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You’ve probably heard someone say that kids are like sponges. And if you haven’t heard that, then you’ve definitely witnessed a kid say or do something that they clearly learned from adults who didn’t know young eyes were watching them. The way that kids repeat the behaviors of adults they love gives all of us a responsibility to help them create healthy habits and practices that will set them up for success in life. If they see us doing healthy things, they will be more likely to do healthy things and vice versa. 

2023 can be the year that you set healthy resolutions like balancing your diet, adding exercise to your daily routine, cleaning up your budget or keeping your house clean. And, kids can be your partners in achieving these goals. Having other people working toward the same goal as you will help keep you both on track. So, partner with your kids to set healthy goals this year using these five tips! 

Set child-sized goals. 

If your goals are really big and seem out of reach, you’re more likely to stop trying on your way to reaching them. At the Wellness and Stress Clinic, we recommend setting small goals that are immediately doable. This can prevent discouragement and help you feel accomplished at the end of the day. Here are a few examples of realistic, child-sized goals that can contribute to your health:

• Read together for 15 minutes a day. 
• Play outside or walk for 20 minutes. 
• Add one green food to your dinner plate each night. 
• Visit the library once a week and check out a book. 
• Clean one thing in your house each night.
• Cut screen time back by 30 minutes. 
• Put $15 into a savings account each week.

Focus on the action, not the outcome.

If you read the resolutions above, you might think that they don’t sound like normal resolutions. We don’t recommend you set a goal for weight loss, the amount of money to save over the year or similar long-term goals. When you focus on the action and not the outcome, you are creating healthy habits. Over time, those healthy habits can lead to great outcomes! Take a look at some of the outcomes that could come from the goals we listed above:

• Reading together can help create a closer bond and expand a child’s understanding of the English language.
• Playing outside and walking regularly can increase your cardiovascular fitness, combat chronic conditions like hypertension and support weight loss. 
• Adding green foods to your diet can lower your cholesterol and contribute to a more balanced diet. 
• Visiting the library can help you learn about new topics and increase literacy among kids. 
• Cleaning one thing in your house can help prevent damage to your home (which adds expenses) and can reduce the likelihood that kids living in your house will develop asthma. 
• Cutting screen time can create time for family conversations, build relationships, help your vision and reduce overall stress. 
• Putting $15 into savings each week can help you save $780 over the course of a year. 

Make them fun. 

When your resolutions feel like a chore, you’re less likely to do them. That’s why making your resolutions fun can completely change the way you look at them! Using the same resolutions above, here are some ways to make your goals fun: 

• Read about different topics each week, and let the kids in your life choose the topics. Even things like comic books can provide great reading lessons! 
• Swap out a walk for a family race. You can have a mini-Olympics in your own front yard, with awards for the best sprinters, distance runners, long jumpers and more! Any movement you can do is good for your health. 
• Search for recipes together that use green foods in unique ways – like broccoli tots! 
• Do a scavenger hunt at the library. Ask each kid you bring to find a book to read that is a specific color. Watch them enjoy the search as they try to find the perfect book!
• Cleaning can totally be a game! Challenge kids to see who can make their bed the fastest. You can be the final judge to make sure they did a good job. 
• Swap screen time for a family game. Dominoes, cards or board games are fun and create great family bonding time. 
• It can be fun to see your savings add up! Put a savings jar in a prominent place in your home and make a celebration out of every time you add money. 

Track progress together. 

Use a whiteboard, bulletin board, magnets on the fridge or a calendar to track your progress. It is so encouraging to look back at the end of the month and see how much you’ve accomplished together. Kids love to contribute to these things, so let them fill out your progress board each night. They’ll look forward to showing off how they’re building healthy habits! 

Change your goals as they become comfortable.

When you focus on the action and not the outcome, you can increase your goal as it becomes comfortable! Goals are meant to push you, so if you find that you’re breezing past your goal, it might be time to make things more challenging. You may find that you want to spend even more time reading together each night. If that’s the case, up your goal to 30 minutes a night. Maybe you feel like you can save more money – if that’s the case, change your goal to $25 a week. Making even small increases to your goal can have a huge difference! For example, if you save $25 a week instead of $15, you’ll go from saving $780 to $1,300 just by saving $10 more a week.

