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Health Mythbusting: is 10,000 steps a day really the magic number?
10,000 steps is the magic number…or is it? We take a look at the science behind this common health myth and break down how many steps you really need in our latest post.

From maintaining a healthy weight to strengthening bones and muscles, walking is a powerful way to take care of your body. According to the CDC, walking is the most popular form of aerobic physical activity. Many of us have heard that we should aim for 10,000 steps a day to really see health benefits. We checked out the science behind the 10,000-step rule—and what we found might surprise you.
In this article, we’ll be diving deep into the concept of whether 10,000 steps a day is the magic number for health or not. We’ll share where this idea came from, whether it truly is the magic number, and how you can boost the number of steps you get in a day to improve your fitness.
Where did the 10,000 steps a day idea come from?
Whether you heard about the 10,000-step rule from a friend, or read about it on a fitness app, this message has been circling the health community for some time now. Oddly, there doesn’t appear to be any scientific data that 10,000 steps a day is the optimal goal for health. It's believed that the now-arbitrary goal was developed as a marketing tactic by a Japanese pedometer company in the 1960s.
Does that mean it should be thrown out? No, the 10,000 steps a day idea has started a renewed interest in being active, and that’s always a good thing.
How long does it take to walk 10,000 steps?
If you've decided that you're dedicated to hitting 10,000 steps per day, understanding the amount of time you'll need to get your steps in can be an important part of fitting your goal into your schedule. Depending on your pace, elevation changes as you're walking, and other factors, it'll take between one and two hours to walk 10,000 steps.
This doesn't mean that you need to block out two hours each day to walk, however. Small changes—like taking phone meetings while walking, going for a stroll after dinner, or making a point to move for a few minutes every hour—can seriously add up.
How many miles is 10,000 steps?
The number of miles you’ll cover with 10,000 steps can vary from person to person based on stride length. That said, for the average adult, 10,000 steps covers about 5 miles (8 kilometers).
Increasing movement is beneficial, whether you hit a 10,000 step goal or not. You'll receive the benefits of increased walking, including increased flexibility, increased blood flow, better heart health, improved balance and increased range of motion, as long as you're striving for that 10,000 mark, even if your daily distance coverage falls short of your 5-mile goal.
Keep in mind that 10,000 steps is a goal that works well for many people, but it’s not the best goal for every person. The benefits of walking more happen if you increase your energy expenditure, even if 10,000 steps a day is out of reach.
Is 10,000 steps really the magic number?
One study followed 2,110 adults with an average follow-up of 10.8 years. During this study, people taking at least 7,000 steps a day compared to those taking less than 7,000 steps a day had a 50% to 70% lower risk of mortality.
This doesn’t give any evidence that 10,000 steps is the magic number. But it does indicate that more exercise is better than less.
Amanda Paluch, a lead researcher studying the link between how many steps people take and cardiovascular disease, led a team that analyzed seven earlier studies that followed participants who wore step counters and tracked their cardiovascular health.
They brought all the studies together for a more diverse sample. They found that as the number of steps increased, the risk of cardiovascular disease decreased. Paluch explained that just increasing your steps incrementally could be helpful to your cardiovascular health. Rather than focusing on hitting an arbitrary number of steps each day, it may make more sense to work to increase your step goal by 5 or 10% each week until you get to a number that feels challenging-yet-beneficial for your fitness level.

How many steps a day should you be getting?
Taking less than 4,000 steps a day is considered a low level of physical activity. If you’re regularly walking less than that, and you aren’t limited by mobility or health conditions that prevent you from walking more, it might be a good idea to step up your step count—but that doesn’t mean you have to push for 10,000 each day.
The number of steps you should take each day depends on several factors.
Your age, health, current fitness levels, and fitness goals all play a role in determining the number of steps you should be taking each day.
The CDC’s recommendations for the amount of physical activity you should aim for are based on your current fitness level.
