Wellness at Urban You
As women, we are apt to experience many changes in our bodies and wellness throughout our lives. From puberty to child birth, and into our mature years, our bodies evolve and bring life in numerous ways. Coupled with the stressors a woman has to prevail whether they be pressures from societal standards or familial struggles, it is no wonder that women are two times more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders than men. (Source: ADAA, p1)
There are small things that we can do day-to-day to ensure we’re taking the best care of ourselves as possible, we all know the basics: sleep well, eat well, and treat your body well, but there are dozens of other methods for improving your personal wellness.
the circadian rhythm
The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour internal clock that runs in the background of your brain which cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. Also know as your sleep/wake cycle. This varies for everyone, generally, adults feel a dip in energy around 1:00pm to 3:00pm, and another dip occurs when they’re sleeping between 2:00am - 4:00am. This can change contingent on whether or not you are an night owl, or a morning person. The dips and rises of your circadian rhythm are not as noticeable when you are caught up on sleep.
The circadian rhythm is controlled by a portion of the hypothalamus, which is also impacted by light/darkness. The hypothalamus receives triggers from the environment around it, when it is dark and you start to feel tired, it is because your hypothalamus sends that message to your brain which begins to produce melatoinin. This is why your circadian rhythm flows better with the day/night cycle, and why a regular sleep schedule is so important.
MINDFULNESS
You know those days where you’ve just had it? Everything has gone wrong, it’s continuing to go wrong, and you have no idea how to reel it all back in? That's okay! We all have those days, and we all know how difficult it is sometimes to move forward from them. We can become overwhelmed quite easily in this day and age, everyone is moving fast, things are changing quick, it’s hard to get a grip.
Mindfulness can be a great way to step back, take a breath and allow your mind to process all of the things that may be overwhelming it. Mindfulness is about being fully present, aware of where you are, and what you’re doing while not being overly reaction or overwhelmed by what’s going on around you. It can be accomplished through sitting, walking, standing and moving meditation in short pauses. It allows us to give ourselves time to study the workings of our minds and approach that experience with a new or different outlook.
Body positivity
We have come a long way, and many of us are very lucky to live in a world people are challenged societal standards of beauty, and the pressures that come with it. You can thank the Body positivity movement for that. Body positvity is about loving, caring for and taking pleasure in your body through it’s many changes within your lifetime. While it is not always an easy thing to practice, body positivity is a process which takes time and effort, those struggles you may run into will only help you grow on your mission of body positivity.
The practice of body positivity can help you live a more balanced, happy life. Body positivity can lead to a self-awareness and self-love you may not have been fully attuned to, it will carry on with you through life, and help you continue to rejoice in self-love when your body goes through major changes, such as weight gain, weight loss, puberty, birth or aging. The key is to remember that you are a beautiful person placed on this earth to do WONDERFUL things, but we are not perfect, and that is just fine.