20 Minute Reset

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Movement:

20 Minute Reset

Cardio | Core | Concern

Decide to prioritize your activity once a day. Baby steps, plan to do at least one section at minimum to begin optimizing your health and wellness while at work!

The 3 Step Self-Care Program

1) 10minutes of Simple Cardio: Get Moving Daily

Bring a change of shoes, get a walking buddy, or use the time to put on your headphones and

listen to a podcast, a YouTube video or music for these suggestions.

  1. Walk around the building if the sun is shining or you crave some fresh air.
  2. Use the treadmill in the gym. Go as fast as you want to go, play with the incline.
  3. Take a tour of the inside of the building, use the stairs to travel from floor to floor.
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2) 5 minutes of Basic Core: Basic Strength Growth

 Protect your lower back and gently build core strength by trying these easy core developers.
  1. Stand with legs shoulder width apart, bend the knees a bit so you the knees are not locked. Contracting your core, as if you were anticipating a punch coming at your stomach, throw punches out ahead of you alternating arms. This is core engagement. After a few moments of throwing punches straight ahead of you, shift upwards at a 45 degree angle, then downwards, to the left shifting your weight and to the right. Take a few breaths in that stance and see if you notice a release of tension or any difference in the way your body feels.
  2. Lay out a stretching mat and hold a modified plank (on the knees) or full-plank for as long as it takes to get the body to start to tremor from lactic-acid buildup, meaning that your muscles are fully fatigued. Hold for at least 10 full seconds to start growing core strength gently. Be sure the body is as horizontal as possible.

3) 5 minutes of Concern: Stretch & Release Muscle Tension

 Concern yourself with calming the body and mind to cool down and reset yourself. With a few of these stress-reducing stretches you can return you to the rest of the workday with a refreshed feeling.
  1. Shoulder shrug tension release-Seated or standing, raise both shoulders up towards the ears and hold, feeling the tension in the neck and shoulders for a few seconds, then abruptly and dramatically drop the shoulders as you exhale through the mouth, releasing the tension with a sigh. Do this at least 3 times to practice recognizing tense muscles and then consciously dropping the muscle tension. This comes in handy while working in front of the computer, training your awareness to notice when muscles are tensing up while working and then releasing that tension often prevents stress headaches and neck pain.
  2. Neck Stretching- Can be done seated or standing. Gently lengthen neck muscles from ear to shoulder, holding for at least 2-3 full breaths on each side, then rotating the head to the left and right for at least 2-3 full breaths. Then, facing upwards towards the ceiling at 45 degrees, with mouth closed, stretching the front neck muscles and facing downwards as far as the head can comfortably go without forcing it, holding for the same length of time of 2-3 full breaths or more.
  3. Chest- Standing comfortably, grasp your hands behind you, having your elbows as straight as possible, roll the shoulders back and you raise the grasped hands upwards and away from the body, increasing the chest and shoulder stretch as you feel into the lengthening, breathing in the sensation of the tension and then exhaling out that tension’s release. Raise the hands a little higher with each breath 2-3 times or more.
  4. Upper back-Seated or standing, give yourself a big bear hug with one arm over the other, walking your fingers as far as they will go over the shoulder blades. Feel the muscles between your shoulder blades widen as you take a few deep breaths. Breathe out through the mouth to release the tension of the upper back. Switch arms so that each arm has an opportunity to overlap the other for a balanced upper back stretch.
  5. Lower back- laying down on an exercise mat, slowly alternating bending each leg pulling a knee to the chest and holding it for at least a breath, repeating 3x on each side. For a deeper stretch, widen the arms, palms facing down for leverage, taking both legs up towards the chest and hold with a slight rocking from left to right, feeling the pressure from the floor press into the lower back. Make small ovals from left to right, across the top of the hips to below and across the bottom of the hips. This will bring more blood circulation and release the stress and tension from sitting for many hours a day.