- Inactive - No extra physical activity taking place besides the basic movements required for daily life.
- Insufficiently active - Less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week
- Active - 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week
- Highly active - More than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week
What is moderate-intensity exercise?
Moderate-intensity exercise is anything that gets your heart pumping while increasing your respiratory rate (breathing). Brisk walking, biking, swimming, jogging, playing basketball, jumping rope, and playing volleyball all fall into the moderate-intensity category.
According to a study published in the medical journal The Lancet, people over the age of 60 who regularly walked about 7,000 steps per day cut their mortality rate in half. Younger people who walked about 8,000 steps a day saw a similar dip in mortality.
If you deal with certain health conditions, it's important to talk with your doctor before you begin a new exercise program.
How to add more steps to your day
Making small, sustainable changes that you can stick with over time can help you steadily increase your steps. Try these tips to add more movement to your day:
- Take the stairs. Taking the stairs whenever you can allows you to get your heart pumping without taking away from your normal daily routine.
- Walk with a dog or friend. Taking some time out of your day to walk your dog or to take a stroll with friends can be a great way to clear your head while also adding in more steps and getting your dog to exercise. If you work in an office, talk with your coworkers about heading out for a 10-to-15-minute stroll after you finish lunch to help add some movement to your day.
- Make parking decisions that help you move. Whether you’re taking a trip to the grocery store or meeting up at a friend's house, taking time to take those extra steps either by walking or parking further away from your destination might be a great way to add more steps into your daily routine.
- Listen while walking. Podcasts can be an engaging and fun way to get news, learn something new, or check out a great story. Saving your podcasts for when you're walking can help you add more movement and help you get more exercise.
- Walk while watching TV. If you’re in the habit of watching TV to unwind at the end of the day, consider adding some walking to your nightly routine. If you don't have a treadmill, consider looking into a walking pad—a small, foldable option that can help you increase your steps without shelling out for a major piece of gym equipment.
- Get up earlier. Getting up 15 minutes earlier to take a short walk before starting your day could add 1,000 to 2,000 steps to your daily routine, depending on how quickly you walk.
- Talk on the phone and walk. If you need to take a phone call, pop in your earbuds and walk the neighborhood while you talk.
If walking all of your steps at once feels daunting, break up your walks. Quick walks and workouts almost always feel less overwhelming than longer ones.
After looking for small places to add steps to your day, you may start noticing the benefits of increased activity. If you want more, consider these more detailed steps.
1. Get into a routine
A routine is the key to being more active. Once you’re in the habit of moving more, you’ll find it easier to get a higher step count each day.
Researchers at MIT found that the cue-routine-reward system is highly effective at building neurological connections that make something into a habit.
To do this, you need:
- Cue - A cue triggers your brain to get into workout mode. For instance, if you want to work out in the morning, your morning alarm could be your cue. Tie the activity into the cue regularly until it becomes a habit.
- Routine - Next, make it a routine. The routine is a habit or action that you do repeatedly, such as heading out for your walk.
- Reward - The reward is something tangible that makes you feel good about doing the activity. Sometimes, all you need is the endorphins your body makes. However, some people need a more tangible reward. At Evidation, we put your rewards on autopilot. After you hit a reward threshold, you'll be able to turn in your points for gift cards or cash rewards.
If you go through the cue-routine-reward cycle multiple times, you’re likely to build a habit. Soon, walking will be something you're so used to, you don't even think about it, and you're getting your steps in on a more regular basis.
Habit stacking can also work well. To do this, stack your walking habits with something you already do every day. Since the first item is already a routine, you'll be able to add the new one more easily.
For instance, if you listen to a certain playlist daily, grab some earbuds and listen while you walk. You’ll add steps more quickly and not have to add something new to your daily routine.
2. Start small and build
Choosing an overwhelming goal is one of the mistakes many people make when starting new exercise routines. Instead of taking on a large goal, start with increasing your steps in small increments each week, until you see yourself with a large jump in the number of steps you’re taking.
