Choose to be Happy!

My amazing group is reading “The Untethered Soul” by Michael Singer and continuing to absorb the lessons a bit (byte?) at a time. Chapter 15 asks that question. “Are you choosing to be happy?”, and goes on to explain that Choosing to be Happy IS a choice. When someone asks, “How are you?”, do you answer, “Fine. You?”? Do you answer with a logistics update? For example:

THEM: “Hi!, Nice to see you! How are you?”

YOU: “Well, so-and-so said [this] to me and so-and-so- did [thst] to me and the service person I called told me she can’t be here til Friday at 4:00”.

OR: do you dig down deeply and answer the question?

Our group has talked about that “FINE” answer and what it means. But today I am actually asking that other, bigger question, ARE YOU CHOOSING TO BE HAPPY? Is your happiness truly tied to or dependent on what “so-and-so” did or said, or that your dryer might not work for three more days? Or is that inconvenience? Maybe you could have answered, “I am happy, thanks! I am a bit inconvenienced, but that is just an annoyance. I am happy. How are you?”.

The author of “The Untethered Soul” writes, “Most people don’t dare give themselves [the choice to be a happy] because they think it’s not under their control”, and goes on to suggest that perhaps we have “put a lot of conditions on being happy” (page 142). Using our example above, Yes, you would be happy but “so-and-so said [this] to you and so-and-so-2 did [this] to you and the service person can’t be there til Friday at 4:00]”, so clearly, with all of that going on, happiness is just not an option.

I am in agreement with Mr. Singer when he writes, “It’s not a question of whether your happiness is under your control. Of course it’s under your control. It’s just that you don’t really mean it when you say you’re willing to stay happy. You want to qualify it. You want to say that as long as this doesn’t happen, or as long that that does happen, then you’re willing to be happy. That’s why it seems like it is out of your control. Any condition you create will limit your happiness. You simply aren’t going to be able to control things and keep them the way you want them.”

HMMMMMM.

So, Mr. Singer continues, “You have to give an unconditional answer. If you decide that you’re going to be happy from now on for the rest of you life, you will not only be happy, you will become enlightened”.

Is that question mark still on your forehead? Think of this as an attitude adjustment. On page 142, (Yes! All of this is on one page!), the author lets us know, “You don’t have to learn Sanskrit or read any scriptures. You don’t have to renounce the world. You just have to really mean it when you say that you choose to be happy. And you have to mean it regardless of what happens”.

Think about that. Does it truly matter deep down inside that so-an-so said this or did that? Or that the service man can’t be here till Friday at 4? You don’t have to be happy about those little inconveniences and annoyances, but that is really all they are. Inside, where it really matters, choose happiness. It will enlighten your life. And Lighten your days. 

In Wellness World we remind clients to choose health not illness through their nutrition and movement behaviors and lifestyle choices. Now, I am suggesting that you not only choose health, but also choose to be happy.

Take a deep inhale of positive energy.

Exhale all the negativity.

And choose to be happy.

Bev@HealingWatersSolutions.com.

Hypnotherapy, Life Coaching, Health and Wellness Coaching.

That Thorn in Your (IN) Side

For the past few weeks I have been reading , “The Untethered Soul”, by Michael A. Singer, New Harbinger Publications, Inc., and recommending this book to friends, family, and clients. You may even be one of them:). For me, this book is to be read slowly, digested even more slowly, and absorbed. Yes, I am loving it and loving the small group with whom I have the privilege of discussing it weekly.

As I began to read today, I only reached the second paragraph of chapter 9 (page 81) when I sat back knowing this metaphor is for everyone and I must share it! And, Yes, including in these Covid times. The Chapter, “Removing Your Inner Thorn”, begins with the familiar, “in order to grow, you must give up the struggle to remain the same, and learn to embrace change……”. Same old, same old. But then came the metaphor:

“Imagine that you have a thorn in your arm that directly touches a nerve. When the thorn is touched, it’s very painful. Because it hurts so much, the thorn is a serious problem. It’s difficult to sleep because you roll over on it. It’s hard to get close to people because they might touch it. It makes your daily life very difficult. You can’t even go for a walk in the woods because you might brush the thorn against the branches. This thorn is a constant source of disturbance, and to solve the problem, you only have two choices”. (page 81).

