Wellness
5 Ways to Practice Gratitude During a Time of Uncertainty
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As social distancing becomes the new norm, feelings of panic, fear, and uncertainty have manifested into MIA toilet paper and fighting over pasta sauce in the food isles. If there's one thing that's for sure, it's that no one knows what to expect—and we are all in an unprecedented situation that no one has faced before. But right now is the perfect time to practice a little bit of gratitude, happiness, and appreciation because we're all in this together.
Here are five easy ways to show thankfulness and kindness during these trying times.
Support small businesses.
Your neighborhood shops need your business more than ever right now. So how can you help? Get takeout from your local restaurants, pick up some caffeine at the corner coffee stand or check social media to see how you can support your favorite studio, instructor, stylist, nail salon, wellness practitioner, and more. You can also leave them a positive review on their online sites and let other people know how they benefit you (and what you love about them)! Show the businesses you understand why they are closing during the current economic climate and respond with kindness and patience.
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Support small businesses.
Your neighborhood shops need your business more than ever right now. So how can you help? Get takeout from your local restaurants, pick up some caffeine at the corner coffee stand or check social media to see how you can support your favorite studio, instructor, stylist, nail salon, wellness practitioner, and more. You can also leave them a positive review on their online sites and let other people know how they benefit you (and what you love about them)! Show the businesses you understand why they are closing during the current economic climate and respond with kindness and patience.
Tell someone you love them and appreciate them.
With social distancing, it is so important to communicate your emotions (especially the positive ones). Tell the people you love and care about how much you really do appreciate them. Connect with your friends and family on a virtual coffee date via Zoom, play online games, Facetime over dinner, or have an online happy hour with your crew. It may seem silly, but the more virtual social interactions we have, the less isolated we will feel—and the more grateful we are for the meaningful relationships in our lives.
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Tell someone you love them and appreciate them.
With social distancing, it is so important to communicate your emotions (especially the positive ones). Tell the people you love and care about how much you really do appreciate them. Connect with your friends and family on a virtual coffee date via Zoom, play online games, Facetime over dinner, or have an online happy hour with your crew. It may seem silly, but the more virtual social interactions we have, the less isolated we will feel—and the more grateful we are for the meaningful relationships in our lives.
Practice kindness to everyone.
...and trust us, you'll make someone's day brighter, including your own. If you are considered being at a lower risk for getting ill, especially right now, see if you can go out and get groceries or run errands for someone who is higher risk (think neighbors and family members in need). Before you're going to send that nasty work email to someone who hasn't responded, please take a moment and think about what could be going on in their lives. It pays to be kind to your co-workers. Working from home is a change for many of us. And if you're about to argue with someone over the last gallon of milk, acknowledge what we are going through, and approach the situation with kindness instead of fear.
3
Practice kindness to everyone.
...and trust us, you'll make someone's day brighter, including your own. If you are considered being at a lower risk for getting ill, especially right now, see if you can go out and get groceries or run errands for someone who is higher risk (think neighbors and family members in need). Before you're going to send that nasty work email to someone who hasn't responded, please take a moment and think about what could be going on in their lives. It pays to be kind to your co-workers. Working from home is a change for many of us. And if you're about to argue with someone over the last gallon of milk, acknowledge what we are going through, and approach the situation with kindness instead of fear.
Self-care is gratitude, too.
Take this time at home to practice self-care and self-love with calming and mindful activities. It's the little things that count, right? Try making a DIY face mask, journaling your thoughts, cooking, or even coloring. Show your body that you're grateful for it by taking virtual fitness classes on Mindbody.io. Yoga, barre, stretching, strength training—many gyms and boutique fitness studios are moving to online workout classes (and so are some fantastic instructors). Showing yourself some care, love, and gratitude during this time will be vital in maintaining your overall health and wellness.
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Self-care is gratitude, too.
Take this time at home to practice self-care and self-love with calming and mindful activities. It's the little things that count, right? Try making a DIY face mask, journaling your thoughts, cooking, or even coloring. Show your body that you're grateful for it by taking virtual fitness classes on Mindbody.io. Yoga, barre, stretching, strength training—many gyms and boutique fitness studios are moving to online workout classes (and so are some fantastic instructors). Showing yourself some care, love, and gratitude during this time will be vital in maintaining your overall health and wellness.
Do something for your significant other and family.
Like most people, you are probably quarantined with your family or significant other. Raise your hand if you're WFH with your S/O, because these tips are *super* helpful. For some people, being home around your loved one(s) is incredible; however, for most of the world, it will be an adjustment having EVERYONE around 24/7. Did this house get smaller? Instead of getting frustrated about being stuck inside, take time to plan something special for your "roommates". Clean the house, give them alone time, or make a special dinner. It can be a huge adjustment, and nerves can run hot, so be careful of that when you are working from home and respect everyone's methods for handling it.
