​What makes you stop and reflect?  Think about it.  It’s not always a big something that may or may not generate a sustained feeling, but more likely it’s a moment and it’s something we may easily pass by or move on from.  We all have regular occasions and  opportunities to pause, appreciate and feel a blip of bliss. Consider one or any of the following opportunities to sense some joy:
 
-Nature – every season gives us a reason to be in awe, so look around or up and down and take notice.
-Nutrition – be it a great first sip of something, the juice from a slice of watermelon, the crunch of a fresh carrot or the sweet treat of tasting a hot out of the oven something. Pause to appreciate what is passing by your palate.
-Friends – you know that feeling of ease, energy and engagement with someone who really understands you -those are the moments of connection that can spark joy.
-Family – a tradition, ritual or reunion with family can function as an igniter of moments with meaning.
-Sense – stop and smell, listen, touch or taste something that strikes you and appreciate the sensory stimulation it can start.
-Self – we all know what truly brings us moments of simply feeling like us, lean into recognizing and making those a priority
 
Joy spotting is contagious with the micro moments that can give us a jolt of connection and contentment to ourselves, others and the world we live in

We often lose sight of what is within our control.  Our minds and hearts tend to dedicate more energy towards what is not in our control.  And these days, the balance of what is and what is not in our control may seem more out of balance than prior to March 2020.  But you do have a choice of what you choose to focus on. Consider one or all of the following when contemplating control:
 
-Eating – Enjoy a piece of fruit today and say yes to a true craving.
-Moving – Don’t sit as much, stand up, stretch, or just fidget while on your feet.
-Sleeping – Go to bed at a time that gives you the opportunity to get the number of hours of sleep that makes you feel like a functioning adult.
-Connecting – Call someone or at least text them. 
-Climate – Recycle or walk to do an errand or wear your jeans another time.
-Self – We often think of self-control as restrictive.  Reframe it as controlling those things in your life that makes you most feel like you.
 
Be controlling in a positive way, it may just spin things your way.

It’s time for acrostic April.  Consider one or all of the following as you shower yourself this month with healthy options:
 
Active.  Do something, anything that gets you moving (sweating is optional).
 
Produce. Pick a new fruit or vegetable to try. Enjoy a range of colors, textures, and flavors.
 
Reality.  Be realistic with your goals and or intentions.  Plant the seeds for change, but start small and give them time, space and opportunity to take root.
 
Indulge. Seek out experiences that allow you to indulge your senses.  Spend time with friends, listen to music, cook a new cuisine, or explore the great outdoors.
 
Love. Fall (back) in love. Appreciate the moments and make them happen.
 
There is no need to be or try to be a poet to create the healthy life you need, want, crave and deserve.  Simply pick a letter to start to lean into and see what may grow by next month.

​What’s your story?  Do you have a sense of how you might answer that question? What would you want your next chapter to be?  As we live our lives, we often lose sight of the fact that we are the authors of our own story. Challenge yourself to create your narrative by considering any or all of the following:
 
Reframe – Remind yourself of the challenges you personally have overcome. Focus on the opportunities any setback presented. Study after study has shown that we can benefit from reframing the personal narrative that shapes our view of the world and ourselves.
Reflect - Think about the people who have and continue to impact your life and point of view. Our support networks can influence (both positively and negatively) out awareness and actions.
Realize – Take responsibility for your narrative, and for creating a life that you consider meaningful and purposeful. It doesn’t have to be a big mission, as long as what you’re involved in has impact for and to you.
Relax – Sometimes a great story just happens, but most times we need to take a step back and consider what we really want, need, crave and deserve.  Give yourself the space and grace to retreat, rest, recalibrate anfd re-energize.  When you do that, regularly, the story you craft will more often become your reality.
Reach - Sleep on the other side of the bed. Take an adventure. Try a new fruit. Volunteer. Participate in a race.  Try stand-up. Read a different genre. Join a different community. Take a class.  Whatever your “reach” may be, go out of your comfort zone and lean into the new thoughts, feelings, words and sentences it can inspire.
 
It’s your story, go live it.

 
When you think of heart, what comes to mind?  Is it your emotional or your physical health or possibly both?  Let’s all celebrate heart health month with some healthy intentions.  Consider any or all of the following:
 
Eat – Indulge in some heart healthy foods.  Consume more vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and lean protein.  Don’t forget to also savor some heart smart dark chocolate.
 
Sleep – Prioritize both quality and quantity of sleep.  Recent science points to a 20% higher risk of heart attacks for people who regularly sleep less than 5 hours per night.
 
