Category: Wellness

In today’s fast-paced world, stress, anxiety, and sleepless nights have become common struggles for many. With endless responsibilities and constant distractions, finding peace and balance can seem difficult. However, one simple practice has been shown to offer profound benefits to both mental and physical well-being—gratitude. Practicing gratitude, or intentionally focusing on the things we’re thankful for, can greatly improve health, reduce stress, and significantly enhance the quality of sleep.

Let’s explore the science behind gratitude and why incorporating it into your daily life can lead to better health and deeper, more restful sleep.

1. Gratitude Lowers Stress and Anxiety

One of the most immediate effects of practicing gratitude is its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. When we’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious, our bodies release stress hormones like cortisol, which can have a negative impact on both mental and physical health. Over time, chronic stress can lead to issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and even a weakened immune system.

However, gratitude has the opposite effect. Focusing on the positive aspects of life shifts your attention away from worries and anxieties. When you take a moment to reflect on what you’re grateful for, your brain reduces the production of cortisol and instead releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. These hormones help regulate mood and promote a sense of calm.

This sense of calm is critical for getting a good night’s sleep. When you’re less anxious, it’s easier to relax both physically and mentally, allowing you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep throughout the night. By practicing gratitude regularly, you help train your brain to focus on positive thoughts rather than stressors, which can significantly improve sleep quality over time.

2. Gratitude Enhances Mood and Well-being

Gratitude doesn’t just reduce stress—it also elevates your mood and promotes emotional well-being. When you practice gratitude, you activate regions in the brain associated with pleasure, empathy, and social connection. Studies show that people who focus on gratitude tend to experience higher levels of happiness, satisfaction, and emotional stability.

The connection between gratitude and mood is crucial for better sleep. A positive mood throughout the day can lead to more peaceful sleep at night. On the flip side, feelings of frustration, sadness, or anxiety can contribute to insomnia or restless nights.

By making gratitude a daily habit, you can boost your overall outlook on life, making it easier to rest with a clear, positive mind. Writing in a gratitude journal before bed is an effective way to focus on the good things in your life and cultivate a mood that promotes restful sleep.

3. Gratitude Lowers Blood Pressure and Supports Heart Health

Gratitude is not only good for your mental health—it also benefits your physical body, particularly your heart. Research has shown that people who practice gratitude regularly experience lower blood pressure and healthier heart rates.

When your body is in a state of stress or worry, your heart rate increases, and blood pressure spikes. This is part of the “fight or flight” response, which can be harmful when experienced over long periods. By practicing gratitude, you can help counteract these effects by promoting relaxation and lowering your body’s stress response.

A healthy cardiovascular system is also essential for good sleep. When your body is calm and your blood pressure is regulated, it’s easier to relax at night and drift into deep, restorative sleep.

4. Gratitude Improves Sleep Quality

One of the most significant benefits of practicing gratitude is its direct impact on sleep quality. Studies have found that people who regularly practice gratitude tend to fall asleep faster, experience fewer sleep disturbances, and wake up feeling more refreshed.

Gratitude helps to clear the mind of negative or racing thoughts that often keep us awake at night. When you take time to reflect on the positive aspects of your day, it creates a sense of peace and contentment, making it easier to transition into sleep.

One effective strategy is to incorporate gratitude into your bedtime routine. For example, keeping a gratitude journal on your nightstand and writing down three things you’re thankful for each night before bed can help signal to your brain that it’s time to relax. By focusing on positive thoughts, you prepare your mind and body for a more restful sleep.

5. Gratitude Boosts the Immune System

Gratitude doesn’t just improve sleep and reduce stress—it can also boost your immune system. A growing body of research shows that people who regularly practice gratitude have stronger immune responses, making them less likely to fall ill and more resilient to everyday stressors.

This connection is likely due to the impact gratitude has on stress reduction. When you’re less stressed, your body can allocate more energy toward maintaining overall health, rather than constantly dealing with the harmful effects of chronic stress.

A strong immune system is also important for good sleep. When your body is healthy and functioning optimally, it’s easier to rest and recover during the night. Conversely, when your immune system is compromised, it can lead to sleep disruptions and a longer recovery time from illness.

6. Gratitude Fosters Emotional Resilience

Gratitude also promotes emotional resilience, helping you cope better with life’s challenges. When you focus on the things you’re thankful for, it becomes easier to bounce back from difficult situations. This positive mindset allows you to handle setbacks with grace and reduces the likelihood of becoming overwhelmed by negative emotions.

