Wellness Wednesday Issue #57

The Assist Newsletter
January 30, 2024
Wellness Wednesday inspiring quote.

FOR THE MIND

Building Confidence With Affirmations

 

As February ushers in the shortest month but seemingly longest stretch of winter, our confidence and self-esteem often wane right along with our energy stores. Dark skies, freezing temps, and post-holiday let downs chip away at how we regard our abilities and worthiness of pursuing big goals.

Rather than spiraling into doubts and playing small, try declaring empowering affirmations each morning to take control of negative self-talk narratives.

Affirmations work by overriding our default mental critiques with conscious words and thoughts that boost confidence, self-love and belief in our inner resources.

Here’s how to make affirmations work for you:

  • Write down 5-10 affirmations reflecting your core values, strengths and goals.
    Example: “I am creative and determined. My ideas enrich the world.”
    ⭐ Bonus: Check out these examples of work-specific affirmations
  • Repeat affirmations aloud while looking at yourself in the mirror to amp up their power. Hear and see yourself claiming these truths.
  • Post reminders of affirmations (like a positivity wall) around your home and office to guide daily thoughts and behaviors.
  • When faced with challenges that trigger self-criticism or limiting beliefs, combat them with louder affirmations.

Wielding empowering affirmations trains your brain to highlight your strengths, worthiness and potential. You’ve got this.

Tell yourself that as much as possible!

TOGETHER WITH ASSEMBLY

Assembly: AI-powered engagement that doesn’t stop at recognition and rewards

 

Assembly

Check out our friends at Assembly — the AI-powered platform that makes engagement effortless and heartfelt.

Why we ❤️ Assembly:

  • Boosts morale and retention up 30% with hundreds of culture initiatives, from recognition and challenges to announcements and anonymous suggestions.
  • Streamlines recognition, rewards, internal communication, and collaboration to build a culture where employees won’t want to leave.
  • Makes culture personal with a vast rewards catalog, including gift cards, swag, culture rewards, discounts, and charity donations.
  • Reveals powerful analytics enabling managers to gain insights into company sentiment.
Build a workplace culture where employees feel valued, appreciated, and connected with Assembly.

Book a Demo With a Culture Expert Today!

P.S. If you book a demo (and want to support us!), tell ’em we sent you 😊.

FOR THE BODY

Make ❤️ Health Your February Focus

 

Did you know? February marks American Heart Month, making it the ideal time to show your ticker some extra TLC.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women in the United States. But the good news is that making positive lifestyle changes can significantly lower your risk.

This February, take action to celebrate stronger heart health with these practical tips:

Heart Health Tips

Know Your Numbers: Schedule an appointment with your doctor to check blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and body mass index (BMI). Detecting any risks early is key for prevention and treatment.

Prioritize Nutrition: Adopting a heart-healthy diet provides major benefits. Emphasize unsaturated fats, fiber-rich fruits and veggies, whole grains, legumes, fish and lean protein. Limit sugar, salt, processed foods and saturated/trans fats.

Increase Activity: Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity, plus muscle-strengthening twice weekly. Going for regular walks checks both boxes! Even small bursts of movement daily make a big difference.

Lose Extra Weight: If you have excess body fat, losing just 5-10% of your weight can significantly reduce heart disease risks. Consult your doctor to develop reasonable goals.

Monitor Emotional Health: Chronic stress negatively impacts heart health. Make time for stress relief through relaxing bubble baths, soothing music, meditation, massage and other self-care rituals.

Improve Sleep Habits: Poor sleep heightens risk for obesity, high blood pressure and inflammation. Developing good sleep hygiene helps ensure you get 7-9 hours nightly.

Kick Unhealthy Habits: Quit smoking and limit alcohol intake, as both directly harm heart health. Consider vaping cessation programs or alcohol-free cocktail alternatives.

TOGETHER WITH PLANABLE

A User Friendly Social Media Scheduler

 

Planable

😩 Are you tired of the social media chaos, juggling posts, and constant last-minute edits?

Experience the Planable magic:

  • Seamless Collaboration: Teamwork made easy with a centralized hub for all your social media content. No more lost files or miscommunication.
  • 📅 Stress-Free Scheduling: Plan your posts ahead, and watch your social media strategy shine effortlessly.
  • 🧐 Error-Proof Approval: Get everyone on the same page with in-app approvals and comments.
  • 💡 Insightful Analytics: Gain powerful insights into your content performance.
  • 📈 Stay Ahead of Trends: Planable keeps you ahead in the ever-evolving social media landscape.

Join thousands of social media moguls just like you who’ve discovered the secret to social media success with Planable!

Try it for free today

FOR THE RELATIONSHIPS

A Budget Friendly Valentine’s Day

 

With all the elaborate Valentine’s Day promotions and pricey prix fixe menus, February 14th can quickly become a drain on your wallet.

However, creating special memories doesn’t require breaking the bank.

With a little forethought, you can whip up an intimate celebration focused on quality time without spending big bucks.

