Chicken soup is good for a cold. Going outside with wet hair will make you sick. Carrots improve your vision…

We’ve all heard these or other phrases like these - whether they came to us from our parents, grandparents, or through our own beliefs and experiences. 

And it can be hard to know which of the many health beliefs passed down to us are tried and true wisdom from the past, and which are myths. 

So, we decided to take some of the most common health beliefs out there and do some digging to find out which are true and which are myths. 

To help us figure out where to start, we asked our members what they thought. 

We started by asking what our members believed about three common health “myths,” and then asked them to tell us about a common health myth or practice that they believe. 

What did we ask?

1. Do you believe drinking coffee during childhood stunts your growth?
2. Do you believe if you stay outside in the cold weather for too long, you will catch a cold?
3. Do you believe eating carrots will improve or give you great vision?
4. What is a common health myth or practice that you know or follow?

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In total, 81,782 of our members responded to the survey. Find out what they thought below!

Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth?

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Most of our members didn’t believe this one. And, according to Harvard Health, they’re right.

“There is no scientifically valid evidence to suggest that coffee can stunt a person's growth.” 

So, where does this myth come from?

Early studies on caffeine indicated that it may affect how well our bodies absorb calcium, which helps bones grow strong. But we now know that the effect is too small to really make an impact. And while caffeine can cause other issues in children and teens, there’s no evidence that it slows or stunts growth. 

Does Being Outside in Cold Weather Make You Sick?

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As you can see from the image above, most of our members don’t believe that going out in cold weather can make you sick. But, over 25% of them believe it can. 

Who’s right?

While being outside in cold weather can’t cause you to catch a cold (which is a virus), it can cause other illnesses (like frostbite, hypothermia, etc.), and it can lower your body’s ability to fight off infections like a cold. 

And, colds and cold-like viruses are more common, more easily spread, and harder to treat in colder weather. 

According to Northwestern Medicine, 

“Being cold actually may reduce your body’s ability to fight infection, and the cold air in your nasal passages may reduce your immune cells’ ability to fight off the virus in your nasal passage.”

So, it looks like our parents were right on this one!

Does Eating Carrots Improve Your Eyesight?

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This one was close!

While most of our members didn’t believe this one either, the yes and no responses were almost equal. 

44.6% said they didn’t believe that eating carrots can improve their vision, and 42.2% said they did. That’s less than a 2% difference.

But, is it true? Can eating carrots improve your vision?

We know carrots are high in beta-carotene which our bodies use to make Vitamin A. That’s where this health “myth” comes from. We’ve all heard that Vitamin A is good for eyesight. And, studies support that. 

The problem is that some research suggests that beta-carotene doesn’t convert into vitamin A well enough to do much good to our vision. 

What does that mean? 

It means that while vitamin A supports healthy vision, the jury is still out on whether the beta-carotene we get from carrots is enough to make much of an impact. 

Common Health Myths and Practices

To help us decide which health beliefs to tackle in upcoming posts, we asked our members which health myths and practices they believed in, and the same ones came up over and over again. 

Here are the top ten:

1. An apple a day keeps the doctor away 
2. 10,000 steps a day is the magic number
3. Carbs make you gain weight
4. You should drink at least 8 cups of water per day 
5. You should get 8 hours of sleep each night
6. Sleeping with wet hair can make you sick
7. Going outside with wet hair when it's cold will make you sick
8. Chicken noodle soup can help you recover from illness quicker
9. Honey is good for illnesses and allergies
10. Apple cider vinegar can help you lose weight

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To learn more about which of these myths are true and which we can ignore, we’re going to dig into each of them, one by one, in upcoming blog posts. So keep your eye out for more of our health myth debunking series!

Most people think being healthy is all about exercising and eating right. But did you know that your emotions and paying attention to how you feel are all important parts of being healthy? 

It's true! 

Emotional Wellness is a critical part of your overall health and wellbeing. In fact, studies show that feeling well supported emotionally and socially can help prevent illness and early mortality and help recovery from injury or illness. 

What is Emotional Wellness?

According to the National Institutes of Health, emotional wellness (or emotional wellbeing) is your ability to handle stress and sudden changes in life. 

And the National Center for Emotional Wellness defines it as, 

“an awareness, understanding and acceptance of our feelings, and our ability to manage effectively through challenges and change.”

