wellness

Building a Morning Routine: How To Start Each Day of 2025 Better than Each Day of 2024

Tara Aquila — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 14:48:13 +0000

Building a Morning Routine: How To Start Each Day of 2025 Better than Each Day of 2024 Tara Aquila Thu, 01/16/2025 - 09:48

A solid morning routine can set the tone for a successful day, and there’s no better time to refresh yours than the start of a new year. This is not a New Year's Resolution but rather a piece of advice to make a change if you feel you need one.

Now is the time to consider a redesign of how your 7 AM looks. Oftentimes we think people who have a morning routine wake up at 5 AM and hit the gym or a workout class. That can be a part of this redesign but it does not have too. This redesign will encourage you to make 2 changes and 2 additions to how your mornings have been going.

Here are examples of typical morning concepts that you can drop into your redesign categories of change or addition.

Make that coffee at home
Drink 16 oz of water before your coffee
Meal prep lunch, snacks, and dinner for the day
Take a few minutes to plan your day
Knock out 10 pages of a book
Consider following a skincare routine for the mornings
Set an intention for the day
Do a 10-minute tidy of a space in your home
Consider getting up 15 minutes earlier then usual to set a slower pace and avoid rushing

Creating a morning routine takes time and experimentation. You may change your design a few times or only implement it 2-3 times a week. Start small, adjust as needed, and celebrate your progress. With a thoughtful approach, you’ll be kicking off 2025 mornings with intention and vitality!

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wellness

Tara Aquila

Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator

The Power of Workplace Wellness Committee’s

Tara Aquila — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 15:35:01 +0000

The Power of Workplace Wellness Committee’s Tara Aquila Thu, 02/29/2024 - 10:35

Human Resources, Finance, Facilities and various other administrative departments are all a part of the wheel house that make companies successful. Compile those standards with strong leadership and driven employees and you have all the ingredients for a successful, impactful and desirable organization to work for or support!

Another key ingredient that can be found in workplaces across the world today are wellness committees.

These committees, often times comprised of representatives from various departments, serve as catalysts for positive change, offering a range of benefits that extend far beyond the office walls or for those virtual employees, screens. For example, Center For Family Services’ Wellness Committee members craft a monthly newsletter, organize quarterly challenges and help coordinate two virtual workshops each month. Just being a part of the committee boosts camaraderie and helps to build interpersonal relationships which in turn contributes to overall wellness.

Wellness committees play a crucial role in fostering a sense of community within the organization. The value that a wellness committee brings to an organization cannot be overstated. From promoting employee health and happiness to fostering a sense of community and driving innovation, these committees play a vital role in shaping the success and sustainability of modern workplaces.

By prioritizing employee well-being, organizations can create environments where individuals thrive, businesses flourish, and everyone wins. Center For Family Services is proud to be one of thousands of organizations that proudly offers wellness initiatives and supports employee participation in the committee and all of the activities the committee offers.

If your workplace does not have a wellness committee, consider collaborating with a colleague or two to present the idea to your supervisor.

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wellness

Tara Aquila

Public Relations Assistant

Wellness Series - Part 3: Everyday Wellness

Mary Beth Woodward — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 19:56:56 +0000

Wellness Series - Part 3: Everyday Wellness Mary Beth Woodward Mon, 11/20/2023 - 14:56

Part 3: Everyday Wellness

Welcome to part 3 of the Wellness Blog Series. This post will focus on the importance of Everyday Wellness.

The first two blog posts of this series focused on coping with intense situations in life, whether it be grief and loss or major life changes. Today’s blog post is centered on everyday wellness. Building a strong foundation will assist future selves in dealing with intense situations. Once the foundation of wellness is built in a sustainable manner, it is much easier to weather the storms of adversity and improve the chances of full recovery from those situations as well as helping others as they navigate life’s challenges.

One useful tool that impacts everyday wellness is goal setting. Using dimensions of wellness - social connectedness, exercise, nutrition, sleep and mindfulness - an everyday wellness goal can be identified. When setting goals, it is important to break large goals down into smaller, achievable chunks.

Using sleep as an example, let’s set a goal of getting 7 hours of sleep a night. What will it take to make this goal happen? Many things! In order to achieve this goal, it must be broken down into smaller tasks, each of them with an approach to get that task done.