This small practice can spark more healthful habits. Be sure to make an appointment with yourself in your calendar every day during your workday to commit to your own self-care on a daily basis. The investment in your body and your peace of mind is worth every second spent!

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Break it up: commit to start with a 3 minute practice. Put a daily reminder in your calendar. Start small and let it grow after the practice becomes a habit!

Action Over Sugar

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Nutrition:

Action Over Sugar

Love is sweet, you don’t have to eat it to feel it.

Celebrating Sweetness in Life Instead of Eating It

It’s that time of the year again, Valentine’s Day brings lots of candy and chocolate to mind and too much to our mouths. Regardless of our romantic status, people love to indulge on sweets for this holiday. Celebrating togetherness for some, but also soothing loneliness for many. There are so many more ways to show love than giving and indulging in sugary treats!

This article will give you some activity ideas to feel the love we all need and want. Action is the best way to show someone (especially yourself) you really care about them. So much more important that buying chocolate and candy, show someone you love with action this Valentine’s Day.

Before we get into activity ideas, first let’s explore some facts about sugar to inspire you to make this Valentines holiday more about treating ourselves and one another well and less about the sweet treats we don’t need. Sugar is detrimental to our health, no shocking news flash there, but its effects are killing us slowly over time. The top costs of sugar to health are:

  • Increases dementia risk.
  • Compounds risks of smoking.
  • Sugar feeds cancer.
  • Sugar leads to heart disease.
  • Sugar is addictive.
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Effects of sugar on mind and body.

Sugar in excess leads to weight gain, increased cortisol, gut flora imbalances, brain fog, fatigue, diabetes, insomnia, heart disease. Depression and anxiety are linked to sugar’s influence, creating spikes and dips in blood sugar, throwing off our hormonal regulation making us feel stressed. Much like the long-term effects of excessive alcohol and nicotine consumption, too much of a good thing shortens life spans and invites a roster of preventable diseases.

Healthy alternatives to sugar in moderation.

There are tons of healthy alternatives on the market. One of the best alternatives to white cane sugar is maple syrup which is packed with nutrients and antioxidants. Still high in natural sugar, but loaded with vitamins and minerals. The darker the syrup, the higher in nutrient density!

DID YOU KNOW? Pure maple syrup has the same beneficial classes of antioxidant compounds found in berries, tomatoes, and flax seed.

If just one is impossible.

Dopamine, the hormone that fuels the drive to desire things, surges in sugar’s consumption, like any other pleasurable chemical substance that enters the body. Some are lucky and can have just one small piece of chocolate, candy or cake while others can’t seem to ever have enough. It’s best to have alternatives instead of sitting with a bag of M&Ms which only leads to guilt and remorse the next day. There are tons of support groups for help if you happen to be in the habit of overdoing sugar on a regular basis.

Activities beyond chewing.

Demonstrating love is being loving! According to the book, “The 5 Love Languages,” by Gary Chapman, people have different ways to show affection based on how they desire to receive it. It might be fun to discover your primary love language at their website 5lovelanguages.com. if you have a mate, ask them to do it too, it’s a great topic of conversation to learn more about one another. Here are some activities and actions to take categorized by each love language to do with someone or enjoying your own company.

  • Words of Affirmation: Verbal compliments that express love and appreciation.
    • Write a poem or love letter.
    • Make a collage.
    • Send loving texts to your mate.
    • Stick post-it notes of self-love around your space.
    • Make a list of all the things you appreciate about your mate.
    • Create a music playlist.
  • Physical Touch: Sexual and non-sexual that shows love.
    • A good long neck or back massage.
    • Get a professional massage or facial.
    • Getting a manicure or pedicure with a relaxing, extended foot treatment.
  • Quality Time: Focused and undivided attention spent together.
    • Go for a hike together.
    • Play a boardgame.
    • Go stargazing.
    • Play tourist in your own town.
    • Go for a drive.
    • Have breakfast in bed.
    • Cook dinner together.
    • Go to a museum or historical landmark.
    • Make a bucket list together.
  • Acts of Service: Any act that eases the burden of responsibility.
    • Take a chore they do and do it for them.
    • Surprise them with fixing broken something they’ve been holding off on.
    • Watch the kids while they let themselves nap or read a book.
  • Receiving Gifts: Physical symbols that reflect thoughtfulness and effort. Here’s a list of some gift ideas.
    • Give a gift certificate to their favorite place.
    • Package a special combination of essential oils they’d love.
    • Jewelry that suits their style.
    • Gift cards.
    • Movie tickets.
    • Cozy slippers.
    •  Journals.
    •  Gift certificate to a haircut or a blow-out hairstyling.
    • New clothes.
    • Kitchen appliance.
    • Photo session.

