LiveWell Vermont

Journaling can be a therapeutic tool used to express emotions, work through life events or feelings.   Here are some benefits and tips to using a journal- Benefits: Lowers Stress and Anxiety Journaling provides an outlet where you can effectively sort through and reflect on your thoughts and emotions in a non-judgmental environment. This can result in better health outcomes. It Improves Mood and Feelings of Well-Being When people continue to write expressively regularly, the practice is linked with improvements in mood and feelings of well-being. The biggest benefits come in the long term. Tips: Write whatever you’re feeling at the moment.  The benefits of journaling come from being honest with yourself about whatever you’re feeling, and then expressing those feelings. Ignore grammar and punctuation rules.  Worrying about whether your spelling is correct or whether you’re putting a comma in the right place will only get in the way of you sayin...

Do you tend to wake up each morning with no time to get ready feeling tired, agitated or stressed? Many of us go through this cycle of waking up with little energized or vigor for the day - it is time to break that cycle! Below are six great habits to wake up feeling great. Try one tomorrow to start building this habits into a routine. Hydrate as soon as you wake up. You body becomes incredibly dehydrated while you're sleeping. When you're dehydrated your metabolism slows down and your brain has less fuel to operate. To jumpstart your metabolism try to drink water. Start small with just trying to down a glass of H20. Have fun with it and add a lemon! Create a 15-Minute stretch routine. When we sleep, our muscles are inactive for long periods of time, blood flow decreases and less oxygen is in the muscle tissue. Stretching helps to increase flexibility and wake up your muscles. Find a stretch or yoga routine that works for you and can be done easily in your home. E...

You may know that sleep plays a vital role on your physical and mental health, but you may be wondering if you're truly sleeping well. On average, an adult needs between 7-9 hours of sleep to feel well rested, however this can vary depending on the individual. Some people may feel great with 6-7 hours of sleep each night where others need 8 or 9. Figure out what works best for you by tracking how much sleep you're getting and how you're feeling the following day. Some other important factors for healthy sleep include: 1.) You fall asleep within 15-20 minutes of lying down. 2.) You regularly sleep a total of 7-9 hours in a 24 hour period. 3.) While in bed your sleep is continuous and you aren't lying awake for extended stretches. 4,) You wake up feeling refreshed. 5.) You feel alert and able to be productive during your waking hours. 6.) You don't exhibit any out of the ordinary behaviors such as snoring, restlessness, or pauses in breathing. ...

Did you know studies have shown that optimistic people have healthier hearts and are better at managing stress? However, looking at the bright side can be easier said than done. Fortunately, even if you don't consider yourself to be an optimist, you can try incorporating these tips to help you live with more positivity!   1.) Have gratitude Being grateful for the good things in your life will help you feel satisfied. Take an inventory of all the good things around you. Additionally, try to be grateful for the hardships and obstacles because these give you strength and teach you how to persevere, which help you form resilience. 2.) Practice listening. When you are actively listening, you're taking in more information and knowledge without the distraction of your own thoughts and words. It also can increase your own self-confidence when you show you have respect for others. 3.) Smile more. Frown less.  When you smile you create a happy and positive environment that d...

Did you know that water can help provide relief from a headache.  Did you know staying hydrated can reduce afternoon irritability? See below for all the different ways that water can make you feel awesome! 1.) It can aid in weight loss and reduce the feeling of hunger. Extra water can not only make you feel full, but it can also boost your metabolism! Try drinking a glass of water before every meal. 2.) It powers your exercise.   Staying hydrated has many benefits around exercise including: increasing your ability to perform at your best, enhancing the quality of your workout and allowing you to recover faster. 3.) It aids digestion and keeps your kidneys working. Drinking water helps your body break down foods and helps your kidneys and liver flush out waste products. 4.) Hydration can improve your mood! Drinking water not only makes you feel refreshed but also can improve your mindset. Even mild dehydration has been shown to negatively impact mood. Next ti...

Feeling stressed out? Can't sleep? Check out these ideas to help you relax in 5 minutes or less! 1.) Sip on a cup of tea. If it's early in the day, sip green tea (this has caffeine in it so don't drink it too late in the day). Green tea not only has a lot of antioxidants, but it contains compounds that can help you reduce anger. If it's later in the day, drinking herbal tea can help you relax. 2.) Meditate. 5 minutes of meditation is all it takes to feel the benefits. Find a comfortable spot in a quiet place and focus on your breath. Watch your stress and anxieties start to disappear. 3.) Try counting backward. If you're feeling stressed, frustrated, worried, or upset, try counting back from 10. Sometimes all it takes is 10 seconds to help you refocus your thoughts. 4.) Close your eyes. If your office or environment is chaotic, closing your eyes for a minute is an easy way to regain calm and focus. 5.) Squeeze a stress ball. This is an easy and por...

Wouldn't it be nice if once the clock hit 5pm, the to-do lists and emails would stop for the day? Unfortunately it's not that easy, but with a little practice, you can achieve a work-life balance that makes you happy. Consider these simple steps to get you started. 1.) Leave your to-do list at work. It will still be there in the morning. If you find yourself unable to turn your mind off from work in the evenings, try writing a list of projects and goals for the next day and leave it on your desk. Take comfort in having a plan set up for your next day of work. 2.) Don't stay connected. Unless you're on-call or helping out with a work emergency, stop checking your email when you leave for the day. If you are constantly checking your email all night, your mind never really leaves the office. While it seems simple, the physical act of disconnecting from the office is a powerful one. 3.) Establish a transition routine. Perhaps when walking to and from work, you c...

Starting your day off early can give you the opportunity to get in a workout, check off some to- do items, do some yoga, or relax with a cup of coffee or herbal tea before starting your day. The morning offers an opportunity to take some time for yourself before the buzz of the day begins. Did you know that a 20-minute moderate intensity workout in the morning can provide a brain boost for the following 12 hours? Morning exercise is a great use of your time.   Additionally, you can incorporate a few of these morning habits to get your day going on the right foot. 1.) Drink 16-ounces of water upon waking to re-hydrate from your 7-9 hours of sleep. 2.) Make your bed. Did you know making you bed in the morning is correlated with better productivity throughout the day? 3.) Eat a healthy breakfast. Your body needs fuel so it can tackle the day. 4.) Drink a cup of coffee/herbal tea while taking a few moments for yourself. 5.) Prioritize your day. Establish your top pri...

Feeling a little unbalanced? Participate in our summer challenge which will focus on overall life balance. Each of the 4 weeks will have a different focus to help you find or maintain a great life balance! Sign up today in the portal!

  Have you every gone for a walk in nature and come back feeling refreshed and happier? You're not imagining things, being in nature can relieve stress. Hiking and walking can also give you endorphins which make you happier! Not only is hiking a great form of exercise, studies are showing that hiking can boost your creativity and problem-solving skills. Being in nature also allows you to connect with yourself and your surroundings which can elevate your mood.  If you need more convincing, hiking also can help increase your Vitamin D levels, reduce insomnia, burns calories, increases your energy, and helps improve your overall health! Vermont has a lot of great trails to hike so plan some outdoor adventures this year!

Stress, work, and family responsibilities, and a similar routine day in and day out can lead to negative thinking and unhappiness. Finding ways to refocus on the positive can help you break this cycle. Keeping a gratitude journal is one of the best ways to retrain your thoughts to focus on the positives in your life. Here are some things to keep in mind when starting your own gratitude journal. 1.) Choose Your Journal What works best for you? Do you enjoy writing and find it helps you slow down and connect with what you’re feeling? Is typing your preferred method of getting thoughts down quickly? Decide what format fits your needs best. You may also want to decorate your journal in ways that remind you of your purpose or help you feel more positive.   For example: attach or paste photos that make you happy on the cover or random pages, draw pictures that depict positive feelings about the things you’re grateful for, write inspirational quotes in the margins, and not...