Emotional resilience is key to maintaining good sleep habits. When you’re able to navigate challenges without becoming consumed by stress, you’re less likely to experience sleepless nights. Practicing gratitude gives you the emotional tools to stay balanced and calm, even in the face of adversity.

7. Gratitude Creates a Positive Bedtime Routine

A great way to ensure better sleep is to establish a bedtime routine that includes gratitude. As mentioned earlier, keeping a gratitude journal is an effective method to focus your thoughts on the positive before going to bed. By taking just a few minutes each night to reflect on what went well during the day, you create a positive mental environment for rest.

This simple habit helps train your brain to associate bedtime with feelings of peace and contentment. Over time, your body will begin to recognize this routine as a signal that it’s time to wind down, making it easier to fall asleep.

Conclusion: Gratitude for Better Health and Sleep

Incorporating gratitude into your daily life can transform both your health and sleep. By reducing stress, improving mood, lowering blood pressure, boosting the immune system, and fostering emotional resilience, gratitude lays the foundation for better sleep and overall well-being.

If you’re struggling with sleepless nights or high levels of stress, consider starting a gratitude practice. Whether it’s writing in a journal, reflecting on positive moments before bed, or simply expressing thanks throughout the day, gratitude has the power to improve your life in meaningful ways. So, take a moment to be thankful—it could be the key to unlocking better health and sleep.

• Decreased blood pressure
• Decreased cholesterol levels
• Decreased triglyceride levels
• Decreased feelings of loneliness
• Increased opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities
• Increased opportunities for socialization

• Notice a neighbor with a lonely or barking dog? Offer to take it on a run or walk
• Volunteer at another animal shelter in town, such as the Bidwell Wildlife Rehabilitation
• Offer to pet-sit for a friend or family member
• Offer to throw a ball for a neighborhood pooch
• Volunteer with Meals on Wheels – they also help out senior-aged pets!
• Watch some cute pet videos on YouTube
• Live-stream pups and kittens at rescue centers (you’re welcome)

• 1 hike = 1 sticker
• 5 hikes = 1 koozie
• 12 hikes = 16 oz Klean Kanteen metal pint glass
• 25 hikes = trucker-style hat
• Black out (35 hikes) = day pack backpack

Next up in our Year of Good Sleep wellness series: art for better sleep!

Research shows time and time again art can play an influential role in reducing stress and promoting relaxation. It lowers cortisol levels, builds perspective, and increases coping abilities. Lower stress levels, in turn, leads to a more relaxed mind, less tossing and turning, and therefore an overall better quality of sleep.

Interestingly, good sleep can also lead to less stress: according to the National Sleep Foundation, “the brain chemicals connected with deep sleep are the same ones that tell the body to stop the production of stress hormones.”

We’re here for a good night’s sleep, so we asked Pat Macias, the Executive Director of monca (the Museum of Northern California Art) to get her expert opinions on how you can use art to get better zzzs.

First off, could you tell us a bit about monca and your own experience with art?

The idea for monca started in 2011, with a group of Butte County residents interested in showcasing great art. We did art pop-ups around town from 2011-2017, and then moved into the previous Veterans Memorial building on Esplanade, where we’ve been ever since. I personally am a printmaker by trade and degree and was an art teacher for 36 years in various cities across the US. I moved to Chico shortly after retiring and briefly worked as the director of the 1078 Art Gallery. Since then, I’ve been actively involved with monca!

You’ve clearly been exposed to many types of art over the years. What would you consider to be “art”?

Having taught all ages, I’ve definitely heard the “Oh, I can’t draw” or “that’s not art” fears from many students. Art gets this awful reputation of being elite or something only certain people can do. But that’s simply not true! Art is anything you can see or consider to be creative. Think about going on a walk and taking a picture with your phone–it’s art! The photo you took most likely includes principles of art you don’t even realize are artistic, like color compositions or shapes. You’ve framed it up with your phone lens, taken the picture, and voila–it becomes art.

In your experience, what are the benefits of creating art?

To me, it calms me down. If I am sitting and thinking, the physical part just calms down also. Another artist currently on display at monca recently shared: “I can be all riled up about something, and then I go into my studio, start my art, and my mind starts to focus on the art–not all the other stuff that’s happening around me.”

Art helps you find a solution to what’s coming next, and it might take you to another place in your mind where you get excited because you see a connection to what you’re doing or remind you of a peaceful memory or image.