Gratitude is acknowledging both the good and bad things in your life and allowing yourself to be happy. Let's take this time to take a deep breath, not worry about our TP stash, and allow ourselves to think about the positive. Maybe we might learn to find growth and gratitude in this time of uncertainty.
5
Do something for your significant other and family.
Like most people, you are probably quarantined with your family or significant other. Raise your hand if you're WFH with your S/O, because these tips are *super* helpful. For some people, being home around your loved one(s) is incredible; however, for most of the world, it will be an adjustment having EVERYONE around 24/7. Did this house get smaller? Instead of getting frustrated about being stuck inside, take time to plan something special for your "roommates". Clean the house, give them alone time, or make a special dinner. It can be a huge adjustment, and nerves can run hot, so be careful of that when you are working from home and respect everyone's methods for handling it.
Gratitude is acknowledging both the good and bad things in your life and allowing yourself to be happy. Let's take this time to take a deep breath, not worry about our TP stash, and allow ourselves to think about the positive. Maybe we might learn to find growth and gratitude in this time of uncertainty.
Fitness
Why I’m Stoked Surfing Will Debut in the Olympics
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For the first time ever, the globe will be watching surfing take center stage at the 2020 (postponed to July 2021) Olympics. People from all over the world will be appreciating the sport, many for the first time.
This symbolizes the surfing community breaking through centuries of negative stereotypes. Though conditions play a big part in the sport, the biggest hurdle the athletes will have to overcome to see success is mental. The winner will be the one who chooses their waves wisely with their understanding of the conditions and ability to intimidate and therefore overcome components. Meanwhile, they will be challenging themselves to emerge from crashing barrels, fly into the air, and land on the shifting surface gracefully. No big deal.
You’ve probably heard the invention of a wave pool, which creates the perfect man-made wave. In 2007, Kelly Slater founded his wave company with a passion to build the perfectly rideable wave at his surf ranch. It was debated whether the Olympics should be held in the ocean or on a manufactured wave, with many differing opinions on what would be right. The decision was made, and the event will take place in the sea, at Tsurigasaki Beach in Japan, about 40 miles east of Tokyo, where the rest of the 2021 games will be hosted.
As you watch, take a moment to reflect on the century of effort for this to happen. This initiative can be traced all the way back to the 1912 summer games that took place in Stockholm. Duke Kahanamoku, known as the father of modern surfing, won three gold medals in swimming, and while accepting his medal, he expressed that it was his dream to see surfing be added. To add fuel to the fire, International Surfing Association, recognized as the surfing world's governing authority by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), began lobbying for the inclusion of surfing in the Olympics in 1955.
The magic of surfing
Surfing is a multidimensional sport unlike any other. Nothing compares to paddling out to the serene silence that awaits beyond the breaking waves. Once you get out there, you immediately escape the many annoyances ingrained in everyday life—the constant notifications on your phone and laptop, your back-to-back schedule, answering to other people. You’re no longer on the time that your watch reads, you’re on mother nature’s time. You’re also no longer in control of your surroundings. Now, all you can do is surrender and wait for the next set to come, while trying to position yourself for when it does.
The high from catching the perfect wave is so addicting that surfers would fail on one hundred in a row just to catch that one. After you catch that perfect one, you replay it in your mind for the rest of the day.
A successful session is reliant on so many factors of mother nature—a force way bigger than us. For ideal conditions to exist, a good-sized swell must approach from the right direction, the wind must be flowing offshore, and you have to time your session right with the ebb and flow of the tide.
The sport is always teaching you life lessons. It is humbling, even if you’ve been practicing it for many years. One reason why it takes so long to master is that the conditions are going to be different every time you get out there. You might have caught a million yesterday, but today makes you feel like a kook because you can’t land one decent wave.
The community of people that you become a part of when you surf is special. A shared obsession with the ocean that brings you to dive into the water at dawn to get a session in bonds you quick. When you’re out there, you’ll find yourself interacting with people of all ages and backgrounds. People enjoy sharing the stoke of the sport. When you see someone out there teaching somebody new, you’ll encounter them cheering at the top of their lungs when they catch a good wave, and as you look around, you’ll see smiles all across the lineup. The other day, I caught a long wave in to be met with a cheering crowd of locals who frequent the spot that I do. When I got to shore, a local showed me their secret stash of hot packs to access in case I, or someone else, gets stung by a stingray when they aren’t around.
Being out in the ocean and abiding by her rules gives surfers a deep love and connection to nature. It’s common to see sea animals out there, like dolphins, stingrays, and fish. When you have an encounter, it’s a reminder that we are invading their territory. It sucks when you see trash floating in the water, or on the sand in its route to the water. It’s a sad reminder of the negative impact that humans can have on natural environments. It inspires you to pick up trash and advocate for sustainability so that we, as a collective, can take care of the beauty that we are lucky to have access to.
Tune in to see surfing break into the biggest international sporting event in the world beginning on Saturday, July 24th.
Check out these surf classes on the Mindbody App
Do you live by the ocean? Paddle out with an instructor.
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