Start with adding an evening or morning walk, using the routine building system mentioned above. Once that’s a habit, add another walk at another time of day. Soon you’ll be closer to reaching your step goals by building a little at a time.
3. Build walking into your workday
Are there places in your workday where you can be active?
This doesn't necessarily have to look like taking a mile walk on your lunch break. Small changes add steps to your day and reduce the amount of time you spend sitting at your desk.
For instance, instead of sending an email to your coworker, walk across the office to talk in person. When you have a one-on-one meeting, if it doesn't require a computer, have the meeting while you and your coworkers take a walk.
4. Grab a friend
You’ll be more likely to stick with your walking goals if you do it with a friend. Having a friend will be an accountability piece, and you’ll find the walk more enjoyable as you socialize.
While the goal of getting more steps doesn't have anything to do with intensity, you might find that you walk faster and get more cardio in along with your steps, and you track more in a shorter period of time. Check out more ideas for increasing your cardiovascular health while you’re also working to increase your steps.
How many steps per day should I walk to achieve better health?
There’s no evidence or research that shows 10,000 steps is the optimal walking goal for health. In fact, the magic number of steps for one person may be different from another’s.
But that doesn’t change the fact that more steps could be better. What’s true is that walking more carries many health benefits.
If you’re getting 2,000 steps a day, increasing to 5,000 steps is going to improve your strength and cardiovascular health. If you add a beneficial yoga routine to your exercise routine, and get fewer steps, you’re still getting increased health benefits. The key is to get more active.
Whether that means you aim for 6,000 steps a day or 5,000, there’s no standard number that every single person should be aiming for. It changes based on several factors.
These factors include:
- Your current fitness and activity level
- Other activities you do to stay active
- Health conditions you might have
To determine the best step count to aim for, talk to your doctor, and then start walking!
Remember, the 10,000 step goal may be a bit of a health myth, but it has shed light on the fact that society lends itself toward sedentary living, and being more active is beneficial to your health.
Start getting rewards for tracking your steps with Evidation
At Evidation, we’re here to help you get the rewards you need to get active and take better care of your health. We make it easy and fun to stay active, and let you earn cash at the same time.
Evidation connects with multiple step-tracking apps to reward you for making positive changes to your health. Whether or not you choose to strive for 10,000 steps a day, you can get rewards for making active choices. Sync your step tracker with Evidation, and start earning points you can redeem for cash.

Adopting a Cat is Good for You, Your Community, and the Cat!
Adopting a cat (or two!) doesn’t just help the animal, it helps our communities and ecosystem too. And studies show that we are healthier, happier, and live better when we share our homes with pets.
June is National Adopt a Cat Month!
Thousands of kittens are born each year, and many of them end up in shelters. In fact, an article on humanpro.org reports that over 3.2 million cats end up in shelters each year. And 27% end up euthanized. Many others end up living out their lives in shelters, never adopted.
And while cat adoption rates in the US are going up in recent years, there are still so many left without homes.
Even more never find their way to shelters, and instead roam communities as feral strays. The impact of this is severe, and not just for the cats.
A 2018 article addressing the disastrous impact feral cats have on communities and the environment reported that,
“Feral, free-roaming cats have been documented by dozens of studies to be indiscriminate killers of wildlife and the cause of at least 63 species extinctions, according to a 2016 analysis of invasive species impacts.”
Adopting a cat (or two!) doesn’t just help the animal, it helps our communities and ecosystem too. And studies show that we are healthier, happier, and live better when we share our homes with pets.
Health Benefits of Having a Cat
According to a study by the University of Indiana, just watching videos of cats,
“does more than simply entertain; it boosts viewers’ energy and positive emotions and decreases negative feelings.”
If seeing a cat video online can do so much for our mental health, just imagine the benefits of snuggling up with a cat or two of your own!
