Category: Health & Wellness

The ongoing pandemic has taken a toll on our lives in so many ways, especially in terms of our mental health. It’s been reported that higher percentages of adult Americans have experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression in 2020 and 2021 than in years past. However, as vaccination rates rise and the US looks toward a summer that will certainly be an improvement from the last, it seems like we can finally take a breath and start to recover.

As we collectively navigate the new normal and start venturing past our doorsteps, it’s encouraging to know that mental health and self-help resources are more accessible than ever. Support is at our fingertips, with online therapy services like BetterHelp becoming more and more prevalent (the amount of podcast ads I hear about this service alone gives me hope for the normalization of discussing mental health). There also seems to be new wave of self-help influencers, doctors, and licensed therapists gaining popularity on social media. These accounts are wonderful if you’re looking for a quick boost or dose of positivity at any given moment. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites on Instagram that range from relationship experts to TED Talk masters.

1. The Holistic Psychologist — Dr. Nicole LePera

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Dr. Nicole LePera (@the.holistic.psychologist) is a psychologist and author who teaches, as it says in her bio, “how to heal + consciously create a new version of yourself.” She focuses on identifying and defining different types of trauma, and how to rebuild yourself mentally. With 3.7M followers on Instagram, she’s doing something right. Her posts are thoughtful, helpful, and informative. She breaks down larger concepts into bite sized nuggets of wisdom that include actionable steps on how to change your behavior or mindset.

2. Nedra Glover Tawwab

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Nedra Glover Tawwab (@nedratawwab) is a licensed therapist, author, and “boundaries expert” who helps people “create healthy relationships with themselves and others.” If you learn best through lists and bullet points, her page is for you. She gets straight to the point and lays out facts, advice, and words of encouragement. Posts like “Boundaries with Family Sound Like” and “7 Ways to Protect Your Energy” make putting her advice into practice that much easier.

3. Mel Robbins

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Mel Robbins (@melrobbins) is an author and motivational speaker, most famous for her “5 Second Rule” TED Talk. She’s turned her social media into an extension of that talk, with vlogs, interviews, and videos on all things self-help. One thing that makes her stand out is her vulnerability and honesty. She often explores a topic that pertains to something that she is currently going through, and breaks down how she gets through those difficult moments.

4. Susan David, PhD

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Susan David (@susandavid_phd) is a Harvard Medical School psychologist, author, and TED speaker. David is an expert in “emotions, happiness, and achievement,” and her bestselling book, Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life, tackles those topics. Her Instagram is a treasure trove of tips for unlocking your emotions and learning how to be kinder to yourself.

5. Lewis Howes

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Lewis Howes (@lewishowes) is a former pro football player turned author, speaker, and podcast host in the self-help and mental health space. His podcast, “The School of Greatness,” features interviews with top thought leaders, including people like Susan David and Dr. Nicole LePera. His Instagram is full of insightful, inspiring clips from his interviews, and his own tips for improving your self-confidence and mental wellness.

6. Lisa Bilyeu

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Lisa Bilyeu (@lisabilyeu) is an entrepreneurial success story as the co-founder of Quest Nutrition (yes, those protein bars you see at every grocery store). What makes her different, however, is the way she has used that success to create an uplifting online platform that’s all about personal growth. Both she and her husband, Tom Bilyeu, interview thought leaders, authors, and other professionals on their YouTube series, “Impact Theory.” Bilyeu also has a channel that focuses on female empowerment, called “Women of Impact.” If you need a quick dose of positivity though, I recommend taking a look at her Instagram page. She shares empowering messages on the daily. 

The mental wellness space is constantly expanding, and it’s amazing to see so many positive voices rising to the top. These are just a few of the experts spreading their knowledge on social media, so I encourage you to do some of your own research and find what works best for you! Self-help is not one size fits all, which is why it’s great that all types of thought leaders, psychologists, and therapists are moving into mainstream culture. It’s never been more trendy to care about your mental health, and that is a bandwagon worth jumping on.

We’ve known for a long time that elements from the Earth can help improve our spaces and our health, from protective stones like tourmaline to cleansing ones like quartz. Keeping crystals in our homes can help balance our energy and provide neutralizing frequencies as well as beautifying our spaces. But keeping these stones on us in the form of bracelets, necklaces and anklets can also be a great way to introduce the benefits of healing crystals to your daily routine. Taking these crystals wherever you go and letting them provide you with their calming and balancing effects as you go through your day can help give you more of a buffer in even stressful situations. Here are a few interesting- and stylish- ways to keep healing crystals close.

For Protection

Tourmaline has three different kinds of energy that make it powerful as a healer. It helps to convert body heat into healing far infrared energy, it’s capable of producing negative ions, which can improve cognition and keep depression at bay, and most importantly it generates a therapeutic flow of electrons that can help to align us with the planet’s natural flow. Tourmaline resonates at the same frequency as the Earth, and keeping it on your person can help realign you with the “Earth’s heartbeat.”

Historically, black tourmaline has a connection to the root chakra, and as such it is known for having the ability to ground and protect. It’s very useful for keeping negative energy at bay, which makes it an especially helpful ally for empaths or anyone else who tends to take on others’ energy and worries. Keeping black tourmaline with you in a piece of jewelry will keep you grounded in yourself and shield you from negativity.

For Self Love

Rose quartz has a strong connection to the heart chakra, making it the perfect place to start if you’re looking to harness crystals to increase self love and compassion. With its direct connection to the heart, rose quartz can do a lot to clear out emotional blocks and open us up to receive new connections, relationships and perspectives. It can also help to provide deep comfort in times of grief. If you find yourself in a tumultuous time or feel out of balance emotionally, rose quartz is a perfect stone to keep close by.

Especially when combined with rose quartz, African opal’s purifying qualities can help to create emotional clarity and bring stability to the heart chakra. It can also help to foster creativity and bring fresh inspiration, so it’s a great choice if you’ve been experiencing stagnation or want more imagination in your daily life.

Rhodonite is a very nurturing crystal that helps to create emotional balance and fuel compassion within ourselves and for others. It can help to gently mend old wounds, creating space for new growth and allowing us to move forward to fresh emotional ground. Wearing it in a piece of jewelry will help you feel embraced by this crystal’s soothing energy all day long and it can be especially helpful if you’ve been going through a difficult emotional time.

