Usually in this section, you would find an article about a particular health-related topic that you might learn from or feel inspired by. We admit it is an unusual recurring section to have coming from your financial advisor's newsletter, but we believe health in its various forms- physical, mental, spiritual - can be viewed as a kind of wealth in itself.
Health is a priority we have incorporated into our day-to-day GTS Financial office culture. We each have one planned 'workout day' per week where the expectation is to come to the office an hour later after we get in a good sweat. We share something we are grateful for at the start of every Monday morning meeting, and we aim to take regular team walks on the parking garage roof over lunch (or now that it is cold outside, we have moved to climbing stairs!)
For the month of January, we decided we'd like to collectively carve out some time each week to get a healthy head start to the new year and we invite you to join us!
We don't think we are alone in our growth mindset to always be seeking ways to improve, so we thought it might be fun to challenge you to prioritize health this month. Who knows, maybe it will spark some ideas to creatively incorporate some new healthy activities in your life too!
Week 1 Challenge: Gratitude
To kick things off, we are prioritizing Gratitude. Besides being the first of our GTS Core Values, we know that regular gratitude practice leads to greater happiness and health. Therefore, every day this week we will be taking a pause to partake in some guided gratitude journaling. If you haven't already done our 7-Day Gratitude Challenge, feel free to pull out that GTS Financial Gratitude Journal we sent you and give it a try!
What to do: Write down 3 things you are grateful for at the start of each day.
Week 2 Challenge: Physical Health
The following week we will turn to our physical health. While we all have preferred modes of exercise that we try to incorporate into our routines, we thought a yoga session before the start of a workday would be a great activity to challenge our strength, flexibility, and focus.
What to do: Try to move for at least 20 minutes at the start of each day.
Here are two (free!) resources to check out if you need some guidance:
(She has several different videos, browse for one that inspires you or take her 30 day Move challenge)
(Dealing with aches or pains in certain places? Check out the [P]rehab "guys" for some potential ways to help!)
Week 3 Challenge: Service
Our emphasis in week three will be our third GTS Core Value, Service. We will be partnering with The Sandwich Project of Minnesota to make and pack hundreds of sandwiches that will be delivered to those in need in our community. While on its surface this might not look like a 'self-care' activity, if you read our October 2021 Newsletter article, Volunteering for Mental Health, you'd agree that volunteering is as good for you as it is for the people you serve!
What to do: Find a local volunteering opportunity to give back to your community.
Week 4 Challenge: Mindfulness
Finally, in week 4 we will highlight Mindfulness. We will be trying some mindfulness exercises to center our attention on the present, without judgment. Regular practices in mindfulness can help us to focus our attention, increase our ability to regulate emotions, and decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.3 Even just learning the basics together should help build a framework for us to continue honing this skill in our everyday lives.
What to do: Try one of the many mindfulness apps out there and meditate at least 10 minutes on 5 days this week.
Looking for a few suggestions? Here are a few of our favs:
- Headspace (Smart phone app)
- Calm (Smart phone app)
- Meditate with PetitBamBou (Smart phone app)
- Great Meditation (YouTube)
We know that being the best versions of ourselves will help us put our best foot forward in the way we serve our clients, so expect great things from your healthy GTS Financial team in 2022! If you've joined us in this challenge, please let us know! We'll be happy to cheer you on.