July Tips, Tools and Take-aways
Flip Flops, beach walks, catching up on reading, blender drinks, too hot to even want to eat, longer days, vacations, a break from the norm or business as usual? What does July mean to you? Whatever it is I hope you are enjoying it this year!
Fun Facts about July:
July was named after Julius Caesar, the famous Roman general, statesman, and dictator, who was born on July 12 or July 13 in the year 100 BC. The month was originally called “Quintilis” in the ancient Roman calendar, which was a lunar calendar, and it was the fifth month of the year.
In the United States, July is National Ice Cream Month, which was designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. The designation was made to recognize the importance of ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by millions of Americans. National Ice Cream Month is celebrated across the country with various events, promotions, and discounts at ice cream shops and parlors. The third Sunday in July is also celebrated as National Ice Cream Day, which was also designated by President Reagan in the same proclamation.
I'm not sure if I would call ice cream "nutritious" but I can say it is my absolute favorite food!
Travel Take-aways
In May I traveled farther than I have ever been from home to Vietnam and Cambodia. My first time traveling to Asia. It was a wonderful trip. As I was enjoying it, I kept asking myself what will I take away from this trip? What do I want to remember? What have I learned and what would I want to share with all of you?
Top Takeaways:
1) Travel is a luxury to be appreciated. Most Vietnamese and Cambodians have never traveled within their country never mind outside of their country and those that have the means to travel may not be allowed to as others fear that they are a flight risk.
2) Some of the best moments in life are often unplanned and unexpected and this definitely extends to travel. Stay present so you don't miss them!
3) Rituals add to life. They add meaning in so many ways and give us something to look forward to, something that connects us to others and creates structure and consistency in a world that is unpredictable.
4) Colors add spice add vibrancy to life. A kaleidoscope of colorful lanterns on a side street, an outfit of many colors, a bicycle vender overflowing with 100s of blooms....a plate full of fresh fruits and vegetables....paint your canvas daily with all the colors of life!
4) Photos are amazing but they will never capture smells, scents and sound! To get the full experience you really have to be there!
5) Make a practice to honor and appreciate those that came before you (elders, family, city founders and educators). Honor and appreciate everything that supports you (the water buffalo, the rice fields, the rain...).
6) People are amazingly adaptable. They will work with what they have and make it work if needed. If they can't afford a car they will buy a motorcycle. If they have to carry something large or transport many people, they will find a way to do so on that motorcycle. If the road looks packed with traffic, they just keep moving and a path will open up to them. It is when they stop that they are in danger or a danger to others.
7) Fresh vegetables ,spices and fruits enhance all cooking and every meal. Every part of a plant, fruit or vegetable can be used for something. Keep it fresh and creative.
8) No matter how common place or "normal" you think you are, or think you look, there are places in this world where you will be the oddity. There is something humbling and refreshing about that!
9) Rice is grown in water not because it needs to be but because nothing else can grow there. The water eliminates the competition. There is definitely an interesting message in there...
In the Spirit of Gratitude…
I was recently out in Minnesota and realized I was just an hour away from where one of my grandfather's was born and raised. I had never been there because at the age of 18 he had left Minnesota and made a new life in New England where I was ultimately born many years later.
I had a free afternoon so I drove out to see the old family farm and town of 4oo. The drive quickly became very rural with miles and miles of corn fields and rarely another car. I finally drove into a lonely town with no stop lights just a couple stop signs on the main street. The buildings looked run down or closed. The farm was still there and as I drove toward it I noticed many of the roads around it were still unpaved. I wondered what it must have been like to grow up out here, the hard work it must have been to work on a farm so large day in and day out and the isolation that members of the town must have felt from time to time.
I was happy for my Grandfather that he had ventured away and had a chance to see more of the world outside of his home town and I felt grateful for the life that his efforts has allowed me to lead.
I came across this post recently that I found useful in the spirit of this type of gratitude.
In Order to Be Born. You needed:
2 parents
4 grandparents
8- great grandparents
16 second great grandparents
32 third great-grandparents
64 fourth great-grandparents
128 fifth great-grandparents
256 sixth great-grandparents
512 seventh great-grandparents
1024 eighth great-grandparents
2048 nine great-grandparents
For you to be born today, from 12 previous generations, you needed a total of 4,094 ancestors over the last 400 years.
Think for a moment how many struggles, how many battles, how much sadness, happiness, love, stories and hope for the future your ancestors had to undergo for you to exist in the present moment.
You are the dream of many ancestors....
Tips to Stop Work Rumination
Advice from Dr. Guy Winch, author of "Emotional First Aid"
People seem to experience the bulk of their work-related stress while they are off the clock: during a commute, with family or friends, or in the middle of the night!
At work we are so focused that we may not realize we are stressed, however, our worries and work stress will invade our thoughts in our downtime when there are fewer competing issues or responsibilities.
Unfortunately, our negative work rumination can feel urgent or important and we often believe that by allowing it we will gain insight into a problem. In reality, it is unproductive. It activates our stress response and has been linked to impaired sleep and family conflict. One study published this year found that work-related rumination was one of the strongest predictors of fatigue and burnout.
Tips to Stop Work-Rumination:
1) Keep a Rumination Journal: Identify how many hours per week you are ruminating about work off the clock. Many people find it is upwards of 10-20 hours per week! Think of those hours as overtime for which you are not getting paid!
2) Set Clear Guidelines: establish a clear time when your work day ends and stick to it.
3) Ritualize your transition from job to home by changing your clothes, putting on music or taking a walk. Create a habit and system to support the guidelines you've created above.
4) Turn off notifications for emails and work related messaging apps after a certain hour. Technology empowers rumination so keep it to a minimum. If you must check them do it at a specific time and set a timer so you don't spend the rest of the night responding to messages.
5) Recharge: Do something to make you feel more energized mentally. Many find activities like working out, crafting or meditating recharging. Experiment and find what works for you.
6) Distract yourself: Break the rumination cycle with distraction. Do something that requires focus, such as a crossword puzzle or a memory exercise like naming every teacher you have had since kindergarten.
H & W on the MBW Wellness App
H & W has made it to the Mind Body Wellness App available on IOS, Google Play, Apple TV and Android TV. You can check Andrea out in the Mental Health section and also access dozens of other fitness and wellness classes and videos from your phone, computer, tablet or smart device such as your SmartTV. The MBW mission is to provide education, awareness, and support to help normalize conversations about mental health in both our personal and professional lives.