Let’s talk about COVID-19. What are some ways art can help people cope with stressors from the pandemic?

It can help in three ways:

• Doing art: taking your mind off of anything else than what you’re doing at that moment.
• Reading about art: this is interesting way to see what other people have come up with
• Looking at art: In a book, magazine, or even Google. It might take you somewhere calming in your mind. (Bonus: here are some collections of calming pictures from Pinterest, Unsplash, YouTube, and artnet)

Great! Any specifics on some art projects we can try for “doing art”?

For Adults/Couples

• Draw a portrait of each other at the same time. Sit across the table from each other, use any medium you want, and see what comes up.
• Find shadows. Maybe it’s light reflecting through a glass of wine, or a leaf in the park, or even a unique angle in your WFH office. Take photos of those things, then come back and sketch them or use them as photo art.
• Start a weekly book or diary. Writing is art! Come up with a word for each day or week, and write a page or a few sentences about that word together. When you look back on your reflections together for the year, it will be an incredible compilation.

Families

• Take a photo of your favorite meal. Then paint a picture of it! With a kid and adult you’ll see different things. Or, you can work on the same painting together as a shared family piece.
• Add-on monster. Create a “monster” by pasting together magazine cutouts, stickers, paint, you have it. Green grass could be a skirt, or a bunch of cut-out chairs glued together could be hair. Make one big monster piece together.
• Toilet paper tube sculpture. Cut and slice them so you can wedge them together without glue or tape. If it’s nice rough afterwards, you can take it outside and spray paint it.

It doesn’t take a lot of supplies or expenses to do an art project, and art comes in many forms. Cooking, knitting, crocheting, quilting, interior decorating, putting up pictures, origami, lint creatures with string, chalk on the sidewalk–they all count as art!

What if a person doesn’t consider themselves to be “creative”? Can they still make art?

Absolutely! Creative really has no limits, and you don’t have to be a Van Gogh or Monet to make art. I’d recommend you start by simply experiencing your surroundings. Go for a walk. Visit Bidwell Park. View the building where you’re picking up take-out. Start a dance party in the house with your kids. You can’t look enough. A lot of creating art is being able to put those observations together.

A great place to look is also museums, so what’s the best way to look at art these days when museums are closed? 

The monca has a really wonderful #museumfromhome right now where you can experience our Virtual Pop Up Museum and view all the art currently on display at the museum. The Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento is also doing something similar with weekly at-home programs. Google has gotten onboard by showcasing art highlights from some of the most famous museums around the world.

Is there any famous art you hope people have more time to see or appreciate during the pandemic?

I hope everybody Googles “diversity.” There are so many diverse artists out there and they are so full of incredible ideas. Now is a great time to learn more about the different kinds of art and inspiration in the world.

Any last advice for Butte County during this time?

• Be kind.
• Be mindful.
• Be creative.
• Be safe.
• Stay tuned… ?

Year of Good Sleep Challenge: 

This week, try one of the projects suggested above, take some pictures on your phone, or visit an online art gallery. All of these ideas are great ways to reduce stress and give your body the gift of a good night’s sleep.

Welcome to the opening installment of our Year of Good Sleep wellness series! Today’s post is the first of several articles from local wellness experts, bringing you tips and advice on how to stay healthy in 2021–and ultimately bring you better sleep.

Today’s topic: how to choose the healthiest mattress for your unique lifestyle! 

In true Square Deal style, we asked our expert Dreamologists what to look for in a mattress and why these choices make a difference in your sleep quality and overall health. Read on for their suggestions.