Here are some more ideas of things to do:

  • Volunteer together.
  • Design a treasure hunt in your home of small letters and gifts.
  • Do yoga together.
  • Do karaoke together.
  • Co-create a scrapbook of your life together.
  • See a drive-in movie together

Feel the love everyday

Celebrating love with action instead of sweets is not only for Valentine’s Day, but everyday of our lives. Making time for the people we love, including ourselves makes life feel healthier and so much more satisfying. Love is food for the soul!

Sources

https://nypost.com/2017/01/11/5-ways-sugar-could-kill-you/

https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/sugar-addiction/

https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2019/sugar-addiction-is-real-heres-whats-behind-the-science-and-how-to-quit-abby-haglage

https://www.5lovelanguages.com/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/maple-syrup#antioxidants

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Sugar is the devil. Show love in better ways and discover what it means to be well! 

Sleep status

overcoming depression naturally

Movement:

Sleep status

Being still is still being. Doing nothing is some of the best activity there is.

Catching the Zzzz’s You Need

Need a nap right about now? Instead of grabbing that afternoon coffee to get through the rest of your day, read this first. If you could use better sleep, this article may reveal some contributing factors that are blocking you from getting it. Making a few crucial adjustments to your lifestyle may be all you need to get some long overdue rest.

When you think of the word, sleep what are the first thoughts that come to mind? How we feel about this important function illuminates our overall disposition to health and well-being! Sleep struggles are common, more than 100 million Americans aren’t getting enough sleep. Sleep issues can affect your relationships, weight, thinking, work performance, health, and safety. Sleep is most often disturbed by the need to use the bathroom and physical pain in older adults. Rest is not to be minimized; it is vital to the quality of our lives.

There is no glory in being ‘productive’ while depending on stimulants and adrenaline, it only damages the body in the long run. Chronic sleep loss creates susceptibility to illness, disease, and burnout. In a Sleep in America Poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that caffeine consumption caused a loss of three to five hours of sleep per day.

How do you know if you are getting enough sleep? Here are some clear signs that reveal where you are on the sleep spectrum.

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Signs of getting enough sleep and being well rested:

Waking up without an alarm, maintaining your weight, not needing a caffeine boost during the day, not craving junk food, clear skin, and a good mood.

The long-term benefits of good sleep, of course, supports health and wellness; you’ll get sick less often by boosting your immune system, and have less risk of serious health problems, like diabetes, weight gain, stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack, and heart disease. With adequate sleep you’ll also have better cognitive function, and get along better with other people.

Signs of sleep loss:

Waking up without an alarm, maintaining your weight, not needing a caffeine boost during the day, not craving junk food, clear skin, and a good mood.

The long-term benefits of good sleep, of course, supports health and wellness; you’ll get sick less often by boosting your immune system, and have less risk of serious health problems, like diabetes, weight gain, stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack, and heart disease. With adequate sleep you’ll also have better cognitive function, and get along better with other people.

