Säg Hej this January!

Happy New Year! January is Health & Wellness month where we work with our local businesses and organizations to offer you insight for a better understanding of your personal health journey, as well as resources you can utilize in making next steps in your wellness journey.

This year, we’re taking a step back and starting small. We’re proud to announce our Säg Hej wellness initiative for 2024. Originally started in the Swedish city of Lulea, Säg Hej (Say hi) encourages interaction between you and your community with a simple “hi, hey, hello” to your neighbor, your mail carrier, that one person you see on the bus every day but have never spoken to, even just a total stranger you pass on the sidewalk. 

As we’ve become more isolated over the years, we’ve lost track of how positively an impact something as simple as the kind act of saying hey to others can have on our health, both individually and as a community. The idea that having “tunna band” or “thin connections” with others is more important to our mental health than we realize. Founder of the campaign, Asa Koski, says “These connections, she said, made people feel more acknowledged and secure in their communities, reduced the problem of involuntary loneliness, and made conflict with neighbors less likely. “

So start your health journey this year with a “hi” to your neighbor and keep your ears and eyes out for podcast episodes with local experts discussing all aspects of wellness including fitness, mindfulness, mental, and sexual health, as well as tips for forming new habits, and local resources for your own health plan.