Six-Part Health Series (Part 4): 10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your *Spiritual* Health in 2020

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Your spiritual health is connected to your physical, mental, and social health. It is about having a connection with yourself, others, nature, and God (if you are religious). The results of spiritual health help people to live positive lives with purpose. Negative emotions like anxiety and sadness are reduced. It is important to work on improving your spiritual health in 2020 because it is essential to total body health, and you owe it to yourself to experience its positive effects as soon as possible. 

10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Spiritual Health in 2020

1. Write.

Practice free-writing or introspective journaling to find out exactly who you are and what you value. Make a list of things that make you happy or people who are important to you. Focus on the positive. Instead of thinking about past mistakes or focusing on negative emotions, list the things you have learned from those mistakes and activities that help you to overcome negativity. It is easy to get stuck in our own heads, and a pen and paper is a perfect way to get it out and experience some self-realization. 

2. Meditate.

Focusing on the present while removing the past and future is an exercise in freedom from worry and expectation. Mindfulness gives your mind a break from responsibilities and limitations. It allows you to focus on the most important thing a person can experience – inhaling and exhaling. Your mind can relax when it knows it is accomplishing its primary purpose of maintaining life. Once a person has meditated, he or she is more able to identify and appreciate spirituality. 

3. Do Yoga.

Any sort of exercise can lead to improved spirituality because of stress reduction, but yoga is particularly effective because of the focus on the self. It is not something you do with headphones or other distractions. Instead, it is a complete focus on the connection you have with your own body. 

4. Volunteer.

Helping others is a focused pathway to spirituality because it prioritizes community connections and a willingness to work for others without expectation of anything in return. The positive notion of this feels good because it elevates your capabilities beyond caring for only yourself and the people you love.  

5. Travel.

Seeing and interacting with people around the world makes one realize how each person on the Earth is important and how wonderful our diversity is. It makes the world a little smaller and less overwhelming. Depending on your travels, it is also possible to develop deep caring for people in less-fortunate areas of the world. You’ll find yourself connected to everyone in a collective humanity that makes you feel part of a greater whole. 

6. Socialize.

Spend time with your friends and family or people who make you feel happy. Don’t neglect your social activities. You are a part of society, and the benefit is reciprocal. Spending time with your friends reinforces your sense of community connection, which is essential for spiritual health. 

7. Pray.

Prayer is a recognition of your spirituality and a positive way to spread happy thoughts. It is typically religious, but it doesn’t have to be. If you are having trouble with prayer because you aren’t religious, practice self-talk (silent or verbal) about your thankfulness, and send wishes to those who you hope will experience better times. If you are religious, communication with God establishes solidarity in your convictions. 

8. Walk.

Experiencing nature is a very spiritual activity, so going for a walk or a hike is an excellent way to improve your connection with life on this planet. It also gives you time with your own thoughts, which can have a meditative effect. 

9. Unplug.

You don’t have to turn off your Facebook account or literally unplug your television. However, taking a break from these items gives you some peace and quiet. Occasional silence is calming, and it disconnects you from the worries and influence of media platforms. 

10. Make Something.

Lastly, creating something new is a great way to improve spirituality because it reaffirms your capabilities and your worth. You may choose to create a table or a tool, or you may choose to create something artistic like a painting or a composition. Your spirituality will be heightened by the act of creation, and you will bask in its glow. 

The new decade is a perfect impetus for improved spiritual health, and the effects of this health will extend to your mental and physical health. You’ll feel affirmation about your place and purpose in this world, which will reduce negativity and leave you with more happiness. 

If you like what you’ve been reading, visit Avidity Medical Design’s blog and get more helpful tips on improving your health.

Six-Part Health Series (Part 3): 10 Things You Can Do For Better *Emotional* Health in 2020

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Reduce stress and reconnect to your body with meditation.

Emotional health impacts your physical health and your overall happiness, yet it is a difficult thing to improve without purpose. The steps to better emotional health will help to bring you calmness and inner peace. This doesn’t mean you won’t ever have a bad day, but it means you will be able to better cope with bad days and fully enjoy the good things in life. 

10 Things You Can Do For Better Emotional Health in 2020

1. Sleep Well.

When you aren’t sleeping well, you may become irritated or angry more easily. It also decreases your ability to handle stress. This decrease in coping ability leads to poor emotional health. Over time, it can also impact physical health. 