Some of the signs of emotional wellness from the University of New Hampshire include:

• Sharing your feelings with others
• Saying "no" without feeling guilty
• Being able to relax
• Feeling happy with life
• Having friends and family that support you

Why is Emotional Wellness Important?

According to the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota, it's important for people to let go of negative emotions and begin a path toward healing and emotional wellbeing.

Over time, feelings that are left unresolved, such as anger and resentment, impact the chemical balance in our brains, depleting feel-good hormones and releasing stress hormones such as adrenaline. These hormones cause chronic stress that according to the University of Minnesota, can cause premature aging, high blood pressure, and even cardiovascular disease and digestive issues.

The CDC also says stress can cause:

• Headaches
• Body pain
• Chronic health problems
• Trouble sleeping
• Trouble focusing
• Anger
• Sadness
• Frustration

Ultimately, emotional wellness is part of our total wellbeing. Regardless of how healthy we are physically, how well we eat, how much we work out...if we aren’t well emotionally, we are more susceptible to a variety of problems and illnesses. 

How Can I Improve Emotional Wellbeing?

The good news is that everyone can learn to handle stress and improve their emotional well-being. It all starts with paying better attention to your emotions, focusing on self-care, and putting yourself first!

The NIH has come up with ways to help people improve their emotional wellness, including:

• Reducing stress
• Getting better sleep
• Having a positive outlook on life
• Practicing mindfulness
• Reaching out to friends and family
• Getting help when you lose a loved one

Although these are some great ways for people to improve their emotional wellness, everyone is different and can have their own ways of dealing with stress and improving their emotional wellbeing.

Maybe you like to write poetry, or make art, or play loud music on your drums to let loose! Maybe you like spending time alone to unwind instead of with family. 

What’s important is that you find what's right for you and know that it's okay to take time for yourself. 

Gaining emotional wellness is a process that takes time to get right!

So don't feel discouraged if you still feel yourself getting stressed. It's normal, and overtime you'll learn what works best for you to decompress.

By improving emotional wellness, you can be able to better handle problems in life and gain what is known as "resilience." Resilience, according to the NIH, is our ability to have less negative emotions and bounce back when life gets rough. 

How Does Emotional Wellness Month Help?

Mental health is health, and while technically October is Emotional Wellness Month, you can help shed light on the importance of having a strong emotional wellbeing all year long. 

Some ideas to help include:

1. Participate in online forums or emotional support groups. You can provide support to someone who is struggling or find support for yourself or a loved one.

2. Host your own mindfulness groups, such as yoga or meditation classes with your friends or family. You can hold them at your local park when it’s nice out to get some fresh air at the same time. It's free, easy to do, and can let you spread positivity while increasing emotional wellness.

3. Share social media posts on emotional wellness from sites such as the NIH, or make your own newsletters or blogs to educate others on emotional wellness.

4. Get out there and laugh, enjoy time with others or alone.

5. Start journaling or take time to seek therapy and get in tune with your emotions. There's no better time than now to explore and work on your inner self!

Whatever you decide to do, take time to practice self-care and do anything that makes you happy and helps you get in tune with your emotions! 

Whether that's taking a walk or a bath, anything helps.

It also helps to join the conversation and reach out to your family and friends who might also be struggling with their own emotional wellbeing. By reaching out, offering support, and raising awareness on mental and emotional health, you can make a difference in the lives of friends and loved ones!

This exercise routine was created by Rob Kitson, ISSA Elite Trainer and Exercise Therapy Specialist

We all know exercise is good for us. But for many, getting in a workout can be difficult.

For some, it’s just about finding time or motivation. For others, health or ability levels may limit what you can do and how much you can exercise.

The good news is, any movement is good.

The idea is to find what you CAN do — what fits into your schedule or what your body is able to do — and DO IT!

So, to help, we wanted to share a quick workout that could be modified for different needs and ability levels. One that could be done at home without any special equipment. In other words, a workout routine that would work for a variety of different people with different situations.

Of course, no one routine will work for everyone. So be sure to review the exercises and any modifications, consider where you are and what will work for you. And then, make it your own!

Interval Training

Recent research has proven that High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts cause an increase in metabolism that can last for hours after a workout. Plus, they burn more calories in less time.

