snowy winter, it's finally time to break these out! So, while this isn't something of great substance, right now it warrants a spot on my list. 
• Yoga: I like to mix pilates lessons in with yoga to create a great workout for myself. Although I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it (see my post here on this relationship). It's relaxing, helps me practice mindfulness, and I can tell that I'm developing strength from it. 
• Life: I'm thankful for life. Sounds a little funny I guess on this list, but I'm so thankful for the chance to live and experience love, relationship, travel, and everything in between. Living is hard, for sure, but it's beautiful as well. I'm thankful for the living that I've had a chance to do. 

So, there you go. A few of the things I'm thankful for on this Monday morning. 

How was your Easter weekend? What are you thankful for today? 

To Yoga, Or Not To Yoga

Well, despite a weekend of productivity, I am once again behind in the work that I need to get done. Because of that, my post will be short and sweet:)

One of my goals around the new year was to try a new type of fitness activity. I've done pilates for a number of years, and have always been intrigued by yoga. In January I found a free weekly yoga class in the area, and decided to check it out. I think I fell in love that first class. Ok...it was more like a love-hate relationship.

You see, yoga class comes at the end of a stressful day, and for that reason, I really love it. I love knowing that at the end of it, I get to go and spend an hour relaxing and moving my body. That's the love part.

Now comes the hate: I've only taken yoga from one person, but i feel like my yoga teacher holds poses for FOREVER. At least it seems forever. The first 10-15 seconds the pose feels good, and after that I'm pretty sure the thought in my head goes something like this: AGHHHHHH....MAKE IT END. Yes, by the end of the pose I'm a shaking mess.

I can tell that I'm getting stronger, and I love feeling how my breaths move with the motions of my own body. There's something calming about that. I've also noticed that when I can't shut off my mind, I really struggle to hold the poses, and each minute seems to drag by. When I can focus on my breathing and body movement, the time just flies by.

I guess this reminds me a bit of life as a whole. I think because we are so busy, and often looking for the next "big thing" (hmm...this is reminding me a little of the post on life's tiny delights), we tend to miss a lot of little moments along the way. The whole idea of mindfulness is bringing our awareness back to the present. This is what yoga forces me to do. I hope through the practice of yoga I can continue to work on applying this to daily life as well.

In case you were wondering- my favorite poses at the moment are the warrior poses. They're fabulous and I can incorporate some of the principles of pilates from it. I think the two compliment each other nicely. So, that's my incredibly scattered and chaotic thoughts on my introduction to yoga.

Do you do yoga on a regular basis? If not, what makes you hesitant to try it? If you do, what have your experiences been, and what's your favorite pose?