Aromatherapy Jewelry

Using the power of scent to change our surroundings and foster emotional boosts doesn’t have to end at home! Some types of jewelry are specifically designed to help you bring the benefits of aromatherapy, and the healing properties of essential oils, with you as you move through the world.

Lava stone has a connection to the root chakra; when you wear it as jewelry, it serves to help keep you grounded throughout your day. What’s more, because of the stone’s natural porousness, a lot of lava stone jewelry can be used to diffuse a small amount of essential oil so you can create the desired energy around you at all times.

For Peace

Amethyst is a crystal that has been used for bringing on clarity since the times of Ancient Greece; it gets its name from the Greek word amethystos, meaning literally “not drunk.” In modern times it’s still considered very useful for creating tranquility, dispelling negative thoughts and creating mental clarity. It’s a great stone to incorporate into your jewelry if you spend a lot of your time encountering stressors like a fast-paced work environment or challenging living situation. It can help to create a protective buffer for your personal sense of calm against stressful energy our outside negativity.

Jewelry that incorporates crystals can be the perfect way to carry their help and protection with you wherever you go. After all, so many of the emotional challenges we face happen when we’re away from home, so why not equip ourselves for emotional grounding and stability in all circumstances? Whether you need the love-boosting qualities of rose quartz or tourmaline’s ability to keep you in step with the Earth, healing crystals have a lot to offer anyone who’s looking for more peace and wellness in their daily lives.

In his book Last Child in the Woods, author Richard Louv coined the term “nature deficit disorder” to describe the experience common to many of us who live in cities and spend most of our time indoors. Louv argues that we need nature to survive, and that without it our mental and physical health are both affected. I’m sure you’ve found this to be true in your own life. Think about the last time you enjoyed your favorite outdoor place, whether it was a beach, a hiking trail, or a park filled with trees and flowers. If you come away from these places feeling more invigorated and happy, it’s not just your imagination. Science can confirm that being outside is essential to our health and wellness.

Health Benefits of Nature

Studies have found that spending at least two hours outdoors a week can unlock so many benefits for our physical and mental health.One study showed that accessing green spaces like parks, hiking trails, and other natural environments can help to undo the negative impacts we face in modern society, from anxiety to high blood pressure, and can even improve our immune systems.

One study in England even found that when a community has more access to natural, green spaces, the crime rate goes down significantly. A study by the University of Illinois found something similar, noting that public housing residents who lived near trees and green space reported a closer community, felt a greater sense of belonging and even said they knew more people than residents without this access to nature. Putting yourself near nature really can impact the way you view the world and keep you feeling happier and healthier.

What Nature Does to Our Brains

Scientists think that one big reason why being in nature is so good for us is that it gives our brains exactly what they want. A concept called Attention Restoration Theory, which was first coined in the 1970s, says that living in urban environments surrounded by man-made sounds like traffic and construction make it actively harder for our brains to pay attention and process information. Going outside and being surrounded by natural sounds gives our brains a chance to finally relax and take in information without having to work so hard.

A study by the University of Sussex confirmed this. The study compared MRI scans of people’s brains while they listened to natural sounds to scans taken while they listened to artificial, or man made, sounds. It found that when subjects were listening to artificial noises their brains were directing a lot of attention inward, which is similar to what brains do when they’re experiencing anxiety, PTSD and depression. On the other hand, when the sounds of nature were played, the scans showed that the subjects’ brains were directing focus outward. When we’re out in the sounds of nature, our brains find it much easier to pay attention to the world around us and burn through stress. This same study even found that the more stressed you are, the more you have to gain from nature’s restorative impacts.

The Power of Sound

You probably already know about the power that sound can have on your mental state; a song or white noise machine can bring you peace or boost your energy, while distracting or annoying noises can easily derail your focus and happiness. As it turns out, natural sounds have immensely healing powers. A report on 36 studies on the impact of natural sounds on people found that just the sounds of nature on their own can have a healing effect and can even reduce pain. The noise of running water, like streams, brooks and lakes, were found to be very good for increasing subjects’ happiness and cognition, while bird sounds were the best for relieving stress and annoyance.

This means that if you live in a very urban area, going to your local park might not be quite enough to get the full benefits of nature— if you can still hear sounds of traffic, your brain isn’t getting the chance to wind down and open up, and all the activity might scare away the birds and their healing calls. If you’re really looking to take advantage of nature’s healing abilities, finding a more remote park or hiking area where it’s quiet enough to hear the sounds of the ecosystem will be worth it. And if there happens to be a river or water feature, even better!

Negative Ions

If you ever find yourself drawn to the beauty of a crashing coastline or rushing waterfall, you might be benefiting from more than just a pretty view. Negative ions are created in the air anywhere that water crashes into itself, whether it’s at the beach, a river, or even a fountain or park water feature. Just getting out into the rain can get you close to these negative ions. Many studies have been done on the impact of negative ions on our health, and there’s some good evidence that they can have positive side effects. In particular, being near negative ions can reduce the symptoms of depression and seasonal affective disorder. There’s evidence that these ions might also help normalize sleeping patterns, lower stress levels, and give immune systems a boost. If you live near a beach or any other place where there’s moving water, consider paying one of these locations a visit and reaping the health benefits they have to offer.

The Importance of Fun in the Sun

We all know the joy of seeing the sun for the first time after a long winter or rainy week. There’s a good reason for this response; spending time in the sunlight has many health benefits. Sunlight causes your brain to produce serotonin, a chemical responsible for positive feelings and a sense of calm. Sunlight also helps you regulate your sleep better; your circadian rhythm takes its cue from the sun, telling you to wake up when it’s light out and causing you to get sleepy after it gets dark. Research shows that getting an hour of natural light in the morning can help reinforce your body’s natural clock, helping you to get better sleep at night.

Sunlight is also our greatest source for getting vitamin D. Spending just five to thirty minutes a day outside while it’s sunny helps our bodies produce more of this vitamin, which contributes directly to strong and healthy bones and keeps our immune systems strong.

