Lightheartedness aside, children through senior citizens alike have been impacted by much more than a mask. Many of our children are anxious, not knowing what the next week of school will bring and worried whether classes will ever go back to “normal.” Older adults in nursing homes may have visitors only through a window. Those seeking a romantic partner may struggle to build new relationships with limited interaction. How can we find peace in this uncertainty?

Cultivating kindness and gratitude are essential. So is self-care. Though it may sound simple, truly bringing intention into these thoughts and actions can make a world of difference. Each act of compassion creates a ripple of positivity, no matter how small. This includes compassion toward yourself! Taking care of your physical health can keep your mental health balanced as well. Appreciate the little things. Acts of kindness, spending time with a pet, phoning a family member, cooking a new recipe, exercising— these seem fundamental but are truly important when done with intention. This issue offers a multitude of info in all of these realms to help inspire you to treat yourself well.

Gratitude is powerful. What better time to bring gratitude into our lives than this Thanksgiving season? Our Fit Body article offers ways to find peace and pleasure in exercise by shifting our attitude toward self-love and gratitude. We include recipe ideas to share with the family in our Conscious Eating department. We also share ideas for parents to help their little ones build appreciation for their innate nature in the article on conscious parenting. Skin care is self-care: feel good with natural ideas in our Healing Ways department to keep yourself looking good and feeling great.  And no matter one’s age, a balanced stress level, blood sugar level and sufficient sleep are integral to mental and physical health. These are key in the prevention and management of diabetes; we discuss these and other key strategies in our feature article, “Preventing Type 2 Diabetes: Natural Lifestyle Choices to Curb the Disease.”

At Natural Awakenings, we strive to support you, your family and our community however we can. We offer the latest evidence-based information to foster our mental and physical health in every issue. We are proud to share advertisers with you who may provide just the service you need for pain relief, stress relief or finding balance.

Kids, teens, parents, nanas—let us all strive to support each other and find reasons to be thankful. Let us focus on acting and thinking out of love instead of fear. Let us make the most of each day and find a moment of gratitude in each.

Whether you get creative with a new Thanksgiving recipe, jump in the fall leaves with your kids or complete your skin care routine, challenge yourself to find bliss in these simple moments. Be present. Because the present moment is all there is.