To paraphrase those two choices offered by the author: You can adapt your entire life to making sure nothing touches this thorn which may include thinning the branches along your [life] path so you can walk, finding a bed in which you can sleep, building an apparatus you can wear to protect you from hugging and other activities of daily life, and certainly not letting any one close enough to touch you. You must build your whole life around protecting yourself and this thorn which is running every aspect of your life. (Are you picking up the metaphor yet?…..Think fear, phobia, anxiety, stressor).

Or, since this thorn is, “so disturbing when things touch the thorn, you need to take it out”, (page 82). This “core-level, structural decision….will determine the course of the rest of your life”.

Is your fear, habit, loneliness, phobia, anxiety, stressor causing you pain and disturbance in all aspects of your life? Are you “walking around with lots of thorns touching right against the most sensitive parts of [your] heart? [Knowing] at any moment something can touch them and cause pain inside”? (page 83).

Taking control of YOUR thorn, your emotions, and identifying the root of this thorn is within your reach. Learn to manage the reason YOUR thorn exists, AND its manifestations. Taking control of your thorn is an approachable, active process that simply requires determination and a bit of help.

Let’s explore the power of Healing Waters HypnoFusion, Life Coaching, and Wellness to eliminate your thorn!

Bev@HealingWatersSolutions.com

Cleveland Clinic Study: "Rise in Broken Heart Syndrome Caused by Increased stress of coronavirus"

https://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/2020/07/cleveland-clinic-study-rise-in-broken-heart-syndrome-caused-by-increased-stress-of-coronavirus-pandemic.html

Cleveland Clinic Study:  Rise in Broken Heart Syndrome Caused by Increased stress of coronavirus

As a survivor of Broken Heart Syndrome, AKA Takatsubo Syndrome, I am especially aware of the the impact of stress and the susceptibility this syndrome.

7 years ago, following the deaths of my parents, I believed I was managing my stress well.  That Saturday morning, I walked into the yoga studio for a class, and my heart stopped.  I was not breathing.  Dr. Michael Faulx of The Cleveland Clinic diagnosed my Broken Heart Syndrome, and my life changed.  I now devote myself to helping others prevent the devastating and potentially fatal impact of stress.

Please schedule your face-to-face or remote HypnoFusion™ appointment. Using a customized blend of Clinical Hypnotherapy, Life Coach, Health and Wellness Coaching, you will learn to manage your stress before it manages your life.

Bev@HealingWatersSolutions.com

440-346-2630

CoronaPhobia

Warm Greetings! 

As the impact of the pandemic continues, I am anxious to help you, your friends, and family members manage stress and stress related habits.  As you know, I have been successfully treating clients for stress and their stress related habits for four years.  

Along with other symptoms of COVID, this pandemic has brought with it higher stress levels and new sources of stress that I am calling “CoronaPhobia”.  I am currently offering a summer special to reach out to your friends and family members, people who may be suffering the ripple effects of stress.  

The effects of stress manifest in physical and emotional symptoms as well as habits. Currently, many people we know and love are afraid to leave home, afraid to shop, afraid to visit the doctor.  What we are dealing with in this crisis is uncertainty.…uncertainty driven by the “definitive” directions offered by public health professionals and the magnification of this confusion on social media and in the press.  This forces people to make decisions based on imperfect and wildly varied interpretations of the data associated with the pandemic.  A simple example; some people are afraid to wear a mask and afraid not to wear one. 

We are seeing the manifestations of added stress including annoying habits that are worsening, whether the habit is drinking, nail biting, eating too much or too often, smoking or other substance abuse, sleep issues, and so on.  Sometimes the underlying or root cause of the stress is fear of Covid.  For others, their own original root cause has been aggravated by the pandemic.  No matter what the root cause, the current situation has created more than the normal range of life stressors. 

The key to surviving this time is to surround yourself with an aura of peace and self-reliance.  The way forward is the way you can and should create  by taking charge of your reactions to the current world situation and, therefore, making your response self-supportive, not self- destructive.  

For each of your referrals who sees me for a Hypnotherapy, HypnoFusion™, Life Coaching, or wellness coaching session, you will receive ½ off your next session. 

I look forward to working with you soon, and to helping your loved ones.  Be safe, be healthy!

Warmly and Healthfully Yours, 

Bev.

What Will You Miss When It's Over

There are now many new questions added to our conversation lexicon since Social Distancing began. Among them, “What do you miss?”. Last night, my recently divorced friend who has been living alone and working all in the same space, 24 hours a day, within her new home for the past several weeks said, “I just want to hug someone”. A friend with 6 kids all underfoot right now, “just want(s) some quiet”. And I continue to ask my original question, “What are we supposed to learn from this?”. The answers expand each day. Now I find myself asking, “What will YOU miss when it’s over?”.

