August 2020

The final aspect of overall wellness we will look into this month is your mindset. So far, we have covered nutrition, sleep, and activity, all essential parts of overall wellness. Some will focus on these three, but we should not overlook mental wellness. How you feel mentally can affect your body and overall health in significant ways. HelpGuide describes some of the science behind the benefits of mindfulness. A healthy mind creates various mental and physical health benefits, leading to better overall well-being. 

There are several different activities to do to improve your mindset. On the website Mindful, you will find five ways to improve your mindset that incorporates the other three aspects we have covered in previous weeks. After doing these exercises, you will notice the difference in how you think daily. Improving your mindset will make the other three aspects more natural to incorporate into your everyday life. Try this out with your little this week and see the difference in how your week goes!

This week our focus on a healthy lifestyle is activity. The benefits of an active lifestyle are extensive. Not only can it give you bigger muscles, but it can also improve your mood, give you an energy burst, and help maintain a strong immune system. Strengthening the muscles in your body is crucial to a longer and healthier life. So, whether you’re looking to get started with exercise or you are already a fitness fanatic, check out all the ways to stay fit—no matter what life throws at you.

The heart is the most important muscle in our body, and making sure it is healthy and in shape is key to overall wellness. The more activity you can do each week, the better, even if that means just a short walk outside. The most important part of staying active is finding something you enjoy doing. It can be as simple as taking a stroll in your neighborhood or throwing a football, or it can be a workout or a run. Each person is different, and finding something you love doing is crucial.

There are so many different activities that one can do for this week’s challenge. Try going for a walk outside! Aaptiv has bodyweight workouts you can do for an added challenge and does not require equipment. Try doing these a few times this week and a few times next week to see how much stronger you get. Bigs take a picture doing a workout with you Little and share it in the Big Networking group. Let us know which exercises or activities you tried. 

This week our insight into overall wellness is sleep! Sleep is essential to overall wellness because it the key to mental and physical performance throughout the day. 1 in every 3 Americans does not get enough sleep each night. This creates several negative impacts on our bodies as well as our minds. However, when we do get enough sleep, we can prevent getting sick, think better, and be healthier and happier. Healthline explains the multitude of negative impacts a lack of sleep has on our body and mind. 

Consistent bedtime and wakeup times are so important to help you sleep better. This gives you a regular sleeping time for your body to get used to. Avoiding computers, cell phones, and TV 30 minutes before bedtime also creates better sleep. See if you and your Little can try to set a bedtime and “unplug” from electronics 30 minutes before going to sleep. 

Did you know that making your bed in the morning can help you go to sleep at night? This week’s #WellnessWednesday challenge is for Bigs & Littles to make your bed every morning before leaving your room and see how this small change impacts your sleep each night.

To get your Little ready for the new 2020-2021 school year we are sharing #WellnessWednesday tips and activities to improve overall wellness for both Bigs and Littles. Each Wednesday throughout August, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay will cover one of the four most essential aspects of overall wellness: nutrition, sleep, activity, and mindset. Every week will include a small challenge or activity for Bigs and Littles to do together.

The first aspect of overall wellness is nutrition. Having a balanced diet is key to healthy living. The healthiest foods are those closest to their natural state, like fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, and brown rice. Finding unprocessed food is something that many think is a difficult, almost impossible task. However, there are replacements for almost every ultra-processed food that we buy at the store. Healthline explains the difference between processed and ultra-processed foods as well as replacements for some of the most popular choices.

There are numerous easy recipes on the internet to create food that is not only nutritious but enjoyable. The first #WellnessWednesday challenge is to make a pizza! Your goal is to create the healthiest, most creative pizza for you and your Little to try. Need some inspiration? Check out these recipes from Boboli, a pizza crust company, with several healthy recipes for pizza. This week’s challenge is to create a pizza with your Little via video chat (make sure both of you have the ingredients). Share a photo of your pizza to the “Big” Networking Facebook group with the hashtag #WellnessWednesday! We can’t wait to see all of your healthy pizza creations.

Check out week two of #WellnessWednesday on Healthy Sleep.