You can do it! 

Getting healthy can feel totally out of reach, especially if focusing on your health isn’t something you grew up doing. But you don’t have to make drastic changes overnight to feel a major improvement in your health. By partnering with kids and making small changes to your life, you can really make a difference in your health while also making an impact on the next generation.

We try our best to live healthy lifestyles, go to the doctor when we’re sick and take care of our longer-term health issues, but many people forget that eye exams are just as important as yearly health checkups. Annual eye examinations are a great way to keep your eyes healthy and protected. 

When should you get your first eye examination?

Eye exams can be needed at any stage of life. A pediatrician might recommend your young and school-aged children get an exam if they think there could be an issue such as a lazy eye, crossed eyes, misaligned eyes or if they’re exhibiting signs that they can’t see well. Adults should get their eyes examined once every two years to make sure their eyes are still healthy and to see if glasses are needed or need to be updated. Elderly people should go to the eye doctor every year to check for any age-related issues like macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma. At any age, you should see a doctor if you experience any problems with your eyesight.

Why should you get your eyes re-evaluated?

Going to a routine eye exam can help catch issues at early stages. The earlier an issue is found, the easier it can be to treat and/or correct it. Catching an issue early can decrease the chances of needing more invasive procedures later. You should also get your eyes checked to see if you might need to start wearing glasses to help you see better. Glasses wearers should get reevaluated to see if their prescriptions are still up-to-date or need to be altered. 

What can I expect during an eye exam?

During an eye exam, your doctor will check how clearly you can see, how your eyes are aligned and how the muscles in your eyes move. You’ll read letters off of an eye chart, and your doctor will use a device called a phoropter. This device has different lenses in it to test what adjustments help make your vision clearer. Your doctor could also put drops in your eyes to dilate your pupils. Dilating your pupils is normal and can help the doctor see different parts of the eyes like the cornea, blood vessels, retina and optic nerve. Your doctor will also use a machine to blow a small puff of air onto your eye in an eye pressure test, which is used to check for glaucoma. 

If you can’t remember the last time you had your eyes checked, it’s probably time to set up an appointment. The Wellness and Stress Clinic can help refer Memphians to vision specialists to improve their overall health and strengthen their sight. Call 901-306-5433 to schedule your appointment today. 

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer for women. The National Breast Cancer Foundation found that one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. When it comes to breast cancer diagnoses and treatments, there are still inequalities. Cancer researchers report that Black women’s breast cancer death rate is 40% higher than that of white women. Breast cancer is also the leading type of cancer death for Latin women and nearly half of women without insurance delayed care or went without it because of the cost. 

Why should you have regular breast health screenings?

Getting breast cancer health screenings can help find the disease before symptoms are noticeable. Early detection and treatment are two of the most important ways to prevent death from breast cancer. Going for your yearly mammogram is helpful for early detection. In an annual woman’s physical, many physicians will check your breast for lumps which could indicate cancer. They may also perform a mammogram. Mammogram machines take low-radiation x-rays of the breasts and can typically find changes that could be cancer before symptoms can occur. While mammograms are not always 100% accurate, they are a good practice to adopt. Talk with your doctor about when you should start getting an annual mammogram – general recommendations say you should get your first mammogram at 40, but your health and family history may cause you to start earlier. 

What can you do to screen at home?

While medical professionals can perform a clinical breast exam by feeling for irregularities in breast tissue, women can also do this at home with self-examinations. Women are very familiar with how their breasts look and feel, so they might be able to detect any changes and alert their doctor or go in for a mammogram. At home, women should see if there are any changes in the way breasts look from discolorations to changes in shapes and sizes (example: skin puckering, skin dimpling, visible distortions or swelling). Women can also feel their breast tissue while lying down and standing up for any lumps. It’s important to remember that at-home screenings should not replace routine medical care like mammograms. 