Setting a realistic bedtime: Working back from when we need to get up in the morning is a good place to start. If the alarm goes off at 6:30, we’ll want to make sure we are asleep by 11:30pm to get a full 7 hours of sleep. Let’s look at what might prevent us from getting out of bed and starting our day at 6:30am. For some, nothing. Once that alarm goes off, they are out of bed right away. For others, the snooze button is simultaneously our best friend and arch nemesis, and we should set a bedtime for 11:15pm to compensate. There are very few of us who fall asleep within minutes of resting our head on the pillow, so we may want to account for 15-30 minutes to actually fall asleep, setting bedtime at 10:45pm-11:00pm.

Creating a realistic bedtime routine: Part of what prevents us from falling asleep right away has to do with what we are doing the 30-60 minutes before we get in bed. It’s important to create a bedtime routine that helps us wind down, physically and mentally, as well as signal to our bodies that it’s time to sleep. Building on the above plan, we would aim to start out bedtime routine between 9:45pm-10:30pm. For those who’ve parented young children, remember how important those bedtime rituals were? We are often forced to give up those rituals due to family or work obligations, lure of social media and entertainment and/or shifting schedules. The good news is, we can reclaim those routines in the name of everyday wellness and health! What does a healthy bedtime routine look like for you? Different things work for different folks. Some things you can try:

No electronics for 30-60 minutes before bed
No heavy dinners
Refrain from eating 1-3 hours before you lay down,
Engage in some gentle stretching (https://www.doyogawithme.com/ has some free classes)
Practice some breathing exercises
Try some meditation (guided recordings here: http://www.beloved.org/)
Listen to a sleep story (that and other resources here: https://www.calm.com/blog/take-a-deep-breath)
Journal
Read a book or magazine
Give yourself options! Create a bingo card with different ideas or a fortune teller (remember those from when you were a kid? Instructions here: https://www.wikihow.com/Fold-a-Fortune-Teller)

Accountability: Once you have some ideas for a routine, one way to make your hard work stick is to figure out a way to make yourself accountable. If you live with someone, you could ask for their help in sticking to your routine. If you live alone, ask someone to be your accountability partner, checking in each day to either remind you of your goal or for you to update them when you’ve practiced your bedtime routine. You can also create a star chart, whereby you list the different aspects of the routine (breathing, reading, stretching, etc.) on a chart and give yourself a star each time you do them. You can set a micro goal, let’s say 3 bedtime routine activities 5 out of 7 nights in a given week, and reward yourself with weekly prizes when that micro goal is reached!

Play Scientist: Try out different things and record how their impact, both the positive and the negative, without judgement. Over time you’ll be able to collect enough data to notice trends. Are there certain situations where different bedtime activities yield better sleep? You can then curate a specialized bedtime routine based on different circumstances.

Plan for Success: Start small. Make changes one at a time and allow time for those changes to have an effect. Plan for when things don’t work out and how you will recover from those. Didn’t do your bedtime routine 3 nights in a row? Explore what those obstacles were and come up with ways to mitigate those circumstances and then use night 4 to start fresh. Celebrate the successes, starting with getting to the end of this blog. You’ve made the time to think about changing habits and behaviors to improve your overall wellness. Why not celebrate with your favorite warm beverage (it is getting cold out here in Camden!) or by standing up, stretching and taking 3 deep breaths.

Thank you for joining Center For Family Services on this wellness journey! If you have additional questions, need support, or would like to share your experience practicing these wellness tips, email aurban@centerffs.org.

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wellness

Amy Urban Romaine, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, ACS, ATCS, BC-TMH, LPAT

Clinical Supervisor - Center for Family Services, Grief & Traumatic Loss Services

Wellness Series - Part 2: Major Life Changes and Wellness

Jennifer Desimone- Jewell — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 19:46:22 +0000

Wellness Series - Part 2: Major Life Changes and Wellness Jennifer Desim… Thu, 11/16/2023 - 14:46

Welcome to Part 2 of the 3 Part Wellness Blog Series. This post will address Major Life Changes and Wellness.

What is Wellness? According to a definition from Pfizer’s website: “Wellness is the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so that instead of just surviving, you're thriving. To understand the significance of wellness, it's important to understand how it's linked to health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined as being ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’

Several key areas of your lifestyle are considered dimensions of overall Wellness. They include: social connectedness, exercise, nutrition, sleep and mindfulness. Each one has an impact on your physical and mental health. By making simple and healthy choices on a daily basis, you will be well on your way towards reducing stress, having positive social interactions and achieving optimal wellness.”

