Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Spring Clean Yourself!
The spring equinox is just a day away. No matter what the weather, are you ready for some spring cleaning? Yes, it's good to clean up the house, the garage, and the garden, but what about you?! How about a little self spring clean this year?
There are detoxification plans out there - on the internet, in magazines, at your health club. Some use a bunch of supplements that are filled with who knows what. We've got good, healthy food with all the nutrients we need available to us with no expensive pre-packaged powders or pills. Detoxifying is a method of freeing your body and your mind of the things that no longer serve your health and well-being. The problem is with all of the input our bodies and minds tolerate in a day, it is hard to know which things are no longer serving our health and wellness. This is why we do the spring clean!
Detoxifying is an excellent way to solve the mysteries of all those symptoms you no longer want to tolerate. Some of the mysteries you might need to solve: Why am I so bloated and gassy? Why can't I sleep? Why don't I feel full? Why can't I focus? Why do I feel so much anxiety each day? Why am I so irritable? Why do I always seem to get sick? Why do my skin/hair/fingernails appear so depleted? Why do I have no energy? Why do I have trouble going to the bathroom? Why am I always on a mood swing roller coaster?
When I do a detox my goal is to clear out my system and then notice what changes. If I give up caffeine does my sleep improve? If I eliminate sugar do my cravings and mood swings throughout the day decrease? When I limit my intake of wheat and gluten, do my bloating and digestive issues decrease? If I stop watching the news does my anxiety go down? When I journal before bed, does it help me get to sleep? If I decrease screen time, do I make time for family and feel more connected? This is what we need to know!
So here's what you can do food-wise: eliminate one food group at a time. Suspicious characters are - caffeine, sugar, wheat, dairy, soy, trans-fats, artificial colors and flavors (includes sweeteners), and meat. See what happens when you give up a food group for a week or so. Make sure it is eliminated by reading food labels. Or, do a full detoxification week. With this, you will need a plan. Check out the WholeLiving detoxification plans or contact someone like me who has experience doing detoxifications and guiding others through them. The idea is to spend some time clearing everything out and then bring in one thing at a time afterward to see if that one thing is a culprit. Then, make a plan to decrease or completely eliminate the food that no longer serves your good health - for GOOD!
Do the same with activities and people that are not serving your well-being. Eliminate or decrease and see what the result is. Ways to do this are to stop watching or reading the news for a week. Eliminate or decrease any screen time at all for a week. Reduce the toxic patterns of your thoughts by writing them down and leaving them on the paper. Meditate, relax, visualize....make space for what you really need in life!
It's like a spring clean of the closet. You get rid of those old clothes you never wear, organize and make room for what you want. You don't go hunt down the old stuff and put them back in the closet! Same with the detox. Once you discover a food or activity that really isn't making your mind or body feel its best, don't bring it back in! Or, at least, limit how often you indulge, knowing there will be consequences, but those consequences will be short term.
Try one thing or many things for just a week and see how it goes!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Yoga for Women
For most of us the experience has been that when we attend a yoga class, we see mostly women in the room. Yes, men are attending yoga classes, but still, the majority of yoga students are females. So, it seems then, that yoga classes are already for women, right?! Not necessarily.
There are many ways for a teacher to create, sequence, and plan a class. It involves training, philosophy, studio requirements, experience and much more. Many of the great yoga styles that influence the majority of classes in the West were created by males in the East. On the surface and in the actual experience of a class, this might not seem to be a problem. But maybe it is. It is likely that the teachings of men are not the same as the teachings of women in all areas of the practice. It is even more likely that the physical needs of men and women are not the same and so the physical practice alone should be different, at the very least!
Without continuing on in this argument of the big picture, what I'd like to do at this time is discuss some of the practices women can utilize to benefit their own specific needs. Let's start with attention. Women, in general, are less able to focus on one thing, to break problems down and take care of component parts - women tend to see the whole picture and find homing in on one aspect of a problem difficult or impossible. There are positives and negatives to each way and, of course, I am generalizing and sticking folks into stereotyped groups. But, there is research to back up this claim.
Ok, what does this mean for a yoga practice? It means women need to learn to focus their minds, to learn skills for centering, for being mindful of the breath, and for moving back out to see the big picture, as needed. In other words, women need to be able to turn off the big picture thinking when it isn't beneficial. An example, it's good to see the big picture, set a plan for the day of all that needs doing, but then, let go of that big picture and see one thing at a time. The thing I am doing now is all that matters, the stress of all the other things coming up causes problems.
Next, there are hormonal differences between men and women - duh! We know this, but are we addressing it? There are hormonal and bio-chemical processes that we have no control over and yet there are so many that we can influence and can control. It would serve us well to know what we can change, influence and affect with our practice. There are breathing techniques, poses, stretches, and ways to focus the mind to affect the hormones and chemical messengers floating around in our systems. We can't do it 100%, but there are many very effective techniques to change hormonal effects such as mood, energy, metabolism, and again, stress.