These types of workouts have long been a tool of the elite athlete, because the short intervals allow them to exercise at higher intensities that aren’t sustainable when doing traditional low-intensity exercises at high volume.

With that in mind, we’ve put together this fun 15-minute interval-based workout designed to get your heart pumping, keep your body guessing, and let you quickly get on with your day. You won’t need any training equipment, but you will need a way to keep time (clock, stopwatch, or interval timing app) and a way to generate a random number between 1 and 6. Either a 6-sided die or a smart phone/speaker (“Hey Siri, roll a die”, “Hey Google, roll die”, or “Alexa, roll a 6-sided die”) will work fine.

* As with any new exercise regimen, if you haven’t been exercising regularly, or have any chronic medical conditions, you should consult with your doctor before trying this workout. When you’re ready to get started, take it slow and try not to overdo it during your first few workouts.

15 minute home workout routine

The workout is 3 rounds of 6 intervals.

Each round will look like this:

Interval 1: 60 seconds — Strength — Group 1 (Upper Body)

Options:

1. Incline Pushups
2. Knee Pushups
3. Pushups
4. Spiderman Pushups

Interval 2: 30 seconds — Cardio

Randomized. See instructions below.

Interval 3: 60 seconds — Strength — Group 2 (Lower Body)

Options:

1. Alternating Bodyweight Lunges
2. Box (or Chair) Squats
3. Air Squats
4. Jump Squats

Interval 4: 30 seconds — Cardio

Randomized. See instructions below.

Interval 5: 60 seconds — Strength — Group 3 (Core)

Options:

1. Knee Plank
2. Plank
3. Flutter Kicks
4. Crunches
5. Toe Reach Crunches

Interval 6: 30 seconds — Cardio

Randomized. See instructions below.

Rest: 30 seconds

The strength groups are listed below. Each group is targeting a different part of the body and has exercises with a range of difficulties. The exercises are listed in order of difficulty, so as the number increases so will the difficulty.

Before getting started, look through the lists to decide which exercises in each group best suit your current ability. You should aim to complete at least 10 repetitions of your chosen exercise during each of the strength intervals.

If the time runs out before you reach 10, that’s ok, but you should immediately move on to the next interval and consider doing a less advanced exercise during your next round.

If you reach 10 in time, and feel like you can do more, you can continue, but if you reach 25 reps before the interval is over you should consider increasing the difficulty by using the next exercise in the group during the next round.

The cardio groups are where you’ll use the random number you get from rolling a die. Before each cardio interval, get a number between 1 and 6 from your chosen random number generator. Then find the corresponding cardio exercise in the list below and do that exercise for the time allotted.

If you are unable to do the selected exercise, look down the list (starting at the one selected by the dice) and do the first one that you are able to do.

Strength Exercises

Upper Body

Option 1: Incline Pushups

Difficulty: Beginner

Step 1: Set up a bench or stable elevated surface. Begin with both hands on the bench at shoulder-width or just outside of shoulder-width.

Step 2: Place your feet straight behind you while you tighten your abs and engage the hips. Your hips should not dip or elevate too high during the movement.

Step 3: Slowly lower yourself towards the bench. Once your upper arms are parallel with the floor, pause, and return to the starting position.

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Option 2: Knee Pushups

Difficulty: Beginner

Step 1: Come to the ground on your knees. Tighten your core and maintain a flat back.

Step 2: Position your hands on the ground in front of you, directly below your shoulders. Cross your feet in the back.

Step 3: Lower your chest towards the ground. Bend your elbows at a 60-degree angle until your chest is just above the ground. You should feel a stretch across your chest. Hold for a count of one.

Step 4: Without locking your elbows, push yourself back to the starting position by straightening your arms.

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Option 3: Pushups

Difficulty: Intermediate

Step 1: Get into position by placing your hands flat on the floor, directly below your shoulders.

Step 2: Extend your legs out behind you, with only your toes and balls of your feet touching the floor.

Step 3: Hold your body up and keep your back straight by tightening your abdominal muscles.

Your neck and head should be bent slightly back.

Step 4: Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows until your chest is just above the ground or you feel a stretching of your chest and shoulders. Hold for a count of one.

