Being intentional around how we think about and spend money is connected to living a longer, healthier and happier life. This last fall, Liz Carroll from Mindful Money Coaches LLC, partnered with Tillamook County Wellness to offer a free virtual webinar series on financial wellness – covering everything from what it means to cultivate a “money mindset” to how to budget and plan for the future. If you missed the initial series, no worries! Liz Carroll will be hosting the series again this May, each Monday from 12-1 pm through Zoom (click here for registration link). In honor of this second series, Angelica Ortiz, a previous participant and Career Education Advisor at the Tillamook Bay Community College took some time to reflect on the key takeaways of the Mindful Money series:
What I would have liked to know before, about financial wellness is that we must know our values in order to start creating financial wellness based on those values.
Some of the key takeaways were that in order to create financial wellness, we must first understand that thoughts lead to actions, but actions lead to results. Therefore, if we want to create financial wellness, we must have clear goals, create a budget and follow it, since having a budget allows us to see where the money goes. We must also have a financial well-being coach since it is easier to achieve financial well-being if you have someone to guide you.
The strategies I have found most helpful are following the principles that Coach Liz Carrol shared in the financial wellness series. For example, living without debt brings me peace, it’s okay not to have the newest car, and internal dialogue is very important. Following these strategies creates financial well-being, since having no debts allows you to have peace of mind to set new goals and give you more options, for me this is financial wellness. Do not get me wrong, having a debt is not completely bad but it is better to live debt free.
I would recommend the financial wellness series to anyone seeking financial freedom, getting out of debt or improving their lives. The financial wellness Coach Liz Carrol not only teaches strategies about finances, but she teaches principles that apply to daily life.
AUTHOR: Angelica Ortiz, Career Education Advisor at Tillamook Bay Community College
Mindfulness is the practice of non-judgmental awareness of the present moment. Mindfulness often gets a bad rap because so many of us find it hard to quiet and still our minds to engage in things like meditation, one of the most well known forms of mindfulness practice. That’s why I love mindful movement. We don’t have to shut our minds off, instead we find a way to keep them busy tuning into our senses, our bodies, and our surroundings in the present moment. Mindful movement is all about the awareness of our bodies as we move them and tuning into our body’s signals as they show up. It is about getting out of our heads and back into our bodies.
“Most of us find that we sleep-walk through life, and become immune to life’s riches” – Professor Mark Williams, the director of mindfulness at the School of Psychology at Oxford University
To me this quote, when applied to mindful movement, means we have lost the practice of tuning into our bodies and miss out on the important things our bodies are trying to teach us about what they need. We can ignore pain signals, tiredness, weakness, hunger, thirst, and so much more in our busy lives. It is time we become more mindful with our bodies and tune in when they are trying to tell us something. If it hurts to move something, stop moving it and give that area some TLC (I always remember what I learned in first aid, RICE-Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). If an area is tight or stiff, spend some time doing gentle stretching or yoga (I also love my heating pad). Start to pause and become aware of your body’s signals when it is sending you a message. Then take the time to meet whatever needs those signals are communicating. We have to take care of the vessel that carries our beautiful souls around this great planet!
Mindful movement also means we are doing movement practices where we engage our senses. Taking walks where we stop and smell the flowers, feel the bark of the trees under our fingertips, and listen to the birds sing. Or maybe go to the beach and feel the sand in between our toes, listen to the waves, and feel the sun or breeze on our face. We can also incorporate mindfulness into our exercise. Making sure you are engaging your core or other muscles as you walk or work out. Listening to music or a podcast while exercising. Taking time to tune in to how your body feels as it moves. What muscles are firing? How does it feel when you do certain movements? What can you see, hear, smell, feel or taste while you are doing movement?
Mindfulness is a fun way to get kids involved in movement as well. Having them tell us what they can hear, see, smell, feel, or taste while out on a walk or engaging in playful movement. Maybe have a scavenger hunt on your next family walk or see who can spot the most things that are a certain color or find something that feels rough or slimy. You could have them move different parts of their bodies and describe how it feels. Anything that engages the body and tunes the mind into how the body feels in the present moment or what sensory experiences are happening in the moment is mindful movement.
Here in Tillamook we have so many great places to engage in movement in a mindful way. Whether it is out on one of our trails, at one of our beaches, or in the pools, classes, or gyms at the YMCA. I am a fan of the warm water therapy pool myself and taking trips to the beach to get my toes in the sand and listen to the waves.
Mindful movement also helps us get out of our heads when our heads are in a funk. Maybe stress is weighing heavy and you feel your shoulders getting tense and pulling up closer and closer to your ears? Get out and get moving while also bringing in some mindfulness and feel that stress melt away and those shoulders start to relax. Anxiety creeping in? Take a deep breath and get up and move that body. It can be as simple as walking to get a glass of water and paying attention to your steps, doing some stretches, or putting on your favorite song and dancing it out. The possibilities for mindful movement are endless and so are the benefits! Let’s get moving!
AUTHOR: Amanda Ferrat, Founder of Value Yourself Counseling LLC and Certified Advanced EFT Practitioner & Wellness Counselor
Learning to ride a bike is an essential skill that we often take for granted. It serves as a rite of passage for many children, marking a transition from being dependent on others to having autonomy and independence. Bike riding is also a fun and beneficial activity that can improve physical and mental health, develop skills, promote socialization, and support the environment.
