It’s National Wellness Month! As we observe Wellness Month in August, this will serve as a good reminder of the importance of putting ourselves first, especially as moms! In my opinion, Wellness Month should be observed every day! Too many of us let self-care and wellness take a back seat in our busy lives. Tell your best mom friend, your spouse, and even your children to hold each other accountable in focusing on daily self-care, creating healthy routines, and to learn how to better manage stress.
Why is wellness such a big deal?
Wellness is so much more than fitness and nutrition. It is the WHOLE package! Bringing focus on good nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management can boost our health and well-being and also strengthen our immunity during a time when we need it most. We are actively learning how to make choices toward a healthy, vibrant, and fulfilling life. It is about making a commitment to improving the body, mind, and spirit.
Here are 4 ways to celebrate National Wellness Month:
1. Nutrition: Food planning, shopping, and cooking
My kids are at an age (6yrs old and 4yrs old) where they want to help Mommy and get involved with anything they see me doing. If your kids are the same way, then invite them to help make the grocery lists, (virtual) food shopping, meal planning, and even in the cooking process. Not only will they feel helpful, but they also get to learn the importance of food and how it can fuel their bodies. The more kids are involved in the cooking process and the selection of food the more willing they are to try new foods and help reduce the pickiness around certain foods.
Dinner talk check-ins: For my family, the best conversations are at our dinner table. As parents, we can observe if our kids are enjoying the food they eat, or if they are struggling. It also allows for open discussion revolving around school, work, and relationships. Food brings families together.
2. Family time & goal setting
Family time is a great way to create opportunities for all members of the family to love, understand, and appreciate each other. As we are currently living through a pandemic family time is more important than ever. Due to social distancing procedures, children will not be able to go out and see their friends as often. Children will need family support. This is also a great time for families to become creative when spending quality time. Some ways you can engage in family time is by establishing weekly reading time, gardening, playing board games, or even have family meditation sessions.
Encourage setting goals together as a family. Share your dreams. Talk about how to support and help each person achieve those goals and dreams. For example, setting a family goal to drink more water, so you can work on it together. Track your progress using an app, a sticker chart, or even by marking right on your water bottles with a dry-erase marker.
3. Staying active together through sports & outdoor play
Playing sports helps develop lifelong skills and character traits through friendly competition. Explore the great outdoors by hiking, swimming, or cycling. Indoor fitness through at-home workouts is a great way to get the whole family up and moving. Some schools are even offering virtual lessons to help kids build new skills such as dance, soccer, and martial arts.
4. Gratitude and developing a positive growth mindset
Practicing gratitude helps with creating more positive emotions, appreciate good experiences, improve health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. There are many ways to include gratitude into your and your family’s daily life. One of my favorites is for everyone to share one thing they are grateful for at the dinner table each night. Everyone gets a chance to reflect upon their day and find just one thing to be grateful for. This helps children gain a little bit of perspective, and appreciate that while every day may not be good, there is always something good in every day.
As moms, we want to help raise our children to create a “can-do, will-try” attitude. Encouraging positive thinking and creating an environment that nurtures your children’s beliefs in their abilities. In helping our kids develop this confidence we are enabling them to take more risks that will help them reach their potential.
As we continue to parent our kids and learn to adapt to the new normal of mask-wearing and social distancing, our stress levels may be higher than usual.
Stress increases cortisol levels which can suppress our immune function. Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, and journaling can hold powerful tools to lower stress. There are apps you can use to guide meditation and breathing, but you can also do it on your own. You can also sit still and slow down your breath for 1 minute as you control your breathing.
It is time to take action in August, and engage in a daily wellness routine!
Together we can raise awareness for healthy living, celebrate self-care solutions, and inspire our families and our communities to create new healthy habits. Use the hashtags #wellnessmonth and #wellfie and proclaim “I choose wellness” with a photo and post on social media.
Stay well and safe mommas!
*Safety Disclaimer: Increases in your physical activity may impact your health. If you have any concerns, please consult with your health care provider before beginning an exercise program and only engage in exercises that you can perform safely and comfortably.
Making our wellness a priority as mamas is so important – thanks for sharing!
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