There are physical differences between men and women. Women tend to carry stability and strength in the hips and core of the body, men in the shoulders and upper body. I am going to generalize again here, but I have so many men in my classes simply unable to sit in a safe cross-legged position on the floor. The pelvis is tight and unforgiving. There are a few women as well, but, for the most part, female students have no problem with a cross-legged seated position. Athletic women and girls tend to have 5-6 times more knee injuries than boys and men. The differing body mechanics and muscle mass is obviously important to note. We can't just coach, teach, and lead groups of female athletes and students the same way we do male athletes and students. Women and girls need to have a practice focused on the support muscles around the knees. Women who wear impractical shoes, need poses benefiting the feet. Women need to work on connecting the core strength of the pelvis to the leg muscles and the upper back and shoulders. There is much more I can say here, but I think I've made my point.
Yoga classes have to be generalized to fit a good medium-range of students, but is that happening? Are the needs of the majority of students - numbers range from 70-80% female yoga students - being met? Are you attending classes to address the needs I have mentioned above? They should and can be met through a regular practice! Look around. With so many yoga options available, are you in the right class for you?
There are many ways for a teacher to create, sequence, and plan a class. It involves training, philosophy, studio requirements, experience and much more. Many of the great yoga styles that influence the majority of classes in the West were created by males in the East. On the surface and in the actual experience of a class, this might not seem to be a problem. But maybe it is. It is likely that the teachings of men are not the same as the teachings of women in all areas of the practice. It is even more likely that the physical needs of men and women are not the same and so the physical practice alone should be different, at the very least!
Without continuing on in this argument of the big picture, what I'd like to do at this time is discuss some of the practices women can utilize to benefit their own specific needs. Let's start with attention. Women, in general, are less able to focus on one thing, to break problems down and take care of component parts - women tend to see the whole picture and find homing in on one aspect of a problem difficult or impossible. There are positives and negatives to each way and, of course, I am generalizing and sticking folks into stereotyped groups. But, there is research to back up this claim.
Ok, what does this mean for a yoga practice? It means women need to learn to focus their minds, to learn skills for centering, for being mindful of the breath, and for moving back out to see the big picture, as needed. In other words, women need to be able to turn off the big picture thinking when it isn't beneficial. An example, it's good to see the big picture, set a plan for the day of all that needs doing, but then, let go of that big picture and see one thing at a time. The thing I am doing now is all that matters, the stress of all the other things coming up causes problems.
Next, there are hormonal differences between men and women - duh! We know this, but are we addressing it? There are hormonal and bio-chemical processes that we have no control over and yet there are so many that we can influence and can control. It would serve us well to know what we can change, influence and affect with our practice. There are breathing techniques, poses, stretches, and ways to focus the mind to affect the hormones and chemical messengers floating around in our systems. We can't do it 100%, but there are many very effective techniques to change hormonal effects such as mood, energy, metabolism, and again, stress.
There are physical differences between men and women. Women tend to carry stability and strength in the hips and core of the body, men in the shoulders and upper body. I am going to generalize again here, but I have so many men in my classes simply unable to sit in a safe cross-legged position on the floor. The pelvis is tight and unforgiving. There are a few women as well, but, for the most part, female students have no problem with a cross-legged seated position. Athletic women and girls tend to have 5-6 times more knee injuries than boys and men. The differing body mechanics and muscle mass is obviously important to note. We can't just coach, teach, and lead groups of female athletes and students the same way we do male athletes and students. Women and girls need to have a practice focused on the support muscles around the knees. Women who wear impractical shoes, need poses benefiting the feet. Women need to work on connecting the core strength of the pelvis to the leg muscles and the upper back and shoulders. There is much more I can say here, but I think I've made my point.
Yoga classes have to be generalized to fit a good medium-range of students, but is that happening? Are the needs of the majority of students - numbers range from 70-80% female yoga students - being met? Are you attending classes to address the needs I have mentioned above? They should and can be met through a regular practice! Look around. With so many yoga options available, are you in the right class for you?
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Stop Spreading, Keep Washing!
One of the dumbest and funniest comments I recently read on Facebook was a guy who when asked why more of us aren't sneezing into our elbows replied, "Because elbows are harder to wash than hands!" Was he being real? I don't know. He could have been making a silly joke. But, the comment hit me. People are always commenting to me - "Oh, you are one of those!" One of what? "One of those who sneeze into your elbow!" I have also been part of heated discussions about when and how to wash your hands. I am going to share my personal practices here, not because I know I am right, because I have no idea how many germs I am touching, avoiding, washing away, or keeping from spreading, but because I do know that I don't get sick very often anymore when I once was sick multiple times a year. All I know is something works and if my sneezing and hand washing practices are part of that, I am going to spread the word - NOT THE GERMS!