Physical health: One of the most significant advantages of learning to ride a bike is the opportunity to exercise and promote health benefits. It improves aerobics fitness by strengthening the heart, lungs, and muscles; while also helping to develop important skills such as balance, coordination, and spatial awareness. Exercise from biking regularly can also help prevent obesity and related health issues, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Mental health & skills development: Riding a bike can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression and boost self-confidence. It is an accomplishment that requires persistence, practice, and patience. The sense of achievement that comes from mastering a new skill can carry over into other areas of life by helping to build self-esteem, resilience, and a can-do attitude.
Promote socialization: Biking can also be a great social activity that connects families and encourages bonding and quality time. It also provides an opportunity to interact with peers and foster and develop friendships.
Environmental and economic benefits: Another advantage of learning to ride a bike is its practical benefits. Bikes are an eco-friendly mode of transportation that promotes sustainability and reduced pollution. They can be used to commute to work or school, run errands, and explore new places. Biking can also save money on gas and parking fees and be faster than driving in congested areas.
Tillamook County Wellness Bike Rodeo
The benefits of biking extend far beyond childhood, and it is a skill that should be encouraged and cultivated throughout one’s life. That is why Tillamook County Wellness has joined the all kids bike movement and is hosting a free bike rodeo event at the Tillamook YMCA during Healthy Kids Day on April 29th from 10am-noon. A bike rodeo is an event that teaches children bike safety and provides a fun and interactive experience to practice bike handling skills. Activities include bike inspections, helmet fittings, obstacle courses, safety demonstrations, and prize drawings for participating. This event can help increase confidence and comfort when riding a bike, reducing the risk of bike-related injuries and accidents. It is geared towards children K-8th grade, and bicycles will be available or can be brought from home. There will also be a bike tune-up booth for families to bring bikes that need minor fixes such as brake alignment or a new chain.
Tillamook County Wellness is partnering with WashCo Bikes to lead the bike rodeo and also provide free refurbished bicycles to children and adults in need through the Adopt-a-Bike program. There are no specific eligibility requirements or age restrictions; however, this program is intended to provide a free bicycle to those who may not be able to acquire one otherwise. To apply for a bike, an Adopt-a-Bike application (see spanish application here) must be completed before Thursday, April 27th, 2023. WashCo Bike’s goal is to donate 5,000 bikes to kids and families in 2023 and is also currently accepting bicycle and money donations to continue to support this effort. If you feel inspired to help, go to their website and scroll down to Donate Now.
Efforts to improve biking trails and outdoor physical activity
Some great efforts are underway in the region to expand biking access to the Tillamook County community. The coastal segment of the Salmonberry Trail project aims to connect communities from Mohler to Tillamook via a bike path. This would provide an alternative means of transportation for community members to commute to work, access stores, visit neighboring towns, and a way for kids to safely bike to school. The Tillamook Off Road Trail Alliance (TORTA), a volunteer-based non-profit organization that builds, maintains, and advocates for off-road bike trails, has been supporting the Nestucca Valley School District in building a bike skills course and bike trails. They are also developing a bike trail system called the Buzzard Butte Trail Network, encompassing over 30 miles of trails on the east side of Sand Lake between Cape Kiwanda and Cape Lookout in the USDA Siuslaw National Forest. Information about these projects and other outdoor opportunities and events happening at our national and state parks will be available at the bike rodeo. If you are interested in supporting any of these efforts, please check out the organization and project websites for opportunities to contribute, including donations.
Tillamook County Wellness would like to send a special thank you to the Tillamook Kiwanis Club, whose generous donations are sponsoring this bike rodeo, as well as future events in the county. For questions and inquiries about this bike rodeo event and future efforts by Tillamook County Wellness to inspire and promote biking in the county, please contact Mari Tasche at tasche@ohsu.edu.
AUTHOR: Mari Tasche works for Oregon Health & Science University, she is an exercise physiologist and co-chair of the Access to Physical Activity (APAC) Committee for Tillamook County Wellness.
You may be familiar with physical wellbeing or mental wellbeing, but what about financial wellbeing? Financial wellness focuses on our relationship with money and how we feel about the control we have over our financial future. If you’ve felt stressed about money, you’re not alone! Most of us experience a range of emotions when it comes to finances, and finding a starting point can feel overwhelming.
The connection between financial stress and mental and physical health led us at Tillamook County Wellness to focus the last few months on financial wellbeing. Thanks to a donation of time, Liz Carroll, Financial Life Coach at Mindful Money Coaches LLC, has provided insight and guidance for us to share on how to develop a healthier relationship with finances.
You may have seen some of the videos that Liz has created as part of a financial wellness mini-series that we have been sharing on the Tillamook County Wellness Facebook page. Each of the 15 videos are just a couple minutes long and cover a range of topics such as how to create goals & set guidelines, use different approaches for eliminating debt, set up “budget billing” where utility companies distribute your costs evenly over the year, and shift out of a negative mindset when it comes to organizing finances. If you missed some of these videos, don’t worry – we have all of them linked on our new Financial Wellness page at https://tillamookcountywellness.org/work-well/financial-wellness/
We are also excited to announce that we will be hosting three (free!) virtual webinars in collaboration with Liz Carroll for community members who are interested in diving deeper into their financial wellness journey. These webinars will be held on Mondays from 12 pm to 1 pm during the month of May:
May 1st – Money Mindset: How we think about money matters
May 8th – Building a Budget: Managing spending habits
May 15th – Financial Planning Fundamentals: Planning for the future and staying on course
These webinars are open to all community members – join for one or join for all! You can find the registration link here or on the Tillamook County Wellness Facebook page.
If you have any questions about the upcoming webinars, please reach out to Michelle at jenckmd@ah.org. We hope to see you all there!