Here are some budget-friendly ways you can celebrate Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day:

  • Build the Perfect Picnic
    Pack a romantic picnic together – everyone brings an item.
    Raid the fridge and pantry to use what you already have on hand and keep costs low. Buying fancy chocolate-covered strawberries could run $30-40 but making your own with ingredients you have is essentially free.
    Spread a blanket at the park or by a fire and enjoy.
  • Wine and Design Night In
    Pick up an inexpensive canvas, paints and brushes. Look online or ask the store employee for easy design ideas to try. Open a nice bottle of wine you already have at home. Put on music and cozy up to paint together – no expensive couples painting class required.
  • Game Night In
    Order takeout from your favorite affordable restaurant.
    Break out board games and card games you have at home.
    Write down 10 getting-to-know-you questions for each other on slips of paper and trade taking turns answering between games.
  • Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
    Make three separate relationship-themed gratitude lists with 3 items on each then hide the lists all over your house and grounds.
    Trade off finding one item from your partner’s list at a time, then sharing out loud what you love about that quality in them when you reunite.
    Repeat until all three lists are found, then make a treat with ingredients you have.
  • Gift Sentimental Keepsakes
    Skip store bought cards and trinkets.
    Instead, present your partner with a customized spotify playlist of your songs, a photo book chronicling your relationship, a framed collage of ticket stubs from your first dates, or a blanket embroidered with special sayings.
    DIY presents show how well you know and adore each other.

It’s easy to go overboard spending on Valentine’s under pressure.

But focusing more on quality time and thoughtful gestures than draining your wallet for roses and chocolates helps make the day special.

Follow these creative, almost-free ways to celebrate affordably from home cooking a treat or crafting together.

FOR THE WALLET

Tax Prep Made Easy For Early Birds

 

Beating the tax season rush by preparing returns early delivers perks well beyond peace of mind.

The scramble crunch realistically spans January through April. But proactive taxpayers acting ahead build financial flexibility.

Here’s how early birds approach tax prep – plus tips taking the sting out of planning now before spring scramble sets in.

Gather Your Paper Trail
Compiling tax documentation as it comes available throughout the year expedites processing returns early.

Saving mortgage statements, expenses, charitable giving receipts, property tax invoices paid and other deductible items rather than tossing makes retrieval easy.

Also gather W2s, 1099s, and other income reporting forms for all household members dwarfing any last-minute data hunts.

Consider Tax Law Changes
Congress unleashed tweaks impacting returns this season through the Inflation Reduction Act.

Educate yourself on deductions for medical expenses, state & local taxes (SALT) capped, plus eligibility rules around credits for energy efficiency home upgrades or electric vehicles.

This way planning moves ahead accounting for any legal shifts before filings open.

Double Check You Have the Right Forms

Verify whether recent life changes require additional reporting requirements that catch many Americans off guard.

New parents claim dependents differently, marriage or divorce warrant name change notifications, and major income shifts between multiple jobs may necessitate extra income reconciliation forms.

Act early flagging what supplementary documents get included alongside the traditional W2 to maximize refunds you legally qualify for.

Choose DIY or CPA Filing
Sort whether you’ll self file using reputable tax software yourself or tap professional accounting services to outsource the work.

Complex earnings like freelance or rental income often make CPAs worthwhile.

Weigh investing in expert support against your tax situation and budget – paying for an extra pair of eyes provides peace of mind avoiding easily overlooked errors.

Open a Rewards Savings Account

Savvy savers open high-yield savings accounts specifically paying early tax refund interest.

Although the IRS issues returns chronologically, e-filers receiving payments via direct deposit historically collect cash the quickest.

That means those submitting first may gain access within 21 days of IRS acceptance while backlogged returns linger through summer. Earning over 3% interest rewards discipline.

Regardless what this tax season holds for your household, acting early allows more time adjusting income and deductions intentionally.

Get ahead of the spring rush now by gathering all documentation, confirming forms needed, selecting DIY-versus-CPA filing, understanding legal changes and opening refund savings accounts.

Streamline the process so your return proves swift and stress-free.

STAFF PICKS

Stuff we’re loving right now

 

👌 If you’re looking to create effective landing pages for your product or service, check out Unbounce. The UX is pretty intuitive and you can create variations to A/B test, or utilize their “Smart Traffic” feature to automatically direct traffic to the winning page over time.

🎁 Heads up — Employee Appreciation Day is on March 1st! That may seem like a long time from now, but when you’re trying to get gifts for teams, now’s the time to lock it up. Check out some of our fave employee gift ideas.

🔪 This veggie chopper is really the bomb. It’ll save you so much time and covers your main chopping needs (a small dice, large dice, spiral blade, & ribbon blade). Bonus points for being on sale.

📖  Though The Effective Executive was published nearly 60 years ago, the business wisdom shared in this book is unmatched. Don’t be fooled by the name either — if you’re looking to do the right things well, this book is for you.

BEFORE YOU GO

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