Many of us take care of others in one form (bank teller) or another (parent) all day long. If we aren't careful, this give-give-give philosophy can quickly lead to burn out and exhaustion. We know the right way to eat--more real food, less processed products, pronounce-able ingredients. Nutrition is a key piece to wellness, but only a piece. We need to be able to rattle off the same list of strategies for feeding our soul. To get you started, here are three easy ways to feed your soul the same healthy way you feed your belly.
1. golden list
Each morning, in that moment between sleeping and awakening, linger in the calm stillness and create your golden list. Start with naming 3 people, places, events, comments, etc that make you feel good. Hold onto those good feelings you are conjuring up. Set your intention for the day to be open to more experiences that feel just as good. Follow what the day brings you--your eyes are now open to the possibility of new experiences bringing you joy.
2. be selfish
Say no to other people, schedule a solid hour for lunch, close your office door...whatever it takes to give yourself a break from the constant demands of the outside world. To be clear: block out a chunk of time on your calendar and keep it for you--this is your sacred time to find peace in the hectic work day. If you had a magic wand, what would you do now that your door is shut? That giant pile of filing, clean off your desk, read all 200 emails in your inbox so that red flag will finally disappear? Use this time each day to take care of your immediate needs. Trust me, anything on the other side of the door will be just fine waiting for one hour--and you'll be in a better place to deal with it after your "selfish time."
3. laugh
Find the funny in each day. Each moment doesn't require a full bent-over, can't-catch-your-breath type of laugh. Sometimes a smile is just enough to help you find humor in daily life. Laughter releases endorphins in the brain and has even been linked to increasing immune functions.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
thought stopping techniques
When negative thoughts keep swirling in your mind and you just can't seem to turn your brain off, everything you attempt is that much more difficult. Remember--you are in charge of your thoughts! Next time you are stuck in a mental traffic jam, try one of these methods to regain control of your thoughts.
1. breathing
Notice your heart rate. Now, consciously breathe in through your nose, fill your belly with air (not just your chest), pause, and then breathe out your mouth. As you do this, say: In through the nose, notice the pause, and out through the mouth. Take several of these slow, relaxing breaths until you start to feel the tension associated with the negative thoughts. By focusing on your breath and repeating the mantra, you've regained control of what you are thinking about.
2. look at the clouds
I once had a yoga teacher tell me this and I honestly thought it was for the birds! Now here I am recommending it, too. The key is practice. When you have a thought, telling yourself to simply stop thinking about it is nearly impossible. So, accept the thought but distance yourself from it. Picture the thought as a cloud floating across your mind. Stay with the thought until the cloud floats out of sight. If another cloud (or the same one!) comes back, simply repeat the process.
3. let go of the old
If you're tired of ruminating about the same frustrating things, take a mental inventory of what you're holding onto. In order to fit new items into a stuffed closet, some old items must be removed. Think of all the grudges, annoyances, and unfulfilling relationships you are holding onto. Why do these things mean so much that you let them control you, your thoughts and your feelings? Start small, but let go of one thing that's not bringing you joy. Once you clear this mental space, it's free to let in new and exciting thoughts and ideas.
1. breathing
Notice your heart rate. Now, consciously breathe in through your nose, fill your belly with air (not just your chest), pause, and then breathe out your mouth. As you do this, say: In through the nose, notice the pause, and out through the mouth. Take several of these slow, relaxing breaths until you start to feel the tension associated with the negative thoughts. By focusing on your breath and repeating the mantra, you've regained control of what you are thinking about.
2. look at the clouds
I once had a yoga teacher tell me this and I honestly thought it was for the birds! Now here I am recommending it, too. The key is practice. When you have a thought, telling yourself to simply stop thinking about it is nearly impossible. So, accept the thought but distance yourself from it. Picture the thought as a cloud floating across your mind. Stay with the thought until the cloud floats out of sight. If another cloud (or the same one!) comes back, simply repeat the process.
3. let go of the old
If you're tired of ruminating about the same frustrating things, take a mental inventory of what you're holding onto. In order to fit new items into a stuffed closet, some old items must be removed. Think of all the grudges, annoyances, and unfulfilling relationships you are holding onto. Why do these things mean so much that you let them control you, your thoughts and your feelings? Start small, but let go of one thing that's not bringing you joy. Once you clear this mental space, it's free to let in new and exciting thoughts and ideas.
start thinking about wellness
Wellness is the new word. Most of us are done with thinking about how far behind we are--not thin enough, not emotionally-balanced enough...not good enough. The wellness trend is a welcome change. Rather than thinking something is wrong, that we are in some way broken, we assume life is relatively ok. The wellness programs aim to make life even better. Semantics? Maybe. But how we think is how we feel which leads to how we act. If we think something is wrong, then we'll act like it is. If we assume we are ok, that there are areas we can improve to be even better, then we'll ultimately have more confidence to make those changes.
Here are 3 ways to incorporate wellness into your life today!
1. body
We really are what we eat. What did you eat today? Try to incorporate one growing, living food item into each day. Once this becomes habit (roughly 30 days) then up your challenge to eating one fruit or vegetable at each meal. The more natural, less processed your diet becomes, the more your body will thank you.
2. mind
What do you think about most? Keep a journal if you are unsure. If your thoughts are leading you down a negative path, start implementing some thought stopping techniques (tomorrow's entry). Once you stop the flow of negative thoughts, you open the door for positive experiences. You have to let some baggage go before you can move on to a new you.
3. soul
Take time to nourish your soul. Honor yourself and set aside key times in the day to focus on you--who you are today and who you hope to become in the future (a future posting will elaborate).
Here are 3 ways to incorporate wellness into your life today!
1. body
We really are what we eat. What did you eat today? Try to incorporate one growing, living food item into each day. Once this becomes habit (roughly 30 days) then up your challenge to eating one fruit or vegetable at each meal. The more natural, less processed your diet becomes, the more your body will thank you.
2. mind
What do you think about most? Keep a journal if you are unsure. If your thoughts are leading you down a negative path, start implementing some thought stopping techniques (tomorrow's entry). Once you stop the flow of negative thoughts, you open the door for positive experiences. You have to let some baggage go before you can move on to a new you.
3. soul
Take time to nourish your soul. Honor yourself and set aside key times in the day to focus on you--who you are today and who you hope to become in the future (a future posting will elaborate).
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