All of these benefits and more are a great argument for going out and getting your recommended dose of sun. Just remember to put on sunscreen before going out to avoid risks of skin cancer or skin damage.

Nature has always called to us as human beings, inspiring some of the greatest works of art and serving as daily inspiration for us all. Not only is nature good for our souls, it’s also a powerful source of both mental and physical wellness, helping get our natural rhythms in sync and giving our brains some much-needed calm and rest. If you’ve been feeling physically drained or mentally distracted, try getting out into nature and drinking in all the benefits it has for you.

Getting motivated, staying focused, and achieving productivity aren’t always easy. Especially this past year, as many of us have found our work and home lives fused together and the stress of pandemic life has weighed on us, it’s no big surprise if our motivation to get things done has flagged. There are many things that can get in the way of accomplishing our goals, from physical needs to distractions and scattered thoughts to losing sight of why we’re working towards these goals in the first place. It’s completely understandable if your productivity has seen a dip in this difficult time, but there are a few ways to help make your everyday to-do list seem less overwhelming. Whether you’re looking for a solution that’s physical, mental or emotional, I hope some of these tips help clear some of the obstacles in your path and help you appreciate your own ability to get things done!

Physical Motivation

There’s a very real connection between your body and your brain. If your brain is feeling muddled, sluggish and unmotivated, a dose of physical movement might be in order. Rather than trying to brute force your way through these unproductive lulls, try listening to your body and taking a break. Get up, go for a walk, or even just dance around to a favorite playlist to get your blood pumping. You’ll probably find that when you sit back down to your work, your mind feels clearer and more focused. If you don’t have a favorite playlist to get pumped up, we suggest this one we hand curated with fun, upbeat music to get your day started with a boost of energy.

It’s also always important to pay attention to your physical needs– when we’re sitting down working for long stretches, we can fall into unhealthy patterns, teaching ourselves to ignore our basic needs. If you start to feel a bit fuzzy, take stock of your physical condition. Do your eyes need a break from the screen? Did you drink enough water yet today? Have you eaten and used the bathroom recently? Even little, low-frequency needs like this can build up if ignored and make it harder for you to feel comfortable and focus.

Emotional Motivation

A lot of the conversation around staying motivated can often skew negative, focusing on how we’re not doing enough, producing enough or working hard enough. Comparison can make us feel like everyone else is more on top of their lives and that we’re falling behind; we tend to compare everyone else’s successes with our failures and find ourselves lacking. But fixating on our shortcomings and punishing ourselves when we don’t get as much done as we wanted to rarely helps to fix the problem.

Adjusting your expectations can help to shift your perspective; nobody is perfect and giving yourself breathing room when you need it will yield much better results than setting impossible goals. Embracing a positive outlook where you’re proud of yourself for what you accomplish instead of disappointed for never doing enough can make you feel better and more motivated.

A little positive reinforcement can also go a long way! Give yourself little rewards and treats when you accomplish goals. Stashing your favorite treat or setting aside your favorite show to dip into after you check off your to-do list will be a great way to emphasize your accomplishments and help yourself feel more positive throughout the day.

We often underestimate how much our environment impacts us mentally and emotionally. Little things like opening your blinds to let in natural light, lighting a candle or putting on a playlist can lift your energy level and create a space that encourages you to get things done. Music is a great way to change your environment, providing you with a soundtrack to feel motivated. Here are a few of our favorite songs that keep our spirits and spaces light and engaging.

Mental Motivation

If you’re not Type A by nature, you probably have tasks occur to you that get forgotten right away. It’s so easy to lose track of everything we’re supposed to do, which is why keeping a physical to-do list in a prominent place, like on a notepad on your desk or on a whiteboard, can make life easier. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you know you have a lot to do. Getting it all down at once, and updating it as things occur to you, can help everything seem more manageable and keep you on track.

Big objectives can feel impossible; if you’ve been putting off a lofty goal, try to break it into smaller, more approachable pieces. When you take big tasks one step at a time, it’s easier to visualize having success and means you won’t find yourself accidentally sucked into a 12-hour project you didn’t anticipate. Creating a natural rhythm for yourself with steps you can accomplish a little at a time will transform these tasks from insurmountable obstacles into completely do-able goals.

Sometimes we can feel unmotivated when it comes to our goals because we’ve forgotten why we are even working towards them. Getting a degree can seem undesirable if you’re focusing on how boring the coursework is, and fixing up a room in your house might not seem worth it if all you see is hours of labor ahead of you. Instead of focusing on the things that stand in your way, it’s handy to do some visualization. Think about why you wanted this thing in the first place, and how you’ll feel once you’ve accomplished it. Visualize yourself finally working in the career you’ve always dreamed of, relaxing in your new living room that’s perfectly suited to you. These positive images can help motivate you through the gritty day-to-day.

If you have a tendency to jump from thought to thought or get distracted easily, you can actually use this to your advantage! Set yourself up with several different goals to accomplish at once and then jump between them to your heart’s content. You get all the satisfaction of procrastinating and the stimulation of switching tasks while still chipping away at your to-do list!

Often when we’re feeling unmotivated, a single rogue thought can be enough to derail your progress. Our brains can tell us that the new thought is urgent and tells us to prioritize it above our other objectives. If this happens to you often, try keeping a notepad on hand to write these thoughts as they come. This can be a way of reassuring your subconscious that these thoughts are important and that you’re going to give them time and thought— later.

Relational Motivation

One factor that can have a huge impact on our ability to accomplish goals is a good support system. Accountability really does work— if you have a close friend or family member checking in with you and encouraging you to see things through, it keeps your goals at the top of your mind and can create some positive associations with getting things done! If you’re having a hard time finishing a project or sticking to a new part of your routine, try mindfully discussing it with someone you trust and ask them to check in with you regularly about it. Often our friends are kinder to us than we are to ourselves, meaning that you’ll get extra positive reinforcement out of this support that will help you on your path.

