Thrive Well-Being

06/19/2024

So excited to be on my way to NYC to speak to postdocs at NYU Grossman School of Medicine again! Today I’ll be talking about the importance of exercise and sleep for your well-being!

04/09/2024

Beautiful view on my walk this morning! Pause today to take in the beauty around you. What’s one lovely thing you noticed today?

01/31/2024

I've been doing a series of videos for Zoetis to support well-being in veterinarians and vet professionals, and I love the topic in this one. In this video, I talk about the importance and benefits of our social connections.

Having good social connections benefits our well-being. They can improve our mental health by contributing to more positive moods. Good relationships seem to contribute to lower stress and lower stress can help protect you from burnout at work. Given the high rates of burnout in veterinarians, social health can be very beneficial.

And amazingly, our relationships can improve our physical health too. People with good relationships have stronger immune systems and heal faster. They also may have lower blood pressure and better sleep than those who are lonelier.

If you want to hear more about the benefits of having good social connections, check out this video!

The importance of social relationships, be they personal or professional, are displayed through the various physical and mental benefits of connectedness with others.

01/15/2024

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Today has me pausing to reflect on his message that we are all the same. We all are connected by our humanity. We all deserve the chance to thrive and to have equal opportunities for life and success. And we all deserve to be treated with respect and kindness, regardless of our background or identities.

In my very first blog post, I reflected on a very impactful talk I heard by a Vietnam war bombing victim, partly about how she met and forgave her bomber. It gave me goosebumps and reminded me how we are all brothers and sisters, all connected by a common humanity. This message feels resonant and timely today. What experience has reminded you of this recently?

https://www.thrivewell-being.com/blog/we-are-all-brothers-and-sisters

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We are all Brothers and Sisters I recently attended a very stirring event at the National Constitution Center: The Girl in the Picture: Remembering Vietnam that featured Kim Phùc Phan Thi. You...

09/12/2023

I recently found myself crying tears of awe at the kindness of strangers. I was standing in front of a carousel in Missoula, MT. This is the article that speaks more about the power of awe, how we experience it, and how it can benefit our lives and well-being.

https://www.thrivewell-being.com/blog/awe-and-a-carousel

08/23/2023

There’s nothing like the joy that comes with belting out the words of a song you love with a few thousand of your closest friends! Ones with really good taste in music, who love the same great band you do. And the joy that comes with collectively feeling the music viscerally in your body.

I saw The National recently, and they put on an amazing show. When the show was over, I was so happy. It reminded of the importance of being together with people in person. Live concerts were one of the things I most painfully missed during the pandemic. And this concert was a great reminder of how seeing live music actually benefits our well-being.

Studies have shown that live music can benefit your physical and mental health. Experiencing concerts reduces stress, elevates your mood, improves brain function, provides essential social connection, and might even help you live longer.



So- when is your next concert? If you don't have one planned, so many shows are coming in the fall. It's a perfect time to buy tickets!

08/16/2023

When's the last time you talked to your good friend by phone or in person? These days, we can rely too much on text and miss the pleasure of hearing our friend's voice. There's nothing like talking and laughing together with your friends! If you haven't spoken or met recently, schedule a call or date. An in-person conversation will help you feel happier and improve your well-being. Our connections and relationships are some of the most important things in our lives.

I found these telephone booths at a beautiful restored Art Deco hotel in Missoula, MT. It's been quite a while since I've seen a phone booth!

08/02/2023

Friends are so important for our well-being! I speak about this all the time. Our supports and connections help our mood, our lives, and a new study I just posted even shows how they can improve the structure of our brains. Regardless of all that, I know spending time with my friends is fun and often helps me feel better and laugh.

This is my good friend, Jessica. She's been a dear friend for over a decade, and we have gone through many joys and life events together. And we have a special tradition- every July, we take a day off and go blueberry picking! We have done this over 10 years now, and we each are grateful for the time and the tradition. (This definitely goes in my Gratitude Journal!)

Do you have any friend traditions? Also, have you spoken to or seen a good friend lately? If you haven't, let this post be a friendly reminder to make a friend date, whether it's scheduling a phone call or a trip to see the Barbie movie. Friends add joy and love to our lives, so we need to treasure and nurture these relationships.

06/22/2023

I'm thrilled that my first well-being video for Zoetis to support veterinary health professionals has launched! Click on this link to watch my first video on how stress impacts our bodies and some simple ways to lower our stress levels. I had a blast writing and recording this video.

Next month, I'll be talking about sleep, so stay tuned!

Stress management & self-care are ongoing needs for veterinary healthcare teams, but simple breathing techniques can go a long way in high-stress moments.

04/07/2023

Happy Walk to Work Day! Even if you didn't walk to work, take a walk today! Exercise is one of the best ways to improve stress, mood, thinking, creativity, problem solving, and energy!!! And walking is a wonderful way to move your body. So get some good shoes on and start walking!!

And if you want to hear more about the benefits of exercise, I love doing my workshop called "Move your Body, Rest your Body", about how to improve exercise and sleep in your life.

04/03/2023

Spring is my favorite time in Philly!! It's full of so much beauty everywhere you turn, especially the blooming trees. Do you pause in life and take in the beauty around you? I encourage you to pause today and notice something beautiful that brings you some joy. These little moments matter so much and really help our well-being.

What is one moment of beauty you had today?

01/31/2023

Today is National Plan for Vacation Day. It's a perfect day to post my newest blog: Take a Vacation!! Real time-off is one of the best ways we can recharge our batteries and increase our productivity. Read some of my thoughts:
https://www.thrivewell-being.com/blog/take-a-vacation