by jenn_davis | personal
I believe the most important health is mental health. After all, if your mind is healthy, the rest of you usually follows… right?
Having said that, there is something that I have wanted to talk about for quite a while now but approaching the subject was very intimidating for some reason so, I am just going to put it out there…
Social media is bad for your health!
I said it.
I am a firm believer that (almost) everything in moderation is healthy, but the problem is that social media has started to run, and in some cases ruin, our lives.
This has become a problem for me personally. I am embarrassed to say how much time I spend thumbing through facebook, twitter and instagram when I should be spending quality time with my family. While I’m busy lurking in everyone else’s lives I have unknowingly neglected my own. I have a husband who would probably like to tell me about his day (should I ever bother to ask), a son who probably longs for me to just sit and play with him, and friends who undoubtedly would love to see me or hear my voice instead of trying to keep up with me through various news feeds.
It makes me wonder – has social media contributed to the demise of relationships? Are we becoming less at the hands of our obsession to know more? Do we have parents who need to see us more? Children who need our undivided attention? Husbands that want to curl up on the sofa and watch a movie? Friends who want to tell us about their week?
I feel as if we have started to rely too heavily on social media to tell us what our friends and family are up to. Personal interaction is quickly becoming nonexistent, don’t you think?
I know I’m not alone and hopefully by calling myself out some of you reading this will take inventory on your own lives. When I think about it, the only socially web related activity I truly enjoy is blogging. I never feel it is a burden or that I have to constantly monitor it. The Fortunate Plight and Sunny Slide Up are both forms of expression for me. It truly makes me happy to be able to sit down everyday and document my life and my thoughts….it’s more or less my gratitude journal.
So how do we fix this? What’s our call to action – our relationship saving plan?
Step Away.
Take a breather. Maybe shut it down for a few days or even weeks. Do whatever you feel is necessary to be the healthiest you can. Share this post with any loved ones you may have neglected or feel neglected by, let them know that they are more than just a number or a notch on your news feed, I’m sure they will feel appreciated!
Let’s take back our health and nurture our relationships for a while. Let’s call a friend we haven’t talk to in a few months and ask how they are. Let’s date our spouses. Let’s spend time with our children. Let’s get back to love.
by steph_egan | weekly specials
What is your picture of “Health”?
Is it what you see in the mirror? Is it going on a long run, or rolling up your yoga mat after a grueling class?
Is it a quiet Sunday afternoon with your favorite book, or a walk in the park to clear your head?
Physical and mental health are so important. At some times in our lives the two are completely in sync, everything is humming along as it should; you are happy and you feel GOOD. And there are other times when one or the other falters… we let our imperfections get in the way of our goals and progress. You reach that plateau and give up. You become depressed and dwell in that space. You are STUCK. There is no way out and there’s no way to keep up with your former healthy self; there’s no way to get back there again.
But.
There is.
You take it one step at a time. So tiny, those steps… feeling like you’re moving at a snail’s pace. But you keep at it, and you eventually see the results. You talk through your hard times with a friend. You make the choice to walk around the block instead of reaching for that snack, or plopping down on the couch for hours of TV.
And if you’ve been fortunate enough to always be healthy.. to always be motivated and upbeat: you embrace it and you are thankful for it. You keep pushing your body, and your mind, because you know the benefits. You see the results in that mirror: the picture of health is you. And you encourage others because this feeling of health is something everyone should know.
So, are you in a healthy place?
If yes, spread it forward and ENCOURAGE someone today. Tell them of your struggles and what you overcame. Tell them that first 5k… it was daunting. And then tell them how daunting that marathon was. That you succeeded at each by literally putting one foot in front of the other. That you became a yoga instructor with years of practice and so much discipline.
And if you’re not in a healthy place… well there’s nowhere to go but up. Stop reading this post and take a 5 minute walk. Stop reading this post and sit quietly for 5 minutes. Talk to a friend about what’s going on in your life. Sign up for that race you’re scared of.
We should all see ourselves as the definition of health.
When I see my healthy self, I’m outside… hiking the mountains of AZ, NC and the Grand Canyon.
by Mandi | featured guests
Today we welcome Vanessa from Our Life on Two Wheels. Vanessa and her husband Kelly are avid bikers. Their weekends are spent outdoors… in a race, down the road at a park in Raleigh, NC or out on vacation, traveling the country one trail at a time. We couldn’t think of anyone better to be our guest blogger this week, wrapping up the theme… NATURE.
Hey, I’m Vanessa and you could say that I’m a city girl. Sitting here, typing a post about nature. If you would’ve asked any of my friends five years ago to describe me, “outdoorsy” is not what they would have said. And, as I think back to my days in high school, I’m reminded that I joined the marching band to avoid gym. Yeah, not outdoorsy or athletic at all!
But, that was then and this is now. And now, I’m a mountain biker. I think you can safely say that my main hobby is both outdoorsy and athletic. Go me!
This is along the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Pisgah Inn in North Carolina.
About five years ago on a whim, my lovely husband bought me a mountain bike. Mind you, we have been together since high school (yes, we are high school sweet hearts…. that could be another post!) and in all of those years, I NEVER rode a bike. He had gotten a bike a few months prior, and thought that I might like it. Back then, I liked to watch TV. Grey’s was still interesting and vampires hadn’t taken over the world of female entertainment. And looking back on it now, that was about it. Something was missing, I just didn’t know it at the time.
My first trip to Fruita, CO for some fun on the 18 Road Trails!
My first bike was great. I will never forget the first time Kelly got me out on an actual trail. I hadn’t been on a bike in years and now I was expected to ride over rocks and roots and logs laying in my way. But you know what? It was so much fun! Did I struggle because I had no fitness? Yes, many, many times. Still do! But, did I make it until the end and have this great sense of accomplishment? Yes. Each and every ride is another example of me putting myself out there and pushing thru the tough times. When you are in the middle of the woods with your only mode of transportation back to the car, you just have to keep pedaling. And oh yeah, the woods….back to that theme of nature! I certainly wasn’t getting outside while I was so enthralled with my weekly TV shows. But thanks to my fancy pants new bike, I was getting outside all of time. And realizing just how beautiful and rewarding it can truly be.
A beautiful overlook in the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, NC.
Waking up after a night out in the forest—the only mode of transportation that weekend was my bicycle.
My mountain bike has given me rich, full life experiences. My husband and I have been able to see parts of this country that I never dreamed I would see. There is nothing like the feeling of being in an absolutely stunning place and knowing that at any one moment, I am the only person in the world seeing such a beautiful thing. It has happened to us many times. And it has filled us both with this sense of accomplishment. Not to mention, it gets the two of us out of the house and experiencing life. Together.
Finally getting to experience the infamous 401 trail in Crested Butte, CO with my husband, Kelly.
Mountain biking has given me the feeling of adventure. It has also given me a drive to continue to improve at something other than my 8-5 job. I have something outside of my professional life to push me and to get me to experience life. I am so thankful that my husband took a chance to get my butt off the couch. I love being outside and I love living life. I’m still a city girl, but now I’m one that isn’t afraid of a little hard work and time outside.
Along the 401 Trail in Crested Butte, CO
This one is just too pretty not to share!
