All during August, National Wellness Month focuses on self-care, managing stress and promoting healthy routines. Create wholesome habits in your lifestyle all month long and see how much better you feel!
Research has shown self-care helps manage stress and promotes happiness. Whether you challenge yourself to a new yoga pose or try a different spa treatment, make a small change and impact your health in positive ways.
There are numerous ways to make those small changes, too.
Increase your water intake.
Add more fruits and veggies to your meals.
Monitor your sleep and make adjustments for better sleep habits
Join a yoga, walking, or aerobics class.
Learn to meditate.
These small steps can lead to many more healthy habits in your lifestyle.
Live Love Spa founded National Wellness Month in 2018 to foster community, connection, and commerce in the Wellness industry. The initiative inspires consumers to focus on wellness and provides a platform for wellness companies to highlight their services and benefits.
Every August, let’s amplify the message of healthy living, celebrate those providing amazing self-care solutions, and inspire others to create new healthy habits.
Proclaim “I choose wellness” with a photo and post on social media.
Visit http://www.wellnessmonth.com for a calendar of daily challenges for small ways you can choose to be well each day. Because we believe that small, daily acts of self-care lead to a lifetime of wellness.
National Blood Pressure Education Month in May provides awareness regarding hypertension.
Many people don’t even know they have high blood pressure. Symptoms of hypertension often go unnoticed and if left uncontrolled the risk of heart problems such as stroke or heart attack increase.
It’s important to know your numbers. When blood pressure is measured, the upper number (systolic pressure) measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The lower number (diastolic pressure) measures the pressure between heartbeats. For most people, a normal blood pressure is less than 120/80.
HISTORY
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created National High Blood Pressure Education Month, and it is recognized by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
During May, have your blood pressure checked. You can either schedule an appointment with your primary care physician or visit a local pharmacy that does blood pressure readings. If your blood pressure is elevated, it may be time for a physical. Some medications increase blood pressure. Lifestyle can be a factor, too.
Every year in May, Global Employee Health and Fitness Month aims to improve the health of the global workforce. Through initiatives and helpful programs, the campaign encourages employers to engage their employees in healthful activities. It also provides a variety of wellness and fitness programs to complement already existing programs. Employers with wellness programs have healthier employees who are more productive. Wellness programs reduce overall healthcare costs and reduce illness and injury.
Employees who participate in wellness programs have lower stress levels, better overall health, and improved confidence, too. Challenge employees to pair up with partners to take the stairs or go for a walk on their lunch break. Take stretch breaks and eat healthy meals. Make sure to get plenty of rest and track your exercise, too. Join the movement and encourage others to join you.
GLOBAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND FITNESS MONTH
The National Association for Health and Fitness launched the observance in 1989 to encourage employers to invest in their employees’ health. Each year the campaign has grown from a national observance to a now global event.
Employers can participate by offering wellness programs and incentives to employees who participate. Create challenges and opportunities to encourage employees to be physically active and focus on their health. Employees, encourage your employer to join the movement. Other ways to participate include:
Invite other co-workers to join you for a walk on your lunch break
Choose the farthest parking space or walk to work
Take the stairs
Use a standing desk
Participate in desk exercises
Use #EmployeeHealthAndFitnessMonth to share on social media.
As May unfolds, the world awakens to a symphony of renewal, earning its poetic title “Melodies of May.” The month bursts forth with vibrant life, where the grass becomes so lush and green that you could milk the cows three times a day. This imagery captures the abundant fertility of the season, as pastures thicken under warming sun and gentle rains. Fields transform into emerald carpets, supporting thriving livestock and promising bountiful harvests. Nature’s rhythm sets the tone for May’s melodies—birds singing at dawn, breezes rustling new leaves, and the hum of insects in blooming meadows—inviting all to pause and celebrate the earth’s generous rebirth.
May Day, on the first of the month, anchors these celebrations with ancient roots in European folklore. Communities gather to “bring in the May,” adorning homes with hawthorn blossoms, wildflowers, and fresh greenery. This tradition symbolizes the triumph of summer over winter, blending pagan rites of fertility with later Christian influences. Revelers crown a May Queen, often accompanied by a figure like Jack in the Green, while processions wind through villages. The air fills with laughter and song, turning the day into a living melody of joy and communal harmony.
