Chronic Wounds and Mental Health – An Overlooked Connection? 19 February 2021 Bliss Team No comments Categories: Guest Post When we think about our health, what often comes to mind are physical health issues like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. These conditions do deserve significant attention, and certainly do pose a risk to our health. However, along with many of these conditions, there is another complication that does not garner as much attention, although it does significantly affect our health: our mental health. Chronic wounds are those wounds that do not heal in the expected time frame and do not follow the normal healing process. The result is an ongoing battle to overcome the wound and return to an active lifestyle. Coping with a chronic wound can feel like an uphill battle with no end in sight. This is also why chronic wounds can affect our mental health so dramatically – because they seem like injuries that cannot be overcome. What Is Mental Health? Mental health can simply be defined as the absence of mental illness. However, mental health deserves a much broader definition and more widespread recognition than it is given. It can be the difference between functioning at a satisfactory level and truly embracing and enjoying our lives, especially when it comes to chronic wound care The World Health Organization defines mental health as “subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one’s intellectual and emotional potential, among others.” Ultimately, our well-being includes the realization of our abilities, coping with normal stresses of life, productive work, and contribution to our community. Our mental health also affects how we think, how we perceive the world, the actions we take, and how we feel on a day-to-day basis. It can also contribute to how we handle life’s stresses, setbacks and failures, and our relationships. All in all, mental health encompasses just about everything we experience as humans, which is why it’s so important. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (46.6 million in 2017), with an estimated 11.2 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with what can be classified as a Serious Mental Illness. This means 4.5% of all U.S. adults cope with some form of mental illness. Many factors contribute to our ability to maintain our own mental health. These include any biological problems we may have, our life experiences, our family history, and any health conditions we are coping with – such as chronic wounds. How Do Chronic Wounds Affect Mental Health? According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the presence of chronic conditions can increase the risk for mental illness. For example, conditions like Parkinson’s disease and stroke cause changes in the brain, which may trigger symptoms of depression. Depression is also common in people who have chronic illnesses such as cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and epilepsy, among others. Chronic illness can also cause feelings of illness-related anxiety and stress related to coping with wounds. Moreover, when depression and anxiety are present, the symptoms, as well as those of the chronic health condition, tend to be more severe. The NIMH also says people with depression are at higher risk for other medical conditions. As an example, people with depression have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and osteoporosis. One explanation for this is that mental illness may interfere with the ability to cope with chronic health conditions. For example, with mental illness present, a person may find it more difficult to seek care, take prescribed medication, eat well, and exercise. Lastly, preliminary research suggests that symptoms of depression and anxiety can cause signs of increased inflammation, changes in the control of blood circulation and heart rate, increased stress hormones, and metabolic changes that increase the risk of diabetes – all of which impact our health and our ability to cope with chronic health conditions. How Can Mental Health Be Improved While Coping with Chronic Wounds? The process of wound healing comes in four stages and it’s imperative to maintain mental health throughout each of them. While the most common treatment strategies for mental illness include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, (SSRIs), and, in the most severe cases, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), there are many lifestyle changes that we can incorporate every day to improve our mental health. Psychology Today suggests the following nine, all of which apply especially to chronic wound care patients: Be positive. While it is easy to overlook the automatic thoughts that run through our heads, when combined, they can add up to a negative outlook. When we see life through a negative lens, we tend to focus more on the things that confirm that belief. On the other hand, when we incorporate positive thoughts, these often lead to positive interpretations. For example, rather than saying, “I can’t do anything right,” try saying, “It didn’t work out this time, but I will try again.” Be grateful and write it down. It’s now clear that feelings of gratitude do significantly affect our mental health. When we can find things in our lives to be grateful for, not only do we feel differently, we also act differently – in ways that often lead to additional mental health benefits. One quick way to start