Gratitude and self-care are invaluable tools to maintain a high quality of life while protecting your mental and physical wellness. Psychological research has even identified a strong, consistent link between gratitude and greater happiness. So, by practicing gratitude as self-care with the treatments listed in this article, you can safeguard your overall well-being while working toward your wellness goals.
The Role of Gratitude as Self-Care
Gratitude in the practice of being grateful and acknowledging the goodness in your life. It allows us to appreciate the positive things in our lives, rather than focusing on the negative. Though it may sound like a simple practice, gratitude can have a significant impact on one’s mental health, stress levels, and overall quality of life.
Clinical research has linked gratitude to greater emotional, social, and psychological well-being. It’s also known as a predictor for better health outcomes. With these facts in mind, gratitude can play a key role in improving and maintaining your overall well-being as part of your regular self-care routine.
Although caring for others is important, self-care provides the foundation for health and wellness. Self-care supports your mental and physical health so that you can more effectively manage day-to-day responsibilities and care for others.
Here are a few ways that gratitude and self-care work together to promote improved well-being:
- Gratitude encourages healthy habits, like better sleep, nutrition, exercise, and quitting smoking. All of these habits can be considered self-care, as they nurture your health and wellness.
- Gratitude promotes healthy, meaningful relationships, which enhance social and emotional well-being. Strong social connections are essential for overall wellness.
- Gratitude lowers levels of cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. Stress management is one of the primary benefits of self-care.
Treatments for Self-Care Through Gratitude
Self-care through gratitude can come in many forms. At WellMedica in Reston, Virginia, we’re proud to offer a wide range of treatments that support gratitude as self-care by enhancing self-confidence and overall well-being.
Wellness Medicine
Protecting and improving your wellness is a wonderful way to practice gratitude for your body, mind, and spirit. Wellness medicine focuses on physical and mental well-being to foster overall wellness. We help our patients in Virginia achieve this by introducing and encouraging healthy habits.
IV and IM Nutritional Therapy
Practice gratitude by nourishing your body with vitamins, minerals, and other vital nutrients. IV/IM nutritional therapy delivers a potent blend of nutrients directly to the bloodstream to enhance your energy levels, boost immunity, facilitate detox, or manage signs of aging. Through IV/IM therapy, you can work toward your health goals and express gratitude by caring for your body.
Some of the most popular IM and IV therapies at our clinic include:
- Glutathione
- NAD+
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin D3
- Tri-Immune Boost
- Amino Blend
- Mineral Blend
Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy
Hormonal fluctuations, including menopause and andropause, can trigger mood swings and irritability that make it difficult to practice gratitude. Bio-identical hormone therapy restores optimal hormone levels in the body to promote a stable mood and provide relief from the irritability and anxiety often associated with hormonal changes.
We provide comprehensive hormone testing to precisely identify hormone imbalances. With the results of this testing and a thorough evaluation of your symptoms, we can prescribe bioidentical hormone replacement therapy to treat a deficiency or imbalance.
Skincare
You may think of skincare simply as a step in your morning and evening routine. But, you can transform your skincare regimen into a moment of self-care and an opportunity to reflect on what you’re grateful for.
Medical skincare from Dr. Dima Cosminology is formulated to nurture, protect, and rejuvenate your skin. With optimal amounts of potent ingredients, Dr. Dima’s skincare line can bring the best version of your skin to the surface.
Photodynamic Therapy
Stubborn skin imperfections can make it difficult to feel gratitude for your health and appearance. With photodynamic therapy in Reston, we can dramatically improve the appearance of your skin, granting you a greater sense of gratitude whenever you look in the mirror.
Photodynamic therapy, or PDT, is a laser treatment that involves applying a photo-sensitizing agent (Levulan) to the skin, and then activating it with a particular light wavelength. This process produces a reactive oxygen molecule that destroys nearby cells and effectively treats acne, wrinkles, psoriasis, and many other skin conditions, as well as certain forms of cancer.
Scar Treatment
Scars are symbols of the challenges we’ve overcome. While some take pride in their scars, for others, they make it difficult to move forward. Scar treatment can effectively remove scarring to improve your self-confidence while practicing gratitude for all that you’ve been through.