And cats aren’t the only pets to provide health benefits. Studies show that there are numerous physical and mental health benefits to sharing our homes with pets.
According to a CDC article on pets and people,
“Studies have shown that the bond between people and their pets can increase fitness, lower stress, and bring happiness to their owners. Some of the health benefits of having a pet include:
Decreased blood pressure
Decreased cholesterol levels
Decreased triglyceride levels
Decreased feelings of loneliness
Increased opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities
Increased opportunities for socialization”
And a study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases found that children that grow up in homes with pets are less likely to develop allergic diseases.
In the news release summarizing the study, the chief of the allergic mechanisms section at NIAID states,
“This new finding changes the way scientists think about pet exposure; scientists must now figure out how pet exposure causes a general shift of the immune system away from an allergic response.”
With increased rates of allergies and autoimmune disorders in recent years, early exposure to animals could potentially mean a HUGE health benefit!
Where to Adopt
The best way to adopt a cat (or any pet) is by visiting your local animal shelter. The following resources are great search tools to help you find one near you!
And, if you need some guidance or more information before bringing home your new addition to the family, this checklist from American Humane is an excellent resource.
Member Insights
We’re excited about Adopt a Cat Month and about the many health benefits of having a pet.
And we wanted to know how many of our Evidation Members currently have pets. So, we asked.
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Out of the 19,118 individuals who answered the question, 13,451 currently share their home with a pet.
That’s over 70% percent!
Next time, we’ll have to find out what types of pets Evidation Members prefer!
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Oxtails with Gravy — Soul Food and A Story
In honor of National Soul Food Month, this recipe and its story come from Solomon, one of our team members.
Did you know that June is National Soul Food Month?
You’re probably familiar with the term “Soul Food,” after all it has become a common culinary term in recent decades. But it’s important we take the time to recognize what, exactly, soul food is and acknowledge why it holds a special place in the lives of so many people.
What is “Soul Food”?
The cuisine recognized today as soul food originated in the southern United States.
Infused with the flavors of numerous African cultures and made with the few, “unwanted” ingredients available to enslaved peoples, soul food became a part of the traditions and culture of generations of Americans.
The term “soul food” was first seen in print during the Black Pride movement of the 1960s. Some of the earliest references are in Malcolm X’s 1965 autobiography and the essay, “Soul Food” by author and activist Amiri Baraka.
It’s critical that we recognize the distinction between soul food and other southern cuisine.
Soul food specifically refers to the distinct culinary traditions of African Americans in the southern United States.
The cuisine is unique because of its complicated origins and its significance to the cultural traditions of Black and African Americans.
In an article on the history of soul food on Blackfoodie.co Vanessa Hayford says,
“Soul food has a rich and important history that ties Black culture to its African roots, and that history is deeply reflected in the staple recipes and techniques.”
Recipe
In honor of National Soul Food Month, this recipe and its story come from Solomon, one of our Evidation team members.
Solomon, thank you for sharing your story and your recipe!
Solomon’s Oxtails with Gravy!
“My family Oxtails with gravy recipe was handed down to me for 3 generations starting with my great great grandmother. This oxtail recipe is a hybrid of Caribbean oxtails made with southern comfort spin. Growing up, oxtails were the ultimate comfort food that my grandmother would make whenever we had a hard day and could use a feel-good boost. It was a tradition that one Sunday out of every month, my younger brothers and I would help my grandmother make oxtails, and it became a family bonding meal. Even today, when my daughters and I could use a little boost of feel-good energy and comfort, we head to the kitchen and make oxtails as it is my goal to keep the family recipe and intention strong for many generations to come!” — Solomon Howard, Evidation
Ingredients:
For the Oxtails:
2 lbs of Oxtails
1 clove of garlic
1 chopped onion
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon greek seasoning
1 teaspoon season salt
1 can of Campbell’s mushroom gravy
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder to taste
For the Gravy:
3 tablespoons flour (more as needed)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Plug in a slow cooker (any slow cooker will do)
- Place the temperature to “low”
- Mix all of the ingredients into a bowl ensuring that all ingredients are mixed thoroughly and the oxtails are evenly covered
- Pour the thoroughly mixed oxtails and ingredients into the slow cooker
- Cover the slow cooker with its lid
- Set a timer or the cooking time to 12 hours
- And let the goodness begin to cook :)
Gravy Recipe:
After the oxtails have cooked for 12 hours:
- Grab a large frying pan and place it on medium heat
- Transfer 2 smaller pieces of oxtails into the pan with a half cup of the juices from the slow cooker
- Add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour into the pan and stir until flour mixes and turns into a gravy
- Add more flour to thicken the gravy to the desired thickness.