One of the biggest things to remember about motivation is not to turn it into an opportunity to judge or feel bad about yourself; that defeats the whole purpose! A little empathy goes a long way, and that counts double when we’re talking about our relationship with ourselves. When we’re on our own side, figuring out ways to help ourselves and create the best circumstances to be motivated rather than getting frustrated or disappointed in ourselves, we allow ourselves to feel our most motivated. Hopefully a few of these small changes help you access the more productive you and allow you to recognize every accomplishment as something to be proud of.

Improving your health can often feel like a daunting task, especially when you don’t know where to start. There’s an abundance of diet and exercise plans out there, all with different approaches that claim to be the best. The sheer amount of choices are overwhelming and can make you want to give up before even taking the first step. However, there are a few actions you can take for your overall wellness that have nothing to do with dieting or intense workout plans. It may surprise you how much your physical and mental health are impacted by small things like fresh air or phoning a friend. So before you invest in a Peloton bike that you use for a week and promptly leave to collect dust, check out these simple steps for a healthier you! 

1. Ditch the crosswords, go for a walk with a friend instead

You could argue that a wellness-driven lifestyle starts with your brain. Your brain is the center of, well, everything, so why not exercise it like the rest of your body? Luckily the brain is elastic, and can always be stretched or exercised to create new pathways. There’s a reason why crosswords and brain games are so popular, but they may not be helping in the way that you think! According to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent for CNN, improving your brain function doesn’t just mean attempting Sunday’s edition of the New York Times crossword. Sure, crosswords can be great for keeping the pathways you’ve already made in your brain strong, but you won’t make any new connections. Instead, Gupta recommends taking a brisk walk with a good friend while talking about your problems. The combination of nature, physical activity, and meaningful conversation stimulates your brain on multiple levels— which is why it’s such a good workout! It will also trick you into actually exercising, mainly because you’ll be too concentrated on the conversation to talk yourself out of it. 

2. Get 8 hours, because sleep dictates your diet

We might take it for granted, but getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important decisions you can make for your wellness. Lack of sleep (less than seven to nine hours a night) has been linked to weight gain among many other health issues, such as cardiovascular disease. Not getting enough shut eye can render your diet and exercise regimes ineffective, or dramatically slow down the results. According to one study, a group of sleep-deprived adults experienced 55% less fat loss than that of a group who got regular amounts of sleep— even though they were all on the same diet. This is most likely due to a change in your hormones, which can really go haywire without proper sleep. Levels of the hormones that regulate hunger and satisfaction, ghrelin and leptin, are especially effected. As reported by an article from Harvard’s school of public health, “Ghrelin levels rise while leptin levels drop with lack of sleep; this can cause higher calories to be consumed due to experiencing strong hunger at the same time that one feels less satiated after eating.” What’s more, sleep deprivation can trigger the reward center in your brain that makes you crave tasty junk food. So not only are you eating more, but you’re eating more of the wrong thing. I could go on about the effects of sleep, as it has such a direct impact on our health. But you get the gist: take that nap!

3. Adopt a furry friend

If you have the means (and the space) consider adopting a pet! Taking care of a living being is rewarding, gives you purpose, and just plain makes you happy. Research suggests that “people who have pets tend to have lower blood pressure, heart rate and heart-disease risk than those who don’t.” This is particularly true if you are single or live alone— a little company can make a huge difference in your mental state. It can also inadvertently jumpstart your exercise routine! Focusing on giving your dog its best life will shift the pressure off of you, making it so much easier to get out there and start moving. It can be easy to neglect our own health, but add another living soul to the equation and it’ll be hard to keep putting it off.

4. Go on an active vacation 

This one really hits two birds with one stone. Vacationing, or simply taking time off to unplug, is a surefire way to improve your mental state. And of course, exercise is a widely accepted method of reducing anxiety and stress. Too much of the stress-causing hormone, cortisol, can wreak havoc on our minds and bodies. Chronic stress is linked to depression, anxiety, heart disease, sleep problems, and weight gain. Consciously making the effort to keep your stress levels in check is so important to living a balanced life. If your cortisol levels are constantly spiking, it likely won’t matter what else you are doing to pursue wellness. Going on an active vacation can improve your physical and mental state, while taking the boredom out of traditional exercise. This doesn’t mean you need to go climb a mountain— walking around a city or exploring a museum will work wonders. You’ll get culture and endorphins. 

5. Make time for friends 

It’s been proven that communities across the world who have rich social lives also have the healthiest brains— and tend to be happier. Getting to the root of why social interactions have such an impact is less clear, but doctors who study this say “the mechanism probably has something to do with an increase in hormones such as oxytocin that are triggered by social bonding, a decrease in hormones related to stress, and intellectual stimulation.” It’s easy for socializing to take a back seat to things that seem more important in the moment. But nothing is more important than your health, and that is solid justification for putting everything aside to see your friends. 

6. Make helping others a habit 

It’s been scientifically proven that when we help others, we feel better. According to research collected by the New York Times, “studies show that volunteering, donating money, or even just thinking about donating money can release feel-good brain chemicals.” These are the same chemicals that are triggered when we eat a slice of cake, so basically helping other people can give you a sugar high. It’s no surprise that volunteering can help with anxiety, depression, and stress, all factors that impact our ability to make healthy lifestyle choices! So next time you’re feeling blue and unmotivated, consider planning a day of volunteering. And if you’re really looking for a boost, plan it with friends! It’s the perfect recipe for releasing those all-important brain chemicals. 

I hope these tips gave you something to think about, and made the idea of living a healthier lifestyle a bit less daunting. The truth is that while eating healthy and exercising are very  important, there are many other factors that impact our wellness. Our bodies are interconnected systems, and what affects one area can ricochet throughout the rest. So, if making healthier choices feels overwhelming to you, start by implementing one of these steps. You never know where one small action might lead. 

Having arthritis can be painful and limit your mobility. Sometimes, it can feel like getting good exercise is impossible, but the truth is that there are many ways to get moving and see results even if you’re living with arthritis. You have a lot of options allowing you to create a workout routine that fits your needs, style and personality. My personal favorites are low impact aerobics, weight training, stretching, yoga and Pilates.

It’s important to remember, at all times, that your health and wellness are the most important things and to be protective of your body. If any exercise causes you pain, listen to what your body is telling you and stop; ignoring or trying to push through the pain will always do more harm than good. The point of exercise is to invest in your body’s well-being, after all.