Prepare and protect your sleep quality and length by making it a priority:

  • Atmosphere– ensure your pillows and blankets are comfy and use a white noise machine to drown out any noises that interrupt your slumber. Ensure a darkroom to get and stay asleep, keeping the nightlights in the hallway and away from your bedroom.
  • Nutrition– Sugar and carbohydrates, especially before bedtime is proven to make people feel sleepy and fall asleep quicker, but it causes poor quality of sleep and more nighttime wake-ups. Although sugar makes people sleepy, after the ‘sugar high’ wears off, it brings a difficulty later on in the night in maintaining sleep. Also, eating too much sugar and processed carbohydrates, found in most snack foods contributes to inflammation in the body, which can have a negative effect on chronic pain and sleep quality.
  • Stress Hormones – Doing all you can to calm down before bedtime protects sleep quality enormously. Stay away from thought-provoking and disturbing topics in real life and on your screens. Watching the news before bed is a sure-fire way to stare at the ceiling for a few hours. Distance the news and thrilling movies from the day’s end. Your nervous system (and all the other ones in your body) will thank you for it.

If you know you have a lot of work to do to improve your sleep, don’t make too many adjustments all at once! Approach it incrementally, plan out a sleep strategy and prioritize the easiest changes or the most significant ones. It will support getting better rest gradually, rather than getting overwhelmed and sacrifice your progress. You deserve good quality rest, making it important will pay you back with dividends! 

Sources:

www.insider.com

www.insider.com

https://www.sleep.org/sleep-questions/sugar-impacts-sleep/

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Minimizing sleep is self-neglect. There is no glory in being sleep deprived.  Rest your head, and your nerves. Here are some suggestions for prioritizing sleep. 

Wellbeing

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Mindset:

Wellbeing

The emotions and the mind feed off one another. The power of beliefs and feelings can’t be underestimated in shaping our health.

Quick Hacks for Emotional Wellbeing

In today’s stressful world, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and bogged down by all the intricacies of life’s demands and upsets. Carving out some time just to reflect and “be” in a non-stop, fast paced world is crucial to release accumulated tension and reset your mind to a balanced state so you don’t feel swallowed up by life’s heavy demands.

Make peace with the stress of daily life my making a little quiet time a priority. Here are a few actions to take to feel more relaxation and serenity on the daily:

  1. Walk in the park or take a hike. Being around nature is calming, something about the breeze, the trees, and the rhythm of walking calms the nervous system down. Solutions to problems often come to organically with this most basic activity.
  2. Cut back on caffeine, sugary snacks, and alcohol. Caffeine and sugar are stimulants to the body and can make the stress response overreact. Replace non-nutritive snack foods with more whole-foods based items that have less of a stimulating effect on the body. Lowering stress hormones through nutrition can have a powerful impact on better managed daily stress.
  3. Plant seeds, water them, watch them grow. Practice being with slow growing things. Witness the natural process of plants. Better yet, grow veggies and eat them!
  4. Open the windows up in the house and your car as you drive. Getting fresh air and listening to the natural sounds around you calms the mind. Turn off the radio and just be with the experience of driving.
  5. Start a 3minute breathwork practice as part of your morning and evening routine. Commit to it by putting it in your planner or create cellphone reminders in the calendar app. Setting a timer for three minutes. You can use an breathwork app (free apps like Insight Timer or The Breathing App). Breathwork is a great way to have more presence of mind and foster emotional acceptance, which is invaluable to effective stress management.
  6. Talking to a friend, a therapeutic professional, or find a support group. The power of connection cannot be underestimated. Knowing we are not alone is important to feeling a sense of belonging, which is calming and comforting. Choose friends, professionals, and groups that understand and can relate to your specific to your interests and challenges. Alleviating feelings of hopelessness with the company of others can stop the painful cycle of stressing out.

You are not alone, everyone gets nervous, anxious, and tired when life feels beyond our control. Feeling stressed out more often than not is a big sign to tune into yourself and make peace with our circumstances. Solutions to problems come with a calm nervous system.

Ignoring the signs of stress only leads to the accumulation of more of it, ultimately leading to depression, anxiety-issues, addictions, and stress related diseases and even suicide. Managing stress is an essential part of life and there are so many resources to help find your way.

