Unfortunately, stress is a common factor in our lives, from work to personal life. Stress is a natural and healthy response in some situations, but suffering through chronic stress can have lasting side effects on your health. Luckily, there are many stress management techniques available to help relieve stress and anxiety for a happier and healthier life. Read on to learn more about the impact of stress on our health and what you can do to help manage it.

What Causes Stress?

On a very basic level, stress is caused by experiences that your body perceives as challenging on a physical, mental, or emotional level. Stress is a normal human reaction that happens to everyone when changes or challenges (stressors) are experienced. Your body then produces physical and mental responses.

Stress isn’t always a negative response, as it can help you adapt to stressful experiences to help your body better manage the situation. Short-term, acute stress is perfectly natural and easily manageable. On the other hand, long-term, chronic stress can have a serious impact on your health. Prolonged periods of stress without the ability to relax or recover can have lasting effects on your mind and body. Poor stress management can also lead to the development of unhealthy coping habits such as excess drinking, eating disorders, and even drug use.

Common Causes of Stress

Symptoms of Stress

The Side Effects of Stress

Stress Management Techniques

Yoga

When feeling stressed, stretch it out. Yoga is the perfect way to wind down and relieve stress, as it has the potential to get both your body moving and your mind resting. If you are home, set up a quiet space to dedicate some time to focus on your poses, breathwork, and even meditation. You can release even more tension by doing hot yoga in a sauna. No space for a yoga mat? You can still destress with some simple sitting and standing yoga poses.

Sleep

Sleep seems to always be on lists for better health, and for good reason! A lack of sleep can seriously contribute to increased stress levels if you are feeling tired throughout the day. Unfortunately, lack of sleep can cause stress… and stress can cause lack of sleep. If you find your mind racing with stress before bedtime, it might be time for a new nightly routine. Dedicate some time to unwind before bed to help you sleep better and reduce stress the next day.

Sauna Use

Using an infrared sauna offers a wealth of health benefits, and one that everyone can benefit from is stress release. For starters, your sauna session can be your own personal escape to have 20 minutes all to yourself. On top of the mental break, infrared saunas can help ease muscle tension you may be feeling from stress and can help improve your sleep, which in turn helps reduce stress. You can also add sound therapy, chromotherapy, and aromatherapy to your sauna session to add extra touches of relaxation.

Meditation

Meditation brings short-term stress relief as well as lasting stress management benefits. There are many different forms of meditation to try – each one is unique and brings its own appeal. You might develop a mantra that you repeat in your mind as you take slow deep breaths. Or, you might take a few minutes to practice mindfulness, which involves being in the moment. Another option is guided imagery where you imagine yourself being in your “happy place”.

Leisure

Leisure activities can be a wonderful way to relieve stress. Yet, many people feel as though their lives are too busy for hobbies, games, or extra fun. Building time for leisure into your schedule could actually be key to helping you feel your best. When you feel better, you’ll perform better, which means leisure time may make your work time more efficient. Whether you find joy in caring for a garden or you like making quilts, hobbies and leisure are key to living your best life.

Digital Breaks

Looking at a screen all day and all night can lead your mind to constantly be running. The pressures of news stories, social media, work, and other obligations can be hard to escape when we are always engaging with them. Start dedicating some screen-free time to your day to decompress from a digital overload, and try to do it right before going to bed to help you wind down. It’ll be better for your mind and be a nice rest for your eyes.

Exercise

Physical activity is key to managing stress and improving mental health. And the best news is, there are many different kinds of activities that can reduce your stress. Join a gym, take a class, or exercise outside. Keep in mind that there are many different ways to get more physical activity in your day, too. Walking, yoga, strength training, kayaking, hiking, and spin class are just a few different examples of ways you can get stress relief through exercise.

Creative Outlets

Getting in touch with your creative side may have been easy for you during childhood, but if you’ve lost touch with your penchant for artwork, it’s not too late to pick it up again. If you aren’t into drawing or painting, consider coloring in a coloring book. Adult coloring books have risen in popularity and for good reason – coloring can be a great stress reliever. Try out different creative outlets to see what fits your style best. Who knows, maybe you’ll make a new hobby out of it!