1. First, determine what position you prefer for sleeping: Are you a side sleeper, stomach sprawler, or generally snoring on your back? When you know your body’s unconscious position preference, you can choose a mattress that best supports it. A mattress like the Registry, for example, is designed to relieve pressure points on shoulders and hips to support side sleepers. Proper support means no aches and pains, better sleep, and better overall health.
2. Second, do you sleep hot or cold? Often waking up overheated or drenched in sweat?  Look for a mattress with gel or a copper-infused foam layer designed to pull heat away from the body. Or, opt for construction encouraging extra airflow and circulation. If you’re freezing all night long, a non-toxic synthetic foam or contouring memory foam can help retain heat.
3. Next, consider if you need a hypoallergenic option: Most people have a build-up of one or more allergens in their bedrooms, especially if you have pets. These allergens are often concentrated in reservoirs like sheets and other bedding. If these allergies build up–or you’re already allergic to them–there’s a greater likelihood of increased health problems like asthma, congestion, sneezing, and other problems that lead to restless sleep and poor health. Core mattress materials like natural latex are antibacterial and antifungal can resist dust mites, mildew, and mold.You can also look for mattress toppers and bedding designed to block allergens–just be sure you wash them regularly!
4. Find the right size for you and your sleeping partner: The dreaded crick in your neck or kink in your spine is manageable every once in a while if you fall asleep on the couch, but constant pain from a cramped sleeping position results in poor quality of sleep and serious mobility problems during the day. Consider who will be on the bed with you each night. If it’s just you, a full size might be fine. You and a partner? Consider at least a queen size to give you enough room to move. 47 dogs, cats, and a kid or two? You might want to consider a king size. If you or your partner is especially tall, a California King or a custom XL mattress ensures enough space to sleep comfortably.
5. Finally, be sure to avoid toxins and chemicals: A mattress full of chemicals isn’t healthy. In fact, the gasses these chemicals release can cause dangerous health concerns like respiratory problems and cancer in animals. Synthetic materials and flame retardants have traditionally been to blame, but fortunately, more and more natural options are now available for mattress construction. Look for materials such as organic cotton, organic wool, natural latex rubber, and organic bamboo throughout the design.

The next time you’re shopping for a mattress, keep this handy checklist in mind.  Better yet? Reach out to one of our skilled Dreamologists. We’re here to help. Better sleep and overall health are just a few zzzs away!

Check back next week for our next in the Year of Good Sleep wellness series.

Welcome to the opening installment of our Year of Good Sleep wellness series! Today’s post is the first of several articles from local wellness experts, bringing you tips and advice on how to stay healthy in 2021–and ultimately bring you better sleep.

Today’s topic: how to choose the healthiest mattress for your unique lifestyle! 

In true Square Deal style, we asked our expert Dreamologists what to look for in a mattress and why these choices make a difference in your sleep quality and overall health. Read on for their suggestions.

Welcome to the opening installment of our Year of Good Sleep wellness series! Today’s post is the first of several articles from local wellness experts, bringing you tips and advice on how to stay healthy in 2021–and ultimately bring you better sleep.

Today’s topic: how to choose the healthiest mattress for your unique lifestyle! 

In true Square Deal style, we asked our expert Dreamologists what to look for in a mattress and why these choices make a difference in your sleep quality and overall health. Read on for their suggestions.

1. First, determine what position you prefer for sleeping: Are you a side sleeper, stomach sprawler, or generally snoring on your back? When you know your body’s unconscious position preference, you can choose a mattress that best supports it. A mattress like the Registry, for example, is designed to relieve pressure points on shoulders and hips to support side sleepers. Proper support means no aches and pains, better sleep, and better overall health.
2. Second, do you sleep hot or cold? Often waking up overheated or drenched in sweat?  Look for a mattress with gel or a copper-infused foam layer designed to pull heat away from the body. Or, opt for construction encouraging extra airflow and circulation. If you’re freezing all night long, a non-toxic synthetic foam or contouring memory foam can help retain heat.
3. Next, consider if you need a hypoallergenic option: Most people have a build-up of one or more allergens in their bedrooms, especially if you have pets. These allergens are often concentrated in reservoirs like sheets and other bedding. If these allergies build up–or you’re already allergic to them–there’s a greater likelihood of increased health problems like asthma, congestion, sneezing, and other problems that lead to restless sleep and poor health. Core mattress materials like natural latex are antibacterial and antifungal can resist dust mites, mildew, and mold.You can also look for mattress toppers and bedding designed to block allergens–just be sure you wash them regularly!
4. Find the right size for you and your sleeping partner: The dreaded crick in your neck or kink in your spine is manageable every once in a while if you fall asleep on the couch, but constant pain from a cramped sleeping position results in poor quality of sleep and serious mobility problems during the day. Consider who will be on the bed with you each night. If it’s just you, a full size might be fine. You and a partner? Consider at least a queen size to give you enough room to move. 47 dogs, cats, and a kid or two? You might want to consider a king size. If you or your partner is especially tall, a California King or a custom XL mattress ensures enough space to sleep comfortably.
5. Finally, be sure to avoid toxins and chemicals: A mattress full of chemicals isn’t healthy. In fact, the gasses these chemicals release can cause dangerous health concerns like respiratory problems and cancer in animals. Synthetic materials and flame retardants have traditionally been to blame, but fortunately, more and more natural options are now available for mattress construction. Look for materials such as organic cotton, organic wool, natural latex rubber, and organic bamboo throughout the design.