An important note: If you notice any of the following symptoms, call the Wellness and Stress Clinic. We can refer you to a health care provider for a mammogram and an examination:

• Lump or hard knot inside the breast or under the armpit area.
• Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast.
• Dimpling or puckering of the skin.
• Itchy, scaly, sore or rash on the nipple.
• Pulling in of the nipple or other parts of the breast.
• Nipple discharge, especially if it begins suddenly.
• New pain in one spot of the breast that does not go away.

Why should I know my family history?

Knowing your family history is important. If you have close relatives who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, your chances of developing the disease are higher. Women with a family history of breast cancer should attend all yearly screenings. People can also make lifestyle choices that help keep risks low: not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating nutritious food, limiting alcohol consumption and adding regular exercise into routines. Higher risk women should also talk to their doctors about increasing the need for breast cancer screenings. 

The Wellness and Stress Clinic is here to help ease the disparities in health care. We’re not just here for your primary health needs. We also offer mammograms on specified nights to help make sure everyone gets the care they need. Give us a call to schedule your appointment. 

The Wellness and Stress Clinic of Memphis is an inclusive place for all people to receive free, high-quality health care. We are a team of gender-affirming clinicians who support Memphians who do not have health care but need to see a physician for preventive care, disease management, emotional wellness or a number of other reasons. Preventive care is critically important to maintain overall health outcomes – but many people neglect to seek preventive care because of stigmas or distrust of medical institutions.

Transgender people face discrimination across industries, including in the medical profession. But preventive care, especially related to sexual organs for people who have not had gender confirmation surgery, is essential to check for cancer and other life-threatening conditions. Understandably, seeking medical care that is typically gendered can be uncomfortable enough to keep a person from routine care. At the Wellness and Stress Clinic, our discrete process will help you feel at ease to seek the care you need to remain well. Here are some of the screenings recommended for transgender people. 

As a note, our recommendations here address the unique medical encounters a transgender person might have related to their sexual organs. Transgender people, like all people, should also receive preventive care for overall health conditions like hypertension, diabetes and pulmonary function. 

For transmen

Transgender men may not feel safe or comfortable in a gynecologist’s office. But anyone with a uterus, ovaries and breast tissue needs regular pap smears and mammograms to check for abnormal cells or masses that could indicate cancer. They may also need support with menstruation-related challenges like endometriosis or polycystic ovarian syndrome. The Wellness and Stress Clinic offers routine gynecological exams for all people who need them and can provide birth control support if a person needs it. 

For transwomen

Similarly, transgender women need specialized medical care to support long-term health. Prostate cancer is one of the leading forms of cancer among people assigned male at birth, and everyone should be tested regularly to detect any abnormal cells early. There may also be additional colorectal care needed among people assigned male at birth – talk with our physicians about this during your wellness check. 

For all people

No matter your gender identity, it is important to receive preventive care related to your sexual organs and overall wellness. This can include the exams we discussed above, but should also include regular STI testing for anyone who is sexually active. Many STIs are treatable, and those that aren’t can be managed through an ongoing relationship with a health care professional. When you’re getting a routine checkup, talk with your provider about your sexual status to determine what STI tests are appropriate for you. 

There are a lot of things that you need on a daily basis to feed your family, get to work and stay healthy. Paying for all of your essentials has probably become more expensive as gas, food and electricity prices continue to rise. So, it’s a really important time to look at your budget and try to cut costs where you can. 

Overspending is a really hard habit to kick. We all have things that we want to buy – things that aren’t essential but bring us joy or help us feel good. But, the stress that can come at the end of the month when it’s hard to cover your bills may not be worth the cost. 

With a budget that works for you and for your family, you can make room for the things you need AND the things you want. To get there, you have to look at your spending, make a spending plan and stick to it. Here are a few steps to help you clean up your budget.

Look at what you’re buying. 