is to keep a gratitude journal, or better yet, try practicing three acts of gratitude every day. Focus on what we can control, and be in the moment. Both ruminating about the past and forecasting the future can cause feelings of regret, depression, and anxiety. We can’t do anything about the past or the future. However, what we can do is stop and choose to focus on what we can control – our actions in the present moment. One easy way to do this is to simply pay attention to your routine activities and the thoughts that accompany them. Get active. Exercise is one of the most palpable ways to gain a sense of control. When you exercise, despite what else is happening in your life, you remind yourself that you can do something positive for your mind and body. Further, exercise increases stress relieving and mood lifting hormones, which have both an immediate and ongoing effect. Exercise can be incorporated in 30-minute blocks, or you can simply look for small ways to increase your activity level, like taking the stairs, going for a walk, or playing with your dog. Eat right. What we eat provides our brain with the ingredients to function well and improve our mood. Carbohydrates increase serotonin, which makes you happy, while protein-rich foods increase norepinephrine, dopamine, and tyrosine, which help keep you alert. Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients that feed every cell in the body, including mood-regulating brain chemicals. Lastly, foods with Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (found in fish, nuts, and flaxseed) can improve both our cognitive function and our mood. Open up. When we bottle emotions up, we don’t give ourselves an opportunity to cope and find creative solutions. We also dampen our ability to recognize our own habits, which may be contributing to how we feel. On the other hand, when we open up to someone else, we can pinpoint the positive aspects in other people (such as feeling valued or experiencing a sense of trust) and overcome our own biases. Do something for someone else. Like acts of gratitude, being helpful to others has a beneficial effect on how we feel about ourselves. Moreover, being helpful helps us feel valued, which contributes to positive self-esteem and helps us find a sense of meaning in our lives. Chill out. Sometimes in moments of high stress what we really need to do is step away. Often by simply slowing down, we can gain a greater perspective on what is going on, and in the process, find a positive solution. You can start with focusing on something that brings you positive feelings, such as a person that you love, an experience you enjoy, or something you are grateful for. You can also talk a walk, spend a moment in nature, or close your eyes and visualize yourself feeling calm and at peace. Get a good night’s rest. Sleep deprivation has a significantly negative effect on our mood, and sadly many of us don’t get enough sleep. Sleep can be improved with a few daily habits such as going to bed at a regular time each night, avoiding caffeinated beverages for a few hours before sleep, shutting off screens before bed, or incorporating relaxing activities before bed. There are many powerful components of mental health, like enjoying our lives, feeling as if we are striving toward something important, utilizing our skills, and seeking to reach our full potential, to name a few. And while chronic health conditions are often an overlooked deterrent to mental health, incorporating daily habits -i.e. replacing automatic negative thoughts with positive ones, performing acts of gratitude, staying in the moment, exercising, eating well, opening up, being helpful, taking time out, getting enough sleep, etc. – we can combat mental illness even amidst difficult chronic health conditions. Written By: Claire Nana Claire Nana, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in post-traumatic growth, optimal performance, and wellness. She’s written over thirty continuing education courses on a variety of topics from Nutrition and Fitness, Mental Health, Wound Care, Post-Traumatic Growth, Motivation, Stigma.
To my Quaran-tine: How can we navigate our relationship during a pandemic? 14 February 2021 Bliss Team No comments Categories: Book Recommendations, Communication, Self Care, Sex Therapy, Sexual Wellness Due to the restrictions on dating activities that would normally happen during Valentine’s Day, couples may feel like it’s going to be just another day. Which can be disappointing to those who enjoy taking a break from the repetitiveness of everyday life relationships. This is a universal conflict for all couples, new or old, healthy or strained. COVID-19 did not just impact how people meet, but also the exploration of romance and even how much time people spend together. For partners who are living together and are spending more time with each other at home throughout COVID-19, emotional connection has improved; physical connection on the other hand has not. The amount of time spent with partner(s) does not necessarily equate to “quality time”. For instance, more time together could mean more conversations about things each person isn’t happy with within their relationship or changes they might like to see. Some partners may realize they aren’t as compatible with each other and may be starting to realize that they want different things. Some relationships may be trying to work through betrayal, such as infidelity, and are