Tag: Health

  • Tomo’s Guide to New Year Healing

    As we continue into the month of January, there’s no better time than now to revisit the topic of new year’s resolutions. It is common for the start of a new year to present us with a mix of emotions; excitement and anticipation often come with feelings of unease and anxiety. After the champagne is popped and the ball drops, the world holds its breath for the next calendar year to come. New year’s resolutions make their appearance in the collective consciousness, and while last year taught us that plans often fall through, it is human nature to continue striving for excellence and to find the light through difficult times.

    The crucial lessons that we learned in staying resilient through the adversities of life means that this year carries the weight of hope, rebuilding, and growth. We hope that this short guide to mindful, soulful, and financial healing will help you build your best resolutions so that you may prosper through 2021 and beyond.

    Mindful Healing

    As the widely recognized saying goes, “health is wealth.” You don’t need us to remind you of the truth in this statement and that it can be applied to more than just physical health. It is always helpful to keep this motto close to the top of your mind when making even small decisions in your everyday life, which likely still looks like the “new normal” of working and studying from home.

    In taking care of your health, your mind should be a top priority. Stress, lack of sleep, and poor diet can keep you from functioning at your full potential. When our minds are tired, it’s difficult to be clear-headed and productive. A clear separation between work and personal life will help you maintain your sanity as stay-at-home orders continue for the time being.

    Physically separating work from home can be done by designating work space, and further solidify this by trying to limit your productive hours. It is easy to get caught up in work or school, especially now that it seems to have bled into the home, but making the conscious effort to separate these worlds will help you in the long run by preventing burn-out. In addition, this allows you to take time to focus on personal self-care, such as yoga, meditation, reading, or napping.

    In short, treat your mind like a muscle that needs time to rest and recover after moments of strenuous usage.

    Soulful Healing

    Whether you identify as a spiritual person or not, everyone can find little joys in life that can contribute to soulful healing. Deciding what your soul is seeking this year may require some insightful contemplation, as each person’s soul is unique. For many, this may be taking on a creative hobby such as embroidery, painting, or playing an instrument.

    Finding time to engage in self-expression through creation heals the soul, as it is something that you are choosing to do based on your interests and passions alone. There are many resources available online in the form of free and paid courses for nearly any topic you want to try. Any sort of creation is a great way to heal soulfully, even if you don’t see yourself as a creative person. Learning how to cook or bake by trying out recipes online is another fulfilling way to nourish your body and soul.

    In a modern world where much of our time is spent working towards career or academic goals, it’s necessary to allocate some parts of your day to creating something just for yourself.

    Financial Healing

    We get it, talking about money isn’t always comfortable, but it is one of the most common topics when discussing new year’s resolutions. The previous year’s events have affected everyone differently, but what is especially notable is that these events revealed that circumstances can and do change frighteningly fast. We want to balance hope with realistic expectations, and the truth is that we can not expect our lives to shift back to normal anytime soon.

    Taking a large financial hit during uncertain times would find anyone anxious, but building healthy foundational knowledge of your financial situation will help. Financial security has always been an issue, now even more so, meaning that it’s important to enter the new year with a plan to ensure your present and future financial livelihood.

    If you haven’t already, do your research in order to improve your financial literacy so that you can be informed when you start to map out your finance goals. Some great sources include Refinery29’s Money Diaries, Ellevest Magazine’s Money and Life section, and Tomo Credit’s own blog. Understanding which aspects of your finances you can actually take control of will help you greatly, especially when you start early.

    For starters, if you haven’t established a credit score yet, check out Tomo Credit’s zero-interest, no-fee credit card. Since Tomo Credit doesn’t require a previous credit score to apply, this credit card can help you wisely build a good credit reputation with responsible use, helping you grow healthy financial habits. Financial healing starts with reflection, understanding, and planning.

  • Budgeting for a Healthy Lifestyle

    Health and wellness are notoriously expensive. Gym memberships, personal trainers, organic foods, dairy alternatives and more come with a hefty price tag. It’s common to think that choosing to live a healthy lifestyle is a trade-off for more spending — but what if it doesn’t have to be so expensive?

    Making smart financial decisions can help you incorporate healthier choices and improve your overall quality of life. Here are some ways to save money and take care of your body at the same time:

    Consider alternatives to the gym

    Use the natural gym and replace the treadmill with a park trail or a school track field. You can also download running apps on your phone to track your exact distance and time. Hiking is another challenging yet rewarding cardio exercise. Explore the natural beauty in your area with your nearest trail or state parks and get in those steps at the same time.

    Looking for strength training? Avoid the costly gym membership and instead invest in personal workout tools like resistance bands, which can replace weights and intensify your workouts. You can even use common items in your home like towels or heavy items like textbooks to replace dumbbells.

    Thousands of workout routines posted by professional trainers are also available online for free, at a comparable quality to those you would get in a pricey gym class. You can choose whichever exercise you enjoy the most, whether that be yoga, HIIT, pilates, or even dance-incorporated workouts.

    Plan Your Meals

    Walking into the grocery store with no plan and a hungry stomach will leave you walking out with the longest receipts. Instead, plan your meals and list the ingredients beforehand, thinking about which ones you already have and which ones you will need to purchase. By creating a hard grocery list, you will be less likely to plod through the aisles and thus less enticed to impulsively reach for unhealthy foods. Instead, you can walk in and focus on looking for the specific ingredients you want.

    Prioritize Mental Wellness

    Living a healthy lifestyle also means cultivating a healthy mind. Luckily, many self-care activities can be done at no cost, and by incorporating small yet impactful habits into your daily life. Sticking to a fixed sleep schedule, regularly taking breaks, and taking a walk outside are all simple activities that can help you maintain your mental health.

    You can also try meditating with the guidance of apps like Smiling Mind and Calm. These simple breathing exercises will let you reduce any tension or stress you’ve built up from a long day at work, help control your thoughts, and improve focus.

    Start Financial Autonomy Early On

    Besides money-saving methods, budgeting for a healthy lifestyle also entails a smart-spending tool that will save financial stress in the future by choosing a credit card that cares about your financial growth. Cards like Tomo that take no fee and no interest, while offering cash back will help you avoid unnecessary spendings and make sure you can use that money instead to invest in a healthier lifestyle.

    In addition, beginning your credit history early is instrumental for buying an apartment or car, and getting a loan. A low credit score will prevent you from your choices in auto and mortgage loans, which will also ask you to pay higher interest rates. Avoid the financial stress and live comfortably with a strong credit history.