Autumn 24 Full The Entrepreneurial Spirit Issue Final

Mueller-Douglas’s revolutionary idea began with the concept of habit stacking, understanding that in creating or modifying a habit, the system of rewarding oneself with little enjoyable treats could prove super effective. From this, the idea began to take shape while on a special wellness retreat, but with cheesecake as the initial reward. “…after the wellness practices, we awarded ourselves with a piece of cheesecake. It just happened to be chocolate, but everyone shared how relaxed they felt, how they wanted to continue with this idea of rewarding themselves, but they could never have a piece of cheesecake every day, which I was NOT recommending,” recounts Melissa Mueller-Douglas, LMSW. …after the wellness practices, we awarded ourselves with a piece of cheesecake. It just happened to be chocolate, but everyone shared how relaxed they felt, how they wanted to continue with this idea of rewarding themselves, but they could never have a piece of cheesecake every day, which I was NOT recommending.”

T he concept of mindfulness is one of simplicity and acceptance. It implies the practice of being fully present and alive in the moment, of being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions, without any form of judgment. It is a two-part process that requires you to pay closer attention to both what is happening around you and what is happening within you and accept these as truths. In this acceptance, many often find peace and fulfillment. As such, mindfulness has become an effective weapon for combating stress. Many techniques have been developed from this philosophy that have also proven beneficial to both the body and mind.

walk through the park allows one to focus on the current moment and surroundings. The rustling of leaves and trees swaying in the wind, the chirping of birds, the smell of flowers or the savory aroma from a nearby hotdog stand, and the vibrant colors of the grass, flowers, sky, and more—all these appeal to the auditory, olfactory, and visual senses, which can help in lowering blood pressure and calming the mind. With this ideology in mind, many experts in the wellness field have fashioned their own unique techniques and practices to help boost mental health and improve wellness efforts. One such wellness practice, championed by Licensed Master

Mindfulness techniques such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, practicing gratitude, journaling, and more can help reduce anxiety by enhancing emotional regulation and improving overall mental and physical health. I myself find that a short walk through a quiet and peaceful garden or neighborhood can do a whole lot for mood improvement. In his bestselling book Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., a psychologist, author, and part-time Harvard lecturer, emphasizes the distraction from negative thoughts and worries that these seemingly simple everyday activities offer us. Something as simple as taking a quiet, mindful

Social Worker (LMSW) Melissa Mueller-Douglas, is the unorthodox use of chocolates to not only help manage stress and mental health but also aid in developing and nurturing new habits. Mueller-Douglas’s peculiar practice involves combining mindfulness practices with chocolate to help manage mental health and boost efficacy in every aspect of livelihood. This unusual wellness technique makes use of the “MYRetreat” app, an application created to help users alleviate stress, especially in the workplace, and also nurture new habits by administering small, bite- sized pieces of chocolate as rewards for accomplishing tasks or achieving daily goals.

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