If done consistently, these exercises can help prevent stiff joints, build muscle, improve endurance, and benefit your heart, bones, and your overall mood and sense of well-being while still being safe to do with arthritis.

Here are a few of my go to exercises:

1. Low Impact Exercises

Aerobic exercises that are low impact like walking, swimming, cycling or running on an elliptical machine don’t just help get your heart rate up and blood pumping, but they can provide a lot of benefits for people with arthritis. These exercises help joint pain and stiffness as well as increasing muscular endurance and bone density. If any activity is too painful, don’t hesitate to modify the movement until it feels comfortable. For example, if it is difficult to walk on pavement you can try a walk in the water, which causes much less stress on your joints. Aim for 100 minutes per week of a combination of several of these activities.

2. Pilates

Pilates is an ideal way to strengthen your muscles and stabilize your joints. One of my top recommendations if you have arthritis is the shoulder bridge. Start by laying on your back, bend your knees and place your arms along each side of your body. Exhale as you contract the abdominals and lift your pelvis. Try not to arch your back or hyperextend your knees. Inhale through the nose and hold the position for 10 seconds up to a minute. Exhale to lower your pelvis back to the ground and repeat the exercise.

3. Yoga

Another great exercise to try if you live with arthritis is yoga. I recommend gentle yoga, not power yoga or hot yoga which both can exacerbate the symptoms associated with a flare. An easy, slow form of yoga like Yin yoga or Iyengar promotes a healthy immune system and helps reduce joint inflammation. Plus, gentle stretching is great for maintaining mobility and movement.

4. Range of Motion Exercises

Range of motion, or ROM, exercises relieve stiffness and increase your ability to move your joints through their full range of motion. These exercises might include movements such as raising your arms over your head or rolling your shoulders forward and backward. In most cases, these exercises can be done daily.

5. Strength Training

The most important thing to remember when you’re working with weights, especially if you have arthritis, is to start slowly. Weight training is a strengthening exercise that can help you maintain or increase your muscle strength over time. When starting a strength-training routine, a three-day-a-week program can help you jump-start your improvement, but two days a week is all you need to maintain your gains.

Whenever you start a new exercise routine, remember to take it slow and pay lots of attention to your body to avoid injury or harm. If you haven’t been active for a while, it’s important to give your joints time to ease into exercise again. If you push yourself too hard, you can overwork your muscles and worsen your joint pain. Trust your instincts and don’t exert more energy than you think your joints can handle. Always take your time— you can slowly increase your exercise length and intensity as you progress.

It seems like every time I’m on Twitter these days, or catching up with a friend, the same concept comes up. The idea of “hitting the wall,” reaching a point where really, truly, the reality of the pandemic has become too much for us to handle. As far as I can tell, most of my friends and I have been hitting a new wall every week for months.

The first time I ran a marathon, I felt fantastic until mile 20 when I could barely advance. I suddenly understood the meaning of the expression “hitting the wall”.

I may have hit the pandemic wall this week. But hoping for a second wind soon.

— Lisa Richardson MD (@RicharLisa) February 19, 2021

It seems like many people are hitting their "pandemic wall" (I certainly feel like I am!).

What or who is helping you get through it these days?

— Jaclyn A. Siegel, PhD (@jacasiegel) February 25, 2021

Obviously, you wouldn’t expect people’s overall mental state to be perfect during an unprecedented pandemic, and that’s definitely part of this phenomenon. But that’s not the full picture. I think that the wall hits especially hard because all around us the world is acting like it can’t see it. The social, recreational and many of the “fun” parts of life came to a screeching halt almost a year ago— some of it has come limping back in the form of Zoom happy hours and outdoor walks and Netflix with friends, but it’s not hard to see that many of our usual outlets for release, entertainment, balance and support have almost ceased to exist around us.

Meanwhile, all the most “hard” parts of our normal life, like work (for some of us), job search (for the rest of us), chores, paying bills, childcare logistics, and, tragically, death and mourning, have carried on into this new era with us. These parts of our life demand that we keep functioning as we once did, working and paying bills and trying to take care of each other with donations and GoFundMes and petitions and support, only we no longer have the friend dinners, family visits or other little vacations from daily life that we used to have to provide balance and relief. These hard parts of our life go on, seeming to deny that there is anything unprecedented or insurmountable about our current reality. What’s more, working from home means, more often than not, that the only consistent part of our life bleeds over into the rest of it; for some of us it would be more accurate to say we’re living at work.

When the systems of our world insist we carry on while our bodies and minds simply can’t— that’s what I think the pandemic wall is. I think it’s important to recognize that hitting this wall isn’t a personal failure for any one of us. It’s a failure of our systems to recognize and make space for the absolute truth of an event we were never prepared for: the inability to focus, the constant stress and worry, the mourning. Simply recognizing this fact doesn’t solve everything, especially for those of us who have to keep going to keep our bills paid and food on the table no matter what. But I think that taking just a moment to shed light on where this feeling, this never-ending series of walls, comes from is worth it.

I don’t have a perfect solution for what to do when you hit one of these walls. That would be like saying I had a cure-all fix for recovering from a death in the family. What we’re experiencing in the pandemic is a form of grief; we’ve had to say goodbye to huge beloved swaths of our life and we feel like the world expects us to just go on like nothing happened. Just like with any form of grief, the best treatments usually involve patience and a lot of grace, both for others and for ourselves. That being said, here are a few lessons I’ve learned that have helped make the process of hitting these walls more bearable.

It’s Ok To Not Be Ok.

I think one of the things that makes the pandemic so challenging is just how long it’s been happening to us. We’ve been in these conditions for so long now that part of us might expect ourselves to be used to it by now, to have gotten over it and learned how to adapt. Usually difficult things are finite and we get a chance to move past them but this pandemic is still actively influencing everyday for us. It’s not fair to expect yourself to function perfectly all the time; this wouldn’t be fair even in a normal year and it certainly isn’t in 2021. When you hit a wall, try to remember all the circumstances that are surrounding you and don’t judge yourself for needing a minute (or a day!) to cope. Many of us are in uncharted territory which means it’s crucial to pay attention to your needs as they arise without judging yourself for having them.