Making time to do what you enjoy, without any other benefit is among the best ways to bring yourself back to balance. Take a deep breath, a long exhale and treat yourself to emotional wellbeing.

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Choosing to shift takes practice. Create a new habit to start the next chapter of your life. Honoring all that is will bring you forward in your life. Get some sun and some fresh air and move that old energy out of your body! Read on for more tips on feeling better with the power of awareness. 

Making dreams Real

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Mindset:

Making Dreams Real

Believe it’s possible and don’t be afraid to fail. Trying is all the success you need. Reach for the stars and experience the adventure of bravery. Why not? You only live once!

Making Dreams Real: How to make your goals actually happen

With all there is to manage in a day, it’s a challenge to prioritize big goals that require some planning. Our life slips past us, day by day until years quickly go by without having taken any action towards the dreams we long to fulfill. Making our dreams reality gives us meaning and purpose, but how can we work on our dreams while having so much other work to do? The answer is less complicated than you may think. Baby-steps are the way to great achievements, nothing more is required.

Call to Action
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1st Step: Write your Dreams Down

Imagine you had all the time in the world to do anything you wish without any constraints. What would you do? How would you contribute to the world, your community, your family? Whatever interests keep coming up again and again, year after year may be what is your “calling.” Ignoring it will only lead to regret, so be brave and brainstorm a list of what you wish you could do in this lifetime. Pick one, whichever one you prefer, but only one to act on. One goal at a time, any more will only lead to overwhelm.

2nd Step: Be Realistic & Incremental

Rome wasn’t built in a day, so turn down that inner-perfectionistic voice that demands you embark on any pursuit with seamless, mistake-free expectations. Bumps in the road will surface and patience will be your biggest ally on the road to making your dreams real.

Taking a one-step-at-a-time mentality to your plans is vital to progress.

Gradual, steady forward movement is stable and builds confidence. For example, dropping thirty pounds in thirty days is too drastic, not to mention increases the risk of gaining it all back and then some shortly after. Losing thirty pounds in three to six months and keeping it off is a more viable and realistic ambition.   

3rd Step: Be S.M.A.R.T. in making progress towards your dream objectives:

  • Specific– What exactly do you want to achieve? The more specific your description, the bigger the chance you’ll get exactly that. S.M.A.R.T. goal setting clarifies the difference between “I want to lose weight” to “I want to lose thirty pounds in 120 days and keep it off.”

    Ask yourself these questions to gain clarity: What exactly do I want to achieve? Where? How? When? With whom? What are the conditions and limitations? Why exactly do I want to reach this goal? What are possible alternative ways of achieving the same?

  • Measurable– Identify exactly what it is you will see, hear and feel when you reach your goal. Break your goal down into measurable elements. You’ll need concrete evidence. Being “happier” is not measurable; not smoking anymore because you want to have less respiratory infections, lower your risk for cancer, and stop coughing, is. Measurable goals can go a long way in refining what exactly it is that you want, too. Defining the physical manifestations of your goal or objective makes it clearer, and easier to reach.
  • Attainable– Weigh the effort, time and other costs your goal will take. Managing your time wisely is important to attainability, as time-drainers like social media can syphon your resolve to accomplish steps needed to make progress. Plan to invest a little time on a regular basis will move your plan forward. There’s nothing wrong with shooting for the stars; if you aim to make your department twice as efficient this year as it was last year with no extra labor involved, how bad is it when you only reach 1.8 times? Not too bad!
  • Relevant– If you’re lacking certain skills to achieve your goal, you can train to acquire them. If you lack certain resources, you can find ways of getting them. Ask yourself, why do you want to reach this goal? What is the objective behind the goal, and will this goal really achieve that?
  • Time-bound– Create benchmarks and deadlines for the unfolding of your plan. Everybody knows that deadlines are what makes most people swing into action. Keep the timeline realistic and flexible, that way you keep momentum going. Don’t be too strict with deadlines, as it can create too much stress in accomplishing your benchmarks and goals- which is most likely not how you want to achieve anything.