finding it difficult to not be able to take space from their partner(s), as they try to figure out what they want. If we layer in those relationships who have children, it’s even more difficult to have privacy and to take time to grieve aspects of the relationship when the kids are around and people are isolated from their support systems, like family, friends, co-workers. For those who are dating, there is also a lot more communication and negotiations of boundaries during COVID-19. For instance, folks may be asking themselves: Is it safe to be discussing COVID-19 related precautions with this new person? How do we discuss and navigate consent? Should I be isolating after sharing a physical connection, and if so, for how long? Are relationships that came to fruition during the pandemic going to last past the pandemic? A list of common challenges people have felt in their relationship during COVID-19 includes: Experiencing Low sexual desire and desire discrepancy Sharing less physical intimacy or avoiding sex Overcoming infidelity Finding ways to effectively communicate feelings and listen to alternative perspectives Managing erectile dysfunction & rapid ejaculation Exploring sexuality Reconnecting sexually Wanting to open up the relationship Sometimes when there is a crisis, it can either connect and bring partners closer or it can have the opposite effect. It’s important to remember that relationship bumps are inevitable, pandemic or not, No matter the situation, great new things will come from this, even though it’s hard right now. At Bliss, we want to help our clients through these challenging times. Navigating relationships during COVID-19 can be hard, but not impossible. Here are some tips from our very own therapists who specialize in sexual health and wellbeing in relationships: Have separate time You’re not going to desire someone when you spend all of your time with them. Do what you can to separate yourself. That could mean, self-care, taking up jogging, biking, connecting with friends, and having outdoor hangouts in safe ways. Do not feel guilty for taking time for yourself. Increasing pleasure and fun Figure out target specific activities you can do at home, or outside, these can be brainstormed with your therapist. Some activities you can discuss with your partner(s), or date are: Exercising Board Games Movie Marathons Puzzles Planning Future Fun Events Cooking Together DIY Spa Dates Bubble Baths Colouring Dressing Up For A Date Night In Reading To Each Other Paint Night Online Classes Yoga Stargazing Create a Photobook Of Memories Long Drives Bake Off Share Your Favourite Stand-Up Specials Streamline a concert together Make (chocolate) fondue together Make breakfast in bed Recreate your first date, from home! Make your own valentine Ask conversation starters, or quiz yourselves on your love maps! Write each other a poem or haiku Write each other love or gratitude letters Cook a romantic dinner, with candle light and all (some of these ideas are great for an COVID friendly Valentine’s) Open Communication Anxiety about COVID-19 leads to stress and irritability in the relationship. Effective open/transparent communication around what you are going to do is key. Whether it is with your partner(s) or someone you’re dating. If you have the same perspective, it’s okay. If you have two different perspectives, or pre-existing anxiety and OCD, it will affect the relationship. So, discussing boundaries and negotiating “dating terms” should be at the forefront of conversation. Managing Stress If you find yourself being hypervigilant in managing emotions, minimizing conflict, protecting kids from the tension or outburst, you may be giving yourself additional unnecessary stress. In managing stress levels, remember that you cannot control anyone else’s emotions except your own. You must let your partner(s) regulate themselves. For those in couples or individual therapy, this is something you can talk to your therapist about. Finding ways to regulate your own emotions will help in figuring out how to move forward with your partner(s) with no resentment. It’s really important to normalize your experience and your partners’ relationship concerns. Our therapists here at Bliss validate client’s emotions and experiences while supporting them in reframing thoughts, changing habits, breaking patterns, and getting out of cycles they may be stuck in. Navigating relationships during a pandemic can be hard. Give yourself more credit, and Happy Valentines Day! Resources: Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski, for desire/arousal in women. Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire by Lori Brotto Not Always In The Mood by Sarah Hunter Murray, for low desire in men and myths around male sexuality Esther Perel – Infidelity Written By: Raman Dhillon Raman Dhillon is the office strategist & digital content manager and helps assist our clinic/operations manager Jess. Raman has a background in Psychology & Literature from the University of Waterloo, and more recently a Post Graduate Degree in Mental Health and Addictions from Humber College. Raman has experience with client-centered intervention as well as holistic assessment. She’s very interested and well versed in different therapeutic approaches such as mindfulness, naturopathy, and art therapy. Raman loves merging her two passions, mental health, and art to convey messages, psychoeducation, and awareness to the masses.