Focus On The Smaller Picture

The pandemic has given me a… complicated relationship with the internet. On one hand, I’m so thankful that it provides me with the ability to stay in touch with my friends and family while we’re all separated. On the other hand, I hate how it constantly urges me to learn about every horrible thing that is happening anywhere in the world at any given moment. Our worlds are so small right now: mine is comprised of my apartment, my local CVS, and the neighborhood walks in between. But in another way our worlds are still globalized, giving us access to endless information and news, and it’s not always great for our brains.

One thing that I’ve found to be helpful is going outside without my phone or any distractions and really looking at the things around me. I really love to watch birds fly from branch to branch and listen to their calls. And squirrels— when was the last time you really, actually looked at a squirrel? They are almost constantly doing wildly entertaining things up there in the trees if you take the time to watch them. Make note of your favorite plants and flowers and how they smell, find a new corner of your neighborhood you didn’t know was there, really absorb the little microcosm of life that’s moving around you right now. Finding a few grounding details, especially in nature, really helps me feel present, alive and thankful.

Find The Light

It’s not very original of me to suggest looking for good news as a solution to dark times, but I don’t care because of how important it is. I keep a running list of things that give me hope about the world, whether it’s the Arctic Refuge being saved or baseball season starting soon. We get hit with so much information every hour of every day and our negativity bias means we’re more likely to hold onto the bad news, so making an effort to hold space for good news can be really powerful.

I’ve found it’s also helpful to collect the light at the end of the tunnel as it comes to you. It might not feel like it, but this pandemic is temporary and there are good signs that we are getting closer to the end of it every day. I’ve started keeping a list of friends and family members who have received the vaccine and are now safe— every time I get to write a name down the perennial weight on my chest feels a bit lighter. I also make a note anytime I see good pandemic news- rising vaccination percentages in my neighborhood, falling COVID cases, anything that shows that, even if it’s hard to see, change is happening and there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful.

Be Gentle With Yourself

While our work schedules have stayed the same, it can be tempting to hold tight to our personal goals as well. While structure and direction can be great solutions to feelings of aimlessness in the pandemic, they can also quickly become a way to feel disappointed in ourselves when we can’t do everything we promised we would. You might be upset about not finishing a personal project or doing as much creative work on the side or gaining weight in quarantine. There’s a quote from my mom that always bubbles up when I start to feel disappointed in myself for snacking too much or not reading enough during the pandemic: “A person only has a finite amount of self control.” What it means is that you really can’t devote unlimited energy to everything, and so much of our energy right now is going towards staying alive. If this means that sometimes you need a night (or week!) off from your reading list, or you think Postmating a treat for yourself will make your day a little better, I think you’ve more than earned it. If one of your friends called you, ashamed at themselves for failing to be perfect right now, you’d urge them to have compassion for themselves. Make sure you’re doing the same for yourself.

Hitting a wall in the pandemic can be draining, frustrating, exhausting and difficult. There are no easy solutions in an unprecedented situation, and all of us are feeling the weight of a year in quarantine. A change in perspective might not fix everything, but it might be enough to help you see a path forward, to better, easier and happier times. If you’ve hit your wall, know that you’re not alone; so many of us are feeling this way right now. But a little thing like remembering to have grace for yourself or spending a moment reflecting on even a small piece of good news can make a big difference when you need it the most.

It seems that for almost a year now, we’ve all been living our lives in extremes. Either we’ve been cooped up with our families and roommates, or riding this pandemic out solo and dealing with the loneliness that can bring. Personally, I’ve experienced both sides of the coin. Last March I traveled home to Texas and lived in my childhood bedroom for five months, which was largely a blessing but at the same time felt like an unexpected career setback.

After things picked back up in LA I was thrilled to be working again, however as the excitement wore off I faced a new challenge: loneliness. My roommate was still living with her family and working from home, so for the first time I was getting a taste of what it’s like to live alone. In a normal world, I’d enjoy having my own space to come home to every night. But we are living in pandemic times, and that means that the level of social interaction I’d typically have was wiped away. It’s been several months now, and I’ve learned a few things along the way that have helped me cope with the loneliness of this time. Here are 5 practical tips that can get you out of your head and keep you busy, so those lonely thoughts don’t have a chance to take over. 

1. Do Something Artistic

One thing that has kept me sane is giving myself new, creative activities to do. Whether that means redecorating your room, scrapbooking, or something completely outside the box is up to you! I recently bought a painting kit similar to a paint by number, just without the numbers. The painting is outlined on the canvas, and you can fill it in however you’d like. It’s fun, relaxing, and is sure to get your mind off your troubles, helping you to enjoy the time you’re spending by yourself.

2. Set Up Regular Zoom Dates With Your Friends And Family

This one is obvious, but probably the most important. Humans were built to live in tight-knit communities, which means that going without social interaction can really do a number on our caveman brains. It’s essential to our health and happiness to spend time with our loved ones, so it’s no wonder that loneliness has an impact on not just our emotions but our physical state as well. The next time you feel too busy to join that zoom call, remind yourself that talking with friends basically does the same thing for your wellbeing as choosing kale over pizza. Except it’s way more enjoyable. 

3. Make A Schedule (And Stick To It!)

This one is harder for me to do, but when I have planned activities for myself I’ve found that I’m way less likely to feel lonely. If you’re keeping your mind and body busy, you simply don’t have the time to get bogged down in feelings. And busy doesn’t mean you’re constantly doing work— you should schedule fun activities for yourself as well. You could be busy strolling the park or grabbing ice cream. Just make a schedule or a list, and do it! 

4. Learn Something New

I love learning new things, especially in fields that are totally foreign to me. There are so many free courses, podcasts, YouTube channels, and websites covering anything you could hope to learn. I’m a big fan of listening to a podcast with an interesting guest while I’m doing things around my apartment. Just hearing other people talk about things that they are passionate about can be a great way to get out of your own head, and there’s no better way to make your own personal world feel a bit bigger than by learning something new. 

