First, a little science review: your immune system is the body's all over detective to keep us healthy in times of infectious disease, such as cold and flu season, helping us fight off viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.

But your immune system also patrols of your whole body to keep our body healthy and well in times of stress or in times of good. 

And it modulates any and all invaders that could potentially make us sick.

In this post, I'm not going to talk about the traditional approaches to staying healthy & well like having a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, getting a lot of sleep, monitoring and managing stress. 

And I'm also not going to do a deep dive into supplementation or different vitamins, minerals, & herbals to strengthen the immune system and keep it strong.

For more information on those topics, check out Immune Super Heroes and Do’s and Don’ts for Immune Health.

In this post, we’re exploring 7 creative, easy, FUN ways to not just boost, but elevate, your immune system and overall wellness.

Let's talk about meditating, writing, journaling, practicing prayer, gratitude, a devotional practice, whatever you want to call it. 

Writing, journaling, gratitude and meditation all have amazing benefits.  

All calm the mind and your mental responses, activating your parasympathetic nervous system. Your parasympathetic nervous system is what allows the body to relax and helps reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. 

And anything that reduces our stress response is good for overall wellness and supports a strong immune response.

It can be as simple as a two minute gratitude practice every day, just coming up with one or two things that you are grateful for, things you're looking forward to, or something that is good in the world.

This can also mean having 10 to 30 minute daily meditation practice or prayer practice. 

Tailor to your day and what works for you…my favorite is a 5 minute daily gratitude practice and I read a daily devotional every morning.

If this is a topic you want to hear more on, check out Gratitude: 12 Fresh & Fun Ideas!

Number two is social interaction.  

We are community creatures and by nature, we need community and other human beings in our environment. 

Isolation is one of the fastest ways for the body to age and to get old and weaken. 

Make social interaction and having friends - whether that is one really good friend or a sister or a brother that you are really close to, or having an entire network of people - a priority!

Laughter truly, truly is The. Best. Medicine. 

There are countless studies about the benefits of laughter and having a positive attitude. 

That deep belly laugh and the act of a genuine smile triggers muscles in the human body that produce feel good chemicals in the brain. 

And those feel good chemicals support a positive immune response, meaning there are literally chemicals that our immune system produces just in reference to our laughter muscles being contracted. 

Fascinating isn't it?

Laughter truly is the best medicine.  

So, laugh every single day and flood your body with feel good chemicals.

 Amazing things happen when you fill your world with things that make you smile, laugh, and bring you joy.

Moving on to one strategy that’s near and ear to my heart, but makes my 2 teenage daughters absolutely cringe…that is music and dancing. 

Again, there is all kinds of research with music therapy and our bodies are flooded with all kinds of immune modulators keeping the body strong in response to music.

Moreover, exercise also is one of the best ways of keeping the immune system strong, but I don't like to exercise. 

This is no secret and finding unique and creative approaches at getting some exercise and some physical movement for the body though, is a huge priority of mine.

One of my favorite ways to do this is with a rebounder (mini-trampoline), turn up the music, and do some fun dance moves while bouncing on your trampoline. Laugh at yourself doing this for 5 minutes a day.

And when you combine music, dancing, and laughing, it makes exercise a whole lot more fun.

Yes, I said it. Cold plunges, Cold showers. 

Neither is appealing to me, but mounting research is showing so many health benefits to cold showers or cold plunges. 

If it is your thing, if it is something that you're interested in, it is not without possible risks. Please do your homework and consult your doctor if you have any health conditions, you may be at higher risks for adverse effects.

Another strategy - especially when you're sleeping - is to humidify your air.

This is most important in winter months with dry, furnace air. 

And the reason why is best explained with a little anatomy lesson: Our nasal passages are meant to be moist because that moisture enables the little tiny hairs the ability to move. 

And when they move, they collect pathogens and particles in the air that you're breathing in. And as these pathogens are collected, mucous balls are created, i. e. Boogers. 

And those boogers are then expelled from the body. So, it's one of the best physical defenses to keep pathogens out.

When your nasal passages are really dry, those little mucus balls can't form. And so it's just basically just opening your front door and welcoming in the party.

You can humidify your home in one of two ways. 

You can either add a whole house humidifier - my favorite - to reduce moisture on the windows and it decreases the risk for developing mold in your home. 

If that’s not possible, individual room humidifiers are a great alternative and just run them at night. One benefit to room humidifiers is that you can also add essential oils to further support your immune system.

And last, but certainly not least, is the concept of grounding or connecting with nature. 

This has become very popular of late, primarily because we live in a society that is very industrialized with the majority of our days spent inside. Even when we are outside, we are actually rarely connecting with the earth.

However, connecting with the earth - called grounding - and being out in nature provides numerous health benefits. So walk barefoot guys, connect with the earth. Spend time outside in the dirt connecting with nature.

Why is this so important? 

There's a magnetic field that the earth has that acts as a battery charger for all of the cells in the body. And when your batteries are charged, all the cells in your body can fully and effectively work, including your immune system. When you're running at half batteries, nothing works efficiently.

Can’t be outside? Enter grounding mats or PEMF Therapy mats. These are meant to be used in your home and they mimic the Earth’s magnetic field. You get the same grounding effect and battery charging benefits just by laying on these mats daily.

 There are several companies that provide PEMF mats, but my favorite is from a company called Higher Dose. 

I hope this has been super beneficial and you learned something new! I encourage you to incorporate these immune-boosting strategies into your daily life, turning them into habits that resonate with you. 

Remember, your health is a lifelong adventure, and each choice you make has the power to elevate your well-being. As we wrap up, let's embrace the joy of vibrant living, the nourishment of laughing, and the healing power of nature.

On that note, don't forget to grab the 6 Surprising Misconceptions of Bone Health (and Why It Matters). 

After going through these Misconceptions, you'll be empowered to make even more informed decisions about your lifestyle to live the life you deserve & love!

You can download this FREE resource by clicking the yellow button below 👇👇👇