We offer an extensive range of treatment options for scars, including:
- The Candela Vbeam is an intense but gentle burst of light that destroys blood vessels in the targeted area without damaging the surrounding skin. This improves the appearance of scarred, discolored skin.
- Chemical peels are applied directly to the skin, causing the outer layer of the skin to “blister” and peel off. As a result, new, healthy skin cells rise to the surface, making scarred skin appear smoother and brighter.
- Fraxel CO2 laser is a powerful laser treatment that uses fractional CO2 technology to create precise microscopic wounds in the skin. This stimulates the skin’s healing process, leading to a dramatic improvement in the appearance of scarred skin.
- Morpheus8 combines microneedling and radiofrequency technology to stimulate collagen and elastin production. It’s one of the latest treatment options for facial and body scarring.
- Bellafill, formerly known as Artefill, is an injectable filler that can smooth and diminish atrophic (indented) scars. Unlike other fillers, Bellafill contains collagen and microspheres, which can effectively fill moderate to severe acne scars.
- Microneedling is a time-tested cosmetic treatment to enhance the appearance of the skin and may reduce superficial scarring. We use the SkinPen® by Crown Aesthetics, the first and only FDA-cleared microneedling device.
- Venus Viva™ MD is a device that allows us to gain the results of full-face laser resurfacing without downtime and risks. It can dramatically improve the appearance of scarring to restore the smooth, healthy appearance of your skin.
- Vibradermabrasion is an effective scar treatment that gently exfoliates the skin and stimulates collagen production. It’s a comfortable, enjoyable treatment that’s often compared to the feeling of a facial massage.
- UltraClear™ is a groundbreaking skin rejuvenation treatment. It’s powered by first-of-its-kind cold fiber laser technology and delivers fractional ablative sub-pulses. This noticeably smooths, brightens, clears, and heals the skin to reduce the appearance of scarring.
O-Shot®
Sexual satisfaction contributes to healthier relationships, improved mental health, and greater happiness. So, if you’re struggling with decreased sexual pleasure, treatments like the O-Shot® are an excellent way to practice self-care.
The O-Shot® is a non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatment that uses platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, to stimulate cellular growth, tissue rejuvenation, and increased blood flow. This process increases sensitivity, lubrication, and nourishment, leading to greater sexual satisfaction.
P-Shot®, P-TOX, and the E-Shot
Erectile dysfunction can be frustrating, diminish your self-confidence, and compromise your sexual wellness. This problem affects around 30 million men in the U.S., and it can take a toll on your mental health.
Practice self-care through gratitude by addressing this problem, rather than ignoring it. At WellMedica, we treat erectile dysfunction with P-TOX, P-Shot®, and E-Shot. These treatments help resolve ED to improve your sexual wellness and restore your sense of gratitude.
- P-Shot® involves injecting blood-derived growth factors, including platelet-rich plasma or platelet-rich fibrin matrix, into the penis to improve its health and function.
- P-TOX involves injecting Botox into the erectile tissues of the penis. Botox relaxes the muscles in this area so that the penis can carry a greater volume of blood. This treatment works much like Viagra, but by a different pathway and with a synergistic, restorative effect.
- The E-Shot combines the P-Shot® and P-TOX for results that last far longer than Viagra or Cialis. Dr. Dima has been doing this procedure since 2015 with excellent results.
Other Ways to Practice Gratitude as Self-Care
Along with the treatments listed above, you can practice gratitude as self-care by:
- Keeping a gratitude journal: If you struggle to keep regular journal entries, consider keeping a gratitude journal. Write down the moments of your day that you’re grateful for. This practice helps you recognize the good things that happen in your life, leading to greater contentment.
- Share gratitude with others: Expressing gratitude for others has been found to strengthen relationships and may contribute to feelings of contentment. Practice expressing gratitude when people do something you’re thankful for, no matter how large or small.
- Be mindful of your senses: Mindfulness and gratitude often go hand in hand. By being mindful of your senses, you can feel more grateful for the simple things in life, like breathing in the crisp outdoor air or eating a delicious meal.
To learn about the treatments that can help you practice gratitude as self-care, schedule a consultation at WellMedica Aesthetic & Anti-Aging Medicine today. Dr. Dima can help determine the best treatments for your self-care needs and wellness goals.
