To help you make the most of Emotional Wellness Month this October, we’ve put together a seven-item checklist full of ways to feed your soul and brighten your spirit
Taking the time to do the things that feed your soul and brighten your spirit is an important part of life. Even if you think you’re keeping it together without a self-care routine and dedicated me-time, one of these days, your emotional health will take a toll on you and impact your home, social, work, and personal life. That’s why, this Emotional Wellness Month, we want to bring your attention to the importance of emotional wellness, which refers to one’s capacity to handle stress, change, and difficult times.
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One surefire way to foster your emotional wellness is by developing and maintaining holistic wellness habits. So, with Emotional Wellness Month in mind, we’ve put together a seven-item checklist for you to accomplish within the month. And doing them all consecutively in a week would be even better for you!
Play a new sport
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Exercising and playing sports are a great way to boost your mood. If you’re new to sports, we recommend trying team sports so you have others to show you the ropes. But for something more solitary, we suggest trying out wall climbing or rollerblading. Outdoor tennis, swimming, and running are our other go-to’s so that you get a chance to absorb some much-needed sun!
Join a fitness class
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Likewise, joining a fitness class will let you engage in physical activity while also developing more social connections. For this, we recommend joining classes for exercises like pilates, indoor cycling, vertical climbing cardio, or even bungee fitness.
Perform yoga at home
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Another physical activity we recommend you pursue for Emotional Wellness Month is yoga. Yoga has many benefits as it nourishes both the body and mind by strengthening muscles and reducing stress levels. It’s quite beginner-friendly, too, as anyone can perform it and you won’t need much equipment beyond a yoga mat.
Start a new creative hobby
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Having a creative hobby will allow you to fire up your mind in less stressful ways and it’s also shown to improve one’s quality of life in terms of psychological and physical functioning. For this, you can do anything from wheel pottery and painting to playing tabletop games—basically, anything that lets you think creatively!
Write in a gratitude journal
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Practicing mindfulness will keep you grounded in times of stress. One popular strategy is journaling since it has been shown to help improve well-being. To narrow it down, we suggest writing in a gratitude journal where you list down at least five things that you’re grateful for. Keeping this up for at least a week is sure to help you see life in a more positive light.
Follow a guided meditation
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Meditations are another popular mindfulness tactic. You can do guided meditations with groups or from the comfort of your using only an app. Some meditations you can choose are quick body-scan meditations and walking meditations so that you can work around your schedule. You can also explore sound healing and take a sound bath on the weekend.
Do breathing exercises
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Similarly, you can opt for breathing exercises like the 4-7-8 technique. This breathing technique has you breathing in for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds, then exhaling for eight seconds. These also have a meditative effect and are observed to have a positive effect on people’s cortisol levels and sleep quality.