Step 5: Press upwards from your chest and shoulders, straightening your arms as you return to the starting position. Hold for a count of one.

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Option 4: Spiderman Pushups

Difficulty: Advanced

Step 1: Go into a standard push-up position, supporting your weight on your toes and hands. Your back is flat and your core is tight. Your hands should be directly beneath your shoulders.

Step 2: Lower yourself into a push-up. Focus the tension in the chest.

As you descend, bring your right leg up and to the side. Try to touch the knee to the elbow. As you push yourself back up, return the leg to its original position.

Step 3: Repeat with the other side.

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Lower Body

Option 1: Alternating Bodyweight Lunges

Difficulty: Beginner

Step 1: Stand straight — that’s the starting position. Step forward with your left leg and slowly lower your body until your front knee is bent at least 90 degrees, while your rear knee is just off the floor. Keep your torso upright the entire time. Look forward.

Step 2: Pause, then push off your left foot off the floor and return to the starting position as quickly as you can.

Step 3: On your next rep, step forward with your right leg. Continue to alternate back and forth — doing one rep with your left, then one rep with your right.

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Option 2: Box (or Chair) Squats

Difficulty: Beginner

Step 1: Place a chair behind you. Stand up straight with a tight core and flat back. Fold your arms in front. Your feet should be shoulder-width and toes and pointing forward.

Step 2: Slowly descend by bending your knees and driving your hips back. Keep your chest and head up.

Step 3: Touch the chair with your butt then slowly rise back to the starting position.

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Option 3: Air Squats

Difficulty: Intermediate

Step 1: Place your feet at shoulder width apart while keeping your chest up and your abdominals braced.

Step 2: Begin the movement by swinging your arms up towards your shoulders. At the same time, bend at the knees and drive your hips back like you’re sitting in a chair.

Step 3: Once your upper thighs are parallel with the ground, pause, then drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.

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Option 5: Jump Squats

Difficulty: Advanced

Step 1: Stand with your feet hip width apart. Your toes should be pointing straight ahead or only slightly outward.

Step 2: Cross your arms in front of your body, place your hands behind your head or at the sides of your head.

Step 3: Keep your weight on your heels and bend your knees while lowering your hips towards the ground as if you are sitting down on a chair. Keep your back straight at all times.

Step 4: Continue until you feel a slight stretch in your quadriceps. Do not let your knees extend out beyond the level of your toes.

Step 5: Pause for a count of one.

Step 6: In an explosive movement, drive down through your heels pushing yourself up off the floor with your quads. At the same time extend our arms out above you.

Step 7: Land with your knees slightly bent to absorb the impact.

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Core

Option 1: Knee Plank

Difficulty: Beginner

Step 1: Lie face down on the ground with your legs together and your arms at your sides. Position your hands beneath your shoulders.

Step 2: Tighten your core and elevate your upper body off the ground, stabilizing yourself with your forearms. Your feet, shins, and knees will remain on the ground.

Step 3: Do not allow your hips to drop down. Hold the tension in your core for the prescribed amount of time. Slowly release back to the starting position.

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Option 2: Plank

Difficulty: Intermediate

Step 1: Get into a face down position on the floor supporting your upper body on your forearms. Your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees.

Step 2: Extend your legs straight out behind you, supporting them on your toes and balls of your feet.

Step 3: Keep your body in a straight line by tightening your abdominal and oblique muscles.

Step 4: Hold for as long as possible.

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Option 3: Flutter Kicks

Difficulty: Intermediate

Step 1: Lie on a mat with your hands under your buttocks and raise your legs slightly, keeping knees straight and ankles together.

Step 2: Keep abs engaged and perform short kicks in an alternating fashion.

Step 3: Repeat as needed and then lower legs to the ground.

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Option 4: Crunches

Difficulty: Intermediate

Step 1: Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Alternatively, you can place your feet up on a bench a few inches apart with your toes turned inwards and touching.

Step 2: Place your hands lightly on either side of your head. Keep your elbows in so that they are parallel to your body.

Step 3: Push your back down flat into the floor to isolate your abdominal muscles.

Step 4: Gently curl your shoulders forward and up off the floor. Continue to push down into the floor with your lower back.

Step 5: Raise your shoulders about four to six inches off the ground.