The next time you’re shopping for a mattress, keep this handy checklist in mind.  Better yet? Reach out to one of our skilled Dreamologists. We’re here to help. Better sleep and overall health are just a few zzzs away!

Check back next week for our next in the Year of Good Sleep wellness series.

Just call us trendsetters! If Pantone has a color of the year, then we’re claiming a wellness tip for 2021: Welcome the Year of Good Sleep!

To keep COVID-19 at bay and our immune systems happy this season, we’ve teamed up with several local businesses to gather a series of wellness tips aimed at helping you get better zzzs in 2021.

Over the next several weeks, we’ll be sharing professional advice from local experts on topics like fitness, nutrition, sleep, art, and mental health. These interviews will highlight key tips on how to stay healthy so you can get a good night’s sleep.

What does sleep have to do with wellness, you might ask?

At Square Deal, we firmly believe a good night’s rest is one of the best ways to stay healthy.

Studies show that a hearty seven or more hours of sleep each night can give you a whole host of positive health benefits. It can help repair heart and blood vessels as well as regulate growth, insulin, and hunger hormones. Even better? Prioritizing sleep as an important weapon in your wellness arsenal gives your body the upper hand in the fight against inflammation and illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Most exciting: adequate sleep also makes vaccines more effective. “After getting a shot, people with sleep issues don’t develop the same antibody response as well-rested people, and that leaves them more susceptible,” says Shalini Paruthi, M.D., a sleep specialist and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Understandably, the stresses of the pandemic have significantly affected the sleep quality for many people around the world.

Stress, decreased activity, and changed routines have led to what doctors are calling “coronasomnia” in an increasing amount of the population.

“COVID-19 is causing a huge amount of anxiety for so many people,” said Kimberly Hardin, a UC Davis Health professor in the Internal Medicine Department, co-director of the sleep center and the director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program. “People worry about jobs, about their kids being home, about getting sick. There’s a lot more anxiety, fear and depression–and those can cause insomnia.”

Increased susceptibility to COVID-19 is also consideration for those with pre-existing sleep issues, said Chandra L. Jackson, Ph.D., a research investigator with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and an adjunct investigator with the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Knowing how important sleep is to our overall health, we’re bringing you actionable wellness advice to improve your quality of sleep. First-up in the series? “How to Pick the Healthiest Mattress”– courtesy of your favorite team here at Square Deal! Check back next week to read all about it. We hope you’ll join us on this journey as we prepare for a recharged and revitalized 2021.

Despite the fact that the CDC recommends most adults get about 7 hours of sleep each night, most people don’t get enough shut-eye. Work, school, socializing and technology are common sleep thieves, consistently robbing us of a plethora of positive effects.

The next time you’re tempting to put your pillow second-place to that last Netflix episode, consider these 3 benefits of a good night’s sleep:

Better Learning

Practice makes better…but sleep might actually make it perfect. Taking on a new hobby like the piano or Polish lessons? Adequate sleep can actually help you master a new skill in a way you couldn’t otherwise. A good night’s sleep allows you to better focus and understand material when you’re awake, and the various sleep stages may help the brain consolidate and organize new information at night so you can better process and remember what you’ve learned.

Better Health

Getting the right amount of sleep is like winning the lottery for better health. First, it can help ward off inflammation, which is linked to arthritis, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney disease among others. It can also help ward off depression, improve your mood, and boost your immune system. Want to lose a little weight? A good shut-eye helps maintain the proper balance of hormones that prevent obesity—and it may even help you lose a larger percentage of fat than muscle. Cha-ching!

Better Safety.

Here’s a sobering fact: The explosion of the Challenger space shuttle, the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill have all been attributed in part to sleep deprivation. Yikes. Getting the right amount of sleep means your brain focuses better, you have quicker reaction times, and you make better decisions, all of which can prevent disaster. A good night’s sleep also means you keep your family safe if you’re in the driver’s seat—not getting enough rest can affect your body the same way too much alcohol does. For reference: it’s illegal to drive if your blood alcohol content is .08 or higher; skipping a night of sleep affects you the same as if you were at .10.

Still completing one more chapter of your book or scroll through social media? Consider this: A good night’s sleep can dramatically spice things up between the sheets. ? The next time you’re tempted to forfeit a few winks, consider all the ways your body will thank you for those extra zzzs.