Breathing Techniques

Just focusing on your breath or changing the way you breathe can make a big difference to your overall stress level. Breathing techniques can calm your body and your brain in just a few minutes. The best news is, they can discreetly be done anywhere. So whether you’re in a stressful meeting or you’re stuck in traffic, breathing exercises could be key to reducing your stress no matter which situation you’re in.

Aromatherapy

You’d be surprised just how many aromatherapy health benefits there are, especially when it comes to your mood. If you’re feeling stressed, try some essential oils to help put you in a better mindset. When you need a bit of calm and relaxation, enjoy the scent of classic lavender. Need to reinvigorate your mind? Peppermint and citrus essential oils can have you feeling refreshed.

How to Prevent Stress

Cut out Stressors

This one might seem obvious, but the best way to reduce your stress is to cut something stressful out of your life. Get rid of the things that are adding to your stress so you can experience more peace. Watching the news, being constantly connected to your digital devices, and consuming too much caffeine are just a few of the things that may add more stress to your life. Making some changes to your daily habits could be instrumental in helping you feel better.

Time Management

If you’re trying to squeeze 20 hours worth of work into 16 hours, you’re going to feel stressed. Reducing your workload could be key to helping you get through the day feeling better. Honing your time management skills can allow you to minimize the stressors that you experience, and better manage the ones you can’t avoid. Be okay with saying no to things that will overload your day and create a to-do list to better organize your time.

Diet

Emotional eating and reaching for high-fat, high-sugar foods can provide a temporary sense of relief, but add to your long-term stress. Refined carbs, like cookies and potato chips, can cause a spike in blood sugar. When your blood sugar crashes, you might experience more stress and anxiety. Instead, consume a healthy diet that can help you combat stress over the long haul. Foods like eggs, avocado, and walnuts support mood regulation and energy balance.

Social Support

Having supportive people in your life is the key to stress management. Whether you need to vent or simply want a distraction, have a family member or friend that you feel comfortable confiding in for support. You may also need to expand your network. Join an organization, attend a support group, or get professional help if you find that approach better-suited for your needs to help reduce stress.

Time for Yourself

At the end of the day, one of the most efficient stress management techniques is making time for yourself. Stress stems from being overwhelmed, which typically stems from being stretched too thin with other obligations. When you put yourself first, you allow yourself to decompress and reconnect with what is important. Remember, the best way to be there for others is by showing up as your best self. Make time for yourself every day, whether it’s a full-blown spa day, a 20-minute sauna session, or a 10-minute yoga and meditation session before bed.

Finding the best stress relief strategies for you may take some experimenting. Some strategies may take practice, too. But it’s important to keep looking for the tools that will help you manage life’s inevitable ups and downs in a healthy way. Keeping stress at a manageable level is important for your overall wellbeing, so use these tips to help manage and prevent stressful moments in your life.

You may have heard it before: Your health is an investment, not an expense. This statement couldn’t be truer, but it can be easy to brush off investing in your health due to the cost. After a year where health has been so emphasized, this is the perfect time to really put a focus on your health and put it at the top of your priority list.

Here’s something else you may have heard: Health is wealth. Your wellbeing is priceless, but being healthy can make you wealthy in a number of ways. That wealth can be found in money saved on medical bills, or more importantly, it can be found in the additional time you get with your loved ones.

Taking charge of your health will bring you a happier and longer life. Read on to see the benefits of making your health a priority and some tips on how to invest in your health, from eating fresh ingredients to using healthy technology.

Benefits of Investing in Health

An Overall Improvement in Life

Your health needs to become a priority right now in your life, don’t wait. Each and every choice you make has a distinct impact on your future, and the sooner you start investing, the sooner you can reap the rewards of living a healthy life. There are many daily healthy habits that you can start adapting to right now. These changes and investments aren’t just a fad, they’re the smart things to do to live a happier and longer life.