Central to May’s festivities are the iconic maypoles, tall wooden poles erected as symbols of spring’s vitality. Dancers weave colorful ribbons around them in intricate patterns, their movements creating a visual and rhythmic dance that echoes the month’s lively spirit. These poles, often topped with wreaths or flowers, stand as focal points for village fairs. In many European countries, maypole dances occur on May Day itself, though some regions extend the merriment into mid-summer. The tradition fosters connection, as participants circle together in synchronized steps set to folk tunes.
In 1644, however, England’s Puritan authorities banned maypoles, denouncing them as “heathenish vanity” tied to superstition and excess. This prohibition reflected broader efforts to suppress what were seen as frivolous or idolatrous customs during the Commonwealth period. Yet the spirit of May proved resilient. People continued secret or subdued observances, clinging to the joy of the season despite restrictions. The ban highlighted tensions between folk traditions and religious reform, yet it could not silence the melodies that had long defined the month.
The restoration of the monarchy brought a triumphant revival. When Charles II returned to England in 1660, jubilant crowds in London erected maypoles at nearly every crossroads to mark the occasion. One particularly grand example soared to about 123 feet (or over 130 feet in some accounts), towering as a beacon of celebration and defiance against prior suppressions. These poles became emblems of renewed freedom and festivity, their heights matching the soaring hopes of the era. Music and dance flowed freely once more, weaving political renewal into the timeless fabric of May’s songs.
Even after its eventual removal, that towering London maypole found an unexpected second life in science. It was repurposed to support a telescope used by none other than Isaac Newton, linking rustic festival traditions with groundbreaking astronomical inquiry. This quirky transition from revelry to research underscores May’s multifaceted legacy—bridging earthy pleasures with intellectual pursuits. The pole’s journey reminds us that melodies of joy can inspire discovery, turning symbols of spring into tools for exploring the cosmos.
Those born in may fall under either the Earth sign Taurus (the bull) or Gemini (the twins). Their birthstone is the beautiful emerald which comes in shades of green. The flower for May is the Lily of the Valley which represents purity, motherhood, humility, chastity, and sweetness.
Pеорlе whо аrе bоrn in May are more lіkеlу tо асhіеvе hіghеr success and mоrе lоvе in their lіfе. Evеn though іt’ѕ mostly a relative fасt, Mау people hаvе a better grasp on these elements of life thаn people bоrn in оthеr months.The bіrthѕtоnе for May is Emerald.
Those born in May also share their birth month with:
Dr. Benjamin Spock
Engelbert Humperdinck
Sigmund Freud
Orson Wells
Mary Mahoney
Gary Cooper
Eva Peron
Marion Mitchell Morris
Miles Davis
Sally Ride
Harry S. Truman
John F. Kennedy
Dwayne Johnson
Adele
George Clooney
Roma Downey
Rosario Dawson
Bono
Frances Fisher
Emilio Esteves
Gabriel Bryne
Stevie Wonder
Cate Blanchet
George Lucas
Janet Jackson
Bill Paxton
Tina Fey
Cher
Mr. T
Drew Carey
Bob Dylan
Ian McKellen
Mike Myers
Octavia Spencer
Helenda Bonham Cater
Lenny Kravitz
Louis Gossett Jr.
Carrie Mulligan
Wynonna Judd
Clint Eastwood
Ultimately, “Melodies of May” endures as a harmonious blend of nature’s abundance, cultural resilience, and human creativity. From the verdant fields where cows thrive on rich grass to the ribboned dances and defiant maypoles, the month composes an unforgettable score. It invites us to listen closely—to the songs of renewal, the rhythms of community, and the quiet wonders that persist through history’s changes. Whether celebrating Mom, getting summer read or simply settling with a good book. May reminds us that life’s sweetest harmonies arise when we embrace the season’s generous, unstoppable flow.
As I look out the window, the world is shaking off the last of winter’s chill. We know that the first signs of spring aren’t always pretty—they’re often muddy—but they are always a promise. That promise is what this March issue is all about. It’s a tapestry woven with the golden threads of transition, remembrance, and celebration…