5. Get Out For A Walk

When in doubt…get out! Safely, of course. Put your headphones on and go to a park, a beach, or take a 10 minute walk around your neighborhood. Walking is great for your physical and mental health, and sometimes the simple act of changing your scenery can seriously change your mood. Hey, if it’s good enough for Einstein, it’s good enough for you. 

There’s nothing wrong with feeling lonely, especially in the times we are currently living through. It sounds silly, but knowing you are not alone in your loneliness can also help. That is one thing that has given me a tiny bit of solace whenever I’ve started to feel sorry for myself. Much of the world is going through the exact same situation. So next time you catch yourself in a downward spiral, consider trying one of these tips! 

Have you ever just realized that your mood is feeling off but don’t know why? Our emotional state is made up of so many components and sometimes we can find ourselves feeling negative without knowing where it’s coming from or how to solve it. Our outlook can impact our whole day and if you’re not feeling your best it can affect everything from your physical wellbeing to your productivity to your personal relationships. In an ideal world, we’d always feel our best but the truth is that our energy levels and emotions are always in a state of flux. Sometimes, all it takes to give your mood a boost is a simple change, whether it’s introducing a new scent or your favorite color or getting your body moving.

Easy Ways To Boost Your Mood

Our feelings are complicated things, and it’s not always easy to change the deeper thought patterns or situations that impact our mindsets. Sometimes big stressors or complicated situations can weigh heavily on us, and there is no obvious “fix.” However, there are definitely small things that can impact our outlook for the better or the worse. You might not even realize how parts of your environment have been effecting you until you look for them; here are a few small ways you can give yourself a mood boost if you’re feeling stagnant or low.

1. Play Some Music

Music tends to speak to us in a different language and can provide a shift almost instantly. It’s hard not to feel a boost in your mood when your favorite music is playing or an upbeat song is pumping up your energy. Music can have such a strong effect on your environment and with the right songs you can turn your whole day around. If you don’t already have one, try creating a playlist of all your favorite feel-good music so you can reach for it anytime you want to change the vibe while you’re working, running errands, or just taking a break.

2. Get Moving

If you’re feeling downbeat or stagnant, a simple solution is just to stand up and move around. Especially as many of us work from home, it’s easy to get into a slump where you’re sitting in the same place for large chunks of the day and it can have a very negative impact on your mood. Simply getting up and jogging in place, doing some jumping jacks or doing a full-body shake can help wake your body up and change your energy. Even better, get outside for a quick walk; in addition to the endorphins you’ll produce from moving, your body will also benefit from the fresh air, sunshine, and change of scenery.

3. Make Sure You’re Fed, Hydrated and Comfortable

Sometimes our physical bodies have needs that we can forget to check in with. Have you ever realized that you’ve been hungry or thirsty or even just needed a trip to the restroom and you’ve been subconsciously putting it off? Our bodies can’t do their jobs unless we take care of them. If you ever feel a sudden downward shift in your mood, make sure all your physical needs are being met. A quick break from screens, a snack, or a drink of water can work like magic to boost your mood.

4. Reach Out To A Friend

Sometimes we can get into a negative mindset due to being isolated; without anyone to bounce our thoughts off of or lend perspective, even small obstacles can start to feel overwhelming. As humans, we need connection and community to function and feeling cut off from other people can have a big effect on our ability to live a happy and healthy life. Especially as many of us spend more time alone due to the pandemic, it’s vital to maintain ties with the people who know us best, even if they’re far away from us right now. If you’re feeling not quite yourself, make some time to call or Skype a loved one. It’s always important to remind yourself of the people in your life who love and care about you and it can always be helpful to have access to someone else’s perspective.

5. Light A Candle Or Spray Your Favorite Scent

Much like music, scents can have a powerful effect to boost our mood and our spaces. They have a strong connection to our memories and can remind us of times where we felt incredibly safe or at peace. Certain essential oils can also have all kinds of benefits from improved focus to calmed nerves to increased energy in addition to simple comfort. Lighting a candle or breaking out the essential oils can be a great way to break out of a funk and completely transform your space to be more comforting or stimulating.

6. Make A Quick Gratitude List

Gratitude is always a great solution if you’ve been feeling frustrated or sad. We have a tendency to discount the things that are good in our lives, especially when something bad is on our minds; making a list of things you’re thankful for is an easy way to bring those good things back to the center of your perspective. Remembering to be thankful for things like loved ones, achievements, or even access to a comfy bed or your favorite foods can help bring a negative outlook back into balance. Whenever you’re feeling down, try getting out some paper or a journal and jotting down five or ten things you’re thankful for today and keep it somewhere where you can look at it again whenever you need a reminder of the blessings you have.

7. Change Your Space

If you ever feel like you’re in a rut, look for little ways you can change your surroundings. If I start feeling stuck, I try to move around and reposition my furniture to invite new energy and get rid of stagnation. Sometimes a little change can be invigorating and help you feel more in control of your environment. Making little changes in the things you see every day, whether it’s changing out your art, adding a burst of color or clearing out cluttered shelves or closets, can make your space feel brand new and boost your spirits in a whole new way.

Watch Out for Negative Mood Shifts

Changing your mood from negative to positive can be easy at times, but be cautious because the inverse is also possible. Have you ever experienced a minor setback and had it ruin your entire mood? It can be really easy for us to lose perspective. Science says that we have a tendency towards negativity bias— negative experiences can be much more impactful on our moods and stay longer in our memories than positive ones. That’s why it’s so important to protect ourselves from negative emotional blowback. Here are a few emotional traps we can fall into and how to avoid them:

• Getting Discouraged By A Setback. Sometimes if you aren’t able to accomplish something you wanted to or a plan goes wrong in an unexpected way, it can cast a shadow over your whole day. When this happens, try to think of the big picture— will you still be thinking about this setback in five years? Try listing five good things that happened this week. Seeking out context will help to keep this negative event from getting overblown in your mind.
• Feeling Bored Or Stagnant. Boredom isn’t always a big event, but after a while it can start to have a really negative effect. We can start to feel directionless or forget our own passions or creativity. We can even start to believe that, because we’re bored, that life must be boring. This line of thinking can trick us into blinding ourselves to the interesting, stimulating and enjoyable parts of life. One way to keep boredom from seeping in is just to make a list of things you like to do: things like hobbies, projects, things on your to-read list or new nearby places you’d like to see. Keep this list in a prominent place so you can reference it whenever you feel bored or under-stimulated and see how it helps to boost your mood back up again.
• Getting Caught In A Comparison Trap. A lot of the time, we have a tendency to look around at others to judge how we are doing. It’s in our nature to learn from others about how to move forward through life, but comparison can quickly become a poison that can ruin our ability to see the value in our own paths. If seeing a friend or colleague’s recent success or milestone on social media makes you feel bad about your own accomplishments, take a step back. Try to remember that you have no idea what that person’s life looks like and that we only post our best moments online. It’s not fair to compare your entire life to someone else’s highlight reel. Try to quickly make a list of five things you love about your life that you would have envied in someone else five years ago and see if your urge to compare starts to fade a bit.

