Wellness & Wellbeing Archives

August celebrates National Wellness Month

Posted on August 9, 2022August 9, 2022 by April Monterrosa

Self-care is so important for overall health, and August celebrates National Wellness Month. This month focuses on self-care, stress management, and creating healthy routines. If you are looking for an excuse to make a change, start this month in support of National Wellness Month.

I wanted to share a few favorite self-care tips and tricks from The Soul Publishing – an award-winning publishing co. behind one of the top five YouTube channels, 5-Minute Crafts. Being a spa professional in my early entrepreneur days, I still love products that make me feel like I am at the spa while at home.

DIY Bath Bomb: Baths are a great form of self-care and relaxation. Next time you’re looking to relax, try making this easy bath bomb! Mix baking soda, citric acid, coconut oil, your favorite essential oil, and coloring. Once mixed evenly, place the mixture into an empty ice cube tray and allow it to sit together to dry. Once hardened, pop the bath bomb out of the tray, place into bath water, and relax!

Make Your Own Moisturizer: Add aloe vera gel, almond oil, lavender essential oil, and cedarwood essential oil into a mixing bowl and mix until evenly spread. Place the mixture into a container with a lid to store, and you’re all set!

Honey & Brown Sugar Exfoliator: Struggling with dry, cracked skin? Try this easy-to-make honey exfoliator! Simply mix brown sugar, honey, and coconut oil together in a bowl. Once evenly mixed, scoop out the mixture and rub it onto your dry skin. Rinse off and done! Your skin will be left feeling soft and smooth.

Find even more of 5-Minute Crafts’ self-care tips here!

Wellness & Wellbeing

Make time for yourself

Posted on August 7, 2022 by April Monterrosa

There are a lot of things we want to achieve and a lot of things that we want to do. But making time for yourself (and a priority) is not only important, its a great way to be more relaxed to be able tackle that “to do” list.

What are tips to making time for yourself? Well, these are few you can try:

1. Try expressing the needs:

Being selfless is a quality that is considered good and appreciated. But this can also be draining. Sometimes we do so much for others and forget about ourselves. For this purpose, make sure to tell others and mainly yourself that you NEED some space. It will be good for both your physical and mental health states.

2. Don’t feel guilty:

Most of the time, when we think about giving time to ourselves, we consider it like we are becoming selfish. But the main thing to know is you also need time for yourself, which is not something to be guilty about.

3. Say NO:

Sometimes we feel hesitant to say no to anyone. Even if we are unable to make time, we are still hesitating to say NO. Try saying no to the tasks that are not meant for you or not worth it. This way, you can save time and make it for yourself.

4. Set boundaries:

Set the boundaries for any task you are doing. Do not overload or overburden yourself. The reason is that you won’t feel easy and comfortable doing that.

5. Do workout:

Work out every day and make it a routine. Normally we think it takes too much time or that we have to be a gym rat .A simple daily walk is also considered a “workout routine” and a great start.

6. Solo lunch:

Another thing that you can do is take a solo lunch. We often feel uncomfortable doing lunch alone. But try to feel the pleasure and peace you will get while taking a solo lunch. Keep your mobile aside; your tv is off, and just enjoy your lunch.

Is it essential to make time for myself?

Making time for yourself will make you mentally relaxed. It is a form of meditation and gaining peace. You must give yourself some free time, almost half-hour a day, where you do nothing and sit and relax.

Wellness & Wellbeing

How to let go of what does not matter

Posted on July 11, 2022 by April Monterrosa

Sometimes we are unable to get what we wish (or hope) for. As a result, we can become upset and disappointed. This often leads to hopelessness, being stuck in a rut, or even the worse… we miss out on enjoying life.

It is essential to let go of things that do not matter. Here’s a few suggestions on how to.

1. Does IT really matter?
The first question is thinking about how much a situation truly matters or not. If you cannot get rid of thinking about it, think of a solution, maybe stop dwelling on things for a bit, or look for the positives in the negatives.

2. Try meditation:
Thinking about the past over and again can, mistakes you have made, or people that are no longer in your life can make you fall into depression. Try meditating exercises that will help you focus on peaceful things around you now.

3. Try doing things that inspire you:
You must try doing more things that make you feel joyful. Try to get rid of negative thoughts by doing positive affirmations. For this purpose, focus on the positive aspects of everything that happens around you.

4. Spend Time in Nature:
Nature is always good for the soul. Suppose you feel gloomy or sad and cannot get rid of that overthinking spell. Go out in nature and relax. You can enjoy nature by doing simple breathing exercises, yoga, swimming or even watering the plants.

5. Don’t Blame Others:
Everything is destined and happens because of fate. Never blame others for what has happened. The more positive you will think, the happier you will be. Leave everything to fate and try to move on. Try listening to positive motivational thoughts.

