WELLNESS #2 Physical Health It can be so frustrating, working to lose weight, and not hitting your goals. Sometimes, though, you might not actually be doing all you can. Not because you aren't trying but rather because unwittingly, you are missing some chances to make a change.  http://www.summertomato.com/10-reasons-you-arent-losing-weight-when-you-think-youre-doing-everything-right Workout #1 So you want to have a great workout, fun AND get it done as easily as possible? Gotcha. Try an alphabet workout. Start by cracks up the music that will best help you want o get moving. Then, basically, you spell your name by doing the corresponding
exercises from one of the charts below. You can spell your full name twice through. Get your friends and family to join in and spell everyone’s name,  twice. Run through the alphabet, twice. The idea is to make what combinations of movements you like, and get moving for at least 25 to thirty minutes. Have fun! Workout #2 http://www.intervaltimer.com/timers/7992973 This workout is an EMOM workout. Remember, EMOM means ‘every minute on the minute’. You can use the timer on the link above or you can just use a regular clock. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Every minute at the top of the minute, you do the exercises listed. Depending intensity and speed you use to finish the exercises, gives you the amount of rest you have before the next minute (interval) starts. Do the three sets (so 3 x 10 minutes) giving you a 30 minute workout. Set #1- 5 regular squats, 5 push-ups, 5 sit-ups or crunches Set #2- 5 frog Jumps, 10 up-downs (in a plank, ‘walk’ down to your elbows, alternating which arm you go down with first) Set #3- 5 Jacks, 10 Mountain Climbers, 5 v-ups Workout #3 Sometimes you just need a minute to breathe. Sometimes you just need the time to move your body in a relaxing pattern that will energize you, give you focus and boost your endorphins. Here’s a great (short) yoga routine that fits that description. https://blog.sivanaspirit.com/video/yoga-for-weight-loss-energy/ Spiritual Health One of the things I find that centers me is focusing - on anything - especially in times of stress. That's not always easy, though, and can take a lot more effort when things are all a'buzz around you. So, what to do? Try this: alternating nostril breathing. I know, you think I made that up. But trust me. 4 rounds of this and you really will feel more centered.  How to do it: Sit comfortably in a space where you aren't going to be nagged or poked at for a few minutes. Set a timer for 30 seconds, as it is best to try to clear your mind; you don't need to be counting breaths here. Just breath. Take your dominant hand, and fold down your middle three fingers, extended your thumb and pinky (palm facing you; yes, it looks like a surfer dude gesture). Take a deep breath, and now you are going to breathe through your nose, alternating plugging one nostril and then the other with your thumb and pinky. I'll talk you through it: plug the left side with your pinky, breathe in the right side. Hold for a second, plug the right side with your thumb and breathe out the right side. Continue like this, same nostril in and other out for the whole 30 seconds. Once the timer dings, take a short break, and repeat breathing in on the opposite side and breathing out on the other. Do two more rounds, leading once with one side and then with the other. How do you feel? Calmer? More centered? And that was just breathing.  Mental & Emotional Health As we travel, emotions fly from one extreme to the next. As the summer passes, the novelty of living out of suitcases and jamming too many people into too little spaces starts to wear a little thin. I don't know how long you'll last but I can almost guarantee that at one point or another, you will be butting heads and tempers will flare. How can you maintain calm when those around you are ranting?  http://www.marcandangel.com/2018/02/18/9-mindful-ways-to-remain-calm-when-others-are-angry/ Social Health Part of what stresses us (me?) out during these super busy summers - or really any time - is negative thinking. I found I am most happy when I focus on the positive and feeling grateful.  A few easy-to-enact suggestions from mindful.org.  1) Tap into life’s small delights. Rather than recalling positive experiences that happened over the course of the day or week in a journal, we can note what is good in the here and now. 2) Practice on-the-job/parenting gratefulness. Even the best jobs can start to feel like a grind, and that’s ok. Practicing gratitude can renew your sense of purpose by increasing your desire to learn and develop new skills. 3) Show mother nature some appreciation. You don’t have to go on a week-long hike through the woods to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Pausing to notice simple things, like the feeling of the breeze on your skin, or a canopy of leaves overhead as you’re walking down your street, allows you to appreciate nature, unwind, and connect to the greater, greener world around you. https://www.mindful.org/what-does-it-mean-to-be-grateful Be your best, friends
s