Our lives have changed. I miss seeing my clients in person, hugging them “hello”, and working through their stress, their habits. I miss helping my clients make the changes that enrich and enhance their lives. I look forward to seeing clients face-to-face again. I miss gatherings and family time. I miss friends stopping by, and I miss sharing meals with friends and family. But I have answers to my new question, too.

I believe I will miss the new pace to life. I have time for a full workout every morning followed by a healthy breakfast. I have time to catch-up with my friends, share virtual cocktail and dinner hours, and catch-up on those nagging home projects. I can start cleaning out a drawer and finish it! That’s all nice. But, most of all I will miss the daily Zoom/Facetime chats with my grandchildren. When the phone rings early each morning and my 2 1/2 year old grandson is showing me which books he is ready to read together, my heart soars! He sits, almost quietly, as we share 4 or 5 books and start our day together.

And in the evenings, my 1 year old granddaughter “calls” and we play Peek-a-boo and practice any of the new things she’s learned that day including, “where’s your nose? Where is your belly?”. I watch her playing with toys, learning to kick her new soccer ball, and running through her playroom. And my heart sings!

So, I believe I am actually answering the question I have been asking since “This” began: “What are we supposed to learn from this?”. One of our lessons is perhaps to take the time and make the time to share and celebrate. Break out of the old patterns, and build some new ones.

My deep hope is that when “this is over” (whatever that means), I will spend time each day reading to my grandson, and as my other grandchildren are ready, we, too, will read together using digital technology that allows time together when space and distance do not. Maybe occasionally even on a Zoom conference call with everyone together sharing a book. Ahhhh…..my heart is filled.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Blessed beyond my NDE

Today, I am blessed to be here, able to start my day with Paul. I am blessed to have enjoyed a 30 minute ride on the Peloton, followed by breakfast (chia pudding with wild blueberries), a wonderful shower with lavender shower gel, and as part of my celebration, blessed to eat 1/2 of a homemade bagel I made yesterday. I found myself wandering around the house feeling joy, stepping outside to inhale the fresh air, celebrating the sunshine, looking with wonder at the Spring greenery happening outside, and watching the construction trucks outside my window wishing my grandson was here to feel the house shake when they pound the concrete.

Today, I am blessed to celebrate 7 years since my Near Death Experience took me to Heaven. 7 years since I was blessed with conversation with and guidance from my parents and other friends and ancestors there. Everyday I stop to appreciate Lori who stopped, dropped, and performed the CPR that kept me alive. Everyday, I stop and appreciate the love of family and friends who continue to support me. Everyday, I climb onto the Peloton grateful to be here even as the trainer shouts, “What’s up Peloton”, and promises a challenging ride over which I can “take authority”, and I do.

And everyday I, without fail, I stop. And I am grateful for the incredible blessings of the past 7 years.

Since that day, April 20, 2013, all four of my sons have married and I am blessed with 4 amazing daughters-in-law. Everyday, I celebrate the blessings of my fabulous, amazing, wondrous, indescribable grandchildren: 1 grandson, 3 granddaughters, and 2 babies on the way.

Since that day, I went on a mission to help others manage their stress before it manages their lives as mine did to me. I trained for and earned certifications in Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapy, Health and Wellness Coaching, Life Coaching, Plant Based Living, and Yoga (HypnoFusion™), and am blessed to work with so many, blessed to have the skills to help my clients manage their stress, manage their symptoms of stress, and get out of their own way.

Yes. I am Blessed. Blessed beyond my NDE.

Sending you joy and love.

Stress Pandemic

Greetings!

As I virtually hugged my client good-bye a few weeks ago, knowing we would next meet via a digital platform for the foreseeable future, we shared a laugh about post-lockdown clients needing to readjust to freedom following what we now call “social-distancing”. Back then, (when was that anyway?), it didn’t yet have a name, a description, any standardized rules, or any prediction of what was about to happen. I did expect that after even a week of chosen or government regulated social isolation, people were going to be challenged with re-entering their world. And “back then”, I didn’t even know grocery shopping would be the job of the family “hunter and gatherer”, restaurants would be closed except for carryout, movie theaters would temporarily be a fond memory, and dinner parties and cocktails with friends would happen over Zoom. Since then, I have spent considerable time preparing to help my clients manage their stress and resume their lives.

