Thanks to Bill Kirby for sending along this interesting list of things we can do to improve our personal wellness. Wellness can be broadly defined as “the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort.” (dictionary.com) The tips outlined below are under six headings:
(1) physical, (2) intellectual, (3) spiritual, (4) vocational, (5) emotional, and (6) social.
(1) physical, (2) intellectual, (3) spiritual, (4) vocational, (5) emotional, and (6) social.
1. Physical
1. Set small goals for physical activity and make it a friendly competition between family and/or friends. How many days out of the week can you clock 10,000 steps? Track the data and graph it over time.
2. Take the stairs whenever possible.
3. Park far away and walk.
4. Stretch or do some resistance training while watching television.
5. Do calf raises or lunges while you brush your teeth.
6. Start exercising with as little as 5-10 minute goals a few times per week and build up from there. Get free workouts and track your progress here or use something as simple as a check sheet: https://www.fitocracy.com
7. Stand at least 10 minutes out of each hour, especially at work.
8. Mark a gallon container for each day’s hydration goals. [I checked and apparently a gallon of wine does not meet the requirements.]
9. Try one new healthy food recipe each week.
10. Visit a farmer’s market. Buy something you’ve never tried.
11. Go geocaching and find treasure.
12. Track your sleep habits and set goals to reach the recommended number of hours per day.
13. Take a nap. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “naps can restore alertness, enhance performance and reduce mistakes and accidents. A study at NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40 minutes nap improved performance by 34% and alertness 100%.”
14. Have 8oz of water ready to drink first thing when you wake up. Make it a habit.
15. Keep a gym bag ready to go in your car. Or, put your gym clothes over your alarm clock.
16. Prep meals in advance and freeze.
2. Intellectual
17. Subscribe to Webster’s Word-of-the-Day. http://www.merriam-webster.com
18. Brush your teeth with the opposite hand.
19. Learn something via podcast(s) one or more days during your commute instead of listening to music.
Stuff You Should Know - http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts
Hidden Brain - http://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain
20. Learn something new for free online. www.khanacademy.com
https://www.coursera.org https://www.edx.org
3. Spiritual
21. Set calendar reminders for mindful moments throughout the day. Be in the moment.
22. Set your alarm clock 15 minutes early to meditate and/or stretch. Even 5 minutes a day can make a difference.
23. Start with 20 and then increase to 50, 75 and then a goal of 100 conscious deep breathes per day. How to Breathe Properly: http://www.selfication.com/how-to-breathe
24. Identify your personal mission statement & values. Hang them up on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror.
25. Identify 1-2 things you’re thankful for each day. Be grateful. According to Action for Happiness, “science is showing that gratitude is more important for how good we feel psychologically and socially. It increases how much positive emotion we feel and
decreases negative emotion. It raises our overall satisfaction with life and helps us have an overall positive outlook. It has been shown to reduce health complaints and help us cope with difficulties.” http://www.actionforhappiness.org/take-action/find-three-good-things-each-day
26. Use a white board to write down your weekly/monthly/yearly goals. Make it a vision board!
27. Try zentangles or coloring for relaxation. [Larry would recommend Sudoku, but I’m not sure how relaxing that is.]
According to psychologist Gloria Martinez Ayala, “when coloring, we activate the two areas of our two cerebral hemispheres. The action involves both logic, by which we color forms, and creativity, when mixing and matching colors. This incorporates the areas of the cerebral cortex involved in vision and fine motor skills. The relaxation that it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress.”
28. Create custom playlists for meditation, working out, driving, etc.
4. Vocational
29. Get certified. [Some of our members are definitely certifiable.]
30. Attend a career fair to explore your options.
31. Use a grid analysis to evaluate career options.
32. Take the Kiersey Temperament Sorter and discover your personality type.
http://www.keirsey.com/sorter/register.aspx
33. Conduct a personal SWOT analysis. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05_1.htm
34. Mentor someone. Find a mentor for yourself.
35. Take free online courses related to your profession.
https://alison.com (includes quality courses)
36. Go to a related industry event and network with others in your field, or one that you’re interested in.
37. Blog about what you do.
38. Read and engage in LinkedIn groups. Set a calendar reminder to check these groups once per week, or at some specific interval of time.
5. Emotional
39. End each day by writing one good thing that happened. Put the piece of paper in a jar and open it when you need some positive encouragement.
40. Smile. It will boost your mood, your immune system and the attitude of others around you.
41. Use photos or videos to make a compilation or album you can check out anytime for a smile.
42. Track how your day went each day on a calendar. Use a scale, or something as simple as a smiley/frowny face.
Try an app: https://www.trackyourhappiness.org
43. Use your vacation days. Plan something and put it on the calendar.
44. Volunteer and help others. “Beyond social network size, the clearest benefit of social relationships came from helping others. Those who helped their friends and neighbors, advising and caring for others, tended to live to old age.” ~The Longevity Project
https://www.volunteermatch.org
6. Social
45. Schedule time for friends and family. One of the top regrets of dying people is not spending enough time or staying in touch with friends and family.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying
46. Coordinate a neighborhood or work walking group.
47. Coordinate a neighborhood garage sale.
48. Host a pot-luck picnic.
According to The Happiness Advantage, “spending as little as 20 minutes outside in a good weather not only boosts positive mood, but also broadens thinking and improves working memory.”