Sometimes having a positive outlook can feel easier said than done. We can be so much more susceptible to changes in energy than we are prepared for; sometimes the smallest things can impact our perspective without us even being conscious of it. The good news is that these details can also work to help us; if we take care, we can do small things every day to protect and cultivate positivity, helping us to boost our mood and brighten our energy when we need it.

Sometimes, when life gets messy and confusing, it’s easy to lose track of your own feelings and desires. In those times it’s important to reconnect with ourselves and realign with our hearts. Some people call it connecting with your inner child, some people call it listening to your heart, some people say it’s letting your soul speak. Whatever you want to call it, a crucial part of living a full and happy life is stopping to make sure you’re open to hearing what your innermost self is trying to say.

Here are 8 ways to connect with your deeper self if you’ve had a hard time listening to your heart.

1. Take A New Approach To Journaling.

Journaling with your left or non dominant hand allows your mind to step out of your usual thought process and can help make connections with your deeper thoughts and needs.  When I need to hear from my innermost self, I ask myself a question and then let my non dominant hand reconnect me to my desires. Spend as much time as you need and pay attention to what comes up.

2. Let Your Feelings Out Visually.

A creative way to listen closer to your heart is to ask yourself a question and then sit down and draw. Try not to think consciously about what you’re creating; let it be scribbles, let it be messy, let it be authentically your own.  Take time to walk away and then come back and look at your drawing with fresh eyes.  You will know what you were trying to say. Even if you can’t extract an exact message from your subconscious creation, it can help you see what you were feeling that will point you in the right direction.

3. Access Movement.

Listen to a song you love, turn the lights down low and move.  Don’t make a particular effort to stretch or dance or anything else. Let your body move and sway however it wants, and don’t judge yourself— there are no mirrors in this exercise.  Give yourself permission to be free.  You may just sit there and move your neck to the music.  That’s okay, as long as you allow that music into your heart, connecting to the notes, the  melody, the lyrics. Take a deep breath and move.  You may run in place until you are exhausted.  You may just shake your body and release any tension, you may sway, you may begin a slow dance with an imaginary or real partner. You may just move one finger, or maybe just the corner of your mouth with turn upward, or a tear may dance down your cheek.  Whatever happens, allow it and accept it and love it as the artistic and authentic expression it is.

4. Try Some Meditation.

Ohm…. If listening to your heart is difficult, another thing to try is turning on a meditation track, a playlist with ohms, or just quiet meditative music.  Go into the stillness.  Try to visualize your heart in the middle of your chest.  See it beating, thank it for giving you life every day.  Thank it for pumping blood and life energy throughout your body.  Thank it for never stopping. Really try to see it, and connect to what keeps you alive every day.  Then, after you feel it and have expressed gratitude, just listen.  Breathe easily and listen.  There may be nothing it wants to say, but even by giving your heart this kind of attention, you will be listening and gaining an understanding even if your cognitive mind doesn’t grasp it.  You will feel more connected if you do this. Take your time.  It’s interesting to look into your own self this way, and it’s good to get to know yourself truly from the inside out.

5. Look To Your Memories

Look through a photo album, a stack of your old polaroids, or your phone’s camera roll until one of your photos calls to you. Spend some time with it, looking at every detail, gleaning every feeling from it, and then pick up a pen and some paper to write it all out. Think about what drew you to it— is it connected to a cherished memory? A favorite place or person? What about it elicits emotions? By spending time with a memory that called out to your heart and delving deeper into the feelings there you are honoring your deeper self.

6. Have A Meaningful Conversation With A Friend.

A good way to listen to your heart is to talk to a close friend about what is going on in your life, or a problem you’re having. Sometimes opening up to someone you trust can bring new clarity to a situation. They may bring up something that you hadn’t even thought about, or lead you down a path that broadens your perspective. They may help to clear the extraneous details or worries that are bogging you down and keeping you from truly listening to yourself. Often your friends know you better than you think they do, so turning to them might be exactly what you need to see something more fully.

7. Listen To Your Instincts.

If you have an immediate gut reaction to something, positive or negative, stop for a moment and listen. Ask yourself why you’re having these feelings and what led to them. Maybe write them down, or just take a few moments to hear what your intuition is trying to tell you. Our instincts are there for a reason and it’s important to acknowledge them. Recognizing your own thought process and what got you there can be a great tool in understanding yourself. Sometimes we need to step outside of ourselves for a moment, otherwise it can be so easy in the busy lives we lead to cruise on autopilot.

8. Go For A Walk.

There are many studies on how walking can improve brain function. So many leaders and thinkers have described the feeling of struggling with a problem for hours, only to discover the solution after taking a walk. If you feel stuck or need a change of perspective, going outside and getting yourself in motion can help your subconscious speak up and offer clarity. Let your heart lead the way on your walk and see where it takes you. Pay attention to where it lingers— does it pause at a particularly beautiful rosebush or guide you to a nearby park? Little clues that your inner self offers as it guides you can help you figure out what you need the most.

Although it seems simple and straightforward, listening to your heart can often be more elusive than you’d expect. Many experiences in life can leave us disconnected from our feelings, or encourage us to suppress or push them down. It’s important to stay in touch with our deeper selves. If you’ve been having a hard time paying attention to your emotions or inner voice, hopefully one of these techniques can help to bring your heart closer to the surface.