​It’s toasty, sweltering, muggy and at times just too hot in many ways and places these days.  When the mercury cruises near three-digit territory, it’s time to find ways to remain cool.  Consider any or all of the following healthy heat hacks:
 
 
Dine – step away from the oven and prepare snacks and meals that are cold or at least room temperature.  Salads (greens and grains), sandwiches, or a spread on a charcuterie board allows for a cool dining experience, in more ways than one.
 
Drink – start your blenders and transform lemonade or flavored teas into slushie sips by adding ice and an herb or companion fruit.  Pour it into a festive vessel to amp the moment – cheers!
 
Delight – splish, splash take a bath, or jump in the pool, lake or ocean to cool down and get some comfortable activity in a delightfully refreshing way.
 
Dawn & dusk – don’t exercise in the middle of the day.  Yes, you just read that correctly, to not exercise( in the heat of the day).  Wake up and get outside before the sun bakes or wait until sunset and go for a bikeride, walk or swim.
 
Don’t let the heat beat you, take control this extreme season and be chill.

​Have some fun this mid-Summer month by capitalizing on actions that are inspired by the letter “J”.  Consider any or all of the following:
 
Jump – seriously, just jump every now and then.  Jump up and down for a quick HIIT session, jump for joy at some positive news, jump (cannonballs count) in a pool or river or jump into doing something you love to do.
 
Justify – have a point of view and stick with it.  If anyone challenges you, justify your thoughts by sharing them.  And in the reverse of that, no need to always have to justify your actions – they are yours to take and live by and with.
 
Journal – capture the fun and feelings of Summer in a journal.  No need to be formal about it, just grab a pen and jot down anything that comes to mind and or heart.
 
Join – tis’ the season for getting together with others.  Join family, friends or make some new ones while trying a new activity, libation or cuisine.
 
 
This July, just be you, no justification needed and you might just find yourself a bit more jolly than normal and possibly even jumping for July joy!

​We tend to get caught up in what hasn’t happened or didn’t go the way we planned. Yet, we have the opportunity for a fresh start every day.  Letting go of yesterday and leaning in to today allows us to regain control in a variety of areas.  Consider any or all the following:
 

• Food – Being in the now with what we feed and fuel ourselves with can be energizing and enlightening. Start your day with something fresh and refreshing.  Think fruits, vegetables and some protein.  

 

• Hydrate – Sip water from the moment you get up, until the moment you say goodnight.  Staying hydrated lets our better selves show and flow.

 

• Exercise – Move your body, it’s just that simple.  Get up and walk a few steps, balance on one foot and then the other, stretch when you stand-up.  We often punish ourselves for not going to the gym or engaging in an intense workout,  try not to sweat that and just move.

 

• Sleep – Many of us allow a sleep-less night to destroy the day.  Challenge yourself to acknowledge that last nights sleep, wasn’t great, but this evening is a whole new opportunity to try again, and if possible, look forward to it.

 

• Me time – We often slip right off the priority list.  Secure your position on the list by doing one thing for yourself each morning.  Anchor it to something you automatically do in the a.m. and make it easy Give yourself some gratitude, breathe, sip and savor your morning mug of something, connect with a friend or family member, moisturize, read a quote or just do a little something that feels very much like you.

 
Focusing on today and trusting in tomorrow allows us the opportunity to take charge of our well-being one day at a time. 

What’s taken root for you lately?  You know that feeling or sense that something has the potential to happen, because you planted the idea, seed, or notion that it could.  You may not see the results right away, but with positive intentions and follow-through, good things may happen.  Consider any or all of the following ways to cultivate a healthy foundation:
 
Water – Drink more water and feel the benefits in your sleep and appetite.  For now, don’t worry about how much you need to drink, just plan on sipping a few more sips of H2O daily.
 
Sunlight – Get outside every day, if possible.  The benefits of natural light help moderate (if not improve) our mood, our alertness and can begin to brighten our outlook.
 
Food – Grow something.  A pot of fresh herbs can inspire both your cooking and your taste buds. Some home-grown greens will give you salad options or simply add a plant to your living space to bring a bit of nature indoors.
 
Family – True roots can be both the ultimate comfort and or a clash of personalities.  Tap into the positives that a family member can enrich your life with and consider letting go of those that don’t nurture your growth and vitality.
 
When we root ourselves in simple, basic intentions, the potential to cultivate our well-being may know no limits.

This is a month that starts with many pulling pranks on others.  Let’s turn the punch line around and try to stop fooling ourselves.  Consider any or all the following:
 
Sleeping – What’s your number?  No, that’s not a pick-up line, but rather an essential question for your health. It refers to your sleep number, which is the realistic amount of sleep you need to feel rested and ready to tackle the day.  Most of us fall into the 7-8 range, but everyone is different – just don’t fool yourself about the amount of sleep you need and then work towards getting your number.
 