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Once the gravy is at the desired thickness, transfer the remaining oxtails from the slow cooker to the gravy (be sure to strain to not add too much of the broth from the slow cooker)
Modifications:
Any gravy recipe or premade gravy can work in place of the gravy recipe listed above.


Men’s Health Matters — During International Men’s Health Week and Beyond
International Men’s Health Week is celebrated every year the week before Father’s Day. The focus of the event is on men’s health, wellness, and prevention — which is critical to lowering risk factors for disease.
Men’s Health Matters — During International Men’s Health Week and Beyond
International Men’s Health Week is celebrated every year the week before Father’s Day. The focus of the event is on men’s health, wellness, and prevention — which is critical to lowering risk factors for disease.
Statistically, men tend to avoid routine medical care and avoid seeking medical care until much later than other genders.
A 2019 survey from the Cleveland Clinic’s MENtion it campaign highlights some of these statistics.
Why?
According to the Cleveland Clinic Survey, stereotypes and social conditioning surrounding gender play a large part.
“Why do men avoid the doctor? Stereotypes taught at a young age may be to blame. Two-fifths (41%) of men were told as children that men don’t complain about health issues.”
International Men’s Health week is an opportunity to focus on the specific health concerns men face, and a way to say, “Hey, guys, your health is important!”
It’s a great time to schedule events, have informed conversations, and raise awareness around men’s health and wellness.
But, the importance of men’s health doesn’t stop at the end of the week. It’s critical that we continue to focus on men’s health throughout the year and remind the men in our lives that they matter and that their health matters!
Regardless of gender, we can all play a part in helping men to feel confident seeking health care!
Luckily, today more than ever, there are many resources focused on the issue of men’s health! We’ve included a short list of resources below. And we encourage all men, everywhere, to remember that their health matters!
Resources
- MENtion it
- Men’s Health Month
- Talking About Men’s Health
- Men’sHealth
- The Good Men Project
- Men’s Health Resource Center

Honoring Juneteenth
We celebrate the connection between identity and whole person health. In this spirit, we honor Juneteenth (short for “June 19th”) which marks the end of slavery in the United States.
Honoring Juneteenth
At Evidation, we celebrate the connection between identity and whole person health. In this spirit, we honor Juneteenth (short for “June 19th”) which marks the end of slavery in the United States.
What is Juneteenth
While Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863, only a tiny number of people were actually freed at that point.
In Texas, the last enslaved African Americans were declared free two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two long months after the fall of the city of Richmond.
Juneteenth, which commemorates the anniversary of that historical event, June 19th, 1865, has been observed and celebrated ever since.
Juneteenth is not just a pivotal landmark in American history for many Black Americans, but a representation of independence, freedom, and hope. A moment in time where the road to equality seemed more visible than it had ever been. Some of the most impactful pioneers in the history of civil rights were born from the breath of life that June 19th generated.
History of Juneteenth Celebrations
Juneteenth festivals could be observed extending from one state to another as formerly enslaved individuals relocated throughout the country.
Juneteenth celebrations commonly included singing, dancing, and coming together over food and fellowship.
