Making Time for Pleasant Activities

When life gets stressful, we can feel quite overwhelmed by the difficult situations we face. Maybe you’re weighed down by work demands that require constant attention. Maybe you’ve got a lot on your plate and are trying to juggle the needs of others and yourself without completely burning out. Or possibly you’re dealing with interpersonal conflict that weighs heavy on your heart and mind--say a difference of opinion or an argument that’s unsettling. 

When things don’t go your way, or you’re feeling stressed out, how do you tend to respond? It’s quite typical to become anxious, worried, and overwhelmed. Sometimes we think we can just “work a little harder” to resolve the stressors. We might jump into problem solving mode and add more expectations to ourselves, thinking this will help. In other situations, we may have urges to throw up our hands and give up, since the problem seems too big. Giving up can then lead us to feel disappointed in ourselves and prompt further sadness. Another option, which you may already be practicing, is making time for pleasant activities. Often, one of the best things we can do when dealing with a stressor is to take some time and space away from the situation. By engaging in something pleasant, we create distance from the stressor, tend to our self-care and mental health, and can usually return to the issue with a new perspective. 

Instead of viewing pleasant activities and events as things we can enjoy after we’ve tackled our work or responsibilities, think of them as vital pieces of our lives that deserve to be prioritized. Consider scheduling fun activities throughout the week, carving out longer windows of time on the weekends or as possible. Making sure pleasant events are part of your weekly routine will help reduce stress, boost mood, and help you feel more balanced and present. 

Ideas of Pleasant Activities

• Go to the lake or a river

• Pick up a pencil and paper and draw

• Go for a bike ride

• Stroll around your neighborhood

• Try out a new recipe

• Give a gift card or handwritten note to a friend

• Do a puzzle

• Take a walk in a park or on a trail

• Spend time gardening or tending to an indoor plant

• Play board games

• Color a coloring page

• Exercise and move your body

• Find a new hobby

• Book an appointment for acupuncture, massage, or reiki

• Have a picnic

• Do a house project or rearrange furniture

• Reach out to an old friend

• Stargaze at night

References

“Pleasant Activities to Do.” Retrieved from https://livingwell.org.au/well-being/mental-health/pleasant-things-to-do/

Vitamin D

You may have heard that researchers are studying whether or not healthy levels of Vitamin D have any impact on the severity of COVID-19 cases. Small studies are being conducted across the globe, and while there aren’t official conclusions, there may be benefits to boosting Vitamin D levels in our blood. 

Vitamin D is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin” because it gets produced in our skin in response to sunlight. Simply exposing our skin to the sun allows us to naturally make Vitamin D. For some of us, however, getting enough Vitamin D through the sun isn’t possible, and we may have a deficiency. A simple blood test can help you determine if you have a Vitamin D deficiency.  

What does Vitamin D do for our Body?

Vitamin D regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which both contribute to healthy bones and teeth. It also facilitates normal immune system functioning. Healthy amounts of Vitamin D can reduce your risk of multiple sclerosis, decrease your chance of having heart disease, can help prevent the flu, helps regulate your mood to ward off depression, and boosts weight loss.  

How to Get Enough Vitamin D

Foods like salmon, herring, sardines, cod liver oil, canned tuna, egg yolks, and mushrooms naturally contain high amounts of this vitamin. Supplements are another option for increasing levels of Vitamin D, so if you’re interested in going this route, talk with your doctor to ensure proper dosage. Some factors can make it difficult to get enough Vitamin D, like living in an area with high pollution, living in cities where buildings block sunlight, wearing sunscreen, and having darker skin. Standing outside in the sun for 10-30 minutes, several times a week, is generally considered a safe way to maintain healthy Vitamin D levels in your blood.   

Local Places to get Vitamin D Levels Tested

LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics are two labs that have locations throughout Milwaukee. We encourage you to speak with your doctor and other healthcare providers if you’re interested in exploring your Vitamin D levels.  

Resources

Doheny, K. (2020). More Vitamin D, Lower Risk of Severe Covid-19? Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200518/more-vitamin-d-lower-risk-of-severe-covid-19

Jones, T. (2019). 7 Healthy Foods That are High in Vitamin D. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-high-in-vitamin-d#6

Wilson, D. (2020). 3 Surprising Benefits of Vitamin D. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d   

Growth Mindset

One of the beautiful pieces of being human is our ability to change, learn, and grow. When we make a mistake that feels like the end of the world, shifting our attention to what we can learn from it helps lessen the sting of embarrassment. When we hold a perspective that differs from the people around us, but we’re willing to engage in a tough conversation, we open ourselves up to potential growth. Through the conversation, we may see things in a new way, or we may even inspire the other person to think about it differently. In both cases, growth is occurring. Another example of how we continually grow and evolve happens every time we face challenges. When we’re afraid, uncertain, or anxious about an upcoming situation or interaction, yet we face it head-on, we are teaching our brain that we can face scary, tough things and survive. When we face our fears, we often realize it wasn’t as terrifying as we originally thought, and we are stronger than we imagined. 

As you can see, we encounter growth opportunities all the time. The more we can lean in and embrace these moments, the more we will gain from the experience. As Carol Dweck explains in her Ted Talk, we get to choose to operate out of a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. Individuals with a fixed mindset often feel like failures when they make an error. They run from the mistake, doing everything in their power to avoid a future mess-up or imperfection. People with a growth mindset, however, view mistakes as opportunities. Through a growth mindset, we welcome new challenges and learning. 

The good news is that we can all work toward a growth mindset. Even if our current norm is to get stuck in a fixed way of seeing ourselves or a situation, we can shift to a growth mindset. “In one study, we taught [students] that every time they push out of their comfort zone to learn something new and difficult, the neurons in their brain can form new, stronger connections, and over time they can get smarter.” 

As you encounter tough situations and conversations this week, observe which mindset you automatically fall into. The ultimate goal is to approach challenges with an open mind. Ask yourself, “How can I work through this in a way that pushes me to grow, instead of giving up or digging in my heels?”