Success is in every step!

Remember, progress not perfection. Perfectionism often leads to procrastination, action is the focus, not perfect outcomes. Any forward motion is better than none, being consistent is the most important part of actualization.

Finally, re-evaluate and assess your progress at every benchmark. Allow the process to unfold and be ready for unexpected challenges and even shifts in direction as you move towards your mission. Goal setting is purpose driven, never give up on them if they are important to you. Keep going and move onto your next goal as soon as you are ready and able. Life is short, live your dreams!

The logistics: Here are some helpful resources to help you reach your goals:

  • No one wins alone. Goals are virtually impossible to do without support. Get some.
  •  Look online for coaching and communities that are doing the things that you desire to do.
  • Allow goal setting to be a process that has twists, turns, detours, and dead-ends. Keep going, adapt, and watch what unfolds! 
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“Shoot for the moon. If you fall short, you’ll land among the stars.” 

-Les Brown

Facing Uncertainty

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Mindset:

Accepting Uncertainty

When you are centered in the eye of the storm, you are safe. Get centered to keep moving forward in you life. 

When Life Gets “Lifey:”
How to Accept Uncertainty

On overload? Too much uncertainty can tip the scale of a sense of balance and make us feel unsteady, giving us too much to worry about than we can handle. We need security, yet there are no guarantees of it in life. The first signs of uncertainty overload are sleep issues and chronic anxiety rising up in us, sending the message that it’s all just too much to cope with. Being that changes are an inevitable part of living, transitions are unavoidable. How can we comfort ourselves and soothe the fears of the unknown future that lies in the steps beyond what is now?

The best possible preparation for the future is a well lived present.” – George H Brimhall, 1852-1932

Call to Action
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Calm your system with upgrading nutrition

The connection between stress and nutrition can’t be minimized. It’s probably the biggest factor that influences our state of mind that we have control over.

The top five foods that trigger anxiety are sugar, fried food, caffeine, processed food, and food additives.

These nutrient-poor “goodies” create chemical reactions in the body that hijack stress regulating hormones. Think twice before reaching for another cup of coffee or sweet tea or soda when you are stressed, instead try doing the opposite and give yourself some space to acknowledge the stress or pressure you feel. Instead, reach for something really flavorful to soothe the nerves, like peppermint, ginger, or orange herbal tea. It will give your nervous system a chance to do its job instead of doping up on stress-inducing drinks and foods only making matters worse.

Ramping up the pace and ignoring how stressed you are, only builds up tense pressure in the mind and body. Numbing feelings out with stimulants, sugar, and empty-calorie snacks block the body’s ability to calm itself down naturally, which the body is designed to do.

Dehydration is another big source of anxiety. We often reach for a snack, when we really need to re-hydrate.

Go for some hot water with lemon and honey or herbal tea. Processed sugar and carbs actually feed anxiety, so go for lower-sugar fruits like berries, cherries, apples, and other non-exotic fresh fruits. When it’s time for a meal, opt for salads, soups, and stews that are heavy on veggies, high quality protein and fats will clear your mind and revitalize your energy for the most important time, which is NOW.

Get present with honesty and appreciation

Deep breaths take us into a calmer place, INSTANTLY. It won’t make the feelings go away that very moment, but breathing with whatever you are thinking and feeling in the moment (and not judging or repressing it) will release the tension of it. Accepting our thoughts and emotions as they are is a great act of courage, and courage is calming, instead of having fear run the show, by avoiding them. The breath is free, no training required, but there are tons of resources online to learn specific techniques.

The most basic is way to use the breath for focused stress-reduction is to focus on lengthening the exhale for longer than the inhale.

Try it three times and see if you can notice a difference with only three simple breaths. Pausing, only for a few moments is a great way to shift from future-dreading to present-being. Cultivating more stillness in our lives brings great benefits to calm our nervous system and count our blessings.

Using the mind to think of things that we have NOW that are good, useful, and well, SIMPLE things gives us a great focus away from future-fearing.

