February is the Time to Get Busy
Welcome back, readers! Last month we wrote about the art of setting New Year’s Resolutions, emphasizing the importance of being realistic and kind to ourselves in the process. It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of a fresh start and commit to too many changes at once which can be overwhelming and set us up for dissappointments. We introduced three guiding principles: challenging ourselves, practicing self-compassion, and nurturing connections with others. These principles serve as the foundation for selecting manageable goals that align with our aspirations for personal growth.
As we embrace February, the month of love, let’s turn our focus inward and show ourselves some much-deserved affection. Rather than aiming for a laundry list of resolutions, why not hone in on one or two areas for improvement that truly resonate with you? Here are three ideas to get you started:
Exercise More – According to the Center for Disease Control, CDC, adults with disabilities are three times more likely to have heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer than adults without disabilities. Aerobic activity helps reduce the impact of these chronic diseases, yet half of all adults with disabilities have no physical activity.
Walking at any pace is great daily aerobic exercise. Walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise and can be done inside or out, with or without a walking aide, and it’s free! It is a stress reducer, mood enhancer, calorie burner and good for getting your blood flowing and helps with breathing. Did you know that taking just one step requires the use of two hundred muscles? Working muscles impact our lives every day. Try it a couple of times a week and challenge yourself to go a little farther every time you walk. You’ll see your stamina increase gradually.
Another form of exercise that gets you moving is Yoga. Even for those with limited mobility practicing Yoga’s flexibility exercises will improve range of motion, prevent injury, reduce pain and stiffness, and prevent or delay muscle atrophy. Click here to view a Yoga session from Fun4theDisabled.
Improve Your Diet – Take a good look at the food you eat every day. A good tip is to make a list of everything you eat over a couple of days. Look at the list and pick one or two items that contain empty calories to remove from your diet, for example, soda, ice cream, cookies and/or sweets. If bread is your weakness instead of having two or three slices a day cut that by a little. If crunch is your thing, eat carrot and/or celery sticks instead of potato chips. You will see a difference in your weight loss in just a few weeks if you are diligent and keep at it. Also drink water instead of soda.
Expand Your Social Circle – The 17th century poet, John Donne’s line ‘no man is an island’ remains relevant today. The fact is that humans are social creatures, and it’s important and beneficial for our physical and mental health to socialize and make friends. For the past few years the pandemic prevented people from having face-to-face contact, but times have changed. There is no time like the present to reunite with old friends and/or make some new ones.
You know the things to do that interest old friends but if you want to expand your group it will take a little effort which is not hard to do thanks to social media. First think about activities that interest you – reading, sports, video games, cooking, movies, karaoke, etc. There are clubs and groups to join focused on any interest imaginable and they’re easy to find using your laptop, IPad or mobile device. For more ideas visit your local library or town office that has a community bulletin board listing local events and activities.
Another way to make new acquaintances is through volunteering. There are non-profit organizations in every community in need of people with time on their hands to help and we guarantee when you’re done you’ll leave with a smile on your face. Maybe consider a local food bank where you can help stack food and serve people or if you love animals try contacting a pet rescue group that may be in need of dog walkers.
February is the month to give someone and yourself a little love and we hope that these suggestions pique your interest to get ‘good busy.’
Happy Valentine’s Day!