At Brain Injury Services, we are all about making meaningful and achievable goals. Everyday clients practice setting and achieving recovery goals with their Case Manager and their network of support. With this in mind, we are sharing three wellness tips for all of us to explore in 2018:

1.) Drink More Water

According to WebMD, one of the healthiest changes you can make to your diet is to consume more water. Water makes up 60% of our body’s mass and is essential to the health of your bodily systems. Replacing sugary drinks like soda, juice, and alcohol with water can help us lose weight, sleep better, and save you money! Here are some tips to help you drink more water this year:

• Create a ritual to consume a glass of water when you wake up and before you go to bed at night
• Avoid purchasing soft drinks and other sugary drinks at the grocery store
• Find a reusable water bottle that you would enjoy carrying around with you on a day-to-day basis

2.) Minimize Clutter in Your House

Jennifer Anvari is a local home organizing professional with Haven Home Solutions, she suggests finding small areas of your space to “de-clutter.” She says, “The things we own take up mental and emotional space in our lives, not just physical space in our homes. It is important to spend time thinking meaningfully about the items we allow to take up that space!” She continued with the suggestion to rid our space of things we no longer need. Easier said than done!

Here is what Jennifer shared when we asked her for helpful tips to get started:

• When you’re ready to pare down your belongings, don’t start with the box of memorabilia – start with less meaningful things like the Tupperware
• Make quick decisions, have boxes handy to sort into trash or donations, and get those boxes out the door at the end of that same day.
• Once you’ve had practice decluttering unimportant items, you will have more time and energy to turn to things that are meaningful to you.
• If you’re on the fence about that high school band t-shirt or the kids’ old art projects, then take a picture of the item and let it go. You’ll be able to revisit that memory without storing the physical item for ages

3.) Get More Sleep

BrainLine writes wonderful articles with helpful tips for survivors of brain injury. They report on the benefits of additional sleep for survivors of brain injury (and everyone else) when they write, “During sleep, your brain and body recharge. Proper sleep follows regular and predictable rhythm cycles. When you sleep, your brain sets down memories and refreshes various connections that allow your brain to work. Quality sleep helps you think more clearly, be more alert, and function at your best in all areas: mental, physical, and emotional.”
Here are some common tips to help you get more sleep at night:

• Stay off of your cell phone while you are in bed
• Ensure that your bedroom is dark and cooler at night
• Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol too close to bedtime

What do you think? Willing to try something new this year? Do you already have goals that you’ve set for the year? If so, please share your tips on our Facebook Page.