Let's talk sneezes and coughing first. Being a visual person, this is what I imagine. Someone lets out a big sneeze or cough- there's a cloud of gray mist that spews out from his mouth, widening and spreading as it gets further from his face until it is a fog of germ-laden mist slowly dropping and spattering on everyone and everything in its path. Imagination? Exaggeration? A little, but only a little. Studies have found that a sneeze can travel 100 mph. Pretty sure mine are that powerful! For the small, quiet, mumbling voice I have, people are always shocked at the loud force of my sneezes. That's a lot of ground and surface coverage, no matter how big a sneeze or cough it is!
Ok, so we know we should cover that sneeze or cough. But, why the elbow? Well, it turns out germs like to hang around, lingering on surfaces much longer than we thought possible in the past. Depends on the germ/virus, of course, but these little one-celled beings are so darned good at evolving to fit the environmental requirements for survival why be cavalier about how long they will last on that door knob? If we sneeze into our elbows, we won't then touch our money, the door handle, the phone receiver, the desk, etc. with the body part that's full of germs. Just try to answer the phone or turn the door knob with your elbow! It's simple, the elbow spreads fewer germs. I also like how muffled those big giant sneezes of mine sound in the elbow versus my hand! Not sure how to do this? Let Elmo show you. Anytime, I can get The Muppets involved, I'm happy !
Ok, so you only managed to sneeze or cough into your hand. It happens. We can't all be perfect. How to wash so you don't contaminate everything you touch and grab hold of a few extras left there by your co-worker or family member: I grab a clean tissue, if I need to open a door or touch something with my germy hand. Once at the sink, I get my towel first. I use the toweled hand to turn on the faucet. This is the same thing I do after using the restroom. Towel first, turn on the sink. I've seen other people supposedly wash their hands - not much effort and likely not much result. So, if I am making the effort to wash my hands, then I am not going to touch the surfaces these not so conscientious folks have touched. If the sink is automatic, I still grab my towel first. That way once my hands are clean, I am not touching the towel button.
Washing the hands is just 15 seconds of water flowing and rubbing. Warm water is best. Soap is helpful. But, the true benefit comes from the rubbing and the flowing - think of it as clearing away those germs! I then use a towel to open the door or my hip. No need to touch my now pristine hands to a questionable surface. Do this many times throughout the day. Those alcohol-based gel hand cleaners are NOT as effective as a good hand washing. Really! And, the anti-bacterial based gels are actually creating stronger, resistant germs. Please stop using them!
I read through this and start to think I sound a bit like a germophobe. I'm not really. In general, I try to just live through the day with as few worries as possible, taking good care of my body, so it can just fight those things I am exposed to in normal activity. However, there is always someone in our midst with a cold or the beginnings or endings of a flu bout, touching things we touch, sneezing or coughing into our space. With a small amount of time and a little conscientiousness, these are the germs we can avoid spreading. And, these are the germs we can wash away!
Let's talk sneezes and coughing first. Being a visual person, this is what I imagine. Someone lets out a big sneeze or cough- there's a cloud of gray mist that spews out from his mouth, widening and spreading as it gets further from his face until it is a fog of germ-laden mist slowly dropping and spattering on everyone and everything in its path. Imagination? Exaggeration? A little, but only a little. Studies have found that a sneeze can travel 100 mph. Pretty sure mine are that powerful! For the small, quiet, mumbling voice I have, people are always shocked at the loud force of my sneezes. That's a lot of ground and surface coverage, no matter how big a sneeze or cough it is!
Ok, so we know we should cover that sneeze or cough. But, why the elbow? Well, it turns out germs like to hang around, lingering on surfaces much longer than we thought possible in the past. Depends on the germ/virus, of course, but these little one-celled beings are so darned good at evolving to fit the environmental requirements for survival why be cavalier about how long they will last on that door knob? If we sneeze into our elbows, we won't then touch our money, the door handle, the phone receiver, the desk, etc. with the body part that's full of germs. Just try to answer the phone or turn the door knob with your elbow! It's simple, the elbow spreads fewer germs. I also like how muffled those big giant sneezes of mine sound in the elbow versus my hand! Not sure how to do this? Let Elmo show you. Anytime, I can get The Muppets involved, I'm happy !
