Do you typically keep your conversations superficial and focused on small talk? Well, today is the day to step outside of your comfort zone and have a deep, meaningful conversation with someone. The engagement will not only help create stronger relational bonds between you and the other person, but it will help stimulate your mind and leave you feeling fulfilled on a deeper level personally as well. 

Psychologists and other mental health professionals often talk about the importance of having a strong social support network. When trying to reach our goals or deal with a crisis, experts frequently implore people to lean on their friends and family for support. Research has also demonstrated the link between social relationships and many different aspects of health and wellness. 

Lack of emotional support has been linked to depression and loneliness has been shown to increase the risk of depression, suicide, alcohol use, cardiovascular disease, and altered brain function. In one study of middle-aged men over a seven-year period, those with strong social and emotional support were less likely to die than those who lacked such relationships.

Today, take a few minutes to jot down a list of your emotional supporters. Don’t wait until you are in crisis to try to recall them. Have it ready for those moments when you need them most. 

There are two types of fiber. Soluble fiber helps with the digestion process and lowers blood sugar and cholesterol. Insoluble fiber adds bulk and keeps the digested food moving through your intestines. You don’t have to stress about which foods you should eat for soluble or insoluble fiber. In my research, fiber rich foods usually have both types of fiber.

The good news is that there are a lot of high-fiber foods readily available. Different types of fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, breads and grains, and nuts contain fiber. For fruit, bananas, oranges, apples mangoes, strawberries, and raspberries all have a notable amount of fiber. Vegetables providing a healthy dose of fiber are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard and turnip greens, and peas. There are also a variety of nuts that contain fiber. If you seek to get your fiber from bread and grains, be sure to look for whole grain products which will be clearly labeled as such like 100% whole wheat, flaxseed, or oat breads.

Experts have found evidence to suggest meditation can promote physical and emotional wellness in multiple ways, such as: 

• improved sleep
• anxiety and stress relief
• greater self-awareness
• increased self-compassion
• reduced pain
• reduced cravings when quitting smoking

There are many guided relaxation body scans available online. Think of a body scan as a mental X-ray that slowly travels across your body.

Here are some tips on how to give it a try:

1. Get cozy. Start by getting comfortable. Lie down or sit in a position that allows you to stretch your limbs easily. 
2. Focus. Close your eyes and begin focusing on your breath. Notice the sensation of your breath filling and leaving your lungs as you inhale and exhale. 
3. Choose where to start. Begin anywhere you like — left hand, left foot, right hand, right foot, the top of your head. Focus on that spot as you continue breathing slowly and deeply.
4. Pay attention. Open your awareness to sensations of pain, tension, discomfort, or anything out of the ordinary. 
5. Go slow. Spend anywhere from 20 seconds to 1 minute observing these sensations. 
6. Acknowledge. If you begin to notice pain and discomfort, acknowledge and sit with any emotions these sensations bring up. Accept them without criticism. For example, if you feel frustrated and angry, don’t judge yourself for these emotions. Notice them and let them pass. 
7. Breathe. Continue breathing, imagining the pain and tension decreasing with each breath. 
8. Release. Slowly release your mental awareness on that specific part of your body and redirect it to your next area of focus. Some people find it helpful to imagine releasing one body part as they breathe out and moving on to the next as they breathe in. 
9. Move along. Continue the exercise along your body in a way that makes sense to you, whether you move from top to bottom or up one side and down the other. 
10. Note drifting thoughts. As you continue to scan across your body, note when your thoughts begin to drift. This will happen probably more than once, so don’t worry. You haven’t failed, and you can easily get your thoughts back on track. Just gently return your awareness to where you left off scanning. 
11. Visualize and breathe. Once you finish scanning parts of your body, let your awareness travel across your body. Visualize this as liquid filling a mold. Continue inhaling and exhaling slowly as you sit with this awareness of your whole body for several seconds. 
12. Come back. Slowly release your focus and bring your attention back to your surroundings.

Equipping others with knowledge that we have can be extremely empowering for both the teacher and the learner. Not only does the learner develop new skills, but you as the teacher build personal confidence and become empowered to share more of your knowledge in new ways. Over time, sharing what we know gives our intellectual wellness a boost as we help others learn more about whatever it is that we know a lot about.

Find ways to teach someone something. It could be as simple as teaching someone about something you collect or how to bake something or as intricate as teaching someone how to do some mechanical work on their car. When we share our knowledge, we share power and everybody benefits.

According to a recent Yale University/EPA study, the U.S. recycles less than 22% of its discarded materials. This U.S. recycling level has not improved in 20 years despite the billions of dollars spent on recycling competitions, symposiums, awareness campaigns and new sorting technologies. 

• Although only 5% of the world population, the U.S. generates more waste than any other country in the world. (World Watch Institute)
• In less than 15 years, worldwide waste is expected to double. (World Watch Institute)
• When U.S. recycling levels reach 75% it will be the environmental and CO2 equivalent of removing 55 million cars from U.S. roads each year.
   
• When U.S. recycling levels reach 75% it will generate 1.5 million new jobs in the U.S.

Manufacturers truly want materials back to reuse in their manufacturing, but they aren’t able to reuse the materials if people don’t recycle correctly.

Always recycle emptied metal food and beverage cans, all emptied plastic bottles and jugs, and all clean office paper, newspaper, and clean and flattened cardboard, and put them in the appropriate recycling bin(s).

Verify if glass bottles and jars are recyclable in your community. Sadly, many communities and recycle programs are starting to reject glass jars and glass bottles.

Never put plastic bags or plastic wrap, plastic cups, dishware, straws, food or food-related paper, paper cups, Styrofoam, paper tissue, clothing, wood, tubes, furniture, batteries, wires, electronics, garden hoses, prescription bottles, or needles, in your recycling bin, unless you have specifically been instructed to. Instead, contact your county or city to learn where to properly recycle, compost, donate, or dispose of those items.

Remember, whenever possible, don’t use, accept or buy single-use plastics.

Negative self-talk is something that most of us experience from time to time, and it comes in many forms. It also creates significant stress, not only to us but to those around us if we’re not careful.  Here are a few of the negative consequences of negative self-talk:

• Limited thinking. You tell yourself you can’t do something, and the more you hear it, the more you believe it.
• Perfectionism. You begin to really believe that “great” isn’t as good as “perfect,” and that perfection is actually attainable. 
• Feelings of depression. Some research has shown that negative self-talk can lead to an exacerbation of feelings of depression. If left unchecked, this could be quite damaging.
• Relationship challenges. Whether the constant self-criticism makes you seem needy and insecure or you turn your negative self-talk into more general negative habits that bother others, a lack of communication and even a “playful” amount of criticism can take a toll

Finding healthy ways to speak to ourselves is important and it all begins in our mind. Check out the short video below for some tips on how to begin re-writing the negative scripts that exist in your brain and look for ways to replace them with more positive messaging whenever possible.

Jim Kwik: How to End Negative Self-Talk

Today, we challenge you to perform a random act of kindness for someone who might need a boost in their work day. Maybe it’s a co-worker in your office or workplace or maybe you are retired but have an adult child or spouse still in the workforce that you could pop in and surprise with a work day treat or note. If you don’t have anyone in your immediate circle that you could do something for at their workplace, try surprising a random employee at a business you frequent…surprise waitstaff by tipping the full amount of your bill at a local restaurant, surprise your mail carrier with a gift card for a cup of coffee, or bring a bouquet of flowers for the front desk at your doctor’s office. 

Chemicals in our food, personal care products and cleaning supplies can permanently damage the immune system and nervous system, and interfere with hormone function. The liver is the body’s primary organ for detoxification. It takes toxic chemicals and breaks them down into less harmful substances that are then excreted from the body. If our toxic load is high, it can overwhelm the liver and inhibit the elimination of toxins that are built up in our body. The intestines, kidneys, lymphatic system, skin, and lungs are all key players in healthy elimination of toxins. It is important to become aware of common toxins in your environment, take steps to reduce your exposure to harmful substances, and improve your body’s detoxification processes by increasing your body’s natural defenses.

Take a look at the product labels for the products your commonly use for personal care and household cleaning. Seek more natural options with fewer chemicals and as you run out of a product, replace it with a less toxic variety.

The Environmental Working Group has a great website featuring a comprehensive database of personal care products to help you find less toxic substitutions in multiple categories. www.ewg.org/skindeep/

There are also a lot of natural cleaning supplies available in stores and online today than even a decade ago, but you can also save money and reduce your chemical exposures by making your own natural cleaning products. Need some tips and recipes on how to get started? Visit https://www.womensvoices.org/avoid-toxic-chemi…/diy-recipes/ for several great cleaning basics.

Regular shared mealtimes provide a sense of rhythm and regularity in lives. They can evoke deep feelings of contentment and security because people need structure and routine. Mealtimes offer people the opportunity to stop, be still, reflect on their day and days ahead, and listen to and interact with others. Mealtimes are also a grounding opportunity, a time when anxieties can be expressed and you can be listened to. All of this creates and fosters social connections with others.

Sharing meals helps to develop social skills. Children especially learn from behavior modelled by parents, older siblings and guests.

Regular mealtimes provide rhythm and make us stop and focus on eating while sitting upright in chairs (as opposed to in the car, on the go or in front of the TV) which improves digestion. The act of talking and listening also slows down the eating process.

Try to find creative ways to safely gather over a meal with others… maybe you gather and share a picnic or barbeque al fresco (outside), maybe you ZOOM or FaceTime together while eating meals in different locations. Be sure to follow your local guidelines for gathering safely.