Some of the first sightings of Black fashion have been connected to Juneteenth celebrations as clothing was a vital part of these festivities.
One way for formerly enslaved people to celebrate their emancipation was by wearing bright and vivid attire that they were unable to wear while enslaved. There are significant connections between those early festivities and modern-day Juneteenth gatherings that exist today.
Juneteenth Inspires
While we celebrate Juneteenth this weekend, let’s use this as an opportunity to remember that the fight for equality and liberty for Black Americans is not yet finished. Many injustices persist, and we must reflect on their impact on health and identity.
Today we fight to bridge the gap to access essential resources, education, healthcare, and equal opportunities, and representation that one day will be celebrated in ways that Juneteenth has paved the way for.
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Are you a Morning Lark or a Night Owl?
Discover your sleep type plus 5 tips for better sleep.
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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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Why is Mental Health Self Care So Important?
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. check out these tips for working mental health into your daily routine.
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
- Take a quick (5–10 minute) walk or bike ride
- Download a free meditation app — most have practices as quick as 1–2 minutes!
- Look in the mirror and tell yourself one thing you like about yourself
- Reach out to someone who helps you feel good about yourself
- Sing your favorite song
- Draw or color something
- Go to bed 10 minutes earlier than usual
- Close your eyes and focus on your breath for 1 minute
- Hug someone
- 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
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline
OK2Talk Helpline Teen Helpline
Help Finding Treatment
American Psychological Association
SAMSHA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Psychiatric Association Foundation
Additional Resources

Honoring ALL Who’ve Fallen this Memorial Day
For many of us, memorial day is the unofficial start of summer. It’s the day the neighborhood pool opens. The day the parks, beaches, and amusement areas start filling up. The day the BBQs, picnics, and beach parties begin. But while we enjoy these freedoms, we should also take the time to remember why we honor memorial day in the first place.
The True Meaning of Memorial Day
For many of us, memorial day is the unofficial start of summer. It’s the day the neighborhood pool opens. The day the parks, beaches, and amusement areas start filling up. The day the BBQs, picnics, and beach parties begin.
And it’s good that we enjoy these things. After all, it’s for these things that our service members fight.
But while we enjoy these freedoms, we should also take the time to remember why we honor memorial day in the first place.
History.com defines Memorial Day as,
“an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.”
Unlike Veteran’s Day, which honors all of our service members, Memorial Day is special in that it is a day of remembrance.
And for our veterans and for the families and loved-ones of fallen service members, Memorial Day is often a day of honor and pain. A day of remembering. A day of visiting graves and paying tribute to fallen friends and loved-ones.
History of Memorial Day
Memorial Day (formally Decoration Day) was declared a national holiday in 1971 but has been observed since the end of the American Civil War.
And while the tradition of visiting the graves of fallen soldiers began sometime during the civil war, the first recognized formal observance was held in May 1868 and annually after that.
The first recorded observance, however, actually occurred three years earlier, just after the end of the war. It was held by freed slaves in Charleston, South Carolina in honor of fallen union soldiers.
If you’re interested in learning more, this post from History.com is an excellent resource.
Memorial Day, Mental Health, and Veteran Suicide
While memorial day traditionally focuses on those who’ve given their lives while in active duty, it’s important that we not lose sight of those who’ve given all in service, whether their sacrifice occurred during active duty or after their service has ended.
Rates of mental health problems and suicide among vets and active duty service members are staggering and and have increased in recent years. Many sources indicate a rate of around 20 suicides per day.
According to an article by Militarytimes on the latest report on veteran suicide rates,
“The rate of suicide among veterans ticked upwards in recent years despite increased public attention and funding on the problem.”
It’s important to note that while this report was released in November 2020, the numbers reflect rates from 2015–2018. Data suggests that these rates have continued to increase and have escalated even more during the Covid-19 pandemic.