2. Eat Right.

There is evidence that concludes that the food you eat can impact your emotional health. Getting proper nutrients makes you feel good, and this improves mood. Conversely, meals high in unhealthy fats or toxins can make you feel sluggish and depressed. 

3. Exercise Regularly.

When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. These chemicals reduce anxiety and improve mood functions. They also increase self-esteem. Regular exercise is also good for your physical health and body image. 

4. Meditate Consistently.

Any exercise in mindfulness is a benefit to emotional health because it gets us out of our heads and back to a healthy emotional center. If formal meditation is not appealing to you, go for a walk or do some gardening. Anything that keeps the body busy so that the brain can have a break is a positive action. 

5. Connect with Friends or Family.

In today’s consumer-driven world, we often are tricked into thinking it is our belongings that give us happiness. This is not true, and it is other people and our connections to them that drive happiness. If you are feeling isolated, reconnect with friends or family to regain your sense of community and support. 

6. Learn to Say No.

While some people need to reconnect for emotional health, others need to disconnect. It is okay to say no when asked for help. If you are stretched too thin because you are helping others, learn to say no. You need to practice self-care for a little while and then get back into help mode. 

7. Don’t Judge.

Judging others is an unhealthy activity for your emotional health and doesn’t produce any good results. You can’t possibly put yourself into someone else’s shoes, and most of the time, their actions aren’t of any consequence to you. Instead of judging, listen and offer help when you can. 

8. Appreciate the Here and Now.

Many of us are constantly trying to improve ourselves. We want to be thinner, richer, and more popular. In reality, what you’ve got right now is underappreciated. You have a life, and you can improve it. Appreciate the present and the future, and your emotions will migrate to a more positive place. 

9. Volunteer to Improve Your Emotional Health.

Helping others improves your emotional health because it feels good and you are no longer focused on your own stress. Volunteering is a pro-social way to help others that builds connections and yields happy results. 

10. Take Time for Yourself.

Taking time for yourself does not mean wasting time watching television. It means investing your time in a hobby or event that will make you feel like you again. If this means a spa day, great. If it means finishing a project, even better. Taking time for yourself means prioritizing yourself, so you don’t feel like you’ve been run over by life. 

These 10 steps are pretty straightforward, and if you invest some time on each of them, you are surely going to improve your emotional health. Not only will you experience less extreme emotions, but you’ll be a happier person with a renewed sense of calm. 

For more help with improving your emotional help, check out Avidity Medical Design Academy’s course entitled, “How to Prevent Medical Conditions Caused By TOXIC People in Your Life (and Be Healthier!)“

Self-Care for Healthcare Professionals

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If you work in the healthcare field, you know that some positions, such as nursing, require long hours and stressful working conditions that can leave you drained. You know that you have to take care of yourself to avoid burnout, but the challenge is, how do you find the time? Self-care for healthcare workers isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity — so here are a few tips for a self-care routine that you can fit into your schedule and fit into your budget.

Try Yoga and Meditation

You can enjoy the benefits of practicing yoga without joining an expensive gym or squeezing into a crowded studio class. With free instructional videos readily available online, you can fit a quick yoga or meditation routine into your schedule. Even just 15 minutes before or after your shift can leave you feeling more relaxed, mindful, and focused.

Eat Healthier

Self-care is not just relaxing and taking it easy. It requires self discipline. The good news is that eating healthy won’t add any extra time to your busy schedule. You can make small nutrition changes over time, and you can keep track of what feels good with a food journal. Making healthy changes can leave you with more energy and more mental clarity to tackle the day, especially if your position involves working directly with patients.

Practice Saying “No”

While you can’t say “no” to everything, chances are that you can find a few ways to reduce stress in your life by setting healthy boundaries, especially after a long and stressful day on the job. Maybe you can stop checking your emails before bed. If you check your emails, maybe you can postpone responding to your emails until you get back to work. Maybe you can choose to stay home instead of going to a social event when you really don’t have the energy to socialize and you have an even more stressful week ahead. This doesn’t mean withdrawing from friends or not fulfilling obligations. It just means thinking critically about whether going to a particular event, whether it is for business or with family, is going to drain your energy.

Making time for self-care can help you perform better at work, and feel better, too, even if you are not working in the healthcare field. For more help with navigating your healthcare career, visit the Avidity Medical Design blog.