Prevention is Better Than Cure

If you invest in your health today, you are fighting and preventing future diseases. We are lucky to have advanced healthcare to treat a number of illnesses, but treatment can, unfortunately, be very costly – both monetarily and physically. Investing in your health now can help prevent these illnesses in the future. This means your future self doesn’t have to worry about incurring those costs, which will more than likely be more than the cost of simply investing in your health now.

More Time with Loved Ones

How can you be there for your spouse, children, and family if you are sick or gone? The answer is you can’t. So, let this be the goal that drives you to take action. Start daily healthy habits now to keep you around longer. Go to the dentist regularly, do self-breast exams, get up and hit the gym, and start a new healthy grocery list. “What you do today determines your tomorrow.”

Ways to Invest in Your Health

Install an Infrared Sauna

Investing in an infrared sauna for your home might be one of the best (and most luxurious) health investments you can make. Installing an infrared sauna gives you access to maximum health benefits right in your home. Detoxification, pain relief, stress reduction, and weight loss are just a few of the benefits you can gain from consistently using a sauna for 20 minutes a day. Depending on your needs, you can request a quote today to start investing in your health this year.

Join a Fitness Program

Fitness memberships can really run the gamut. You can shell out $10 each month for a basics-only workout or up to almost $200 for a luxurious program. Whether you join a gym or take part in an online training program, the average monthly fee tends to be closer to $50 or $60, which, as long as you use it, is worth it. Working out regularly is linked to a lower risk for high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and many other chronic diseases.

Buy Healthy Ingredients

Sure, there’re inexpensive fruits and veggies that are good for you (think: brown rice and bananas), but it does tend to cost a little more to eat healthy food – about $45 more a month on average. Not sure it’s worth it to fill your cart with whole grains, fresh produce, and high-quality proteins? It is. Just like regularly working out, eating a healthy diet rich in produce can decrease your risk for heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and even some cancers.

Have Health Insurance

Employer-sponsored plans, which more than half of Americans have, cost an average of about $138 a month. Individual plans, which are for people who buy insurance on their own, are costlier and average around $456. Health insurance isn’t cheap, but it’s still a smart health investment. People with health insurance are more likely to get preventive care, which can help catch health issues before they become major – and majorly expensive to treat.

Go to Your Annual Exams

With insurance, a typical doctor’s visit can cost somewhere between $25 and $250. Without health insurance, the average doctor appointment costs between $300-$600. These numbers can quickly rise if you need additional testing or prescriptions. By going to your annual exams for preventative care, you can keep an eye on your health regularly and monitor issues before they grow and start to cost the higher visit fees for those larger treatments and procedures.

See a Therapist

Does everyone need to do this? No. But if you have chronic stress or anxiety, talking to someone might be a good idea. It isn’t necessarily cheap, though. An hour with a therapist can sometimes cost $100 or more per hour, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. But it can help ease your mind, which in turn, can improve your overall health. Feeling stressed out all the time is linked to weight gain, menstrual cycle issues, and even heart attacks!

Take a Vacation

Taking a vacation might night be in the cards right now, but it’s definitely worth saving up for a trip once travel is on your itinerary. A trip might not seem like investing in your health at first glance, but it certainly can be! Sometimes a break from reality is what we need to realign ourselves. Whether you take a weekend road trip that costs you $150 or you splurge on a 2-week escape to go island hopping, vacationing can be great for your mental health.

Improve Your Sleep

Insufficient sleep has been linked to chronic conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Of course, sleep is free and doesn’t necessarily require a monetary investment. However, you can still invest your time to ensure you have an adequate amount of sleep. Or invest in natural sleep aids such as aromatherapy, an infrared sauna, and good-quality sheets to help you have a restful night.

Your Health is Priceless

The thing about being healthy is that it isn’t always the cheapest option, but it is always the best option. Choosing to cook a nutritious dinner for yourself will usually cost more than a drive-through meal. And in the short term, not going to doctor’s appointments may save you some money on your copays. But at the end of the day, investing your time and money into your health can end up saving you a lot in the future. Preventative care can help save you money on future treatments and improving your overall health will save you time to do the things you love with the people you love.

In 2021, start off the year with a challenge. Rumor has it that it takes 3 weeks to make or break a habit. While experts question the validity of that statement and we wish it were that easy, we definitely think 3 weeks is a great amount of time to get a start on new habits. That’s why we put together this 3-week Healthy New Year Challenge to get you started on the right foot going into 2021.

Follow this New Year’s resolution challenge to keep you on track so you can truly stick to your resolutions and actually reach your health goals in the new year – whether that means eating healthier, exercising more, being more mindful, or making more time for yourself..

New Year Challenge: Week 1

Day 1: Dedicate an Hour Completely to Yourself

Life can get busy, and 2020 sure was hectic. It’s easy to get caught up in things that don’t allow you to have you-time. Block off one entire hour to yourself (or more!) to focus on you. Mark it on your calendar, put up a “do not disturb” sign, and enjoy some time dedicated to things that give you a mental break like reading, using a sauna, or watching a show.

Day 2: Cut Down on Social Media

Looking at a screen all day can lead to overstimulation, especially around the holidays, which can lead to mental exhaustion. Whether for an hour or for the whole day, unplug for some time to focus on non-digital activities that benefit your new year health. Spend time with family, pamper yourself with a home spa day, work on a hobby, or just relax.

Day 3: Get in 10,000 Steps

Walking 10,000 steps a day has been a highly-recommended activity to help maintain physical health. Immediately jumping to 10k a day can be difficult, so instead dedicate just one day to reaching your goal and pay attention to what lifestyle changes you can make to make it a long-term habit.

Day 4: Do a 16-Hour Fast

The 16:8 fast is a great way to do a mini gut reset and dip your toes into the world of intermittent fasting. During this, you will do a 16-hour window of fasting and an 8-hour window of eating. People typically choose to eat lunch and dinner then fast through the night and breakfast the next day to maintain a somewhat normal routine.

Day 5: Practice Breathwork

Sure, breathing is an activity we do without even trying, but putting focus into your breathwork can be great for your mental health – something greatly needed after the whirlwind of 2020. Learn some new breathing exercises that help you slow down, destress, and find some mental clarity throughout your day-to-day life.

Day 6: Cook a New Recipe at Home

Spice up your daily menu by researching healthy recipes to whip up in the kitchen. Look for healthy recipes that include nutritious ingredients such as vegetables and fruits. Summer is a great time for produce, so your recipes will be nutritious and delicious.

Day 7: Rest and Journal

At the start of this 3-week new year challenge, take some time to sit down and write down the things that you are grateful for. Visualization of your accomplishments, blessings, and experiences helps highlight the positive things in the last year. Writing the items down can be a therapeutic exercise for your emotional and mental health.

New Year Challenge: Week 2

Day 1: Go to Bed 1 Hour Earlier than Normal

Sleep is another important basic need for your health, but it is easy to let life (and the holidays) get in the way and eat into your sleep time. Not only does sleep allow your body to rest and recover, it can help prevent illness as well. Today, budget an extra hour to go to sleep early and allow your body to fully rest.

Day 2: Connect with a Loved One

If 2020 was anything, it was definitely a lesson on connecting with people. It can be easy to lose touch with loved ones, but it is just as easy to reach out and say hello. Make a friend or family member smile by sending a quick note – and set aside some time in case that quick note turns into a long conversation!

Day 3: Try a New Exercise

If you’re doing the same workout every time, you are sure to get bored of the same moves every time. That, and your body isn’t getting as well-rounded of a workout. Look up new workout routines to help mix it up and keep things interesting. Pro tip: Using a sauna after a workout makes it even better.

Day 4: Do an 18-Hour Fast

Pick it up a little from Week 1 and add two hours to your intermittent fasting! An 18:6 fast is 18 hours fasting with a 6-hour window to consume your daily calories. This timing is very popular and is a sustainable way to fast on a regular basis. Though just 2 hours longer, this longer fast helps you burn more fat and better stabilize blood sugar levels.

