5 Essential Resources to Achieve Personal Well-Being

by Amanda Abella on November 14, 2010 · No Comments

Amanda in Santander, Spain

While I wouldn’t consider myself to be completely unhealthy, I did pick up some bad habits in college. Drinking, social smoking (sorry mom and dad), constant caffeine intake, procrastination, terrible cafeteria food, and the incessant urge to stay up all night just to name a few. Naturally, anything that was remotely healthy, like exercise, proper diet, going to a doctor when you are sick, and sometimes even sleep, were thrown out the window. By senior year I became so physically ill that I had to take a medical leave of absence for half a semester. To top it off, when I went back to finish up my last semester and write a thesis I had been hit with the worst case of anxiety I had ever experienced…and I hadn’t even dealt with what I was going to do AFTER college.

I graduated in one piece, but in just 4 years I could already feel that these habits had taken a toll on my body. And so, I decided to do something for myself for the first time in years: rest. This of course included moments of complete unrest as I ran to Europe with only a backpack and no plans, but when I got back I knew I had to focus getting myself together. I started focusing on my overall health and wellbeing (or at least more than I ever had before), and through some research and experience I compiled a list of resources that helped me achieve some personal well-being.

Feeling run down? 5 Resources to Achieve Personal Well-Being

1. YogaToday: The first time I did yoga was a year ago when I felt miserably ill. It was seriously the only thing that would calm my body enough so that I could sleep. In August 2010, I began trying to incorporate more yoga exercise into my life, and while I can’t do a headstand (yet) I can definitely feel the difference it has made to put my health first. I use YogaToday for my practice at home because it is beautiful, down to earth, and AFFORDABLE. I don’t know who said Yoga classes had to cost an arm a leg, but it is impossible to find some decently priced yoga classes in my city; that is why I am grateful that I found YogaToday. For 10 bucks a month you can enjoy over 200 classes with certified trainers in your own home. You can even enjoy a 2-week free trial by clicking here.

2. Meditation Oasis: For some reason people think that you have to be halfway to enlightenment to be able to meditate. If you are anything like me, then you just need a little help in being able to sit still for more than 3 minutes. Meditation Oasis provides FREE podcasts that will help you breathe and calm down whenever you are feeling overwhelmed.

3. TinyBuddha: If you need a little inspiration to get through a hardship then TinyBuddha is the place to go. This beautiful website offers simple, practical, and mindful advice written by health professionals, life coaches, and everyday people. There is also a section of inspirational quotes that you can take with you each day.

4. Zen Habits: One of my favorite blogs is Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits. With its simple and beautifully written articles, Zen Habits quickly became one of the most popular websites for minimalism and productivity. You can find great advice on anything from getting out of bed to eating healthy.

5. The Ethicurean: With the rising awareness of the dangers of conventional methods of growing food, many people have opted to organic, vegetarian, or raw vegan diets. The Ethicurean is very informative – you will learn anything from safety alerts to finding local markets. While I haven’t exactly adopted the vegetarian way of life, I do still find this website to be very useful when cooking my veggies.

If you would like more resources for a healthier life read 100 Essential Resources to Achieve Personal Well-Being.

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a freelance writer and language instructor based out of Miami, Florida. She has been writing professionally since 2009 and holds a degree in English Literature from Ave Maria University. Amanda Abella is available for freelance work, why not hire her?

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