Deep breaths take us into a calmer place, INSTANTLY. It won’t make the feelings go away that very moment, but breathing with whatever you are thinking and feeling in the moment (and not judging or repressing it) will release the tension of it. Accepting our thoughts and emotions as they are is a great act of courage, and courage is calming, instead of having fear run the show, by avoiding them. The breath is free, no training required, but there are tons of resources online to learn specific techniques.

The most basic is way to use the breath for focused stress-reduction is to focus on lengthening the exhale for longer than the inhale.

Try it three times and see if you can notice a difference with only three simple breaths. Pausing, only for a few moments is a great way to shift from future-dreading to present-being. Cultivating more stillness in our lives brings great benefits to calm our nervous system and count our blessings.

Using the mind to think of things that we have NOW that are good, useful, and well, SIMPLE things gives us a great focus away from future-fearing.

Actively release tension

The power of motion can shift our mindset very quickly. A quick walk works wonders to reduce stress and clear our heads. Activity is our body’s chemical regulator; low-impact movement.

Simply shaking the arms, or a few jumps in place can help to release pent-up tension.

Our hormones dictate how we feel, engaging in activity breaks the worry cycle and freeing our mind to focus on what matters the most, what is right in front of us, not speculation about the future.

Trust in time (aka practice faith)

Trusting doesn’t come easy to most people nowadays and with all we see around us in current events and along our networks. It is easy to get pulled into worrying and anticipating bad news. The future is unknown and neutral, so when stress starts to creep in, soothe it with the reminder that whatever is meant to be will be, and will shift our sails to adjust to the changes as they happen. Having faith means to have confidence in our future and to trust that in time, we will make the best choices when they need to be made.

When you get “ahead of yourself,” reel yourself back into the present moment with a simple breath of reassurance and relief that taking care of the now, takes care of the future.

Resources:

https://www.intrepidmentalhealth.com/blog/5-common-foods-that-can-trigger-anxiety-symptoms#

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax

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This article illustrates the connection between beliefs, nutrition, and movement. The power of presence can calm the storm of overwhelm when life gets scary.

Basic Foundations

wellness litchfield ct

Mindset:

Foundations to Wellness

Rule #1: Believe it can be done (or at least, in the possibility of it).

The Basic Foundations of Wellness & The Influencers of Health

When you look good you feel good. This catchy marketing phrase coined by Vidal Sassoon in the 80s was a lie! The truth is, when you feel good, you look good. Looking good by society’s standards has little to do with health, since there are unrealistic expectations of size and shape and a hyper-focus on youthfulness.

What is most important is how we feel, not how we look. Feeling good creates health and when we are healthy, we feel good and looking better is just a biproduct of it.

As we mature past the third decade, many start to notice that their health requires attention. We start seeing how our bodies seem to wear down, old injuries come back to haunt us, and we lose some of our vitality and luster. But how much of this is really due to our own negligence?

Vitality requires a bit of maintenance, not a lot, just more than what most give themselves time for. Making oneself a priority is no easy feat with all the demands on our back. Being healthy and well has little to do with merely hitting the gym, there’s much more to it than that.

There are 3 main factors that influence health and wellness:

  • The Mindset: cognitive functioning influenced by perception, beliefs, and values.
  • The Psychology: emotional patterns and responses to our perceptions, beliefs, and values.
  • The Physical Body: expression of both mindset and the psychological functioning.

The good news is that all three of these factors can be adjusted to drop old habits and create new ones in order to improve overall health.

The bad news is that there is no quick-fix to true wellness. However, wellness only requires self-awareness and commitment to our long-term goals, while having compassion for the journey to better health. In health, we learn as we go, and every day, we learn more about what being healthy means to us.   