The Health Benefits of Living a Mindful Life 21 January 2019 Bliss Team No comments Categories: Guest Post, Inspiration, Self Care, Therapy In the modern-day bustle of living, mindfulness doesn’t always come easy. We’re tired, distracted, and always rushing to get something done, and it’s rare for us to stop and take a pause, to really analyze everything that’s going on around us. But if we want to improve our quality of life, then mindfulness is necessary and we have to stop making excuses—it’s time to slow down and assess our situation, it’s time to start taking better care of our mental and physical health. Becoming mindful is a process that brings many benefits, and if you’re interested in how it can transform you, we’re here to show you. You’ll become true to yourself Humans are social creatures. While this is a good thing that makes it easier to live in a community, sometimes it can also mean the loss of individuality and a damaged sense of self—we try so hard to please everyone and it’s easy to get caught up in our thoughts, feelings, and insecurities to the point that they start ruining our lives. Rather than wondering what will make us happy in this moment, we think about what will look good, what will be socially accepted. Rather than nurturing our own unique selves, we attempt to stifle that energy and mold it into something more agreeable. This is exactly what mindfulness can help with—instead of chipping away at your individuality, it can help you lift it up and remind you why it’s so important to stay true to yourself. Happiness doesn’t lie in pandering to everyone else, no matter how much you love them. It lies in the knowledge that you are the master of your own fate, and it’s on you to make the best of what life has to offer. You’ll learn how to take care of your needs When you start nurturing your spirit, you’ll remember that you must take care of your needs before doing anything else. Mindfulness will help you realize that taking time off and doing things that are good for your health isn’t a mere indulgence. No, it’s absolutely essential. If you want a good example of how important it is to develop self-care strategies, look at Asian cultures. In China, there’s a great emphasis on things like massage therapy, acupuncture, and hydrotherapy as a way to improve wellness. A lot of people have developed a habit of going to a good spa salon when life gets overwhelming, and it’s becoming as common as going to a doctor when you get sick. It’s not just a treat, it’s a health strategy. If you want to care for yourself, consider doing something similar. Figure out what ails you, what needs to be fixed, what kind of things relax you and make you happy. If reading books puts you in a good mood, the find the time to read. Exercise, eat well, and do what needs to be done to keep your mental and physical health in good shape. You’ll reduce anxiety in your life Since all of these things are connected, living in the moment and focusing on what’s right in front of you will undoubtedly make you a lot less anxious. You won’t keep worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet, you won’t keep remembering embarrassing mistakes from the past. You’ll look at what’s happening right now and you’ll know how to enjoy it. Your relationships will improve Once you’re connected to the energy around you and all your needs are met, it’s a lot easier to practice empathy and understand those that are close to you. Patience and gentleness that come from being mindful open up a path towards better communication, and very often talking it out with your loved ones is all you need to improve your relationship. Knowing yourself will also help you know other people better—you’ll understand their fears, insecurities, and generally what makes them tick. You’ll know how to deal with an unpleasant situation and create stronger bonds. Years of pent up anger and bitterness could finally dissipate because you’ll learn how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and you’ll learn to let toxic people go and stick only to those who release positive energy into your life. You’ll feel more attractive Mindfulness means being in control of your emotions and knowing your own truth. Instead of being plagued by doubt and insecurities, you’ll be able to let those go and embrace and celebrate all of your positive sides. The confidence gained from that is a huge boost to how good you feel in your own skin. You’ll simply become aware of your own worth, and that is something unshakable. Leading a mindful life is within your reach. Through meditation, self-care, and other activities that help you live in the moment. Once you learn to let go of the past and stop fretting about the future you’ll be able to finally see what’s going on around you—a whole world of beauty and success that’s just waiting for you to embrace it. Written by: Sophia Smith Sophia Smith is a beauty blogger, eco-lifestyle lover, graphic designer and food enthusiast. She is focusing on minimalism and good quality. Her other hobbies center around her love for nature, well-being and living in balance. Sophia writes mostly about beauty-related topics in her blogs and articles. She has contributed to a number of publications including: Life Goals Mag, Savant Magazine, Secret Garden, Bonvita Style, Cause Artist and Book Meditation Retreats. You can find out more about her writing by following her on: Facebook Twitter Google +