How are the above wellness areas impacted by major life changes? One way is disruption in routine. Sometimes these disruptions can be opportunities for growth and change. Sometimes these disruptions present multiple challenges, new or previously encountered. Regardless of the impact of these disruptions on our wellness, adaptation is key.

How does this kind of adaptation occur? First, examine how each of the dimensions of wellness are faring through this major life change: social connectedness, exercise, nutrition, sleep and mindfulness. Are any of those dimensions in need of support? If yes, an inventory of what has worked in the past to relive stress and or cope with previous life changes can be helpful to identify what worked, what could work again and what isn’t going to help in this situation. Asking if any of those approaches can be put into place now can help to formulate a care and support plan. If not a solid yes, what needs to change to make those approaches possible? For example, someone has moved and one of their coping skills was to go for a walk in the nearby park, but where they live now doesn’t have a park. What needs to shift to make walking happen? The coping skill of going for a walk can still be utilized, but needs a modification to make it happen.

An examination of what hasn’t helped in the past can also be of benefit. Previous coping skills can be set aside for the moment, in the service of finding what will work for the current situation. Sometimes unhealthy coping skills are set aside in search for healthy ones.

Sometimes it’s difficult to engage in this type of self-reflection, particularly if the major life change is having a negative effect on one or more dimensions of wellness. In these situations, sometimes shifting perspective can bring new light. Asking “what would I say to a friend in this situation?” can bring new ideas. Imaging life as a movie and writing out the next several scenes can do the same thing.

Another tool that can assist in creating space for adaptation and change is building up self-compassion, which is bestowing the kindness you give to others on yourself. The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion describes self-compassion as having three components: mindfulness vs. over-identification, common humanity vs. isolation and self-kindness vs. self-judgement. Moving from a place of mindful self-compassion may mean taking things slower, saying “no” to more things and creating more space, physically, emotionally, mentally and/or spiritual, so as to care for the self in a more holistic manner. When there is space for love and nurturance, dealing with the challenges that major life events present may become easier. For those who wish to explore this further, there are many free mediations and practices that explore self-compassion at the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion’s website.

Thank you for joining part 2 of our Wellness Blog Series. Continue learning, part 3: Everyday Wellness.

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Mindfulness

wellness

mental health

Amy Urban Romaine, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, ACS, ATCS, BC-TMH, LPAT

Clinical Supervisor - Center for Family Services, Grief &Traumatic Loss Services

Parenting - Giving Children Choices. Part I

Mary Beth Woodward — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 20:05:05 +0000

Parenting - Giving Children Choices. Part I Mary Beth Woodward Tue, 07/20/2021 - 16:05

Image the daily life of a child.

"Elijah, you need to get up for school now.”

“Elijah, you need to brush your teeth now!”

“Elijah, stop yelling at your sister and get down here.”

“Elijah, do you have your bookbag? Where is your homework?”

“Elijah, you need to hurry, or you will miss the bus."

When Elijah gets to school, it starts again.

"No running on the playground!”

“Put your pencils away now.”

“No talking in the hallway."

From the time a child gets up to when they are ready for bed, children are being told what to do. So, it's no wonder some children will rebel against this. "Stop telling me what to do!" "I know, I know!" and the famous "You’re not the boss of me!"

These outbursts are not meant to be rude; they are reactions to a life of being told what to do all the time. While children still need directions (children cannot be left to make all their decisions, they are simply too young), there can be minor decisions children can make on their own, ones which give them the impression that they have some say in their lives and are not always being told what to do.

In the next couple of articles, I will explore this topic in more depth, but to get us started, we can explore some straightforward choices that children can be given to help them feel that they have some say in their lives to feel more empowered.

Start by giving your children simple choices.

"It's time for bed. Do you want to wear your yellow pajamas or red ones?"

"It's bath time. Do you want bubbles in the bath or not?"

"It's time for homework. Do you to do it at the kitchen table or in your room?"

Notice that these choices are simple, but more importantly, the parent is still in charge of the situation. Poor use of options would be "Do you want to go to bed or not?" That gives the child too much power. Bedtime is not a choice. Bedtime should be a regular set time (with some exceptions). However, what pajamas they wear can be a choice.

Think about what simple things you can let your children choose.

A shirt to go out and play: " "Do you want to wear the blue or yellow shirt."