6. Try to Speak:
Whenever your heart is full, try to open up. Have a conversation with family, friends, or even your pet. If you have no one around you with whom you can share feelings, then go out in nature and talk to yourself while walking. Sometimes speaking things into existence is a great release.

Wellness & Wellbeing

12 Ways to Living a Happier Life

Posted on July 5, 2022July 5, 2022 by April Monterrosa

Happiness… many of us struggle with finding it. Am I right? I have been trying to be less stressed and practice ways of living a happier life.

It’s made me to think about my lowest of lows, my highest of highs, and where I am at now. It also made me miss writing and sharing more personable content with my readers too. So here I go again, sharing personal thoughts as I am also finishing my second book.

Here are some tips I wanted to share:

Spend more time with your family and your spouse. Even something as simple as a phone call or a dinner weekly can increase communication and strengthen the bond between all of you.

If something doesn’t go your way, don’t dwell on it; pick yourself up and figure out what can make things better. Sometimes, we need to accept that some things are just not for us.

Do what you love. If you absolutely hate your job, maybe it’s time to turn that passion into a career.

Appreciate nature. Don’t take those beautiful sunrises and sunsets for granted. Take in all those tranquil colors, breathe, and start your day or end your night with taking in Mother Nature’s beauty we were blessed with.

Try new things. Foods, places, meet new people, get out of your comfort zone and branch out to your unknown. You will definitely learn more about the world and yourself.

Love yourself. We all have something to offer, are special, beautiful and play an important role in the world.

Ask for help. If you need a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen, a way to figure out something you are having trouble with. Don’t be afraid to speak up and out. We don’t always have all the answers for ourselves and sometimes our loved ones do.

Listen to more music and watch less TV. In my opinion, music livens up anything. If I am working at my studio, working at home, blogging, cleaning, I almost always have music on.

Say NO! If you don’t want to do something, DON’T. It’s ok to say NO sometimes. Don’t let people take advantage of you.

It’s ok to enjoy life’s guilty pleasures…these things exist to aid in our happiness. Eat the cake, drink the wine, put off doing chores till the next day, and sleep late.

Have faith. Pray. Have a spiritual outlet. Believe in a higher power, it’s around us. For those that do not believe in God…believe in yourself.

And lastly, lighten up! Though we all have goals, want to make dreams come true and work hard…don’t forget to enjoy your life and all you have in it. We only get one. Enjoy it.

Though most of these things seem easy to do, we often forget to do them. Be happy friends…it’s the best way to really live life and be successful.

Wellness & Wellbeing

Ways to let go of the Past

Posted on January 20, 2022 by April Monterrosa

Our past experiences can significantly impact our daily lives. Decisions are based on the events that occurred in the past and letting go is not an easy thing to do. It might be easier for some people, but it is very hard for others. If you are also one of the people who find it very hard to let go of the past, this article is for you. Read it till the end to know some tips and tricks to let go of the past.

Surround yourself with positive people

Do you know what separates the people who achieve their goals from those who don’t? It is not time or skill, but it knows how to use the law of attraction to achieve what they want. They are aware that what you focus on, you feel. It means that the energy you put out into the world is what you receive and back, and in addition to this, you become the same as the people who surround you. It is not easy to avoid the past, specifically if you stay around the people who continuously remind you of your past. So, in this case, if you think over the theory of peer elevation and apply it to your lives by surrounding yourself with positive people who are continuously committed to progress and growth, then you will find it very easy to move on.

Work on your personal growth

Moving on from the past is important, and the best thing is to work on a personal growth plan. You need to know that if you focus on learning and improving, it is not only a distraction from the negative thoughts circulating in your mind, but it is also very empowering. Once you identify the areas you want to work on, then pinpoint the obstacles you will be facing and collect the tools you need to succeed. When you collect all the tools, take the help of an expert who can guide you through this personal growth and journey.

Meditate

If you are feeling frustrated and upset due to the things that happened in your past, you are unable to change your feelings; then, in this case, you should start meditating. It helps a lot when you find stillness, take long breathes, and remain calm. Meditation practices such as yoga and tai-chi will help you keep yourself away from the hustle-bustle of this busy world. If you are thinking about the best meditation options, then yoga can help control your thoughts. If you are thinking about the best mindfulness practice, then yoga and some other deep breathing exercises can help you to relax. Both yoga and meditation will help you concentrate on the present moment of your life instead of focusing on the events that had occurred in the past.

Exercise

There is no doubt that exercise is an excellent way to improve your physical health, but research also suggests that it helps a lot with your mental health. Harvard says that exercise can help you avoid different negative emotions. Different chemicals associated with happiness, such as dopamine, are released when exercising. You can choose to exercise for at least 15 minutes daily.