How to Manage Stress at Bedtime 19 November 2018 Bliss Team No comments Categories: Guest Post, Inspiration, Self Care, Therapy Everyone deals with stress. It’s a part of daily life. And eight in 10 Americans say they feel stress sometimes or frequently during the day. Stress is a natural reaction to challenges. When we’re stressed, we get a boost of energy with an elevated heart rate and higher blood pressure. It’s nature’s way of offering support as we deal with threats or challenges. However, experiencing stress all day every day is not good for your health, and can result in increased cardiovascular risk, smoking, overeating, and headaches. Common sources of stress include politics, money, work, violence, and crime. But for some people, stress is debilitating, and can interfere with sleep quality. We may stay up at night thinking anxious thoughts, or find it difficult to get good quality rest while feeling particularly stressed. In fact, it’s common for adults who experience high stress to say they don’t sleep enough because their minds race at night. And 35 percent of teens, 31 percent of Millennials, and 27 percent of Gen Xers say stress keeps them up at night. And although stress can so easily interfere with sleep, getting a good night’s sleep can relieve stress. When we’re well rested, we’re more mentally and physically prepared to face the challenges of the day at full capacity. If we’re short on sleep, we may struggle to concentrate, manage emotions, or deal well with fatigue. What to Do to Relieve Stress and Sleep Well Combining stress relief and healthy sleep habits can offer a better night’s sleep and may improve your stress levels throughout the day. Take these steps for relief: Manage stress with relaxation practices. Proven stress relievers may make it easier to calm down and relax before bed and get a good night’s sleep. Practice yoga or meditation as part of a bedtime routine to wind down and release tension before it’s time to rest. Keep a journal next to bed. If stressful thoughts at night are a problem, a journal may help. Address fears. It’s ok to feel scared at night sometimes. Dark shadows, strange noises, and general uneasiness plague adults as well as children. Consider comfort items, such as a nightlight, which may make it easier to feel more secure at night. Commit to healthy sleep. Good sleep can support stress relief, so practice healthy sleep habits. Keep a regular sleep schedule and maintain a regular bedtime routine. Steer clear of pitfalls including late night screen time and caffeine. Get support for stress. No one has to go it alone when dealing with stress. Talk to friends, family, and counselors who can help when working through stressful situations that call for help. Eliminate stress as much as possible. Overdoing it can easily lead to stress, so it may be a good idea to cut back. If possible, eliminate stressful activities and prioritize commitments. Stress and sleep often go hand in hand, so improving one can often improve the other. Focus on managing stress and practicing healthy sleep habits to support good mental health. Sara Westgreen is a researcher for the sleep science hub Tuck.com. She sleeps on a king size bed in Texas, where she defends her territory against cats all night. A mother of three, she enjoys beer, board games, and getting as much sleep as she can get her hands on.
Good News: There’s No Such Thing As “Bad” Feelings 30 July 2018 Bliss Team No comments Categories: Communication, Individual Therapy, Self Care, Therapy Have you ever screwed up in your relationship, or have done something that you immediately felt terrible about? Perhaps your stomach started doing backflips and you were filled with a sense of dread, anxiety, and maybe even anger or shame. However you choose to describe the feeling, it probably didn’t feel awesome. Many folks might immediately label these feelings as, “bad.” We hear this a lot in our therapy work with clients, and our response is almost always the same: Feelings aren’t good or bad—they just are. These feelings? They’re distinctly uncomfortable. Not bad, wrong, or inappropriate, but simply not comfortable and an important aspect of being human. Feelings give us information that’s impossible to perceive in any other way than with judgment. However, we can only use this valuable information when we stop pushing them away, ignoring them, or becoming numb to them. To help the difficult feelings feel better, people sometimes turn to the blame game, pointing a finger at someone else for what happened. People often place blame on others to ease the pain in the moment, but it hardly works in the long run. In addition to blame, we often want to stop the uncomfortable feeling right away and move on to a better-feeling one, searching for a quick fix to our feelings. Just feel it Whether it’s distracting, minimizing, or turning our backs and sprinting away from uneasy feelings, this could be causing more suffering. Instead, just feel your feelings. It may feel a little overwhelming at first, to feel them all at once, because it might feel too heavy. However, you can give yourself the permission to feel them, do what you need to do, wallow for a while and then move on. It can be all too easy to pretend something didn’t happen, or even ignore our feelings entirely. However, this doesn’t serve us well in the future because our feelings need to move through us. We can sit in the discomfort of an unpleasant feeling and feel our way through it, staring our feelings directly in the eye in the name of being able to move on. Feelings can also give us clues about our current physical and emotional well-being. They offer us insight into what feelings bring us closer to, or further away from joy, helping us spot problems before they happen. Feelings can also help provide us with motivation—to make a change, try something new, or make a decision. They can be a helpful “heads up” for figuring out our lives. Keep in mind, they don’t always give us answers. We need our cognitive skills for understanding what feelings mean, and to do this, we need to first register what the feeling is so that we can feel it fully. Once we do this, then we can get to the business of figuring out what this clue means. The good or bad measuring stick Many people grow up judging our emotions as either “good” or “bad.” Maybe it looks a lot like this: “Good” feelings: Happy Glad Funny Calm “Bad” feelings: Sad Angry Lonely Displeased Think about some of the labels you’ve applied to feelings in the past. Perhaps you could add some to this list. Instead, celebrate your feelings Here’s a fresh take on how to look at your feelings, no matter what they are: your feelings are proof that you have feelings and that you’re a feeling person! That’s fantastic! It means you’re present, you’re here and living out a rich human experience. Life as a human means that we get to experience a full