49. Say something nice to at least two people each day. Rewire your brain to be think positive.
50. Join a club, sports team or other hobby interest group. [I’m surprised the list didn’t mention attending SLC Retiree Association gatherings!] www.meetup.com
1. Set small goals for physical activity and make it a friendly competition between family and/or friends. How many days out of the week can you clock 10,000 steps? Track the data and graph it over time.
2. Take the stairs whenever possible.
3. Park far away and walk.
4. Stretch or do some resistance training while watching television.
5. Do calf raises or lunges while you brush your teeth.
6. Start exercising with as little as 5-10 minute goals a few times per week and build up from there. Get free workouts and track your progress here or use something as simple as a check sheet: https://www.fitocracy.com
7. Stand at least 10 minutes out of each hour, especially at work.
8. Mark a gallon container for each day’s hydration goals. [I checked and apparently a gallon of wine does not meet the requirements.]
9. Try one new healthy food recipe each week.
10. Visit a farmer’s market. Buy something you’ve never tried.
11. Go geocaching and find treasure.
12. Track your sleep habits and set goals to reach the recommended number of hours per day.
13. Take a nap. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “naps can restore alertness, enhance performance and reduce mistakes and accidents. A study at NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40 minutes nap improved performance by 34% and alertness 100%.”
14. Have 8oz of water ready to drink first thing when you wake up. Make it a habit.
15. Keep a gym bag ready to go in your car. Or, put your gym clothes over your alarm clock.
16. Prep meals in advance and freeze.
2. Intellectual
17. Subscribe to Webster’s Word-of-the-Day. http://www.merriam-webster.com
18. Brush your teeth with the opposite hand.
19. Learn something via podcast(s) one or more days during your commute instead of listening to music.
Stuff You Should Know - http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts
Hidden Brain - http://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain
20. Learn something new for free online. www.khanacademy.com
https://www.coursera.org https://www.edx.org
3. Spiritual
21. Set calendar reminders for mindful moments throughout the day. Be in the moment.
22. Set your alarm clock 15 minutes early to meditate and/or stretch. Even 5 minutes a day can make a difference.
23. Start with 20 and then increase to 50, 75 and then a goal of 100 conscious deep breathes per day. How to Breathe Properly: http://www.selfication.com/how-to-breathe
24. Identify your personal mission statement & values. Hang them up on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror.
25. Identify 1-2 things you’re thankful for each day. Be grateful. According to Action for Happiness, “science is showing that gratitude is more important for how good we feel psychologically and socially. It increases how much positive emotion we feel and
decreases negative emotion. It raises our overall satisfaction with life and helps us have an overall positive outlook. It has been shown to reduce health complaints and help us cope with difficulties.” http://www.actionforhappiness.org/take-action/find-three-good-things-each-day
26. Use a white board to write down your weekly/monthly/yearly goals. Make it a vision board!
27. Try zentangles or coloring for relaxation. [Larry would recommend Sudoku, but I’m not sure how relaxing that is.]
According to psychologist Gloria Martinez Ayala, “when coloring, we activate the two areas of our two cerebral hemispheres. The action involves both logic, by which we color forms, and creativity, when mixing and matching colors. This incorporates the areas of the cerebral cortex involved in vision and fine motor skills. The relaxation that it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress.”
28. Create custom playlists for meditation, working out, driving, etc.
4. Vocational
29. Get certified. [Some of our members are definitely certifiable.]
30. Attend a career fair to explore your options.
31. Use a grid analysis to evaluate career options.
32. Take the Kiersey Temperament Sorter and discover your personality type.
http://www.keirsey.com/sorter/register.aspx
33. Conduct a personal SWOT analysis. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05_1.htm
34. Mentor someone. Find a mentor for yourself.
35. Take free online courses related to your profession.
https://alison.com (includes quality courses)
36. Go to a related industry event and network with others in your field, or one that you’re interested in.
37. Blog about what you do.
38. Read and engage in LinkedIn groups. Set a calendar reminder to check these groups once per week, or at some specific interval of time.
5. Emotional
39. End each day by writing one good thing that happened. Put the piece of paper in a jar and open it when you need some positive encouragement.
40. Smile. It will boost your mood, your immune system and the attitude of others around you.
41. Use photos or videos to make a compilation or album you can check out anytime for a smile.
42. Track how your day went each day on a calendar. Use a scale, or something as simple as a smiley/frowny face.
Try an app: https://www.trackyourhappiness.org
43. Use your vacation days. Plan something and put it on the calendar.
44. Volunteer and help others. “Beyond social network size, the clearest benefit of social relationships came from helping others. Those who helped their friends and neighbors, advising and caring for others, tended to live to old age.” ~The Longevity Project
https://www.volunteermatch.org
6. Social
45. Schedule time for friends and family. One of the top regrets of dying people is not spending enough time or staying in touch with friends and family.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying
46. Coordinate a neighborhood or work walking group.
47. Coordinate a neighborhood garage sale.
48. Host a pot-luck picnic.
According to The Happiness Advantage, “spending as little as 20 minutes outside in a good weather not only boosts positive mood, but also broadens thinking and improves working memory.”
49. Say something nice to at least two people each day. Rewire your brain to be think positive.
50. Join a club, sports team or other hobby interest group. [I’m surprised the list didn’t mention attending SLC Retiree Association gatherings!] www.meetup.com