Step 6: Hold and squeeze your abdominal muscles for a count of one.

Step 7: Return to the start position in a smooth movement.

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Option 5: Toe Reach Crunches

Difficulty: Advanced

Step 1: Lay on a yoga/exercise mat or towel with your back flat on the floor and your legs straight and in the air with the soles of your feet facing up.

Step 2: Outstretch your arms above your chest so that they run parallel to your legs.

Step 3: Lifting your shoulders off the floor, reach up and touch your toes with your fingertips.

Step 4: Lower your shoulders back to the floor to complete one rep.

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Cardio Exercises

Option 1: Jumping Jacks

Step 1: Stand with your feet together, arms fully extended with your hands by your sides. This is the start position.

Step 2: Bend your knees slightly then straighten and push through the balls of your feet while straightening your knees to jump up spreading your legs to wider than hip width apart.

As you do so, raise both arms out and up in a smooth arc until your hands meet above your head.

Step 3: As you return to the ground, bring your feet together and your hands back to your sides with your arms fully extended.

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Option 2: Seal Jacks

Step 1: Stand tall with your core braced, chest up, and arms at your sides. Begin the movement by jumping into the air.

Step 2: As you jump, move your legs out to the side. Also, bring your arms up in front of you and clap your hands together.

Step 3: Once your feet touch the ground, jump back into the starting position with your legs together and hands at your sides.

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Option 3: Frog Jumps

Step 1: Standing straight up, bring your feet outside of shoulder width.

Step 2: Squat down by bending at the knees and driving your hips back.

Step 3: Keeping your chest up, forcefully push off the ground with the balls of your feet.

Step 4: Land on the balls of your feet, remaining in the squatting position. Your legs will remain wide.

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Option 4: High Knees

Step 1: Begin jogging in place, lifting the knees as high as you can.

Step 2: Try to lift your knees up to hip level but keep the core tight to support your back.

For a more advanced move, hold your hands straight at hip level and try to touch the knees to your hands as you lift them. Bring the knees towards your hands instead of reaching the hands to the knees!

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Option 5: Speed Skaters

Step 1: Keep your core tight and back flat as you bend slightly forward.

Step 2: Perform a small jump to the right. As you do, bring your left leg behind you and tap the ground. At the same time, bring your left arm in front of you.

Step 3: Jump to the left, bringing your right leg behind you and your right arm in front of you.

Step 4: Repeat the movement, alternating back and forth.

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Option 6: Burpees

Step 1: Stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart and hands by your sides. This is the start position.

Step 2: In one smooth motion, squat down and place your hands palms down on the floor in front of your feet.

Step 3: Lean forward, so your weight is on your hands, at the same time jumping your legs out behind you until they are fully extended. Your body should form a straight line with your weight supported on your toes and the balls of your feet and your arms fully extended. (In a push up position)

Step 4: Jump your feet out by spreading your legs, so that they are wider than hip width apart, then immediately jump them back together.

Step 5: Complete 1 full push up.

Step 6: Jump your feet forward to just behind your hands.

Step 7: Use an explosive motion to push through your heels and return to the start position.

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#SPM21 #BeThere #BeThe1To

“We can all help prevent suicide.”

Every September individuals, communities, advocates, and organizations work to raise awareness and prevent suicide. Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week, and World Suicide Prevention Day all take place during September.

This years’ mission — change the conversation from suicide to suicide prevention.

Now, more than ever, people recognize the need to make suicide prevention a priority and are even ready to talk about their own mental health more openly. According to a 2020 national poll, the results

“underscore the importance of equipping all Americans with the tools and resources needed to feel empowered to have conversations about mental health and suicide prevention, and to take steps to care for their own mental health.”

What can you do to help?

As one of the leading causes of death, suicide affects everyone. And many of us struggle to know how we can help or feel like there is nothing we can do when someone we know is struggling.

But each of us can make a difference.

And there are so many resources and tools available to help.

With changes in the way we think and talk about mental health and suicide prevention, more and more people are sharing their experiences and reaching out. The pandemic and the toll it has taken on individuals has highlighted the need for resources and support. Especially for individuals who are most at risk.

This year, several advocacy groups and organizations have partnered to spread the message. Their goal is to raise awareness and help each of us learn how to find support or support someone who is struggling.

