Think of downshifting not as another item on your to-do list, but as an invitation to return to a more natural rhythm of life. 

Imagine your capacity to handle life's stressors as a bucket. Each challenge—whether physical, emotional, or environmental—adds a drop. When it overflows, that's when health and wellness issues emerge.

Whether you're hitting the beach, going for a hike, or simply enjoying a picnic in the park, having a positive attitude toward your body and your health and wellness can make all the difference.

Perhaps body doubling is a way we can weave a thicker social network and feel supported while accomplishing our health and wellness goals.

This is the tricky stage of recovery from illness: Those early jolts of energy tempting you to charge back into life, the return of the obligations you had to ignore because you felt too crummy to lift your head off the pillow. It’s hard not to get swept back up in the grind again. But I know if I do, I’ll overdo it and end up fighting this virus longer than I need to.

Several of my coworkers invited me to alpaca yoga at Eagle Eye Farm — a lovely expanse of green grass, white picket fences, friendly staff and the cutest little farm animals. I had a smile on my face the whole time, whether I was releasing muscle tension through down dog or petting Pearl, one of many alpacas on the farm.