Top 5 Things that make you feel happy (almost) every time

These last few years have been tough. Between pandemics, political upheavals, overseas wars, crazy weather, seismic shifts in culture, shortages, on top of being a full time worker, with families, homes, pets, and aging loved ones…it’s no wonder we all feel grumpy.

If grumpy doesn’t describe you, then I bet you an IMS $10 certificate that you’ve been successful at performing some sort of self-care. Congratulations!

For the rest of us who give it our all – and many times at the sacrifice of one’s self – we need reminders of what just a few minutes a day of self-care can do for us.

Therefore, I present to you a list of the top 5 things that make you feel happy (almost) every time!

1. Massage Therapy

According to the Mayo Clinic, massage should be part of your standard overall health care. Massage benefits can include:

a. Reduce Stress and increase relaxation

b. Reduce pain and muscle soreness and tension

c. Improve circulation, energy and alertness

d. Lower heart rate and blood pressure

e. Improve immune function

Talk to your IMS broker about massage therapists in your area!

2. Connect to your Community
Mental Health America recommends connecting with your community to feel emotionally strong and resilient in times of stress. Some ways for business owners, like you, to connect with their community are to join their local Chamber of Commerce, volunteer at a charity, take a class, and attend business events like IMS networking lunches and expos. Talk to your broker about memberships to the Chamber or local charities within IMS that need your help!

3. Get enough exercise
Exercise comes in all shapes and forms. Walks around your neighborhood, weight training, squats, joining a gym, swimming, kayaking, yoga, etc. Good Housekeeping says that cardiac events are 70% lower in people who lifted weights twice a week. Your local IMS market may have several different options for you to get your exercise on!

4. Manage your debt
Forbes contributor Judith Belmont, M.S. from Naples, Florida says “If you have debt, it is going to have a ripple effect over other areas of your life.” Whether the debt is owed to you or the debt is owed by you, IMS has several solutions to help you manage your debt:

a. Ask the vendors who owe you money and unable to pay if they’d be willing to join IMS.
A business that joins IMS and owes you money you are unlikely to collect can then pay the outstanding balance owed to you in trade dollars. If you weren’t going to collect anything, then trade dollars are certainly a better alternative. Plus, you might be doing your vendor a favor by having them enroll in IMS and benefitting from all of the cost-reduction offered through being an IMS member.

b. Ask vendors to whom YOU owe money and are unable to pay if they’d be willing to join IMS.
Your debts can also be converted to trade dollars in certain situations. Your broker is a fantastic resource for finding out ways to convert your debt to trade.

c. Determine which of your routine cash expenses can be converted into trade expenses instead
Talk to your broker about the checks you are writing on a monthly basis. If you have an accountant, have your accountant work with your IMS broker on converting these cash expenses (including your accountant!).

d. Hire a lawyer through IMS
When all else fails, and you need a lawyer, use your IMS account to pay for most, if not all, of your legal fees.

5. Enjoy a quiet cup of tea (or coffee!)
What joy would it be if you bought your tea (or coffee!) and the personalized logo’d cup you’re drinking it in, through your IMS account? Don’t forget about water services too!

Balancing your mind, body, and wealth is a daily exercise in self-care. Your IMS broker has lots of suggestions on products and services available through your membership in the network. Connect with yourself again and make self-care a top