Happy Wellness Month: How to Make The Best of This August!

Welcome, August! The month of final Summer fun, crazy heat, school supplies, and the third quarter of the year is nearing an end. Can you believe it? 8 out of 12 months seem to have flown by. If you blink too hard, we’ll be in coats and sipping hot chocolate by the fireplace soon. But no, seriously, readers, time is indeed moving quickly, and that's why, this August, prioritizing your wellness is important. If you haven't already, what better way to give attention to your health than this August, which also happens to be Wellness Month? If you don’t know where to start, no worries, we’ve got you covered!

Physical

When you think of physical health/wellness, you may think of that overly dedicated gym body who practically lives in the gym. They eat, sleep, and breathe the gym, which is quite impressive and an excellent way to maintain their physical well-being. But it’s also understandable if you’re that person who can’t make it to the gym daily or has any other valid reason. Physical wellness isn’t all about being in the gym, though that may be a fraction of it. The term physical wellness is pretty broad and covers a wide range of things, as you will soon see. But overall, it is the act of making sure your body has everything it needs to be able to operate and behave properly. Food, exercise, hydration, sleep, and eliminating toxic habits are some of the main ways to be good to your body. Challenge yourself this August, start small and gradually work your way up. If you’re a single person and live alone, cooking every day may not be ideal. Even if you aren’t single and just don’t want to cook daily, and you opt to take out, challenge yourself -- go a week without eating any fast food and see how your body feels. Although we aren’t doctors, we’re sure your body will benefit from it. And, actually, the doctors themselves are assuring you too. 

If you can do a week, you can slowly make your way up to a month and so on.

Sleep is also an essential factor of physical wellness. Staying up late and scrolling on TikTok, X, or Instagram can be addicting, especially after a long day when you may want to disassociate with reality, but sleep is calling your name loud and clear, and you must listen. Sleep helps humans regain energy and feel refreshed. Even a nap has the ability to be so powerful. Sleep also strengthens your immune system and fights off illness. Sleep helps muscles recover and repair tissue. Set a specific time to turn your phone off and be asleep by your bedtime. Do this for a week straight and see how well you can stick to it. Take note of its impact on your physical wellness and keep the process going.

There are so many ways to physically challenge yourself this Wellness Month. Stick to a strict exercise plan, even one that doesn’t require a gym membership. Your gym is right in your bedroom space, on your way to work, in the parking lot of the shopping center, etc. Stay hydrated, challenge yourself to only drink water for a month. I’ve done it, and my skin became so clear and blemish-free. Check out the TikTok videos for some physical wellness info and inspo!

Mental 

Maintaining strong mental health can be a bit of a journey, but we believe in you! As humans, we all have our ups and downs, but how we choose to deal and cope with these seesaw effect thoughts is most important. Prioritizing your mental wellness has great benefits. You will begin to see yourself in better moods, feeling more motivated, productive, and confident, able to manage stress effectively, and able to take on new challenges without severe overthinking, depression, etc. While all of this sounds extremely good, there may be someone out there curious as to how they can make sure they are on the path to achieving those things.

There are so many ways to prioritize your mental wellness. Therapy is one that many people are familiar with. Therapy is a great coping method and helps you feel like you aren’t alone. You have someone to listen to and hear you out. Therapy can begin to make you feel understood, confident, and in a better mood. If you aren’t a people person and may not feel as comfortable sharing your thoughts with a stranger, journaling is a great way to express yourself. When your day has come to an end, grab a pencil or pen and open up a notebook, and reflect. Doing this activity also works on an electronic device. Apple products even have an app called Journal that keeps track of your thoughts and keeps them safe with a passcode. Other ways to stick to an effective mental wellness journey include reading books, meditating, going on walks to clear your mind, and turning to activities that will free you from negative thoughts (listening to music, painting, drawing, dancing, etc.) 

Social

At this age in life, making friends can be difficult. Creating a social life outside of work or even school can feel like pulling teeth. However, a big part of our wellness is building and establishing relationships with others. Not just romantic ones, but also platonic friendships. Creating a new bond can feel like finding a cute new outfit in a store. You begin to imagine all of the great places you can go in your new outfit, you feel confident, and always want to wear it. Friendships have a similar vibe. You suddenly want to go out with your friends, you feel confident, and you always want to be around that friend or friends.

Social connections have so many well-being benefits. You are happier, feel like you have a stronger emotional support system, and you feel loved. You won’t struggle with physically being alone; a big amount of stress will be lifted off your shoulders, and you can relate to another human. As previously mentioned, we know that finding new connections can be hard. But ways to attempt can be simply complimenting someone and engaging in a conversation with them. This may be at the grocery store, at the mall, at the park, anywhere -- you never know how far complimenting someone may take you. If you’re in school, join a new club or society and socialize. If you’re not someone who goes outside much, follow a new face on social media and don’t be afraid to reach out and share how you may be able to relate to them or their content. There are so many ways to get connected and experience the benefits of social wellness. Starting today!

Although Wellness Month lasts for 31 days, that doesn’t mean your journey is limited. Longevity is key, and it starts with the simplest activities and acknowledging where you must start. Take the time out today to start a process that your old self will thank you for. Happy Wellness Month!