Getting active together is one of the small changes that can impact your health in positive ways.
By Alison Crane
Each month focus is placed on various health issues and topics. This is done to increase awareness and prioritize making good health choices related to specific health concerns. All during August, National Wellness Month focuses on promoting holistic well-being by prioritizing self-care and adopting healthy habits.
Self-care is taking proactive steps to maintain and improve physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being by engaging in activities that are beneficial to our health and quality of life. Research has shown self-care helps manage stress and promotes happiness. National Wellness Month was born out of the idea that taking care of ourselves allows us to do “big” things.
When we approach our well-being in a holistic way, we recognize that our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health are all interconnected. Making a good choice that benefits one of these areas typically benefits the other parts, too.
Whether you drink more water or park farther away to walk more, making small changes can impact your health in positive ways. What’s more, when we strive to create a positive, healthy lifestyle, we can inspire others to do the same. These changes do not have to be complicated.
To get started, try these simple ideas:
Get outside and move! Movement helps your well-being, and sunlight can improve your mood.
- Don’t forget about social-wellness – make connections, build healthy relationships, care for others, and get active together! (click to download the National Institutes of Health social-wellness toolkit)
- Focus on setting healthy routines, practicing self-care, and managing stress.
- Drink more water. It helps with dehydration and fatigue.
Create wholesome habits in your lifestyle all month long and see how much better you feel. On average, it takes 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic. So start making good choices now.
For more information on programs and resources for making good health choices, contact the Garland County Extension Service at 501-623-6841 or email acrane@uada.edu. To read more health and wellness articles, visit thespringsmagazine.com/category/health-wellness/crane/.
Alison Crane is a Family and Consumer Sciences Agent with the Garland County Extension Service. Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy, or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
