A series where I curate the latest news in health and wellness from around the web into actionable insights, so you can become a powerful wellness architect, and help your team perform at their best and thrive.

A couple of changes for this weeks’ digest:

Moved the information section to the bottom

Replaced the titles of each sectionComprehension is now ‘On my mind this week’Transformation is now ‘Your call to action’Information is now ‘Wellness archive update’

I’m always looking to hear your feedback, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.Now, let’s get right into it!

On my mind this week

  1. Focus on less to accomplish more

Assumption: "I need to follow a strict diet and exercise plan to get back on track. Monday is going to be the day when I start anew."Reality: "Stretching my comfort zone by doing one small thing today will make me a bit healthier. And this small win is a success which builds confidence. This confidence will keep me going."What ends up happening when we focus on less, is that we create a ripple effect which causes positive changes in other areas of our lives.Instead of all-or-nothing thinking, and following the perfect plan to a T (which anything less we feel like a failure), focusing on winning one habit at a time makes all the other habits more enjoyable, and fall into place.We start to seek out more areas we can win at because of all this growing confidence. We realize that we don't have to wait until the perfect time to start. We can start now, and do the best we can with the what we've got.Note: "Anew" is a weird word which I don't think anyone uses, or should use.

  1. "What would this look like if it were easy?"

Whenever I ask myself this question I feel a bit of unease.Why?Because when I get really objective and focus on what variables might make a task less challenging, the excuses start to fade away.I uncover solutions.All that's left is for me to take action.I can't justify my way back out to making more excuses."What would this look like if it were easy?"Not some magical question that will get you results. It's not the antidote to inaction. But gentle, self-inquiry can often be the nudge that gets us moving in the right direction.

  1. “Is this useful?”

When I think about the number of times I've started to overanalyze what I should do to improve my health and fitness...Countless.Recently, I've started asking myself, "Is this useful?"I instantly become more clear about what to do.I remove myself as a hopeless bystander, getting swept away in my emotions. Not reacting to what I think I should be doing, but moving closer towards taking action based off reality.If I catch myself sitting for too long..."is this useful?"If I catch myself dwelling on a poor eating choice, and getting upset at myself..."is this useful?"If I catch myself thinking too much about the future, and not taking some sort of healthy action now..."is this useful?"Yes: Then it's worth pursuing. Or maybe...delusion.No: Pivot and move towards something which is aligned to my goals.Unsure: Notice and name what I'm feeling. Mentally bookmark what I become aware of, then seek the guidance of a coach or other support.

Your call to action

Where the magic happens. Your call to action, with suggested steps to leverage these new findings to better influence the health of yourself, and those around you. Please be sure to refer to your Google Drive folder for new content.

What to do today

Your intuition is powerful. Leverage this self-discovery question to guide yourself towards making “one percent healthier” choices today.

“What would this look like if this were easy?”

What to do this week

Check out the Starting Point Wellness Blueprint in your shared Google Drive folder. Use this checklist to ensure that you are leveraging each area within your team (family, work) to maximize your wellness culture. Ask yourself which people, applications, processes, and infrastructure can support your wellness initiative.

For example: In ‘People' category, which key wellness ambassadors can help you spread the message? What’s the demographic/psychographic like of your team? Will most people physically be able to participate?

In the ‘Applications’ category, which social media platforms, company software, programs, etc could you leverage to effectively communicate this initiative?

Wellness archive update

Covering a variety of wellness topics respecting the Deep Health Model.

Workplace Wellness

24 Way to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace (Article)

Sleep Health

Sleep keeps teens on track for good mental health (Article)

This May Double Your Risk of Dementia, Study Shows (Article)

Physical Well-being (Fitness/Nutrition)

Study: Better Fitness Can Reduce Severity of COVID-19 (Research Article)

Long-term stress linked to increased risk of heart attack (Article)

Exercise Can Bolster Your Brainpower at the Office (Article)

Running is a Total Body Affair (Article)

Social-Relational Well-being (Diversity and Inclusion/Culture)

10 business leaders fighting to make the Black experience a permanent part of corporate America (Article)

Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Thought Leaders On What Companies Should Do To Be Better In 2021 (Article)

Maori New Zealand MP ejected from parliament gets dated tie policy thrown out (Article)

Mental-Emotional Well-being (Mindfulness/ Creativity)

Finding Mastery: Nneka Ogwumike on creating opportunities, resiliency, and confidence (Podcast)

Try These Mindfulness Techniques For The Best Antidote To Job Stress (Article)

Mental health stigma could last well beyond pandemic (Article)

Could the Embrace of Psychedelics Lead to a Mental-Health Revolution? (Article)

Environmental Well-being

New Study Finds Link Between Tree Access & Antidepressant Use (Article)

Pandemic got you down? Try a little nature therapy (Article)

Elon Musk pledges $100 million for new X Prize carbon removal competition (Article)

Please let me know if you enjoyed this issue, and if you followed through on any of the call to actions. I’m here if you have any questions.

Feel free to share this content in your social media, with your family and friends, in your company wellness newsletter, or, just use it to take some small, healthy action today!

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