Because, here we are a few weeks later. Friends need to think about what day it is. No one seems to know how long this has gone on or when exactly it began. There is some panic about haircuts, hair color, and manicures. Everyone I have talked with has toilet paper, but is running low on scarce paper towels.

And I continue to ask, “What are we going to learn from this?”. My friends and colleagues are a creative and amusing collection of people. The first suggested lesson was that we all need Bidets to eradicate or reduce the toilet paper panic. We have all noticed the pollution reduction; I had to move my car today and it hadn’t been started in 5 weeks!. We are connecting with others intentionally through phone calls and digital media. We have redefined safety. Our new sign-off greeting is, “Be safe”, and that doesn’t mean drive safely, or be careful on the ice. Thriving and surviving include acquiring and using masks and gloves, and knowing how to manage bringing groceries and packages into the house. Celebrations are all new. I am reminded of the Carousel of Progress at the New York World’s Fair and then at Disney parks as we watched families celebrate birthdays remotely through television screens. They were on different planets, but the concept is the same. Now we wave through windows, sing Happy Birthday through telephones, (AND sing Happy Birthday as we wash our hands!).

In our family, we are eagerly anticipating new babies. Even as we wonder about gender, we wonder who will be permitted in the delivery room with Mom, and when Dad will meet his newborn.

We are indeed in the midst of a stress pandemic. And nowhere in this blog have I even addressed the elephant in the room, Covid 19, the illness, the loss of loved ones, the recovery, the future. How are we going to manage the stress of reentry?

I have committed to positive personal empowerment. Internally, I am maintaining a positive attitude, choosing to seek things that bring joy and avoiding pain. Externally, I am projecting my smile, my positive attitude, my enjoyment of this “Staycation”, and working to make the most of it. We are exercising daily, cooking very healthy meals, hugging the family furry kids ALOT, enjoying friends and family via Zoom. And my BFF and I are planning to go into mask production for those we love and anyone who needs a homemade mask.

How are you managing our new reality? Are you ready for the next reality of reentering our new world. Healing Waters HypnoFusion™ and Wellness is here and ready to guide you. It is our mission to help you manage your stress and get out of your own way. Call (440-346-2630) or write (Bev@HealingWatersSolutions.com) to schedule YOUR release from stress.

Namaste’.

Dystopia is supposed to be a genre, not a lifestyle!

Dystopia is supposed to be a genre, not a lifestyle! Our current situation is actually driven by an abundance of caution. We are collectively responding to the demand the pandemic would create on our hospitals and health care system if the people who are most at risk actually were affected. For most of us, it would be a gentle flu. For people with compromised immune systems and/or compromised lung health, it can be more serious.

So, we are all social distancing ourselves to keep the compromised well. And maybe that IS the lesson here: we are inconveniencing ourselves for the benefit of others.

In the meantime, pull out your list of things you can’t usually get to and use your time for those. (I keep trying to get to other projects, but somehow I keep cooking instead:). But, I DO plan to “finish” my crochet projects. I think there are 8 active at the moment!:)

What do YOU remember about the last pandemic?

I have been asking that question of clients and others. The answers range from, “It was a hundred years ago, right?”, to “has there ever been a pandemic?. It thought this is the first one.” Okay, I confess, I researched it and was quite surprised to learn it was in 2009, and the culprit was H1N1. I remember that one. I remember that we were part of the summer camp team at the airport taking temperatures of the campers before they were sent away to summer camp. And I remember that my son, a summer camp division supervisor, spent some of that summer with the quarantined campers who needed to be fed and entertained. After all, they were at summer camp, and they were supposed to be having fun. And I definately do not remember feeling panic.

When I told my “clients and others” that it was H1N1, each person remembered it, but no one remembered it being called a “pandemic”. And no one remembered it with the minute-by-minute angst or panic that is invading us now. “Why is it different this time?”, they asked me.

The answer: STRESS.

In 2009, we were in the “Great Recession”, with a new president, and 9-10% unemployment. That was stressful.

But somehow, the 2020 stress is more epic. Politically, we are in the midst of nominating a presidential candidate. We are in a bad flu season, types A and B, and we learned the vaccine is not flawless. The Corona Virus is shutting down businesses, schools, public gatherings. In 2020, our baseline stress is just higher than it was in 2009. We are already on edge; every new detail stresses us out more. I am calling it the “stress index” and it is high.

So, in my mission to help you manage your stress, I am going to remind you of YOUR role in all of this.