How to help around the house: "I need help. Do you want to sweep the floor or help me unpack these groceries?"

And schedules: "Do you want to do your homework right after school or wait until later?"

Check back soon for more parenting tips!

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Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part IV

Mary Beth Woodward — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 15:13:45 +0000

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part IV Mary Beth Woodward Mon, 06/21/2021 - 11:13

"You are what you eat." You might have heard this phrase at some time in your life. It comes from a French phrase from 1826, "Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es." [Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are]. Slightly different, but you get the point. "You are what you eat" originated with an idea in Europe in 1800 that "the food one eats a bearing on one's state of mind and health." Well, people in 1800 were correct. There is more and more evidence that food can have an impact on your mental health.

According to Dr. Jacka, the Director of the Food and Mood Center at Deakin University, "Eating a salad is not going to cure depression but here's a lot you can do to live your mood and improve your mental health, and it can be as simple as increasing your intake of plants and healthy foods." (New York Times May 18, 2021)

What are some of these foods? The less processed foods you can eat, such as hot dogs, potato chips, and stuff like that, and the more natural foods, such as green, nuts, beans, and even a little dark chocolate, can improve your mood. There are also recommendations for good "gut" foods (ones that will enhance your gut bacteria), such as yogurt, fermented foods, and seafood. (New York Time 18 2021)

It also seems that people who switch to a healthier diet save money. One study found that the average person spent $138 on food a week, but after switching to more healthy diet, the average went down to $112.

There is a lot of reading to be done on the topic, but to get started check out the following articles:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/food-and-mood-is-there-a-connection

https://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/articles/nutrition-and-mental-health.html

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Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW

Mental Health Wellness; Getting outside

Tara Aquila — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 16:28:02 +0000

Mental Health Wellness; Getting outside Tara Aquila Thu, 06/03/2021 - 12:28

If you are looking for a quick mental health boost, researchers recommend getting outside. They have shown that just being outside can help people feel more mentally healthy. It feels that science has caught up with what people already know: how many times have you, when you felt upset, just wanted to “get some fresh air.” Well, it turns out that it works.

Researchers have shown that being outside can reduce muscle tension and blood pressure, boosts endorphin levels and dopamine production, and makes us more creative. Plus, it does not take much time for this to happen. While ideally one should be outside for up to an hour to get the full benefits, the benefit can kick in as little as fifteen minutes.

Here are some tips to help you get started. The best, of course, is a walk in the park, or on a beach. It does not have to be every day, but if you can manage two or three times a week, that would be ideal.

For many of us, access to a park or beach is difficult to get to, but local small green areas seem to work just as well. New Jersey has an Open Space Database where you can search free green spaces to explore by county.

If you don’t have transportation or have a disability that prevents you from traveling, find ways to sit outside during the day. Take your computer to the backyard and work outside for a while. Take a short walk around the block. Sometimes just opening the window and sitting in the fresh air can help.

Are you interested in talking one-on-one with a professional? Call Center For Family Services’ Access line at 877.922.2377 or email access@centerffs.org. Our Access support team will work with you to set you up with a professional counselor who can help.

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Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part III

Mary Beth Woodward — Mon, 17 May 2021 16:53:44 +0000

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part III Mary Beth Woodward Mon, 05/17/2021 - 12:53

There once was a psychiatrist in New York who worked with patients who were depressed. While he provided the usual treatment, he would add something out of the ordinary. He would ask all his patients to do a mitzvah.

A mitzvah is a good deed, but not just any good deed. A mitzvah is a good deed where you are not expected to get anything back. You don’t expect an acknowledgment: it doesn’t give you points; you don’t get a reward; and you might not even get a thank you. You just do it because it’s the right thing to do.

After assigning a mitzvah, the psychiatrist noticed that his patients were coming back feeling better, sometimes making significant improvements.

Whether this story is true or not, there is clear scientific evidence that mitzvahs do work. When people complete a mitzvah, the body releases oxytocin, the feel-good hormone. People also report that after doing a mitzvah, they felt they had more meaning in their lives.

What a great way to meet people and become more connected with others by simply doing a mitzvah! It’s another great tool to add to your toolbox as you try to incorporate practices to increase socialization, as part of your mental health wellness.

