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Ready to start 2022 off right? Circle January 3 on your brand new calendar – that’s International Mind-Body Wellness Day. It’s a great time to figure out how you will take care of your physical and mental health this year.
Wellness can be defined by a Latin phrase “Mens sana in corpore sano,” which is often (but not always!) translated as “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” It sounds like an ancient concept, but it’s only a few centuries old and originally referred to the need including sports as part of a complete education. But over time it’s become a reminder that having either a healthy body or a “sound” mind is not enough for true wellness. Instead, you want to take care of the total you – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. It’s about achieving balance.
Here are some tips that can help you achieve and maintain wellness in the New Year – and the future.
Move your body – Regular exercise keeps the machine that is your body in top shape. It strengthens your bones and muscles, improves your ability to do everyday activities, boosts your mood and keeps essential systems like your brain and heart healthy.
Manage stress – yes, many of us are struggling with stress overload these days. But try to find ways to manage it, such as exercise, improvements to your sleep hygiene, and/or therapy. However you choose to manage stress, it’s really important to calm down. When you’re stressed out, your brain prompts your adrenal glands to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol that are useful in helping you to fight the threat or quickly flee. Great for survival, but when stress is constant the overabundance of adrenaline in your system can cause high blood pressure which is (see above) really bad for your heart, headaches, upset stomach, heartburn, sore throats and teeth grinding.
Get enough sleep – Adults who sleep less than 7 hours each night raise their risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Why? In part, because when you are sleeping, your blood pressure goes down. Having sleep problems means your blood pressure stays higher for a longer period of time. Find out more about sleep and heart health here.
Make healthy choices – Salt + sugar = yummy. We humans are literally hard-wired to crave these tastes, they spark changes in our brain chemistry that make us feel really happy. But they don’t support body-mind health. So, should you stick to carrot and celery sticks for all your snacking needs? Nah, life without the occasional treat is a sad existence. The trick is to find foods that seem like an indulgence and benefit your health, like dark chocolate. And if you have chosen to lose some weight, please skip the fad diets – they are bad for your health and your smile.
Smile Often – A big grin benefits your mental health, and makes the people around you happier too. And taking care of that smile is important for your physical and mental health. So make sure to have a good at-home dental hygiene routine (for starters, that means brushing your teeth for three minutes, with a soft brush, twice a day and flossing). And see your dentist for a checkup and cleaning at least every six months – or more, as needed. Follow your dentist’s guidance.
Think you can’t afford regular dental care? Good news: You can! Dental savings plans are an affordable alternative to traditional dental insurance which provide plan members with 10-60% off most dental procedures. Many plans also include savings on vision, hearing, chiropractic care and prescription drugs, and some even have huge discounts on telehealth services. Learn more about dental savings plans here.