Be Well

• Citation: Vol. 49 No. 2
• Publication year: 2023
• Year: 2023

BE WELL No. Vol. 49 No. 2 Pg. 22 Vermont Bar Journal June, 2023

by Samara D. Anderson, Esq.

Find Ways to Experience "Type I Fun"/Healthy Summer Activities to Lower Stress

Now that the summer of 2023 is well upon us, it's good to look for ways to incorporate mindfulness into your summer adventures. This means choosing to put your attention on a specific activity, in the present moment, without judgment. Many times, we do things that our culture or society tells us are "healthy" and will bring well-being into our lives. However, often these activities may not truly beneficial to us, especially in challenging weather like heat and humidity, or dense smog. These exact weather conditions have prevailed during much of our Vermont summer due to the hundreds of forest fires currently burning in Quebec with the El Nino bringing the smoke into Vermont and the surrounding Northeast. For example, I went running in high pollen counts with temperatures higher than 75 degrees with 90 percent humidity and this caused my first anaphylactic reaction this summer, where my throat closed, and I had to be rushed to the emergency room for steroids and epinephrine to survive! My body literally rejected this "healthy"...