Ok, so you only managed to sneeze or cough into your hand. It happens. We can't all be perfect. How to wash so you don't contaminate everything you touch and grab hold of a few extras left there by your co-worker or family member: I grab a clean tissue, if I need to open a door or touch something with my germy hand. Once at the sink, I get my towel first. I use the toweled hand to turn on the faucet. This is the same thing I do after using the restroom. Towel first, turn on the sink. I've seen other people supposedly wash their hands - not much effort and likely not much result. So, if I am making the effort to wash my hands, then I am not going to touch the surfaces these not so conscientious folks have touched. If the sink is automatic, I still grab my towel first. That way once my hands are clean, I am not touching the towel button.
Washing the hands is just 15 seconds of water flowing and rubbing. Warm water is best. Soap is helpful. But, the true benefit comes from the rubbing and the flowing - think of it as clearing away those germs! I then use a towel to open the door or my hip. No need to touch my now pristine hands to a questionable surface. Do this many times throughout the day. Those alcohol-based gel hand cleaners are NOT as effective as a good hand washing. Really! And, the anti-bacterial based gels are actually creating stronger, resistant germs. Please stop using them!
I read through this and start to think I sound a bit like a germophobe. I'm not really. In general, I try to just live through the day with as few worries as possible, taking good care of my body, so it can just fight those things I am exposed to in normal activity. However, there is always someone in our midst with a cold or the beginnings or endings of a flu bout, touching things we touch, sneezing or coughing into our space. With a small amount of time and a little conscientiousness, these are the germs we can avoid spreading. And, these are the germs we can wash away!
Monday, January 21, 2013
The "V" Word- Vaccinate!
I am going to admit here that I have not yet gotten a flu shot this year. Nor did I get one last year. The last year I truly remember getting a flu shot was in 2009. I do know that the last time I had the actual flu was in the spring of 2010. It lasted about a week and I remember I was really, really miserable and missed 2 days of work. Because I am independently employed, when I am sick, I don't work and when I don't work, I don't get paid. So, you'd think I would rush out and get immunized immediately right? well, maybe not... Let's weigh the pros and cons.
We'll start with the cons. I am not one of those that fears the possible side effects of vaccines. Although, there is plenty to fear - seizures, brain swelling, fever, rash, pneumonia, hepatitis, and more, according to the CDC. However, all of these are rare and all are usually not serious. I do not believe vaccines cause autism or other such claims, but you will find these claims on the internet and in publications. I don't completely discredit the claims, but it seems very unlikely. However, when one rarely gets any type of illness (colds or flu in my case), these side effects seem an unnecessary risk or possible annoyance. Is it really necessary? I guess the question here is, is the risk of the side effects greater or less than the risk of actually getting the flu?
Then there's cost. My insurance doesn't cover my flu shot. Not sure why. So, I have to go to the clinic or to the local pharmacy and pay for my vaccination. Alright, it is $30 and I can most likely manage that, especially if it prevents the loss of income for a day or 2 of work, right? Maybe, but there seems to be a bit of a gambler in me and the odds of NOT getting the flu are in my favor, according to the history of my past 10 years.
Finally there's the pain. Sometimes there's not much to it and other times, I feel it every time I lift my arm! I really have to steel myself for the actual shot which is way more effective than the nose inhaler and much more available. Rumor has it that the inhaler is no longer available in my area anyway. Something inside me, maybe that 2nd grader who had to stand in lines at school with the talk and the fear and the distress, is saying NO! Maybe it's time to let that 2nd grade fear go....
The pros are pretty well balanced with the cons. There is little chance I will get the flu this year, if I am immunized and little chance of any side effects. Of course, various strains are out there and they have to predict what's possible and make the vaccine months in advance to have enough supply, so this isn't an exact science. I still could get some other strain. If I don't get sick, I don't miss work, I don't lose income. Plus, I don't have the misery of being sick! It goes back and forth like this in my head.
Where things go astray on my pros and cons is that vaccines prevent the spread of the flu. This isn't just about me, my health, and my income. Thousands die every year from the flu. This number ranges from 3,000 to 49,000, according to the CDC. The severity of the strain varies each year. Those with compromised immune systems due to illness and chemotherapy, plus the elderly and infants can not get immunized. Preventing the flu from being contracted, prevents its spread. This means one person at a time.
There are various ways to boost the immune system through supplements and healthy foods. Supplements are pricey and so might undo the cost factor argument I made earlier. Healthy food is a definite must, but how much is enough? Washing your hands also works, but make sure you are 100%. It just takes one exposure. Dr. Andrew Weil recommends weighing the risks, the lifestyle factors, and the concerns each individual has and make your decision.
I am still undecided, but I feel like I am leaning toward yes, I will get myself immunized. If you have yet to get your flu shot, ask yourself these same questions and make a decision that is best for you and those around you!
We'll start with the cons. I am not one of those that fears the possible side effects of vaccines. Although, there is plenty to fear - seizures, brain swelling, fever, rash, pneumonia, hepatitis, and more, according to the CDC. However, all of these are rare and all are usually not serious. I do not believe vaccines cause autism or other such claims, but you will find these claims on the internet and in publications. I don't completely discredit the claims, but it seems very unlikely. However, when one rarely gets any type of illness (colds or flu in my case), these side effects seem an unnecessary risk or possible annoyance. Is it really necessary? I guess the question here is, is the risk of the side effects greater or less than the risk of actually getting the flu?
Then there's cost. My insurance doesn't cover my flu shot. Not sure why. So, I have to go to the clinic or to the local pharmacy and pay for my vaccination. Alright, it is $30 and I can most likely manage that, especially if it prevents the loss of income for a day or 2 of work, right? Maybe, but there seems to be a bit of a gambler in me and the odds of NOT getting the flu are in my favor, according to the history of my past 10 years.
Finally there's the pain. Sometimes there's not much to it and other times, I feel it every time I lift my arm! I really have to steel myself for the actual shot which is way more effective than the nose inhaler and much more available. Rumor has it that the inhaler is no longer available in my area anyway. Something inside me, maybe that 2nd grader who had to stand in lines at school with the talk and the fear and the distress, is saying NO! Maybe it's time to let that 2nd grade fear go....
The pros are pretty well balanced with the cons. There is little chance I will get the flu this year, if I am immunized and little chance of any side effects. Of course, various strains are out there and they have to predict what's possible and make the vaccine months in advance to have enough supply, so this isn't an exact science. I still could get some other strain. If I don't get sick, I don't miss work, I don't lose income. Plus, I don't have the misery of being sick! It goes back and forth like this in my head.
Where things go astray on my pros and cons is that vaccines prevent the spread of the flu. This isn't just about me, my health, and my income. Thousands die every year from the flu. This number ranges from 3,000 to 49,000, according to the CDC. The severity of the strain varies each year. Those with compromised immune systems due to illness and chemotherapy, plus the elderly and infants can not get immunized. Preventing the flu from being contracted, prevents its spread. This means one person at a time.
There are various ways to boost the immune system through supplements and healthy foods. Supplements are pricey and so might undo the cost factor argument I made earlier. Healthy food is a definite must, but how much is enough? Washing your hands also works, but make sure you are 100%. It just takes one exposure. Dr. Andrew Weil recommends weighing the risks, the lifestyle factors, and the concerns each individual has and make your decision.
I am still undecided, but I feel like I am leaning toward yes, I will get myself immunized. If you have yet to get your flu shot, ask yourself these same questions and make a decision that is best for you and those around you!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
A New Resolution for Intention
What would happen if you were to begin each day, each activity,
each special event, each New Year in your life with an intention? Not a to-do list, not a goal, not a
resolution, but an intention……..
What the intention does is set a purpose. It lets you know a direction, an idea of what's to come in your day, your year, your life. It is like an introduction to a paper or a book -"here is what I plan to share with you in my writing......." it creates the feeling and the mindset right off the bat.
An intention is like a resolution or goal in some ways, but very different in 2 important ways. A resolution or goal requires strong acts of will toward a purpose, while an intention is a strong, but gentle, state of being. A resolution is focused on a future outcome. An intention is focused on the present.
When you set an intention, you create the mindset or state of being you wish to cultivate, you create the emotion you want to feel, you find the connection to spirit you desire. If you desire a happy life, you set the intention to be happy - right now, you create the mindset immediately. What we create in the present then creates the future.
Arguments with that: But I can't be happy the way my life is now, I will be happy when...... I lose 15 lbs., I get a new job, I am done with this training and get that promotion...... It goes on and on. The problem is we don't get happy. We find another requirement to our happiness and always a new requirement after that.
An intention comes from an internal space. When we create what we are seeking from within - without requirements from the outside world - we won't be disappointed. Yes, we are human, so we will fail sometimes and lose track of our intentions, but continually practicing, continually setting intentions trains our brains, our nervous systems, our spiritual presence, and our thinking patterns into an automated mode that returns to the intention regularly and with increasing speed as we practice, until it becomes permanent.
Set your intention daily: Sit quietly with some music that sets the tone for your intention, if desired. Close your eyes and let yourself feel the intention - I want to be happy with my body - don't talk yourself out of it, just feel the happiness, not judging or criticizing. All we're doing here is creating what it is you want to feel and let yourself feel it, know it, soak it in! I want to be successful - let yourself feel success, know it, soak it in! I want to feel happy. Do this for a few minutes to longer each and every day. If you'd like, you can set the daily intention in the morning and then sit with it at night seeing how the day went. Give the practice a month and notice how life changes for you!
What the intention does is set a purpose. It lets you know a direction, an idea of what's to come in your day, your year, your life. It is like an introduction to a paper or a book -"here is what I plan to share with you in my writing......." it creates the feeling and the mindset right off the bat.
An intention is like a resolution or goal in some ways, but very different in 2 important ways. A resolution or goal requires strong acts of will toward a purpose, while an intention is a strong, but gentle, state of being. A resolution is focused on a future outcome. An intention is focused on the present.
When you set an intention, you create the mindset or state of being you wish to cultivate, you create the emotion you want to feel, you find the connection to spirit you desire. If you desire a happy life, you set the intention to be happy - right now, you create the mindset immediately. What we create in the present then creates the future.
Arguments with that: But I can't be happy the way my life is now, I will be happy when...... I lose 15 lbs., I get a new job, I am done with this training and get that promotion...... It goes on and on. The problem is we don't get happy. We find another requirement to our happiness and always a new requirement after that.
An intention comes from an internal space. When we create what we are seeking from within - without requirements from the outside world - we won't be disappointed. Yes, we are human, so we will fail sometimes and lose track of our intentions, but continually practicing, continually setting intentions trains our brains, our nervous systems, our spiritual presence, and our thinking patterns into an automated mode that returns to the intention regularly and with increasing speed as we practice, until it becomes permanent.
Set your intention daily: Sit quietly with some music that sets the tone for your intention, if desired. Close your eyes and let yourself feel the intention - I want to be happy with my body - don't talk yourself out of it, just feel the happiness, not judging or criticizing. All we're doing here is creating what it is you want to feel and let yourself feel it, know it, soak it in! I want to be successful - let yourself feel success, know it, soak it in! I want to feel happy. Do this for a few minutes to longer each and every day. If you'd like, you can set the daily intention in the morning and then sit with it at night seeing how the day went. Give the practice a month and notice how life changes for you!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Take Charge of Your Brain by Taking Charge of Your Thoughts
I have been covering the ways we can control the brain which then can have tremendous effects on our health and well-being in all ways, not just mental health, but physical as well. Diet, physical activities such as exercise, sleep, and breathing, and finally self-regulation as was discussed in the last 2 posts are a great start. In this post, I will discuss thoughts or cognition.
I have covered previously how the brain creates connections to what we are spending our time doing and thinking. The more time we spend thinking about math, the more connections the brain creates for math functions. In essence, the density in areas of the brain where math functions take place, increases. This then makes some math tasks automatic, maybe even unconscious. What I am saying is that the more time you spend thinking and doing something, the easier the brain makes it to think about or do!
Another good example is learning to drive. The first few times we get behind the wheel require conscious thought for every single basic step - put the key in the ignition, which foot goes where, where's the blinker?, the headlights? Etc. Now, the only time you think about those things is if you are driving someone else's car. If we had to consciously think through every activity we did throughout the day, we would get very little done!
This is important to understand, because it brings home the message - if you spend a lot of time thinking about negative things, reading and doing negative things, the brain makes it easy, unconscious and automatic even, to be negative. Not only that, but the brain is automatically better at finding stressful, difficult, dangerous stimuli, because it is in the business of survival! So, it more easily tunes in to and tracks those things that cause stress, fear, or anger. We have to work harder to train the brain toward the positive.
Is it realistic to think positive? This is a common question that baffles me. I am not talking about walking down a dark, scary alley at 3am singing, "zippity doo dah" and thinking safe thoughts. On a daily basis though, we expose ourselves to a great deal of unwarranted danger signals that the brain is unable to distinguish - is it real danger or the usual stress? Is it real danger or is it news of some far off place? Some political shanannigans? The bad behavior of a co-worker? All of this is information that might be important to know, but spending too much time worrying, reacting, and getting frustrated about it isn't serving you. Letting your brain hang out with all this bad news and negative input compromises mental health and physical health.
How so? When the brain thinks a stressful thought, it floods the body with stress hormones. These feel yucky and creates poor physical health over time. Plus, this stress reaction gets to be automatic (as explained above) and these hormones and messengers are always in your body, messing with your health, your sleep, and your sense of well-being. It becomes your norm to be in this state and gradually your digestion, circulation, heart activity, and more are compromised. Not to mention, depression and anxiety disorders become easier to slide into and from there addictions....
So, what to do? Change your thinking. Change what you spend your time on. To begin, journaling can help. It helps to take the thoughts that tend to go 'round and 'round in the head, move them out of the cyclic pattern and into a new space in the brain. This can help us let go, re-frame or see things in a new light. For some who struggle with cyclical thinking at bedtime, journaling the thoughts and closing up the journal to let those thoughts go for the night is helpful. Journaling can be used to help us see our thoughts as separate from who we are. When we think a certain way, we sometimes see that as something that defines us. YOU ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS! Journaling helps create distance. If I can think about my thoughts enough to be able to write them down, that is evidence that who I am is separate from my thoughts.