Resources

Asking for support if you are struggling is difficult. And supporting someone who is struggling can be just as hard.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please reach out. Below is a list of resources for anyone thinking about suicide or struggling with mental health.

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Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1–800–273-TALK (8255)

Lifeline for Attempt Survivors

Lifeline for Loss Survivors

Lifeline for Disaster Survivors

National Alliance on Mental Health

Stories of Hope and Recovery: A Video Guide for Suicide Attempt Survivors | SAMHSA

Suicide Safe Mobile App | SAMHSA

Lifeline for LGBTQ+

The Trevor Project or Call 1–866–488–7386 or online instant messaging

SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline or Call 1–877–360-LGBT (5428)

Trans Lifeline or call 1–877–565–8860 (US) 1–877–330–6366 (Canada)

Suicide Prevention and Care, Indian Health Service

We R Native

Lifeline for Native Americans

Careline

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium​​

Resources for Veterans

Lifeline for Veterans

Veteran Crisis Line Call 1–800–273–8255 and Press 1

VA Mental Health Suicide Prevention

Resources for Youth

Lifeline for Youth

The Jason Foundation

#chatsafe: A Young Person’s Guide for Communicating Safely Online About Suicide (PDF | 6.7 MB)​

Resources for Supporting Others

Seize the Awkward

Help a Friend in Need: A Facebook and Instagram Guide (PDF | 524 KB)

https://www.wernative.org/articles/when-your-friend-is-talking-about-suicide

#BeThe1To

#BeThere for a Veteran

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Can you believe we’re halfway through 2021?

That means it’s time to check in with ourselves and think about how close we are to reaching our goals.

Every year, millions of Americans celebrate the new year by making a resolution. Some focus on health, others relationships, finances, or personal growth.

Whatever resolution you make, the idea is to work on some aspect in your life you want to improve!

Setting and reaching goals in empowering.

But often we struggle to meet these types of goals. This can lead to disappointment and feelings of failure. But, the progress is what’s important — not just the result!

No matter how behind you may feel on reaching your goals, it’s not too late to start now! And if you’ve already made progress, staying motivated is a sure way to finish strong.

So, we’d like to share a few ideas to help you on your journey!

5 Tips for Reaching your 2021 Goals

1. Focus on what you have accomplished this year! One of the best ways to stay motivated is to focus on what we have accomplished instead of what we have left to do.
2. Change up your routine! Routines are how a lot of us get through the day, but this can lead to repeating the same bad habits over and over. Switching things up can be a great way to find new opportunities to meet your goals.
3. Take time to recharge! Stress and daily life can sometimes leave us drained. Taking time to recharge — whether that means taking time off work, spending more time with family, or getting outside for some fresh air — is like hitting the reset button. Rather than being time wasted, this is time well spent!
4. Create a plan! Having a plan for how to achieve your goals makes it a lot easier to start taking steps in the right direction.
5. Be understanding! Setting goals is important to our growth. And being able to reach them is great. But sometimes, we just don’t get there. That’s okay! The best way to move forward is to be understanding of your own struggles and forgive yourself for not reaching your goals. That way instead of seeing these instances as a failure, they become an opportunity for learning more about ourselves. And that always leads to growth!

After all, as the author Stephen McCranie says,

“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried!”

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Some of us naturally go to bed early and wake up early feeling refreshed and ready for the day. Others feel best when they are up late and wake later in the day.

And while much of the way our work life and society is structured seems to favor the early risers, the tendency toward one pattern or the other is entirely normal, natural, and individual.

Whether we are more inclined to be morning larks or night owls is based on our biology!

Our circadian rhythms to be exact.

According to the National Institutes of Health,

“Circadian rhythms direct a wide variety of functions from daily fluctuations in wakefulness to body temperature, metabolism, and the release of hormones. They control your timing of sleep and cause you to be sleepy at night and your tendency to wake in the morning without an alarm. Your body’s biological clock, which is based on a roughly 24-hour day, controls most circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms synchronize with environmental cues (light, temperature) about the actual time of day, but they continue even in the absence of cues.”

Scientists call this tendency toward thriving in the morning or at night our chronotype.

Your chronotype score is determined by looking at your mid-sleep time (the exact midway point between when you fall asleep and when you wake up) and adjusting based on differences in your sleep habits between your free days and non-free days.