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The Influencers

Here’s the fine-print beyond the foundations. Wellness lies in understanding our state of health and tweaking lifestyle circumstances to gain better health. By taking a bit of inventory of these three contributing influencers:
  1. The Gut-Brain Axis (GBA): The crux of “you are what you eat”, our microbiome has a direct influence on how we nourish our bodies and the way we feel and think. The gut, or the second brain, as the gut is now being referred, is the linked to the central nervous system via the enteric nerves (throughout the digestive system) are direct pathways to cognitive and emotional centers in the brain. Consider the vagus nerve the super highway between the two, also vital to our ability to relax and recuperate from illness.
  2. Our Stress: Pressure is an unavoidable part of being alive. Too much stress is when we start to feel chronic pain, constant fatigue, and suffer from anxiety, depression, or persistent irritability are the classic symptoms of stress in excess. Having cortisol levels raised too often for too long throws our hormonal balances off, often resulting in frazzled nerves, insomnia and dependance on caffeine and sugar to function. Coping with too much stress is proven to have detrimental effects, so it’s important to lower stress levels in our daily or weekly routine to combat from it wearing us out and breaking us down. Making time for ourselves to recharge our batteries is essential to feeling well and being healthy.
  3. Our Will: Thinking smarter, not harder is the best approach to the concept of self-discipline. Preparing for our goals and creating dynamics to succeed is key to long term health growth. Planning our strategies, preparing for challenges, and protecting our commitment are fundamental to actualizing our health goals for good. Too many people get discouraged by the idea of a lifetime of eliminating sweets or alcohol, for example, but if we approach it one day at a time, we make it all the way to our long distant hopes and desires. Having a sensible pace to our wellness journey and taking baby-steps to our goals will make it feel less overwhelming, so making incremental adjustments to our lifestyle will serve us better than “all or nothing” thinking.
So, as we step into the new year, let’s remind ourselves that with a fresh start means blank slate for any goals we want to accomplish in 2022. With that in mind, remember that to path achieving all your Health and Wellness related goals is to create a plan and keeping things simple. Setting realistic targets is the best way you can achieve your 2022 ambitions, and the CEBs are here to help. Here are some things to keep in mind when pursuing your health goals for 2022.
  1. Set Smart Goals.
    When a goal is too vague to visualize or too lofty to attain, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Setting SMART goals – which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and set in a Time Frame – makes them much easier to achieve. By writing down exactly what you want, how to accomplish it and benchmarks for measuring your progress, you set yourself free from the fear of failure. You’re able to chart a course toward the extraordinary life you deserve.
  2. Visualize the Desired Outcome.
    Accomplishing goals doesn’t start in the physical world – it starts in your head. When you learn to control your emotions and thoughts, you’re empowered to accomplish anything. Visualize the outcome you desire, then think and behave like you’ve already achieved it. Your actions align with what you want to accomplish, and everything else falls into place. Feel how that success affects every part of your life.
  3. Create a Massive Action Plan.
    To learn how to achieve goals, you must create a roadmap for every objective. Think of yourself as your own coach. You’re your own cheerleader and master strategist. For every objective you’re pursuing, create a Massive Action Plan that not only details your results and a sequence of activities, but also connects your purpose to the goal. When you align your emotions with achieving goals, you’ll activate your brain’s ability to focus on what means the most to you.
  4. Hold Yourself Accountable.
    If you don’t take total accountability for your life, you’ll never master how to achieve goals. Accountability means understanding that you are the only person in control of your life. It means taking responsibility for the decisions that got you where you are today – and learning from them. Without accountability, you’ll always blame your circumstances on forces beyond your control. If you have trouble holding yourself accountable, consider reaching out to a professional, or even a trusted friend who can help you stay motivated.

Sources:

https://psychscenehub.com/psychinsights/the-simplified-guide-to-the-gut-brain-axis/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-brain-connection

https://medium.com/mind-cafe/youve-been-sold-a-massive-lie-about-willpower-2874ba2893c4

Tony Robbins – “How Can I Achieve My Toughest Goals?”

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Belief is the most powerful influencer of action. Nutrition effects our cognition, our beliefs. Here lies the mind-body connection in practical terms.