Another way you change your thinking is to create affirmations. Yes, this sounds hokey. However, it is easy to automatically wake up in the morning and groan about how tired you are, how you wish you had the day off, etc. We easily create complaints. Wouldn't it be nice if it were easy to smile at seeing another day? To start the day feeling an expanded sense of gratitude for life, for your job, and for the health of your loved ones? It's easy to point out flaws in ourselves and others. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see the strengths? I often ask clients to list their strengths. Most often this is a really challenging task. They can list 5 flaws for every strength. Why is that? It's not more realistic. We are not inherently more flawed than we are gifted. Why not focus on the strengths and the gifts we carry?
Gratitude is an easy cognitive focus to make. I wrote about this in a previous post as well. Use gratitude to change your brain in a positive direction! Instead of the constant focus on what is NOT right in your life, gratitude helps us to see all that IS right. Very important, because there are things not right, but why spend so much time on them? There are many things that are right. Coming from a place of strength allows us more power to then deal with those things we think need fixing in this world. A "cup half empty" focus lowers the energy to take on the changes we need and want to make. I see clients all the time completely overwhelmed by their focus on all that is wrong in their lives and in the world. Is it more realistic? Absolutely not, because there are many things that are wonderful and right in the world as well and paying attention to them serves us much better!
One of my favorite cognitive change tasks is to wear a bracelet each day. Some people choose a specific bracelet that stands for something like those bracelets that we can buy to support breast cancer or heart disease or other causes. Set a goal: I will not gossip all day. I will not refer to myself negatively in my thoughts or my words. I will not engage in thinking that undermines my success. Then, every time the negative thought happens, the bracelet moves to the other wrist. The goal is to get through a day without moving the bracelet. Then, get through a week. Then a month. It is a great reminder and a life changing exercise!
Changing your brain requires changing your thoughts. It is easy to begin, but challenging to maintain. However, it may take just a few weeks and the results can then trigger a domino effect in which you see multiple thinking patterns topple and fall to the strength and power of your new positive mindset!
I have covered previously how the brain creates connections to what we are spending our time doing and thinking. The more time we spend thinking about math, the more connections the brain creates for math functions. In essence, the density in areas of the brain where math functions take place, increases. This then makes some math tasks automatic, maybe even unconscious. What I am saying is that the more time you spend thinking and doing something, the easier the brain makes it to think about or do!
Another good example is learning to drive. The first few times we get behind the wheel require conscious thought for every single basic step - put the key in the ignition, which foot goes where, where's the blinker?, the headlights? Etc. Now, the only time you think about those things is if you are driving someone else's car. If we had to consciously think through every activity we did throughout the day, we would get very little done!
This is important to understand, because it brings home the message - if you spend a lot of time thinking about negative things, reading and doing negative things, the brain makes it easy, unconscious and automatic even, to be negative. Not only that, but the brain is automatically better at finding stressful, difficult, dangerous stimuli, because it is in the business of survival! So, it more easily tunes in to and tracks those things that cause stress, fear, or anger. We have to work harder to train the brain toward the positive.
Is it realistic to think positive? This is a common question that baffles me. I am not talking about walking down a dark, scary alley at 3am singing, "zippity doo dah" and thinking safe thoughts. On a daily basis though, we expose ourselves to a great deal of unwarranted danger signals that the brain is unable to distinguish - is it real danger or the usual stress? Is it real danger or is it news of some far off place? Some political shanannigans? The bad behavior of a co-worker? All of this is information that might be important to know, but spending too much time worrying, reacting, and getting frustrated about it isn't serving you. Letting your brain hang out with all this bad news and negative input compromises mental health and physical health.
How so? When the brain thinks a stressful thought, it floods the body with stress hormones. These feel yucky and creates poor physical health over time. Plus, this stress reaction gets to be automatic (as explained above) and these hormones and messengers are always in your body, messing with your health, your sleep, and your sense of well-being. It becomes your norm to be in this state and gradually your digestion, circulation, heart activity, and more are compromised. Not to mention, depression and anxiety disorders become easier to slide into and from there addictions....
So, what to do? Change your thinking. Change what you spend your time on. To begin, journaling can help. It helps to take the thoughts that tend to go 'round and 'round in the head, move them out of the cyclic pattern and into a new space in the brain. This can help us let go, re-frame or see things in a new light. For some who struggle with cyclical thinking at bedtime, journaling the thoughts and closing up the journal to let those thoughts go for the night is helpful. Journaling can be used to help us see our thoughts as separate from who we are. When we think a certain way, we sometimes see that as something that defines us. YOU ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS! Journaling helps create distance. If I can think about my thoughts enough to be able to write them down, that is evidence that who I am is separate from my thoughts.