So, since May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, we’d like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to those who’ve lost their lives in service to this country — both on the battlefield and at home — and we’d like to remember those who are still with us but struggling.
Thank you. And thank you to the families of those we’ve lost. Your sacrifice is not forgotten.
Resources
Honoring The Fallen On Memorial Day
Nonprofits Supporting Veteran & Military Families
- America’s Gold Star Families
- Highly-Rated Nonprofits Dedicated to Veterans and Military Service Members
Veteran Mental Health & Suicide Prevention

Creamy Asparagus Soup
This rich, creamy asparagus soup is one of those go-to comfort meals. It will easily satisfy your want for flavor, and the best part…it’s super healthy. So you get all of the glut with none of the guilt!
This rich, creamy asparagus soup is one of those go-to comfort meals. It will easily satisfy your want for flavor, and the best part…it’s super healthy. So you get all of the glut with none of the guilt!
It’s naturally gluten free, vegetarian, and keto — and with one simple swap it can be vegan and paleo too!
Food is such an integral part of our daily lives, and while we know that eating healthy is important to our overall well being, it can sometimes seem difficult to find delicious meals that are good for you.
So we’ve decided to create a place to share these gems.
This is just the first of many healthy, tasty recipes we’ll be sharing with our Achievement community. Each of these recipes will come from Achievement team members or Achievement users like you!
We’ll also tell you a little about the recipe author and the dish. Because sharing a meal is about so much more than the food. It’s about coming together.
The Story
I love asparagus! And it just so happens, that May is National Asparagus Month! And since it’s also Celiac Awareness Month, I knew I had to share this recipe.
I’m a sucker for cream soups, but I have celiac disease which can make it almost impossible for me to find safe soup in a restaurant or out of a package. Most cream soups start with a roux to ensure that rich, creamy texture.
Now, I could get that with a gluten-free flour, but I try to keep things as simple and healthy as possible.
So creating a thick creamy soup without the need for thickeners was top priority for me!
Luckily, I love to cook.
This soup gets it’s texture by using the parts of the asparagus stalk that you would normally toss out. Which also means it helps reduce food waste — which is a big win!
And the best part…it’s full of good-for-you nutrients and easily aligns with many dietary needs and preferences.
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh asparagus
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg (pre ground will work too!)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Trim woody ends of asparagus and place in a large pot — reserve the rest for later! ***If there are very thick, hard parts at the bottom, remove and discard.
- Cover with broth and heat to boiling.
- When the broth reaches a full boil, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until stalks are tender. 20–40 minutes, depending on the toughness of the asparagus stalks.
- Remove any stalks that have remained too hard or woody (that won’t puree nicely).
- Chop onion and garlic and remaining asparagus. Add to the pot. These can be rough chopped as it will all be pureed later.
- Return to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg. ***You can leave the nutmeg out if you don’t like it or are unsure. The idea is not to taste it, just to add a depth of flavor to the soup.
- Cook until veggies are tender.
- Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender, or allow to cool and transfer to a standing blender in batches and then return to the pan.
- Reheat until warmed through and add in cream. Allow to heat through, but do not boil.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Modifications:
This dish is already gluten free, vegetarian, and keto-friendly (trust me, you won’t know it — it’s so rich and delicious!). But you can easily make it Vegan and Paleo as well by substituting the heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream.
If you’re not familiar with coconut cream, it’s the solid part of a can of coconut milk (before you mix it up). So, if you can’t find canned coconut cream, you can use the solid cream part of a can of coconut milk.
It does change the flavor a bit, but I’ve done it plenty of times and it is still very tasty!
Tips:
- I save the woody ends of asparagus throughout the year and freeze them. Then, when I want to make this soup, I pull them out of the freezer and cook them down with the rest. This gives the soup a much deeper flavor. And it means less food waste!
- Use chicken bone broth instead of vegetable broth for added nutrition and a dose of gut-healing collagen!