You can learn more about chronotypes and how our genes affect this aspect of our lives with this master class preview from Professor of Neuroscience, Matthew Walker.

Where do Evidation Members Fall?

Thanks to wearable health devices and sleep tracking apps, we’re now able to really see what our sleep patterns and chronotypes are.

Turns out many of our current members are morning larks!

How did we determine this?

We compared sleep data on non-free (work/school) days to sleep data on free days.

Why?

Because social obligations like work and school can interfere with our natural preference for morning or night.

So, in order to know where we truly fall, we need to look at how we behave when we have the freedom to follow our natural habits.

Specifically, we looked at when individuals fell asleep, when they woke up, and their mid-sleep times.

On average, the members whose sleep data we looked at, had mid-sleep times of around 2:50 am.

But to determine chronotype score, we need to look at the difference in total hours slept between free days and non-free days because people often sleep more on free days.

On non-free days, the average mid-sleep time was 2:35am. And on free days, it was 3:21am.

This tells us that while people did tend to go to bed later (and sleep in a little later) on their free days, it wasn’t much later.

So, how do we determine whether someone is a morning lark or a night owl?

We compare their chronotype score to the average (median) chronotype score of other Achievers.

What we found is that many of the members we looked at tended to be early risers.

This graph represents the distribution of recorded mid-sleep times (chronotypes).

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If you’re interested in learning more about sleep chronotypes, this paper from Current Biology is an excellent resource.

Tips for Better Sleep

Whatever your chronotype, there are things you can do to help improve the quality of your sleep — and good sleep is important for so many reasons!

According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School,

“sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions.”

That means that how you sleep directly affects your health, your mood, your weight, your ability to function and work or school, even the success of your interpersonal relationships.

And it’s one of those areas where quality is even more important than quantity.

Here’s our top 5 tips for getting better sleep!

1. Unplug. Step away from your electronics for a good hour or more before going to bed. We know it’s hard to resist the pre-bedtime scroll — so much of our lives are connected to our devices! But it will help you sleep better.
2. Maintain a regular sleep schedule! This one is critical. While our circadian rhythms are largely determined by biology, environment plays a HUGE role as well. Irregular sleep schedules interfere with our natural rhythms and can make it difficult for us to sleep.
3. Get regular exercise. Even a small amount of exercise helps our bodies maintain balance, and that’s great for healthy sleep. Just be sure to exercise at least several hours before you plan to go to bed. Exercise gets our endorphins going and can keep you awake if too close to bedtime.
4. Manage any anxieties or tasks before bed. This is especially important if you’re one of those individuals who lies in bed thinking about all the things you need to do. Make a list before bed and then set it aside until the next day.
5. Create a restful space for yourself. Usually that means a space that is organized or free of clutter, dark, cool, and quiet. White noise like a fan can help for some.

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Outdoor Activities for National Great Outdoors Month

Fun Ways to Get Outdoors and Get Moving

June is National Great Outdoors Month!!!

And what better way to appreciate the beginning of summer than by getting out AND getting fit?

Regular exercise is good for us mentally, physically, and emotionally, but many of us are not gym enthusiasts. Luckily, there are so many ways to get good exercise without it feeling like a workout!

Finding fun ways to move is an excellent way to stay healthy.

So, in honor of National Great Outdoors Month, we would like to inspire you with some tips for getting moving while enjoying your time outside.

8 Fun Outdoor Activities

1. Take a bike ride — riding a bike is great exercise and it’s fun! Remember all those days spent riding as a kid?
2. Find an outdoor yoga class. Outdoor yoga is HOT!!! And most places offer some options. With a quick online search, you should have no trouble. Or, if you can’t find anything in your area, start a group!
3. Go on a hike — it doesn’t have to be a big one, lots of communities have local trails that range in length and difficulty. Find one that works for you!
4. Go swimming!!! One of my favorite summertime activities, swimming has so many health benefits. Whether it’s in a pool, a pond, the ocean, whatever you have available, make sure you get wet this summer!
5. Work in the garden. Believe it or not, gardening is good exercise, and it has calming and stress relief benefits as well.
6. Explore a downtown or historic district. Many communities have an art district or historic district. These can be fun places to take a walk and discover hidden gems in your own town.
7. Go geocaching! Basically the world’s largest treasure hunt, geocaching allows you to explore new areas, get out and moving, and connect with people from all over the world. This article from The National Geographic is a great place to start!
8. Play a sport. Golf, basketball, tennis. There are numerous outdoor sports opportunities. Games and sports are good for our mental and physical health and are a fun way to exercise!

Whatever you decide to do, get outside, get moving, and have fun this June!!! Then stop by and share a pic on one of our social media platforms!

Why is Mental Health Self Care So Important?

The importance of mental health self care

We all know the importance of taking care of our bodies. When we neglect them, we become ill. Eating right, getting adequate rest and exercise, managing any chronic conditions — these are critical to maintaining good physical health.

But what about mental health?

Studies show that mental health is just as important as physical health. And little things like taking time for self care can make a huge impact.

So why do so many of us neglect this aspect of our wellbeing?

We asked Achievement users how often they made time for mental health self care, what types of activities they typically did, and what keeps them from practicing self care as often as they’d like.

What did we learn? That while many of our users do practice regular self care, the majority of them don’t do it as often as they’d like.

Why?

The most common responses (in order) were:

• Not enough time
• Pressures of daily life
• Financial burdens

We also discovered that while many of those who responded said that self care was very important to them (almost 75%), and almost 70% said they would like to practice self care daily, only 27% do.

So, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’d like to share some quick, easy, free ways to practice regular mental health self care!

10 tips for working mental health self care into your daily routine

1. Take a quick (5–10 minute) walk or bike ride
2. Download a free meditation app — most have practices as quick as 1–2 minutes!
3. Look in the mirror and tell yourself one thing you like about yourself
4. Reach out to someone who helps you feel good about yourself
5. Sing your favorite song
6. Draw or color something
7. Go to bed 10 minutes earlier than usual
8. Close your eyes and focus on your breath for 1 minute
9. Hug someone
10. Write down 5 things you are grateful for

These are just examples of some of the ways you can practice mental health self care daily. We encourage you to find ways that work for YOU!

Mental Health Resources

While taking the time for mental health self care can improve overall wellbeing and keep us feeling good, sometimes we need more.

The following resources are available to you or anyone you know who may be struggling.

Crisis Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Veteran’s Crisis Line

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline

OK2Talk Helpline Teen Helpline

Crisis Text Line

The Jed Foundation

Help Finding Treatment

American Psychological Association

SAMSHA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

American Psychiatric Association Foundation

LGBT National Health Center

The Trevor Project

Office of Minority Health

Additional Resources

Mentalhealth.gov

Nami

Mentalhealthfirstaid.org

Don’t let summer pass you by this year! We chatted with our team and consolidated some of our favorite activities.

1. Connect with brainy folks all around the world with Atlas Obscura’s Trivia Night! Rally together a virtual team and participate for $7.
2. Celebrate Blues Artist Mavis Staples and listen to other folk artists including Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Ben Harper, and Phoebe Bridgers for a Livestream concert. Tickets cost $12. Tune in this Friday, July 31st at 8:30pm EST.
3. Join host Saleem Reshamwala as he goes on global expeditions and learns from people around the world who are creatively working to make their communities better. Tune into this Ted podcast to transport to another world virtually in the absence of travel.
4. Host a virtual book club with friends. The benefit of talking about your latest read via Zoom or video chat is that you can connect with friends across time zones.
5. Jump on the geocaching bandwagon. We recently heard from some Achievers that they’ve been geocaching with their family members for an active, outdoor treasure hunt.
6. Make a box fort/cat castle for your cat children if you’re a cat mom or dad. :)
7. Set up a socially distanced front yard hang! Dust off your lawn chairs and pick up some of your favorite snacks and head outdoors.
8. Choose a road trip and safely travel to a closeby spot! Know you’re not alone in opting for a road trip as a staycation during these unusual times. Read up on some of the best road trips in America.
9. Host your very own hot sauce competition with your “quaranteam.” Find some new hot sauces you’ve always wanted to try online and order them in to have a mini hot sauce competition. Pro tip: the Heatonist has some of our favorites.
10. Channel your inner artist with a paint by number kit. Tune into a favorite playlist and enjoy a leisurely weekend art hour.

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