spectrum of emotion, not just good and bad emotions. Sure, some of these sentiments will feel more uncomfortable than others, but once you recognize this simple truth, it can be easier to move on. Therapy isn’t about fixing feelings When you tap into the power of your emotional system and put the information to proper use, this can give you an advantage when it comes to making decisions. Many people see their emotions as something they have to control or keep in check, rather than something they could capitalize on to strengthen their lives. Visiting a therapist isn’t about helping clients to stop feeling their feelings, learning how to manage them, or going through emotions previously described as “bad” or “wrong.” Instead, consider therapy as a practical, judgment-free space to help people feel safe enough to allow the feelings to pop up and incorporate the less comfortable feelings. As therapists, we’re not here to “fix” anyone, but rather, set up a space to just feel and explore feelings. Amp up your emotional intelligence Using your feelings as a learning opportunity is the key to making better life choices. What would happen if you decided to see your feelings as information? What might that change in your life? The next time you notice an uncomfortable or distressing feeling knocking on your door, try pivoting from thinking, “this is bad” to “this feeling is uncomfortable,” and notice what happens to your demeanor and interactions with others. Are you ready to dig into your feelings and learn the clues they might be offering you to help live your best life? We’d love to hear more! Get in touch and book an appointment here. Written by Bliss therapist Kelly McDonnell-Arnold. Learn more about Kelly and get her secret “Tips From the Couch” here. If you enjoyed this article, you might like these too: 12 Reasons It Might Be A Good Idea To See A Therapist So Your Partner Thinks You Need Couples Therapy It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It
The Power of Me Time 16 July 2018 Bliss Team No comments Categories: Guest Post, Individual Therapy, Inspiration, Self Care, Therapy In today’s fast-paced, digital world, it’s nearly impossible to be alone. We’re always connected. School, work and relationships all have a major impact on the way we live our life, and ultimately on our state of well-being and happiness. A critical part of finding peace and happiness is accepting yourself just the way you are. We as people are not perfect, yet we often times lose sight of this and demand things from ourselves we simply cannot do. And being constantly surrounded by others intensifies this sensation. There’s so much pressure to “be someone,” and it seems like we’re always being judged or compared to others. Enter “me time”. This small change to your lifestyle can have major effects on your self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth. But what exactly is it? Well, it’s pretty much what the name says. It’s time you take entirely for yourself. It can be just a few minutes, or it can be a few hours, and it doesn’t really matter what you do. The only requirements are that you be alone and that you do something you love to do. Why is this so important? Simply put, carving out some time of the day just for you is an opportunity for you to show yourself that you can be happy without others. Of course, sharing yourself is a critical component of wellness, but when we’re out in the world, we’re constantly being fed messages that indicate happiness is something to be found outside of ourselves, something we need to acquire. Yet long-lasting happiness cannot be found externally. It’s not even something that can be found. It’s already inside of us; we just need some time to realize it. And this is exactly what “me time” is for. It’s a chance for you to forget about the situations in life where you’re asked to do things you perhaps don’t enjoy or that bring you stress. These are unavoidable, so by balancing them with moments of true bliss, you are giving yourself the strength you need to make it through the day. “Me time” can also serve as a great motivator. If you know your day is going to end with you sitting in your room meditating, or that it’s going to begin with a novel and a cup of delicious coffee, you’ll begin to approach the rest of your day differently. Undesirable tasks will take on new meaning since completing them will mean you get to enjoy this wonderful time with yourself and the things you love to do. When you decide to add “me time” to your day, take it seriously. Tell those around you—your partner, children, friends, etc.—the specific time you’ve cut out of your schedule. Inform them to only disturb you in the event of an extreme emergency and consider switching off your phone and/or tablet so that you can’t be distracted by the outside world. In the beginning, it may even be helpful to put this time on your calendar so that you and those around you can understand this is not a fad or a whim but a real component of you maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Once you start doing this, you won’t be able to stop. You’ll be able to see the impacts almost right away. You’ll find new energy and motivation, and you’ll begin to feel better about yourself. If you’re looking to make bigger changes in life, this is a great way to find the drive and confidence to do so. Start taking some “me time” today and see how it can change your life for the better. About the author: Caroline is a freelance writer and entrepreneur. When she entered the working world, she quickly became a self-proclaimed workaholic. While this brought her some financial success, it nearly ruined several relationships and left her in a truly dark place. After seeking some help, she began realizing how important it was to take life a little less seriously and to reserve time for what she loved to do. This has helped her create a work-life balance that supports both her professional and personal goals. She writes frequently about her experiences to help other ambitious women (and men) prioritize their life in the right way so that success at work doesn’t come at the expense of health and well-being.