The Women who Inspire our Evidation Members
Meet the women who inspire us to be our best selves! In honor on National Women's month, take some time to honor the inspiring women in your life.
Last month was Women’s History Month and later this month we celebrate one special group of women in our lives — the group of women we call mothers.
We know that Mother’s Day can be difficult for many, and we recognize that the word “mother” means many things.
With that in mind, we want to share the love and inspiration that comes from the women in our lives, whoever they are.
Some of these women have given birth, some have raised us, taught us, picked us up when we’ve been knocked down. Others have been friends, sisters, aunts, lovers. Some, we have lost.
But each of them have inspired us in one way or another.
And inspiration is something we appreciate here at Evidation.
So, we’d like to highlight the women who’ve inspired our community of members!
We recently asked Evidation Members about the women who inspire them, and the response was amazing!
Over 19,000 members sent us inspiring stories of the women in their lives.
It took us a while to get through the many heartfelt submissions, and while we’d love to share them all, we’ve chosen to highlight a few here in honor of women everywhere.
Meet our members and the women who inspire them
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“Ms. Thomas was my first African American female teacher in the third grade; also my only till I reached college. We instantly bonded and have a relationship to this day. She was such a smart and powerful woman and I think she is one of the many people that have encouraged and supported me to become the woman I am today. I could not imagine what my school experience would have been without her. She was always there to offer me extra support outside of class time and continued to help when I was no longer in her class. I can say that I love this woman and am so glad that she is a part of my life.” — Brieanna, Lexington
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“My friend Michelle inspires me in many ways. She is a retired firefighter/paramedic. She has been a competitive bodybuilder. Is a yoga instructor, painter, quilter and end of life doula. When she turned 50 she walked the Camino de Santiago and hiked the Kalalau in Kauai, both in a skirt. (Because, you know, year of the skirt). She is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She loves life and encourages others to love themselves and their life too.” — Karen, Las Vegas
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“My Lola (grandmother in Tagalog) is a truly inspiring woman. She originally graduated at the top of her class in accounting, then when she was in her 40s, she fought ageism and attended medical school to become an ophthalmologist. Not only is she brilliant, she is also a wonderful mother to 7 children, and Lola to her 13 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She was also one of the first female drivers in the Philippines. While my mom’s classmates were being picked up by their drivers, my Lola decided to learn how to drive a car so she could pick up her children herself. At 94 years old today, she is still brilliant, witty and going strong.” — Mariella, Toledo

“Nhu is a very dear friend of mine and she came to USA around 1980. She became USA citizens and is very much a good person. She has had her struggles along the way as she lives here in the USA and had always been a positive person no matter what happened to her as far as people treat her, she has always look to a more positive attitude towards them as she goes on with her life, she appreciate being here from where she came from she is a refugee from Vietnam and I can only imagine what her life was before her life here! To be so patient and positive about things takes a lot of patience and I love and dearly respect her for that. She has inspired me to look at things in a more patient and kind away in my life. She is a very dear and precious friend to have.” — Sher, Tacoma

“She has been my head principal for 10 years, and she continually inspires teachers, students, staff, parents, and the community to do and be their best. She never accepts excuses, and is continually looking for solutions to problems that make our high school awesome. She also treats everyone equally, which I never experienced until she came. She even helped our band to get funding for new marching band uniforms which we haven’t had in a few decades. I’m just sad to see her retire at the end of this school year, but wish her the best in her next chapter. I’m very grateful for knowing because she has made me a better teacher. I’ll never forget her.” — Charles, West Jordan
Give back by supporting woman-friendly charities
Evidation Members can donate the money they earn in app to a variety of charities. Some of the charities that are supportive of women and woman-related issues are:
- Black Girls Code
- Black Women’s Health Alliance
- Girls who Code
- Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
- Tides Foundation
- Loveland Foundation
Want to learn more about Evidation? Click here!