Your mitzvah doesn’t have to be grand gesture; it can be simple. Let’s say you’re at the market, and a bag of bananas are bought two get one free. Take the free one to a neighbor, telling them you could not eat them all and would like to share. Make cookies for your child's class, even though it’s not a holiday or birthday. Volunteer at an animal shelter, a library, or help at a local farmer’s market.

As we practice and learn to be more social, a straightforward technique is to just do good.

Are you interested in talking one-on-one with a professional? Call the Center For Family Services’ Access line at 877.922.2377 or email or email access@centerffs.org. Access will work with you to set you up with a professional counselor who can help.

Blog tags

mental health

wellness

expert angle

mental health awareness month

well being

professional care

center for family services

social services

Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Being Social, Part II

Mary Beth Woodward — Fri, 14 May 2021 14:10:53 +0000

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Being Social, Part II Mary Beth Woodward Fri, 05/14/2021 - 10:10

In the previous post on mental health wellness, we talked about the need to meet with a friend face-to-face, either just talking or eating together. However, some people have only a few or no friends. In this post and the next, we share recommendations on how to be social even if you don’t have many friends.

One way to start to be social is simply to be around people. Go to a park and sit where people are milling around or walking. Walk-in a shopping center and enjoy just being there. If you happen to live close to or near one of the shore towns, take a walk on the boardwalk. I knew a woman who was recovering from an abusive marriage. She did not have any friends and was having a hard time trusting people. Once a week, she would head down to, as she called it, “walk the boards.” She never interacted with anyone or tried to start up a conversation, she just wanted to be around people, and she loved it. She was always disappointed if the weather prevented her walk. I always noticed that she seemed brighter and happier after her walk.

Another simple way to become more social is to sit in on religious services. Just being there is also an excellent way to be social without having to do any interactions. Most places of worship welcome new members. While it would be great to join the choir or a group, many people might find that overwhelming in the beginning. Best to start small. Attend a few services, and notice if people begin to greet you. Once you feel comfortable, you might want to participate more and more.

The following advice is a bit odd but fun. Get more haircuts. Hairdressers are natural talkers. You can practice your social skills and begin to make connections. Plus, hairdressers tend to know activities and stuff going on in the area, so you might even make a connection. On the same token, rather than shopping at the large grocery market where no one knows you, try shopping at a trying a small store, butcher shop, or small vegetable stand. The more you come in, the more they will know you and start up conversations.

Blog tags

mental health

wellness

The Expert Angle

mental health awareness month

well being

professional care

center for family services

social services

Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part I

Mary Beth Woodward — Thu, 06 May 2021 16:29:56 +0000

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part I Mary Beth Woodward Thu, 05/06/2021 - 12:29

May is Mental Health Awareness month. This month, organizations and agencies publish articles on how to identify mental health issues and best treatment practices. This year we’d would like to take a slightly different approach and focus on mental health wellness. In the next few weeks, we will present activities that have been shown to improve mental health. These activities work for people who are currently in treatment, have been in therapy, and want to stay well, and those who have never been in treatment but want to simply improve their mental health.

What does mental wellness mean? The American Mental Health Wellness Association defines mental wellness as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can make a contribution to his or her community.” That sounds like something we all can strive to be.

There are six primary wellness activities, or we can even call them “tools.” In the next couple of weeks, we will review each tool with suggestions about making them work best. Of course, these do not take the place of professional help. If you feel you are struggling with life issues, feeling depressed or anxious, having difficulty coping, or having trauma in your life, please connect with the mental health services listed at the bottom of this page.

The Importance of Being Social

While this activity has been put on hold by the pandemic, it is an excellent time to talk about this as society begins to open-up again and get back to normal.

A great deal of research shows that being social can reduce a host of physical problems, such as high blood pressure, heart problems, obesity, mental health, and reducing depression and anxiety in large samples of people.

Tips on Being Social

Face to Face is essential. While Zoom has all but killed our face-to-face time, it appears critical for mental health that we meet people face to face. If you have a friend and you are both vaccinated, it’s time to reach out and get together. Sometimes just meeting for an hour or two once a week.

Set up the same time to meet weekly. Having a set time keeps you both in contact. Reach out, find a friend, and set up a routine; it turns out you will both feel better for it.

If you find yourself in need of professional services for mental health reach out to Center For Family Services' Accee line at 877.922.2377 or email access@centerffs.org.

For more information on our Access services, visit https://www.centerffs.org/get-help.

Blog tags

mental health

wellness

mental health awareness month

center for family services

Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW