Wellness Wednesday – 1/13/21

At the beginning of the year, it’s easier to sound motivational because we all love the idea of a fresh start, or perhaps, a clean slate. It is easier to provide you with resolution ideas, positive habits, new routines, fun and unique exercises, and surprising health discoveries. But this year feels different, and constant positivity and motivation is not always the answer. Let’s face it. These first few weeks of 2021 haven’t been as promising one might have hoped when we rang in the new year two weeks ago. We continue to grapple with the ongoing pandemic and the fallout of 2020’s political turmoil. With the frightening events that occurred in our nation’s capital last week, many of us are experiencing a renewed sense of fear and uncertainty. This Wellness Wednesday may be more candid than week’s past, but as always, we have found unique, timely health tips from around the web that feel more important than ever.

WELLNESS AROUND THE WEB

Coping with Negative Feelings

The disheartening events that we’ve witnessed on the news can increase feelings of anxiety and depression. For those who can’t seem to shake that pit in your stomach, USA Today offers a few tips on how to cope with this feeling during this “terrifying American moment” in their article here. One of my favorites is the act of focusing on what you can control, for in situations such as the events of last week, we must remember that we only have control over our own actions.

The anxiety, fear and uncertainty we may be experiencing now is not unlike what was felt at the beginning of this turmoil last spring, so I have uncovered a Healthline article from the spring of 2020 that provides seven emotion-focused coping methods for uncertain times. I advise you to check out the forgiveness and reframing sections, which offer advice “that can help you consider the bigger picture instead of getting stuck on little details.”

Community Values

Making New Year’s resolutions is a great way to set and pursue healthy goals, but sometimes they can be objectively self-centered. This article from the Good News Network asks you to do something different: veer from the usual new year’s resolution and instead find satisfaction in helping others. The article discusses studies that have found that humans can increase happiness by spreading it to others.

In fact, according to Time, the secret to life is helping others. The article, written by Jenny Santi, describes the scientific research behind giving back to others as well as providing a number of tips for giving back in ways that also help us feel great. “Helping others may just be the secret to living a life that is not only happier but also healthier, wealthier, more productive, and meaningful,” Santi writes.

For even more on caring for others, this article from Healthline affirms the importance of community care and talks about how we can simultaneously lift ourselves up while doing so for our community. Helping others is imperative in maintaining a sense of community with our neighbors. And if all of this has finally inspired you to spread kindness to another person today, check out this article from Leo Babauta, creator of ZenHabits.net, that offers 25 ways to help a human being today. You can try any of these ideas right now, for it doesn’t take much to make someone’s day.

Good Reads

This article from DNyuz details building design as the emerging tool to help treat mental illnesses. Moving away from the menacing appearance of mental hospitals — which gain even more of a reputation thanks to horror films — new building designs are focused on creating healing and therapeutic spaces for patients, producing environments that are more calming and supportive.

And lastly, Italian scientists have found that drinking espresso makes you less likely to die. So keep on sipping.