The two photos on the left are of a man with a beard in a junk headband, and the two images on the right are a woman with dark hair and in one photo she is giving the camera “talk to the hand.” The text overlay says, “Self-care: mind body and sould”

Self Care: Body, Mind, and Soul

It’s the time of year that the JUNK team takes extra care in self-care. We focus on mind, body, and soul to take care of ourselves and advocate for others to do the same.

Body

Find balance within your body.

Caring for your body means regular exercise, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and relaxing more. Regular physical activity can improve your health in so many ways. It helps improve brain function, reduces health risks, and can help boost your immunity and fight diseases. A healthy lifestyle can help you manage weight and gain so many health benefits like improved mood, more energy, and better sleep.

No matter what kind of movement you love, it’s important to do it. Switch things up, follow a regime, or do a lot of different things every day.

Our Product Data Specialist, Kelsey Rodden, had some insights on how she takes care of her body.

“I make the choice daily to fuel my body with nutritional food and move with cardio and strength training workouts. I joke with everyone in the office when they ask what I’m eating/prepping, that ’it’s for the macs (macros)’. Knowing and understanding what you should be putting in your body is a huge first step to taking care of it. Food is fuel. ‘You wouldn’t put synthetic oil in a car that doesn’t take synthetic oil' - Hailey (my bestie).

They say you are what you eat, so if you’re eating good, nutritional food, then you’re going to feel good. I was guilty for most of my life of eating whatever food I wanted and expecting my body to feel 100% all the time, and that’s just not how it works. You don’t know how bad your body feels until you know how good it could feel. When you feel good, you feel like moving your body and like working out.

Step two of taking care of your body: move it. Dance. Walk. Stretch. Run. Cycle. Swim. Lift. Jump Rope. Anything to get you up and moving. It doesn’t have to be these crazy, hard two-hour workouts. Just take a quick 30-45 minutes a day for you and your body. It’s only 2-3% of your entire day. A body in motion will stay in motion.

When your body feels good and taken care of, your mind will follow suit. We all need to take time for ourselves, and working out in some shape or form is a great way to use that time. Trying new things or honing your skills will keep your body and mind at the top of its game.

Whether you’re new to moving your body or a veteran, the one piece of advice I would give to anyone looking for a starting place or someone who has a list of things they want to try: Pick. One. Thing.

Just one. Do it consistently every day for the next 21 days. At the end of the 21 days, if you feel like adding something new, try adding it in. Build the lifestyle you want for your body.”

Kelsey Roden Interviewing with JUNK

Mind

Move your muscles to clear your mind.

The things you do for your body are also good for your mind. So many studies show that regular exercise of any intensity helps reduce anxiety and depression. Exercise releases heaven-sent endorphins to help relieve stress and boost your mood.

Another great mind hack we’ve found, and studies prove, is tracking gratitude. It’s hard to be in a bad mental space when you take the time to be grateful, in fact it might even change your brain. We are true believers that you can accomplish anything with the right amount of determination and training. Let’s train our brains to be grateful.

Forbes Health claims that gratitude can help “elevate your mindset.” We love elevating anything we can. When you practice gratitude, it helps you name your emotions. You begin to understand them and can regulate them. When you know the positives and negatives, you can focus on highlighting and feeding the positive ones.

Journaling, appreciation for the people in your life without an exchange of gifts, being present in the moment and practicing acts of kindness are all great ways to practice gratitude and help your mental health.

“I believe that true wellness comes from finding a balance of all three [mind, body, and soul],” Matt Garrett, our B2B Endurance Sports Representative, reflected the way most of us feel at JUNK. Matt ran his own business and rediscovered his love for running. It became a go-to activity for relieving stress. He ran for his mental health, but it grew to benefit him physically and spiritually.

Matt Garrett Interviews with JUNK about Mind, Body, and Soul

Soul

Feed your soul.

Soul is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal” or “the emotional or intellectual energy or intensity, especially as revealed in a work or art or an artistic performance.

It’s what makes us alive. It gives us our spirit. It makes us human. The things we do with our body and mind feed our soul and our purpose.

You can feed your soul in several different ways. You can show others kindness, practice meditation or prayer, listen to music, spend time in nature, or find something that works for you to help you feel calm and connected to the earth or to others.

Moving to music, doing a workout, or going for a run are all ways you can move to feed your body, mind, and soul. They’re all connected. 30 minutes of movement, 15 minutes of sunshine, and some work building relationships all help your body, mind, and soul work together for a holistic, healthy life.