Day 5: Meditate for 30 Minutes

We’ve mentioned breathing exercises, and meditation falls right into the same vein of new year health. Meditation helps you center your mind and find ways to shift your mentality into a calmer, more accepting state. Meditation can be a few minutes or a few hours depending on how deeply you want to go.

Day 6: Plan a Weekly Menu

Knowing what you are going to eat throughout the week is a great way to stay on track with health, time management, and budget goals. Think about what your week ahead looks like and plan how often you will cook at home and when you will eat out. Try to plan at least 3 at-home meals this week to start cutting down on expensive and unhealthy eating out.

Day 7: Rest and Journal

Halfway through the challenge, use your journaling day to think about the future. If you’re wondering how to keep New Year’s resolutions, this is one very helpful way! Writing down your goals and taking time to consider what really matters to you helps you visualize what needs to be done and also helps with setting more realistic expectations for yourself.

During this day and age, for many of us the lines between work, play, and personal time have started to blur. With everything merging into one, burnout happens to the best of us. Working from home, disrupted routines, and the overall business of the world can lead to stress, uncertainty, and fatigue. Luckily, putting a focus on your mental health can help you learn new habits that will improve your wellbeing in the future. Learn about burnout and find ways to avoid it, or how to recover from it, below.

What is Burnout?

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. It can affect anyone and is namely caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Burnout can be caused by personal or professional stress and is often exasperated when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. General symptoms of burnout include:

The 5 Stages of Burnout

Burnout can affect anyone, at any time in their lives. However, burnout is most common in people between the ages of 25 and 44. As with any illness, symptoms of burnout change from person to person, however these five stages are commonly observed:

Stage 1: Honeymoon Phase

When we undertake a new task, we often start by experiencing high satisfaction, commitment, energy, and creativity. In this first phase of burnout, you may begin to experience predicted stresses of life, so it’s important to start implementing positive coping strategies, such as taking practical steps in your job or prioritising your mental health. The theory is that if we create good coping strategies at this stage, we can continue in the honeymoon phase indefinitely. Common symptoms include:

Stage 2: Awakening

The second stage of burnout begins with an awareness of some days being more difficult than others. You may find your optimism waning, as well as notice common stress symptoms affecting you physically, mentally, or emotionally. Common symptoms include:

Stage 3: Chronic Stress

The third stage of burnout is chronic stress. This is a marked change in your stress levels, going from motivation, to experiencing stress on an incredibly frequent basis. You may also experience more intense symptoms than those of stage two. Common symptoms include:

Stage 4: Burnout

Entering stage four of burnout is where symptoms become critical. When burnout is talked about more generally, this is the stage that is often referred to. Continuing as normal is often not possible, and it’s key that you seek intervention. Common symptoms include:

Stage 5: Habitual Burnout

The final stage of burnout is habitual burnout. This means that the symptoms of burnout are so embedded in your life that you are likely to experience a significant physical or emotional problem, as opposed to occasionally experiencing stress or burnout. Common symptoms include:

How to Deal with Burnout

Burnout Recovery Tips

Accept Help when Needed: One of the big symptoms of burnout is social withdrawal. When recovering, make an effort to open the door to help when needed. Whether it’s through coworkers, friends, or counselling, using your resources and accepting help when needed can help relieve stress and improve your situation.

List Things that Overwhelm You: It can be easy to get lost in worrying about the things in life that are overwhelming. Instead of letting these thoughts take control, make a list of the things that are on your mind. This will help you visualize what is happening and better focus on what you can do to find solutions.

Set Boundaries: Burnout is easy to achieve when you’ve spread yourself too thin. Set boundaries for yourself, especially during a time of burnout recovery, so you can give yourself the adequate space to feel better while putting better habits into place to avoid burnout in the future. It is okay to say no, especially when it comes to your health.

Focus on Your Capabilities: Don’t let the symptoms of burnout make you feel like you aren’t capable of achieving things. Focusing on your capabilities highlights your strengths. If you are recovering from burnout, try to only take on tasks that you know you can achieve and feel confident in to boost your confidence and motivation.

Understand Your Weaknesses: Your weaknesses are an important factor in burnout recovery. Instead of beating yourself up over them, take time to remember that weaknesses are not failures and are instead a chance to continue growing. Don’t commit yourself to tasks that make you feel frustrated or underprepared – both feelings can further burnout.

5 Ways to Avoid Burnout

Meditate: Burnout is felt heavily in the mind, and meditation might be just what you need to help quiet it. By learning how to meditate, you can learn how to manage your thoughts and feelings before they become negative. Pair meditation with breathing exercises or time in an infrared sauna for a full mental reset to really avoid burnout in the future.

Exercise: Getting active in any way is a proven way to help reduce stress and avoid burnout. If you find yourself getting in a rut or feeling overwhelmed, simply get your body moving and your blood pumping. Not only does this help your overall health, it also is a great mood booster and distraction from whatever might be on your mind.

Make Time for Yourself: As mentioned earlier, burnout often happens when you spread yourself too thin. Dedicating your time to work, relationships, and other external factors can become draining. Block out time for yourself every day, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. We highly recommend a home spa day to create an escape and truly pamper yourself.

Allow Yourself to Unplug: Constantly being plugged in can take a real toll on your mental health. Whether it’s work emails always on your phone or the need to check social media, looking at a screen doesn’t allow you to take a break from continually being engaged with a screen. Give yourself time often to unplug and give your eyes and mind a break.

Establish a Support System: Having people on your side can definitely make a lasting impact on avoiding burnout. Your support system will help lift you up when needed and staying social can be a distraction from the other things in life that might be overwhelming. As overplayed as it may be, we’re all in this together. Strong relationships truly help.

Burnout is a very real experience many are having today. Try to take the steps to avoid burnout and make it a large priority of yours to put a focus on your mental and emotional health. Make time for yourself, praise yourself for your wins, and form a support system that can help you through the tougher times.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, it is totally understandable – it can happen to the best of us. However, if it ever extends past the one-off stressful days and develops into a desire to withdraw from life, reach out to a professional to determine how to get you on the road to burnout recovery.

Healthy Holiday Tips for General Health

Prevent Sickness

Health is always a priority, and this year is highlighting its importance even further. During the holidays, it can be easy to catch a cold when the temperature drops and you are running around with holiday activities. Take extra precautions this year by taking vitamins and supplements, washing your hands, wearing a mask, and disinfecting items with a UV wand.

Detoxify Your Body

Detoxification before, during, and after the holidays can be a huge help to your overall health. All it takes is working up a bit of a sweat to start the detoxification process. Regular use of an infrared sauna helps promote detoxification of chemicals (and maybe some holiday treats) from the body to help you feel rejuvenated and relaxed during the holidays.

Be Active Daily

Getting your body moving every day, even if it’s just for 15 minutes, will help with staying healthy during the holidays. The winter months make it easy to want to curl up on the couch and do nothing, but that can quickly lead to unhealthy habits and can even contribute to seasonal affective disorder. Movement helps boost endorphins and your health!

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is often an overlooked part of your health, especially during the holidays. With holiday events, gift shopping, family obligations, and general life taking place, it is easy to miss some sleep. Sleep allows your body to rest and restore. If you are having trouble sleeping, try some sleep remedies such as sauna use, aromatherapy, or meditation to help.

Healthy Holiday Tips for Diet

Eat Healthy Ingredients as Often as Possible

Having a strict diet may be difficult to follow during the holidays, so try a different approach this year. Instead focus on eating healthy ingredients whenever possible. Delicious fall and winter produce makes it much easier to make delicious and nutritious meals that still have the holiday feel – and eating mostly healthy makes the indulgence feel less guilty!