FOR OTHERS: Wash your hands. Keep all surfaces in your home and work environments clean. Sneeze and cough into your elbow, and wash those garments. If you feel ill, stay home, and don’t invite others in.

FOR YOU: Wash your hands. Keep your environment clean. If you suspect someone is ill, you are probably right. Turn the other way when someone coughs and/sneezes. And B R E A T H E! You need to lower your own stress index.

B R E A T H E! Inhale through your nose for the count of 3. Exhale, as if you are blowing into a straw, for the count of 5. And if you have been practicing that, move to 4/8 breathing: Inhale for 4, exhale for 8. Repeat at least 4 times.

Stay well!

Namaste’.

Don't touch that dial.....or door handle. Or....

My dear friend, a nurse, assures me this is just common sense. But with the rapid spread of flu surrounding us, I believe another reminder won’t hurt. I would like to add, though, that this common sense behavior is for all the time, not just in the middle of “flu season”.

It’s all about personal hygiene. Keep your hands clean. Keep all of the surfaces at home or work clean. Sneeze into your elbow. If you are feeling unwell, stay home and don’t invite others in. If you don’t feel well, don’t travel. When you take care of yourself, you incidentally take care of others around you. The problem is, that it is the simple stuff that keeps us safe, and it is the simple stuff some are forgetting/neglecting to do.

My beautiful Grammy would be 120 years old this year and she taught us early to turn around and walk the other way when someone coughs or sneezes. Never, never lick your fingers when serving food. You can wait to taste. And it doesn’t matter if you “feel fine”. Just wipe your fingers on a napkin. We still obey.

And when you touch that dial, or handle someone’s phone, use common exercise equipment, use the handrail on stairs or escalators, or open any door, including but not exclusive to public restrooms, wash your hands! Be aware of your surroundings. And no matter what, keeps your hands away from your face.

And of course, B R E A T H E. Inhale through your nose for the count of 3. SLOWLY exhale through your mouth for the count of 5.

Namaste’.

Where is your Happy Place?

As we begin a Hypnotherapy session, I ask my clients to tell me about their most relaxing place, their “happy place”. Is it at home? Away? On the Beach? In the Mountains? Where is YOUR most relaxing, happy place?

Today, when you find yourself in one of those moments in which the stress or anxiety is ramping up, or even your need to grab that cookie or cigarette is getting the best of you, take a deep breath in through your nose to the count of three, pause, smile, and exhale through your mouth slowly to the count of 5. On your next inhale, imagine you are in that “Happy Place”. Using 5 senses, imagine what you see in that place. What sounds do you hear? As you exhale, imagine the tastes and the aromas of this place. If your place is outside, imagine the feeling of the sun warming you head to toe, and the beautiful, gentle breeze.

And notice your smile…….

Have a wonderful day!

It is time to manage your Stress and get out of your own way!:)

Hi!

I am Bev Waters Shankman, and I am the founder of Healing Waters HypnoFusion ™and Wellness.  I will explain HypnoFusion™ in a moment.

I spent my career in Business Development using Wellness and teaching personal responsibility for while health working with Cleveland Clinic and Medical Mutual.  

I left corporate America when high stress levels resulted in a stress based cardiac arrest, a near death experience, and my heart stopped at the yoga studio. 

Fortunately, I did not have any damage to my heart;  not before and not after.  It was high levels of the stress hormone Cortisol that stopped my heart.

I realized then that the best service I can provide to my community is to help others manage their own stress before it manages their lives or kills them, too.  I focus my practice on stress management, stress reduction, and stress elimination. 

My friends and family sometimes call me the Home Depot of Wellness because of the tools in my HypnoFusion™ tool kit.  I developed that tool kit for very solid reasons, both professional and personal. The tools in my tool kit give you and my clients the control you need over your health and wellness.

1.     My tool kit  includes:

2.     Master of Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapy

3.     Certified Life Coach

4.     Certified Health and Wellness Coach.

5.     Certification in Yoga and Plant Based Living and very well trained in EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) which you may know as Tapping. 

6.     I combine all of these into HypnoFusion™.

My approach is client centered and individualized.  I work one-on-one with the person in my chair.  It is a completely individualized approach using whichever combination of my tools help that person make the change needed in an exciting way, with a positive outcome. 

My clients overcome what some may see as insurmountable.  Through HypnoFusion™, we make it possible.  

My clients have stopped smoking, lost weight, stopped nail biting, lowered their heart rate, reduced their anxiety.  And all of this with just a few visits. 

