Oh, hello there!  Are you enjoying the summer season?  Over here at Julianna Rae, we can’t believe it’s already August and we feel like we’re plowing through the month like a Pomeranian coming home for pizza… (which apparently is faster than a speeding bullet. Who knew!).

With the end of August looming, lots of us are facing back-to-school schedules and the return to regular routines and are feeling the “August Blues” coming on.  Yes, anxiety and depression are common in August. And if you are wondering what the August Blues are, well they are best described as being,  “like the Sunday night blues except they last for a whole month,” explains Stephen Ferrando, director of psychiatry at Westchester Medical Center.  Ferrando also goes on to add that this type of anxiety and depression is often associated with the end of summer and can be brought on by events like shorter and darker days, the start of school, and the end of vacations along with the anticipation and pressures of the holiday season.

Yet, August isn’t all bad, because it also happens to be National Wellness Month which is probably a good time to observe some self-care!  Let’s face it, we all do it.  We put our health and wellness behind all the other obligations in our life without noticing how physical health and mental health issues creep up on us.  If you’re looking for an excuse to make a change then this is a great month to put one foot forward for your wellbeing!

Self-care doesn’t have to take a lot of time or be a big deal. We’ve written about it already, how important it is to incorporate it into your daily life, especially around the holidays.  But if we are to take the concept seriously we shouldn’t need to wait for the stressful times of the year to start taking care of ourselves.  So, thanks to National Wellness Month for the reminder!  But it’s up to us to actually do something for our well-being. So, go on and choose one or two of these self-care tips and give yourself a hug while you’re at it!

• Create Healthy habits – take a good look at your daily habits and pick one that you would like to change for the better.  It can be as simple as spending less time on your phone Did you know that 64% of us are so obsessed with our phones that we are using them even while we are on the loo… come on people give yourself a potty break!
• Re-Commit to your exercise goals – It’s been eight months since the New Year but if you were one of the 48% that declared a fitness goal when the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve, by now that goal may have waned (that’s because 2 out 3 of us report never completing our resolutions at all).  Take a look at why or what is stopping you from exercising and use the remainder of this wellness month to find ways to add something you enjoy to your day.  Hate running?  Take a bike ride or a walk around the neighborhood instead!  Suffering aches and pains from the Pilates workout?  Opt for some gentle yoga instead. You get the idea!

• Nutrition – “You are what you Eat” so take a good look at what’s on your plate.  Balance your health with well-balanced meals and feed your body and soul with healthy and nutritious food.

• Enjoy some downtime – listen to music, read, swing in a hammock, sip some lemonade, picnic in the park, go to the woods, and breathe in nature… just be still and find out where your heart and mind wander.

You might have other ideas, so go for it!  Focus the rest of this month on your self-care and put your wellness first this month so that you can make healthy habits a part of your daily routine for the rest of the year!  Your body will thank you with better health and your mind just might find peace and happiness.  See you in the next blog!

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Deb Fries works with the Julianna Rae team to offer the best shopping experience for quality silk and cotton sleepwear while also writing for the blog at Juliannarae.com.