Allow Yourself “Cheat” Days

Along the lines of eating healthy, diets are all about moderation, and it is important to allow yourself to indulge at times. The holidays bring treats and large meals with friends and family. Don’t let dieting get in the way of creating memories with loved ones. Simply be aware of your choices so you don’t overdo the indulgence and wind up feeling worse.

Offer to Host or Contribute to Meals

One of the easiest ways to have control over your diet during the holidays is by doing the cooking. This way, you know exactly what is going into your food and onto your plate. If cooking or hosting aren’t your style, still offer to bring something on the healthier side or ask the host to prepare some lighter dishes if it isn’t a hassle.

Drink Responsibly

Drinking is one of the worst things for your health during the holiday season. On top of the calories, alcohol can lead to a number of negative outcomes such as hangovers, sadness, and damaged organs. Just like with food, you don’t necessarily need to cut out drinking, but do drink responsibly. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water!

Healthy Holiday Tips for Mental Health

Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin

It is easy to get swept up in all the holiday activities and events that take place during this period, but you aren’t doing yourself or anyone else any favors by saying yes to too many things. Give yourself a break and only say yes to things that you truly have time for and will enjoy being a part of. Your loved ones will understand if you need to pace yourself.

Set Boundaries

The holidays are great, as you get to see friends and family that you probably don’t see regularly! However, that also means that there are a lot of new people to factor in. Set boundaries to make these new social interactions less stressful, whether that means being upfront about topics to avoid or being firm about what time you’re leaving an event.

Make Time for Yourself

Hopefully with this list of healthy holiday tips you are seeing the importance of putting time into your own health during the holidays. So often we get caught up in catering to others during this period, but be sure to make time for yourself as well. Set aside 30 minutes every day to do something for just you – have a spa day, read a book, or work on a hobby.

Balance Your Social Needs

Your mental health relies on many things, and social interaction is one of them. Balancing your social interactions during the holidays is important for balancing your emotions. Too much interaction can cause you to burn out, whereas too little interaction can contribute to seasonal affective disorder. Gauge what’s right for you and stick to it this holiday season.

This year, really put a focus on your health during the holiday season. Being successful in being healthy and having a good time requires moderation and setting boundaries for both yourself and for others. Use these healthy holiday tips to stay on track, but also don’t hold yourself back from making memories just to save a few calories!

It is no secret that staying home for days, weeks, and even months can get pretty monotonous. But you can shift your mindset from being “stuck” inside by keeping yourself occupied. Since we can’t change the current situation, it’s better to focus on how we can work to make the best of it. Being at home actually allows you to focus your time and attention on things you may not have pursued otherwise, such as taking some time for yourself with a spa day or finally starting on a home project that has been on your to-do list. Read on to find some at-home activities for adults that will keep you stimulated, productive, healthy, and happy.

Healthy At-Home Activities for Adults

Fun Things to Do at Home

As many have shifted into a work-from-home situation where home and business are always connected, it is now harder than ever to differentiate between when work ends and play begins. It is very important for your overall happiness to make some dedicated time to rest and enjoy life. Try out these at-home activities to keep your days lighthearted and fun:

Pick up a new creative project: Even if you aren’t the “crafty” type, crafting can be a great way to get your brain working in new ways. Painting, photography, graphic design, writing, playing music, and building are all great outlets for some of that pent-up creativity. At the end of it, you’ll maybe even find a new favorite hobby.

Plan video calls with loved ones: Staying in contact with loved ones is a great way to stay social when you are at home. Every week, schedule a call with someone new to check in and see how they are doing. Planning a large group call with friends or family can also give you a fun event to look forward to every week.

Schedule a movie night: Binge watching shows is surely one of everyone’s most popular at-home activities during these times, but what about having a dedicated movie night? Make this night special with movie snacks, a cozy setting, and a movie you’ve been wanting to see. You can even host a watch party with distant friends!

Break out the board games: Board games are definitely having a revival right now. As more time is spent at home, more time is available for putting in the time to learn and play new board games. Play with members of your household, or put on a game night with your bubble to really test your skills (and your relationships).

