Wellness: Craving connection

Creemore had two awesome wellness events on June 7 and 8 – the Creemore Kindness Festival and the Community Healing Collective Wellness Day. Over 200 people came out to experience these events, and we raised $450 for the Clearview Community Food Bank.

The Kindness Festival was all about celebrating kindness to ourselves, our community, and the planet.

The Community Healing Collective Wellness Day brought together a variety of exhibitors from the healing arts, offering everything from holistic therapies to wellness practices aimed at supporting mind, body, and spirit.

I was part of both events, and what really stood out to me was how much people are craving real connection. While giving out free hugs at the Kindness Festival many folks said, “Yes, please. I really need a hug.” It felt healing to both give and receive hugs. Turns out, hugs activate the vagus nerve, which helps switch on our calm, rest-and- recover mode. Hugs also boost feel-good hormones like oxytocin and serotonin. Huggers and the hugged walked away feeling more relaxed and connected.

There’s a lot of heavy, overwhelming, stressful energy in the world right now, and it’s definitely affecting a lot of us. When stress takes over, our nervous system goes into overdrive—cue anxiety, racing thoughts, sleepless nights, and things like too much drinking, binge-watching, or getting lost in our phones to escape. These strategies feel good in the short term but don’t really help out bodies switch into calm mode.

To relax and heal, we need to activate our parasympathetic nervous system or calming system. When activated the parasympathetic nervous system helps your body rest, relax, and recover. You feel safe and calm. Your heart rate slows and stress is truly eased.

Here are some of my top strategies to activate your parasympathetic (calming) system:

Walk barefoot outside – This simple practice, called grounding or earthing, helps you connect with the Earth’s natural energy. Check out the documentary “The Earthing Movie” on YouTube.

Be mindful of what you’re taking in. Not just food, but also what you see and hear. I stopped watching the news over 15 years ago and steer clear of violent or aggressive music and media. I don’t feel out of the loop. I feel lighter and more free. Trust me, if something big happens in the world you will hear about it.

Gratitude journalling – I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal for over four years. Every night I write down at least five things I’m thankful for, like nature and the people in my life. When I’m having a bad day my gratitude journal is a great reminder of beauty and abundance.

Digital detox – I accidentally ran over my phone recently. Pro tip: don’t leave it on your car roof and drive off! I was without a phone for five days. It was the most freeing experience I’ve had in awhile. I was more creative, carefree, and present. Try putting your phone away for a day and see how you change. 

Social connection – Reach out to trusted friends or family members. Having a safe place to air your feelings is a balm for your soul and allows others to feel helpful (which boosts their feel-good hormones). Petting four legged friends also helps reduce stress and promotes feelings of well-being. 

Touch your heart – I started doing this many years ago as a way to get out of my head. I rub my heart area clockwise with a flat hand to remind my body it doesn’t need to hold all this stress. My heart knows the way.