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WOMEN'S HEALTH
This summer, slow down and enjoy the little things Donna Knapp
C
entral New York summers are short, and it is easy to attempt to jam as many activities as possible into the few months we can classify as summer. When children are out of school, we default to filling their days with camps, play dates, day trips, etc. Amid playing chauffeur, event planner, chef, and referee, time for ourselves to rejuvenate and relax can go by the wayside. Even without children in the home, we often create an extensive list of summer to-do projects that always seem to be the priority over relaxation and leisure. We have all seen the memes on social media of the almost empty gas gauge or nearly depleted cell phone battery, with the tag lines of, “We wouldn’t let this happen to our car, cell phone, etc., so why do we let it happen to ourselves?” As women, we might look at these seemingly innocuous posts and think to ourselves, “Yeah, happens all the time.” We recognize that we deplete ourselves, but rarely do anything to slow our roll and relax and enjoy leisure time. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2019 that women engage in an average of 4.9 hours a day of leisure activities. Men on average spend 5.5 hours per day on leisure activities. The difference of .6 hours a day might not seem like a significant amount but extrapolated over the course of 12 months that equates to 9.1 less days per year women spend engaging in leisure and self-care! The most frequently identified leisure activity for men and women was watching TV. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has identified Eight Dimensions of Wellness that encompass a wholistic approach to overall health. SAMHSA “invites you to think of wellness as meaning being healthy in many dimensions of our lives. That includes the emotional, physical, occupational, intellectual, financial, social, environmental, and spiritual parts. These dimensions are interconnected, one dimension building on another.”
JU LY 2022
If we focus all our attention in one or two dimensions, we are neglecting other areas that are necessary for overall health and wellbeing. If you visualize each dimension as a bucket, the time we devote to engaging in relaxation or leisure activities bolsters our emotional, social, environmental, physical, and spiritual dimensions when the stress of everyday life presents itself. The staff at Prevention Network has embraced the concept of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness and has incorporated the information into our prevention education presentations, parenting program, and social media messaging. We have also embedded the practice into the culture of our organization. We recognize the importance of attending to all the dimensions in our lives. As with any unfamiliar theory, it takes practice to remind ourselves to focus on our overall well-being in the different dimensions. Summers are prime moments to create lasting family memories. During the summer of 2022, the women of Prevention Network challenge you to carve out time for yourself to enjoy simple pleasures too. Here are a few of the ways we plan to practice self-care and spend our leisure time this summer. • Spend time away from the phone, going swimming and spending time on the water • Eating fresh ice cream, taking my dogs to new hiking spots in the area and spending time at Green Lakes • Reading by the water • Syracuse Mets games – favorite summer activities are baseball-related • S’mores around the campfire and cook outs • Sitting in the hammock in the backyard • Connecting with nature at beaches and waterfalls • Daily walks, eating healthy • Connecting to spirituality • Spending time outside in the shade • Starting the day with music, not the news • Putting things in your weekly schedule that make you feel good, like getting your nails done, a massage, or brunch • Growing flowers and herbs. • Reading on the front porch
FOOD, FASH ION & ENTERTAI N M ENT EDITION