Have a picnic: Whether it’s in your backyard or on your living room floor, doing a themed meal like a picnic can make dining a little more exciting. Make and pack up all your favorite picnic foods in a basket, lay a blanket on the ground, and have a picnic right at home. If you have a bubble to enjoy it with, make it potluck-style!

Treat yourself to a spa day: This time is a bit stressful for everyone, and the tension builds up in the body. Get rid of this discomfort by treating yourself to an at-home spa day! Destress in an infrared sauna, soak in a bubble bath, put on a face mask, and dedicate a good hour to yourself to unwind and take a break.

Healthy Things to Do at Home

Getting stuck in a rut happens quickly when you aren’t being healthy at home. Home life can certainly be a bit slower-paced than actively going out and doing things, but don’t let that be an excuse to push your health to the side. Instead, try these healthy at-home activities to keep your body and mind in shape while spending time in the house:

Invest in your health: Being healthy doesn’t have to require money, but it can definitely be worth it to invest in bigger-ticket items that can take your health to the next level. From infrared saunas to exercise machines, find equipment that inspires you to continue to stay healthy at home.

Try a new recipe: More time at home means less time eating out, so it’s the perfect time to get more acquainted with your kitchen! Look up recipes to add into your mealtime and learn a new trick or two. Use this as an opportunity to learn more about the ingredients you are using and to try new things.

Experiment with new workouts: Keep your days interesting by switching up your fitness routine. Not only will this keep you from getting bored with working out, it also ensures that you are targeting different areas of your body for more well-rounded fitness.

Make a meal plan: Planning out your meals ahead of time can help you save time and eat a healthier diet. By preparing your meals ahead of time, you only need to dedicate one day to cooking. Planning meals for your week also makes you more aware of the ingredients you are using and the portions you are eating.

Explore outlets for mental health: A large part of your health is your mental health, especially during this time. Find ways to express yourself and address your emotional wellbeing by finding outlets such as meditation, speaking with friends, or trying therapy.

Take some time outside: While this isn’t technically a healthy “at-home” activity since you’ll be outside, it is still an important thing to consider when spending more time at home. Getting some fresh air, movement, and sun can help break up all the time spent inside and help you feel more invigorated and healthy.

Productive Things to Do at Home

While not as fun as some of the other at-home activities, being productive and getting work done is one of the best things to do when spending more time at home. These ideas require some extra work, but the end results will leave you feeling accomplished, efficient, and at peace knowing your life is on the right track.

Organize an area of your home: With all this time at home, you’re sure to have become more aware of where things are and how they’re organized. Set aside some time to focus on an area of your home to organize and rearrange. If organizing isn’t your favorite activity, try to only do one area in a day to avoid burnout.

Gather items for donation: Not only is this activity a great way to organize your items and clean out things you no longer need, it is also a great way to give back to those who may be in need. Spend some time going through your kitchen, closet, or storage and make a donation pile to bring to a local donation center.

Do a deep clean of one room: Similar to organizing a room, this at-home activity will help boost the enjoyment of being in your space for extended periods of time. Choose one room at a time to do a deep clean – dust, sweep, vacuum, scrub whatever you need to do to keep your home feeling refreshed and enjoyable.

Plan your budget: Taking a look at your budget isn’t the most fun at-home activities for adults, but it is a necessary one. We have seen the importance of being aware of your finances and planning for the future. Go through your recent transactions, forecast your future spending, and make sure your budget is on the right track.

Start a home project: Starting a home project may be daunting and seemingly time-consuming, but when you’re spending more time at home, it’s much easier to fit it into your daily life. Cross something off of your home improvement list and get started on a project that you can chip away at.

Learn a new language: Unfortunately, travel isn’t as easy to do right now, but you can still get a taste of other cultures by learning a new language! There are many languages and programs to choose from to help get you started, and hopefully you can use your new skills soon out in the world.

Being in your house doesn’t mean you’re stuck, it simply means you now have more opportunities to try these at-home activities for adults. Stay happy, healthy, productive!