Moving – When we sit all day, we just about erase many of the benefits we get from a dedicated workout.  We can trick ourselves into believing that if we exercise a few times a week, we are all set, but the joke is on you and your body. Stand up regularly throughout the day, go for a stroll, integrate as much natural movement into every day and your body will no longer laugh at you, but thank and reward you….
 
Resting – Is napping the only way you think we can rest? It is a great way, but many of us are not nappers, but rest is essential for our energy, emotions, and engagement.  Discover ways to rest that best serve you, be it soaking up some sunshine in a chair, reading for a few minutes, watching an episode of something or simply being quiet – just give the chaos a rest.
 
Eating – You are what you eat?  Wow, that could be scary for many of us. Get serious about one component of what you consume.  Be mindful to have a vegetable every day or at every meal and snack, drink more water to stay properly hydrated, prioritize protein or enjoy just one dessert a day.  Think of it as a one-liner that you deliver to and for yourself.
 
Fool yourself once too often and it will no longer be funny.  Taking your health seriously is something we all need to stand-up for and do.
 
 
 

​March towards some calm and connection by considering incorporating any or all the following into your routines:
 
Mindfully manage your calendar and allow some unplanned time for yourself.  Say yes to invites that excite you and no to those things that aren’t the best for you.
 
Align with your values.  It sounds so easy, but few people do this and base decisions with their values in mind.  Take a moment to contemplate what your values are and assess how you are, or aren’t, living by them
 
Rest.  Take a time out from being productive, planning and putting others first.  This doesn’t have to be napping, (but it could be), but anything that gives you the chance to recharge.
 
Connect.  Spend time with those that nurture your spirit and sense of self. 
 
Honor.  Lean into honoring your time, accomplishments, privacy and practices that lead you to thrive.
 
 
Make the time this month to march towards a more centered sense of self.  You’ll be better ready to spring towards whatever comes your way in the weeks and months ahead.

  ​Hmmm, I don’t know, I can’t decide.  How often do you think or say something along those unsure lines? The typical person, according to research in the Journal of Health Psychology, makes more than 30,000 choices each day, which can easily lead to decision fatigue whether you know it or not.  Making decisions can be a challenge   Being indecisive can wreak havoc on your psyche, your fun, your relationships and on your well-being.  Consider any or all of the following to become a bit more decisive:

• Tap into your resilience – Trust that no matter the choice, you can get through it
• Be honest – Share your worries/concerns with others and trust that they can relate
• Adopt – Pivot to a best for right now vs. perfect one day
• Limit - Narrow your choices and decrease the time spent evaluating too many options
• Ready, set, decide –Give yourself a specific deadline to make a choice & stick to it
• Listen – Trust your gut and go with what you really need, want and deserve

 
It’s time to stop wasting time waffling, analyzing and second guessing. It’s within your control to decide to decide.

​Before we go too far into the new year, give yourself the opportunity to reflect on some of the highlights from the past year.  Consider any or all of the following:
 

• The best idea you had
• The best change you made to your routine
• The best beverage you drank
• The best purchase you made
• The best compliment someone gave you
• The best text you got
• The best thing you did for yourself

 
We often forget about the bests and focus on the bads.  Let’s flip that script and give it your best effort to recognize what’s good, fun, satisfying and healthy for you and your total well-being.

​There are times that we simply miss.  For example, we missed posting on this blog during the first few days of December.  Is there a good reason? Not really, but…..it’s ok.  We need to give ourselves the opportunity to not beat ourselves up about an occasional miss.  We will be back in January, and maybe hoping you missed the post…just a bit.

If you ever have driven a manual car, you know when you need to either shift to a higher or lower gear, because the car “tells” you.  In many ways our bodies, emotions and intuition do the same for us.  Consider any or all of the following shifts you might need right now:
 

• Expectations – lower yours for the upcoming holidays.  Approach this season with an openness that doesn’t border on obsessive details or the perfect gift, dinner or outfit.  

 

• Energy – allow yours to flow and go with how you feel in each situation.  Increase it if the music and the moment inspire you or decrease it to meet yourself where you are.

 

• Exercise – do what you can regarding moving, and by moving it can be walking, lifting, standing, Zumba-ing, bopping, spinning or whatever gets you less stagnant.  Kick it into high gear when possible and accept that a low key activity might be what the day calls for.

 

• Engagement – this is all in your control, be it socially, professionally, or personally.  Check in with yourself and determine what you really want, need, and deserve and let that be your cruising speed and GPS

 

• Enjoy- switch it up and give yourself the opportunity to both do things that are out of your comfort zone, as well as staying in a comfortable neutral, familiar place and space

 
Listen to what truly drives you and shift into and or away from those things, thoughts, and tactics.  There is no manual for determining the direction you may shift towards. It’s also not automatic, you are the driver of your well-being.