Drink –Sip lots of tea, coffee, and pomegranate juice and you will be drinking for heart health.
 
Engage – Put your heart into something you love.
 
Connect – Spend time with people that make your heart sing or maybe even patter.  Our connections are one of the strongest healthy building blocks we have control over.
 
Check – Always get your heart checked out from a trusted medical professional – don’t wait for an issue, make it part of your annual check-up.
 
When we prioritize our heart, we give ourselves the opportunity for living well, longer and with lots of love.
 
 

For nearly two years of our lives, we have all become familiar and quite possibly fearful when we hear the word variant.  Variant is defined as: a form or version of something that differs in some respect from other forms of the same thing or from a standard. Consider contracting a variant in any or all of the following:
 
Moving - Skip the gym and skip around the block a few times
 
Eating – Change up the color of apples or peppers or carrots or potatoes that you consume
 
Sleeping – Switch the side of the bed you normally sleep on or keep your phone out of your bedroom and go old school with an alarm clock
 
Reading – Try a new genre or format
 
Connecting – Pick up the phone and call someone instead of texting
 
Meditating – Stop trying to sit for x minutes to calm your mind, go for a quiet walk outside or simply stop and breathe a few times
 
Working – Re-think time management to priority management
 
 
As we begin a new year, let’s all try to use a variant to our advantage.

The final few weeks of the year are often the time that we look back to review the goals we set in January. Many of us tend to focus on all that didn’t go as we had hoped or planned.  But in yet another unprecedented year, let’s review in an unprecedented way.  Re-view your progress through a different lens. Consider any or all the following:
 
Sleeping – Did you keep your bedroom cool, dark and comfortable? Great!
Did you get a few nights of decent sleep? Fantastic!
 
Eating – Did you eat some vegetables? Great!  Did you try a new food? Fantastic!
 
Moving – Did you take a few steps most days? Great! Did you bend, lean or reach? Fantastic!
 
Stressing – Did you breathe? Great! Did you step away from your work and relax? Fantastic!
 
Connecting – Did you see some family? Great!  Did you celebrate with others? Fantastic!
 
When you give yourself permission to re-view your healthy habits, we all can feel much better about our annual review.

When it comes to your well-being, embracing what you crave and deserve can be the game-changer you have been craving.  Consider embracing any or all the following:
 
Fun – Go ahead and lean into something that gives you joy.  Try not to overthink it and just go for it.
 
Change – It can be difficult to change our habits but by making a small change regularly you add a dimension of variety and value to your everyday.
 
Challenge – step right up and take a challenge, don’t make it too big and try and enjoy the ride.
 
Rest – slow down and give yourself a break – right now, go ahead and do it or possibly don’t do something.
 
Your story – Own your narrative, every chapter of it.  Our lives are a continuous source of material for making the most of our gifts and gaffes.
 
The moment – Be present, because this experience will be gone before you know it.
 
 
No need to brace yourself for impact, simply embrace what you need and feel the hug that you will be giving yourself and your well-being.

Life always has its ups and downs, but the past 18 months have given us all a free ticket for a roller coaster ride that has been like no other.  For some it has been a physical challenge, for others a social and or professional one.  But for all of us, the emotional swings have been unprecedented.  Acknowledging our shared experience is one way to manage the ride, others to possibly consider could be:
 
-Reach into your resilience reservoir.  If you feel as though you’ve been on a specific part of the ride before, you probably have.  Be mindful of that, and use your experience to get through or around it.
​
-Reconstruct how you interpret a situation or event in a way that can help modify your emotional response to it. Identify simple and effective things you can control and do to protect yourself and your loved ones from actual or perceived harm.
 
-Repurpose the situation by focusing on possible positive outcomes that might arise from it and that may serve to modify your emotional response to it.
 
Given the speed and intensity of the pandemic (and life) roller coaster, we never know what lies around the next corner, but our goal is not to deny the challenges or adversity we face but rather to try and cast these challenges in a new light and confront these situations more successfully.

​When was the last time you slowed down enough to honestly ask yourself what you need?  Not a future need, but an in the moment acknowledgement of, I need it now.  Being present with ourselves and identifying our true needs, can be one of the most powerful elixirs we can tap into to optimize our well-being.  Consider one or any of the following:
 
Do I need space?
Do I need sleep?
Do I need a shower?
Do I need breakfast?
Do I need a break?
Do I need a beverage?
Do I need a change?
Do I need comfort?
Do I need connection?
Do I need a vacation?
Do I need variety?
Do I need validation?
 
Asking yourself what you need, and listening to your answer, is a healthy  and self-compassionate way to find meaningful and impactful answers.