Do you know where your money is going each month? If you don’t regularly look at your credit card statements, bank account or keep track of your receipts, it can be hard to tell where you spend your money. For one month, make a point to track everything you spend. At the end of the month, sit down and look at where you spent your money. Sort your purchases into three categories: 

• Bills – Bills are expenses that come out of your account every month that you have to pay. The money should go toward things that you need. The amount you pay toward a bill can change each month – like your electricity bill. Or they can stay the same – like insurance payments, housing costs, a car note or medical debt. 
• Needs – Needs are things that you have to have each month but that you go out and purchase on your own. Your largest need expenses will probably be food and gas costs. Other needs could include personal hygiene products, school supplies and pet care products.
• Wants – Wants are the things that you enjoy in life, but that aren’t necessary purchases. Things like getting fast food, doing activities with your family and technology could fall into this category. One important note about wants is that they can sometimes look like bills. For example, TV streaming subscription service payments have a monthly cost that you pay online or through the mail like you would a bill. But, it is not an essential part of your budget.

Create a budget.

Now that you can see what you spend in a month, create a budget. Start by figuring out how much money you bring in each month after you pay taxes. Label that total as your income. Then, start subtracting the cost of your bills. For bills like electricity that change each month, it’s best to budget the highest amount you spend (usually in the hottest and coldest months) so you know you have enough money to cover the bill. After you’ve allotted the money for your bills, look at how much income you have left. That income should be used to pay for your needs. If you don’t have enough income left to cover the cost of your needs, check out the next step to see how you can create more room in your budget.

Make small changes to reduce the cost of your needs. 

While you can’t easily change how much you pay in rent or insurance, you can make changes to reduce how much you spend on some of your bills and needs. In hot months, try to run fans and keep window coverings closed during the day so your AC doesn’t run as much. You can also use outdoor cooking methods or opt for small appliances – like grilling or using the stovetop – instead of cooking in your oven to keep the inside temperature of your home cooler. In the winter, dress warmly and use blankets to try and reduce the amount of time you have to run your heat. You can open window coverings to let natural light in – this will provide some warmth from the sun while reducing the amount of time you need to have your lights turned on. Never use your oven or stove to heat your house. 

There are also things that you can do to spend less on needs like gas and groceries. Local grocery stores like Kroger and Aldi have monthly coupons that help you save a lot of money. Planning meals ahead of time based on what meats and produce are on sale can really help you save money at the store. The cost of packaged snacks can also add up quickly. Try to stick to produce (canned or fresh), meat (frozen or fresh) and low-sugar dairy products. Moving away from packaged drinks and using a water filter pitcher at home can also create major savings.

Another way to save money is to make small changes to the way you buy paper products and toiletries. You can save a ton of money each month and help the environment by using dish towels and cloth napkins instead of paper towels. The same is true if you switch from paper plates, bowls, utensils and cups to reusable plastic or ceramic dinnerware. You can purchase dinnerware sets very affordably from local dollar stores or big box stores like Walmart.

When it comes to products you need like toilet paper, soap, toothpaste and feminie hygiene products, it can sometimes be more cost-effective to purchase bigger packages. Next time you’re at the store, look at the cost per unit or CPU on the product price tag. You’ll find that buying a 18-pack of toilet paper has a lower CPU than a four-pack of the same brand and type. The same is probably true for a four-pack of toothpaste vs. a single tube. If it’s something you know that you’ll use and that you have to have, you save money by buying the larger quantity at one time.

Budget a small portion for “happy” purchases. 

One of the reasons that many people fail at budgeting is because they don’t feel like they get to buy anything they want. So, it is important to include fun money in your budget. Once you’ve tested your budget and used strategies to reduce the cost of your bills and needs, start adding fun things to the mix! A strategy that helps some people is to set aside money each week for fun purchases. Even if you designate $1-5 a week, that adds up throughout the month and can create a fund for you to buy things that you want – like a meal out or a new piece of clothing. 

Budgeting can be hard, and if you’re someone who tends to overspend, it can be disheartening to sit down and look at where your money is going. But when you make healthy budgeting choices and reduce your spending, you might find that you’re less stressed and able to handle unforeseen expenses that come your way. 

If you are stressed about money and making ends meet, the team at the Wellness and Stress Clinic is here to help. You can visit our clinic on Monday nights. Start by making an appointment today.