Don't get me wrong - I'm a big fan of self-care practices like bubble baths, scented candles, and chocolate. Most especially, chocolate.

Mental well-being is about more that these (wonderful) temporary things that soothe us. Don't give them up, but remember there's a lot more for you.

Research indicates that for long-term well-being, relationships are key.

Here are two videos about mental well-being from my MORNING CUPPA series on YouTube. 

I also post 3 per week on INSTAGRAM.

Learn about my health and wellness coaching programs:
Caring Circles HERE
General health and wellness HERE
For nonprofit executives and managers HERE
Living well with chronic pain and illness HERE
Managing stress and burnout HERE

Have you noticed how often a news article or opinion piece will say something like, “All Americans should be outraged (or frightened, or angry) about this.”

It seems everyone who’s writing about yet another illegal and un-Constitutional action by the trump regime needs to be added to and at the top of our list of outrages.

And I get it - a writer may have authentic passion and anger over what they’re writing about.

But.

As an HSP (highly sensitive person), I’m already more than overwhelmed with all the information, news, and horrifying actions of trump and his minions.

Being told I “should” feel more overwhelm is really bad for my mental health and well-being. And I’m sure it’s not only HSPs who feel this way.

Though I want to stay informed, my inner peace is more important.

I’ve given myself permission to delete most news emails on days when I’m feeling particularly vulnerable - which is, to be honest, most days. I’ll save one or two that actually offer help or are less insistent I freak out over what is being reported.

What are your strategies to manage the level of outrage we’re told we “should” have?

~~~~~~~~

I love Greater Good Magazine of UC Berkeley. Here's what they say about outrage:
CAN YOU STAY CALM IN A TIME OF OUTRAGE? The world doesn’t need more anger, however righteous. It needs people who can hold on to moral clarity and stay true to their values. By Margaret Cullen

Some of the takeaways from the article:

1. “Equanimity may seem irrelevant—or, worse, complicit … [E]quanimity, rightly understood, is not passivity—but resistance. A deeper kind of resistance. One that refuses to be hijacked by the very forces it seeks to oppose.”
   
2. “[Outrage] comes at a cost. Physiologically, outrage taxes our bodies. Cognitively, it narrows our perception, distorting what we see and hear and what we believe about others.”
   
3. “Outrage can easily become its own kind of addiction, a self-reinforcing loop where the more morally outraged we are, the more righteous we feel.”
   
4. “To [the author], equanimity is not apathy. It is not a flattening of emotion or a retreat from the world. Rather, it is the ability to stay rooted in our values while engaging with the world as it is.”
   

There’s more in the article, HERE.

Here is a 4-minute video with Tara Brach taking you through a guided meditation on R.A.I.N. 

R - recognize
A - accept, or allow
I - investigate
N - nurture

Morning Cuppa videos are 1 to 3-minute videos giving you a health tip, a bit of new research, or sometimes, a short meditation.

Some of the topics I've done so far.
Week-long series:
*mindfulness
* conscious listening
Single video topics
* new method for getting to sleep (NOT counting sheep)
* calming practices for anxiety
* optimism and how it benefits you
* new research about the importance of a morning routine
* tips for pain management
* the benefits of generosity
* sleep hygiene
* setting intentions
* breathing exercises for calm and reducing strong emotions

They're meant to be viewed in the morning with your cuppa tea, coffee, or whatever as a way to begin your day with a bit of calm and intention. SUBSCRIBE HERE.

Here is an example of a Morning Cuppa video:

I recently learned about a great way to reduce the stress of a constantly filling email Inbox and the feeling we "should" keep up with everything always on social media.

It's called batching. 

HERE is the article in Forbes.

The idea is to reserve checking email and soc media to certain times a day.

For example, check email at 9 am (15-20 minutes), 1 pm (15 minutes), and 5 pm (30 minutes). Of course, your times of day and how long you allot is up to you - these are simply examples.

Check soc media at the same time, or right after the email checks. Maybe not as often and not as long, because it's so easy to get drawn into rabbit holes and cute puppy videos.

Here is a video on batching from my YouTube channel: MINUTE FOR WELLNESS - Morning Cuppa. 

Morning Cuppa videos are 1 to 3-minute videos giving you a health tip, a bit of new research, or sometimes, a short meditation. Meant to be viewed in the morning with your cuppa tea, coffee, or whatever as a way to begin your day with a bit of calm and intention. SUBSCRIBE HERE.

These ideas come from the wonderful newsletter, Earth Friendly Tips by Kristen: HERE. Another good website is Life Without Plastic. 

Microplastics are everywhere, even in our bodies and those of newborn babies. It can seem like such an overwhelming and impossible problem that we get paralyzed or we choose to ignore it.

How about choosing a different way: pick one new, doable habit from the list below and get started. When that habit is established, choose another.

So, here is Kristen's list, with some comments and ideas from me:

1. Slowly switch from synthetic fabrics to natural ones: cotton, linen, wool, hemp, bamboo. Don't try to do it all at once if you can't afford to, simply make your new purchases in a sustainable fabric.

2. Use a microfilter in your clothes-washing machine, or a laundry bag that catches microplastics and fuzz. (Easy to search on Google, or Bing, or whatever search engine you use.)

3. Switch to plastic-free food storage: glass or silicone. For example, Pyrex or Stasher.

4. Phase out single-use plastic like grocery bags (get a tote or four), plastic wrap (I love using beeswax wrap), and straws (google it, you'll find plenty of choices).

5. Switch (HERE) to shampoo bars, conditioner bars, body lotion bars; toothpaste tablets (for transparency, I'll note that I have sensitive teeth and had to switch back to Sensodyne); body washes without microplastics and in non-plastic containers.

6. Look at food packaging like teabags: many teabags are called silk-like or another phrase with silk in it, but are actually made of plastic. Even paper tea bags can be sealed with plastic. Try loose-leaf tea. And try not to buy food in plastic at the grocery store (yes, this is hard, so begin small and learn as you go).

7. Dust and vacuum regularly. Your dust cloth does better at trapping microplastics if it's damp; also, your vacuum cleaner should have a HEPA filter.

8. Support microplastic-free brands. Kristen has a great list HERE. 

REMEMBER: don't try to do this all at once, you'll only get discouraged and stop. Choose one doable item, make it a habit, then try another.

Have a well day.

Many adults don't sleep well, and don't feel rested when they wake up in the morning.

Do you wish you could (1) rely on sleeping well most nights? and (2) wish you'd wake up feeling rested and ready for the day ahead?

The quick tips in this video can help you improve your sleep habits.

REMEMBER: Not all sleep dysfunction is easily solved with a few tips. For example, if you have sleep apnea, the tips I share in this video won't help. If your sleep issues can't be solved easily, please see a doctor.

Watch this short video for a few tips on good sleep hygiene.