New Year, New You!

Welcome to a New Year! The start of a fresh calendar always inspires a fresh beginning for health and wellness. It's a great time to get focussed on improving yourself on the inside and out. And at Toms River Family Dental, we definitely support that. We believe that self-improvement is a key component to overall happiness. 

Recently, the Huffington Post asked their fans on Facebook and Twitter to submit their goals for improving themselves in the new year. In this article, they shared the top 5 submissions. And today, we will share those with you too, along with one we've added ourselves (we couldn't resist). So here are the 6 tips for 2014 self-improvement...

1. Meditate more. Meditation has been around since the dawn of time. It's been proven to help your immune system, lower blood pressure, and enhance concentration. A great habit to get into, it's a calming way to center yourself on a daily basis.

2. Stay in 'the today'. Being in the moment is a great way to live day-by-day. Staying the moment can help create gratitude for the little things in life that may otherwise have passed you by.

3. Be more Optimistic. Everybody can feel the difference between a positive and negative perspective on the same subject. Taking an optimistic approach and attitude always makes a huge difference, especially in your emotional well-being and overall state-of-mind. 

4. Do yoga. Getting in the habit of practicing yoga (even if it's at home for 10 minutes a day) can make a huge difference in your life. Aside from increasing your strength and flexibility, it can also lower your blood pressure and risk for heart disease.

5. Take a break from online. We understand how addicting it can be to stare at a screen every moment- whether it be a computer screen or your phone. But the truth is, it's easy to waste time and not stay in the moment when so much of your life is spent surfing the web. So designate certain times of the day to be "offline times" and try to stick to it.

6. Keep your mouth healthy. This one is our addition to the Huffington Post list, and we simply couldn't resist. Having a clean, healthy mouth affects not only the way you look on the outside, but how you feel on the inside. Your oral health is directly linked to your overall health, and coming in for cleanings regularly plus brushing and flossing at home will make the difference!