Blog

​It’s been some time since I last posted to my Blog page. My father passed away mid-February last year after a long battle with dementia and truth be told I’ve been struggling since that time with my blog motivation. Given the world situation there are so many topics I could visit and I have so many strong opinions on current hot topics, but I thought I would focus on something that our world just really needs more of right now. The importance of kindness.
There is so much division around the world right now that it is absolutely mind blowing. Whether it’s pro-vaccine vs. anti-vaccine, masks vs. no masks, left vs. right, and the list goes on. There is even division within groups that would typically be supportive of each other. I see FB friends make posts about kindness on FB then turn around a few posts later and finger point at certain groups that don’t adhere to the same belief systems as them. The world is spinning out of control.
Not only is this constant division in your face but many areas of government further promote this division by telling the public to tattle on neighbors or to shame individuals who don’t adhere to certain things.
So, it’s relatively simple. Just be kind. That’s it. Be kind. Be kind to your neighbour. Be kind to your family. Be kind to the cashier at the grocery store. Be kind to a stranger. You would be amazed how great it will make you feel but more importantly it will brighten someone else’s day and who knows, maybe it will have a domino effect.
There are so many easy things you can do to show some kindness. Let someone in front of you in a lineup, have your kids draw some pictures for an isolated neighbour that you can put in their mailbox. If you aren’t suffering financially, make a donation to a charity. The options are endless. Be creative!
On a side note, please be mindful of your posts or responses to other’s posts. There are many keyboard warriors out there these days but unless you’ve recently upgraded your telepathy skills, nobody knows what others are truly going through. Act as though you were actually having a discussion in person…you know, with compassion and empathy and such. That man you see walking around without his mask... before you jump to conclusions, maybe he has severe COPD, has no family to help him get groceries and his family doctor has advised him that he should avoid masks. If you are that concerned, just keep your distance. Or better yet, offer to help.
You can just feel the world buzzing these days…from politics to mother nature. When it comes to the external, there isn’t much that you can control unfortunately but you can control yourself and your response to it, as well as to others. Something that may seem so small and minute could end up having a bigger effect than you ever imagined.

What is wellness? The World Health Organization  states  wellness is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This definition is fairly broad and since individuals will vary in their beliefs and values, ultimately this will have a different meaning for everyone.

​​The concept of wellness being other than just physical health has been around for a number of years. In 1977, the National Wellness Institute created the Dimensions model and this was further expanded upon by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA) SAMHSA's eight dimensions of wellness model is as follows:

While there doesn’t have to be an equal balance between them, there should be a harmony among these dimensions. An example of disharmonious dimensions would be if you focused solely on your career (Occupational Dimension) for an extended period of time, ignoring other facets of life such as physical, mental or social health. Eventually this would have a negative effect on your other dimensions and the harmony between them. Perhaps you gave up your Friday night social evenings with friends to put more focus on your career and no longer maintained that social circle (Social Dimension). Or maybe you gained 20lbs since you stopped exercising and started eating more processed and fast food (Physical Dimension). By putting too much focus in one area of your life, especially for a prolonged period of time, you will eventually start to see negative effects in other areas of your life. Balance is the key!
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According to SAMHSA, creating balance is an important part of wellness and this can be affected by a number of variables including culture, circumstances, resources as well as other factors. Balance will look different to each one of us, as we all have our own preferences, desires and skills. It is also important to keep in mind that as our values and needs will be dynamic over time, we will need to re-balance periodically.
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So how does this all apply to you? You may already knowingly or subconsciously have strategies in place to help keep these dimensions within a healthy balance. Or perhaps it is part of a New Year’s resolution or new goal to improve your overall wellness. Regardless, there are many relatively simple steps that you can implement even today that will improve your well-being. Following are some examples of self-care that could enhance the quality of your life:

• Ensure to get enough sleep. You won’t have the energy to do much of anything if you’re tired all the time. 7 to 9 hours of sleep is the range that tends to be recommended for healthy adults, so find the amount that your body needs and try to stick to it. 
• Take your lunch break every day or if that’s not possible, even a couple of times a week. Even though you may not think you have time, this mental break may ultimately lead to better productivity in the afternoon.
• Start meditating. Start off with 2-5 min in the morning. If you don’t know where to start, try a guided meditation.
• Try to eat healthier or follow the 80/20 rule when eating: if you love food as much as I do (I’m typically thinking about my next meal as I’m eating the current one) then you might find it difficult to adhere to eating healthy consistently. But what if you don’t deprive yourself? What if you eat relatively healthy most of the time and indulge periodically? Of course, you can always play with the percentages slightly but you get the gist. By treating yourself periodically you are less likely to feel deprived and therefore more likely to stick with healthier eating.
• Do something you love or have always wanted to try. If you enjoy reading, challenge yourself to read a book a month. Or better yet join a reading club to also add a social element. Do you love dancing? Take up a dance inspired fitness class or find videos on YouTube and dance along a few times a week. Get your kids to join and make it a regular family night event.

These are just a few examples and the list is endless. What small steps can you think of that you could implement today? Or you may decide that you need someone to help work with you to come up with strategies to keep some balance among your dimensions and that’s fine too. In that case there are many life or health and wellness coaches who are trained to help you succeed in many of these areas. Do your research and select one that you truly connect with. Regardless, take the time to determine what a fulfilling life means to you and set goals to strive towards it. You’d be amazed by how just a few subtle changes can have a big impact on your quality of life and overall well-being.