Happy & Healthy U: The Monthly Message

Happier Holidays: Turn Down the Stress and Turn Up the Joy Is your holiday stress related to: Problems With Self-Care?  Overeating  Insufficient Sleep Excessive Alcohol  Doing Too Much Financial Management Problems Overspending  Managing gift expectations Entertaining and Social Demands Hosting guests Increased social events and activities Family Drama and Strain Grief and Loneliness Loss of loved ones Other major losses (job; relationship; decline in health) Feeling isolated The holidays are here with Thanksgiving kicking off the season through New Year's Day. You do not have to be overcome by the stress that often comes with them. Coping with holiday stress starts with your acknowledgement of its source(s); assessing the impact on you; and addressing stress related problems with effective strategies.   By reducing and managing stress you can enjoy the holidays. Stay tuned for upcoming articles that will provide holiday stress management and reduction tips in each of these four ca

  Elements and the Practice of  Healthy Self-Love As February comes to a close, let's reflect on the major theme, represented by Valentine's Day, that of love . Healthy love is a powerful force.  It provides us with motivation, joy, purpose, and energy.  It is important to remember that healthy love starts with our ability to love ourselves.     Healthy Self-Love Self-Acceptance and Being Authentic Like who you are Focus on and reinforce your strengths and positive qualities Embrace your individuality Self-Compassion Treat yourself well Forgive yourself for past mistakes Accept positive treatment from others Self-Esteem Recognize your value and honor it Honor the priority of your needs Assert your needs and wants Self-Awareness Be in touch with and in control of your emotions Set reasonable and Healthy Boundaries  Practice mindfulness  Positivity Recognize and celebrate your accomplishments Adopt an optimistic mindset Seek to enjoy life Practice gratitude For more about Dr. Dia

  "Taking Care of Me in 2023" An Overview of the S.P.I.E.S. Self-Care Model Self-Care is the healthy exercise of your responsibility and your right to aim for wellbeing.  It starts with our attitude.  That which we can Conceive, Believe and Achieve contributes toward our feeling and being well.  This is a conscious and intentional practice. My mindfulness approach: Acknowledge; Assess and Address enables you to work through and manage your emotions.  This intentional process enables you to feel in control and resolve distress.  Practicing deliberate self-care in a comprehensive manner promotes total wellness.  My model, S.P.I.E.S. provides a framework that can be applied to guide you through self-care assessment and practices across five dimensions:  Spiritual: Your sense of purpose, mission, values, and meaning that guide you and promote fulfillment Physical: Your health, physical characteristics, physical abilities and talents; Intellectual: Your mental and cognitive abilit