Bloom

The month of August is National Wellness Month, a month devoted to focusing on self-care and making every day count toward a lifetime of wellness, not just physical well-being, but also mental health and spiritual well-being, too.

Wellness can include developing healthy habits and routines and managing stress. Wellness has a way of promoting happiness. Small changes can affect your health in big ways. According to the Kim Foundation, an organization devoted to well-being and healthy living, it can take 21 days for something to become a habit and 90 days for it to become a lifestyle change.

The foundation’s website (www.kimfoundation.org) also lists being mindful, practicing self-compassion, focusing on proper nutrition, and trying something new as ways to focus on wellness.

Starting small with things you enjoy and working on making them a habit results in wellness. For example, taking a yoga class, treating yourself to an in-home spa treatment, such as a soak in a tub of homemade bath salts, or learning to meditate, are all ways to start on a path to wellness.

Other things that lead to wellness include increasing your water intake and upping fruit and vegetable consumption. Cutting back on added sugar is another way to improve nutrition. The average American consumes 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day; this includes sugar in sodas, but also hidden sugar in salad dressings, condiments and bread. Walking is a simple and effective tool for stress management, as is gardening or any other form of physical activity, especially ones that get you outside interacting with nature.

Check your sleep habits — getting enough sleep so you feel rested and alert contributes to a sense of overall wellness and mental clarity. Spending time with family and friends also contributes to a state of wellness.

Finding a hobby, especially one not connected to your usual work, can also help develop a sense of wellness. For example, if your work is physical you might try a hobby that involves using your hands such as painting or woodworking.

Practicing the art of gratitude and reflecting on what you do have and focusing on the positive, rather than on the negative or what you don’t have can affect one’s mood and attitude for the good, which in turn will have a positive effect on overall wellness.

Doing volunteer work such as working at an animal shelter benefits both you and the animals. It releases “feel good” endorphins in the brain and the animals benefit from human companionship. And who knows? You might just meet your new best friend and a deserving pet will find their forever home.

Too much screen time can not only be bad for your eyes, but it can also be a real wellness damper if you are focusing on all the negativity on the news and social media. If you find yourself doing this, try limiting the time you spend watching TV and on your computer with social media.

Nothing helps one’s wellness level like a treat such as lunch with a friend to catch up, a new book, a latte, a new hairstyle or a massage — special something that makes you feel good. Strive for wellness not only in August, but every month of the year.