You, and /or someone you love, is likely dealing with a symptom, habit, fear, phobia, anxiety, pain.  Stop for a moment and recognize that your symptom, whether it is a headache or smoking, rash or nail biting, fear of dogs, and so on as a manifestation of your  STRESS.  My approach through HypnoFusion™ is to help you recognize your symptom as a manifestation  of your stress, determine the root cause of your stress, and together use the tools in my tool kit  to manage that root cause.  The symptom takes care of itself.

I look forward to working with you as you manage your stress and get out of your own way! (440-346-2630)

Warmly,

Bev

Spring Into YOUR "New Year's Resolutions"!

Greetings and Happy Almost Spring!

You may be relaxing into this year that is now about 75 days old.  And you may have left your New Year’s Resolutions behind you in the dust of winter. But as you stretch into Spring and begin to enjoy the newness of this season, let’s dig out those New Year’s goals.

Sometime between January 1 and now, I learned that it is appropriate to continue saying “Happy New Year” until you’ve reached everyone you know!  And I believe that New Year’s resolutions should enjoy the same latitude; ie, who said they begin January 1 and once we break them we need to wait a whole year to start again?  Honestly, I am pretty sure I compromised my resolution about cutting out processed sugar right there at midnight with the lovely little chunk of sweet handed to me to ring in a sweet new year!  So, let’s press that rewind button and start over, shall we?

What were YOUR new year resolutions (NYR)?    At Healing Waters, we committed to New Year’s Resolutions that will REDUCE STRESS and ENHANCE WELLNESS.  But, it all comes back to wellness, doesn’t it?  The habits you may have resolved to change such as smoking, overeating, panic attacks and fears may be caused by stress, and failed attempts to change them just enhances stress. Even if your resolutions are about getting rid of the clutter, whether in your basement or on your phone or computer or anywhere else, that clutter is causing stress.  (Like the stress I endured last night when I walked into a dark room and had a close encounter first with my suitcase and then with the floor! Fortunately, all of the stretching I’ve learned on my wellness journey paid off well and nothing hurts today!). 

Hypnotherapy in an individual, customized program that we call HypnoFusion™ at Healing Waters, is a great approach to Stress.  It is our goal to help you recognize the symptom of your stress which may show up as smoking or other addiction, food use, anxiety, habit, mood, and so on, and then work with you to manage not just the symptom, but the root cause. HypnoFusion™ can include Hypnotherapy, wellness coaching, health coaching, Tapping, Yoga poses, and more, depending on what works best for you!  

Was your NYR diet based? Have you resolved to drink more water? Remember, according to water.usgs.gov, “Up to 60% of the human adult body is water.  According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water.  The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31% Jul 23, 2018”.  So, if we are about 2/3 water, how much water should you be drinking?  And why are we hinting that a water resolution would be a good place to start?

Good Question!:).  We need to stay hydrated for our digestion, our heart health and circulation, and brain function.  According to bbcgoodfood.com, “losing as little as 1% of your body weight in fluid may reduce mental performance, as well as potentially inducing fatigue and headache”.   Being dehydrated “can also affect our mood and mental wellbeing” including energy levels, cognition and emotions.  And we all know that dehydration impacts our ability to exercise well.  You may even know someone who passed out on a hot day due to dehydration.  Drink Up!

My friend in Florida reminds us to, “Pay attention to your body!  Hear those messages and act on them”.  The signs of dehydration are lethargy, dizziness, dry mouth, and dry lips. And a loud and clear sign is the color of your urine.  Your goal is urine that is light yellow to clear.  Darker yellow is that sign from your body that it is not hydrated and is at risk!  Other signs of thirst include headaches, exhaustion, lack of sweat, dry eyes, and sometimes, when we feel hungry, we are actually thirsty!  I will say it again, Drink Up!

The “How much?” question is not as easy to answer.  It IS more than the 8 cups we’ve been told.  And it does NOT include coffee.  It does depend on your health, age, size, weight, where you live, your activity level, and more.  According to WebMD  A good rule of thumb is a half-ounce to ounce of water per pound of weight.  Drink often throughout the day, pay attention to what your body is telling you and, when you notice any of those signs of dehydration, DRINK UP!

We are so hopeful that your 2019 is off to a great start, and we are confident that staying hydrated and paying attention to your body will make it an even better year!

For help with your journey to wellness: Bev@HealingWatersSolutions.com