Another way you change your thinking is to create affirmations. Yes, this sounds hokey. However, it is easy to automatically wake up in the morning and groan about how tired you are, how you wish you had the day off, etc. We easily create complaints. Wouldn't it be nice if it were easy to smile at seeing another day? To start the day feeling an expanded sense of gratitude for life, for your job, and for the health of your loved ones? It's easy to point out flaws in ourselves and others. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see the strengths? I often ask clients to list their strengths. Most often this is a really challenging task. They can list 5 flaws for every strength. Why is that? It's not more realistic. We are not inherently more flawed than we are gifted. Why not focus on the strengths and the gifts we carry?
Gratitude is an easy cognitive focus to make. I wrote about this in a previous post as well. Use gratitude to change your brain in a positive direction! Instead of the constant focus on what is NOT right in your life, gratitude helps us to see all that IS right. Very important, because there are things not right, but why spend so much time on them? There are many things that are right. Coming from a place of strength allows us more power to then deal with those things we think need fixing in this world. A "cup half empty" focus lowers the energy to take on the changes we need and want to make. I see clients all the time completely overwhelmed by their focus on all that is wrong in their lives and in the world. Is it more realistic? Absolutely not, because there are many things that are wonderful and right in the world as well and paying attention to them serves us much better!
One of my favorite cognitive change tasks is to wear a bracelet each day. Some people choose a specific bracelet that stands for something like those bracelets that we can buy to support breast cancer or heart disease or other causes. Set a goal: I will not gossip all day. I will not refer to myself negatively in my thoughts or my words. I will not engage in thinking that undermines my success. Then, every time the negative thought happens, the bracelet moves to the other wrist. The goal is to get through a day without moving the bracelet. Then, get through a week. Then a month. It is a great reminder and a life changing exercise!
Changing your brain requires changing your thoughts. It is easy to begin, but challenging to maintain. However, it may take just a few weeks and the results can then trigger a domino effect in which you see multiple thinking patterns topple and fall to the strength and power of your new positive mindset!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Self-Regulate? Yes, You Can! Continued.....
What did you learn over the past week?! Did you try some self-regulation techniques? Last week I wrote about ways to regulate the mind and body, adjusting to internal and external stimuli with awareness and skill. Self-regulation is being aware of the nervous system, thoughts, and physical reactions enough that you can make adjustments and take some control. It is knowing what triggers reactions in the mind and body enough to control the reactions, cope with them, and/or turn them up or down. Whatever reaction is triggered in your body or mind, you are aware and ready with a skill or tool to react in response.
One topic covered in the last blog was meditation, which teaches us to control the mind. It can be in many forms, so don't assume you know what meditation is until you start trying all the variety of forms. Another topic from last time was breathing. Breathing is an involuntary physical function that we have some voluntary control over. So, it is especially powerful in helping us to control our physical reactions. Learning to control the relaxation response can involve the breath and other techniques as well and teaches us to shut down stress reactions.
This week, let's move on to other techniques with the exact same goal in mind. Grounding techniques are great self-regulators. These are strategies we use to detach from the mind and the physical reactions we are having. Once the detachment is created, there is a clarity and a relief that then allows for better coping mechanisms to be used. It can be done anytime, any place, anywhere. It is very "present moment" which is similar in that way to mindfulness (discussed in the last blog). It is also similar to relaxation in the response the body often has.
Grounding can be physical or mental. Some mental grounding techniques are to look around the space you are in and describe. Describe the shapes, the colors, the smells, etc. You can also play a categories game similar to the car game some families play on long trips. Think of a song for each letter of the alphabet. Come up with a list of every car you can think of or food or TV show. Think of some mundane activity you do and walk yourself through a step by step process of that activity. Create a safe and present moment state: I am _____. I am here at ______. Sitting on the _______. The date is ________. And, go on until all the details of the present moment are covered and you feel better. Read something backwards - there's no meaning, no interpretation, just an activity to focus on and get the mind busy elsewhere. Count or say the alphabet, slowly, or backwards. Create a mantra or affirmation and repeat it to yourself over and over.
Physical grounding brings the body into awareness. Run water over your hands or take a shower or bath and just be aware of the feel of water on the skin. Squeeze something - a squishy ball or the arms of the chair and feel the tension, then let it go. Press you feet firmly into the floor and feel a connection to the ground. Rub a stone or soft fabric. Jump up and down! Do some yoga. Walk mindfully, noticing each and every step. Once you are focused on the physical sensation, your awareness on the body allows you to change and control the reaction the body is having.
While a walk or yoga practice can be used as a grounding technique when needed, they, and other exercise, can be powerful self-regulators. 30 or more minutes of exercise 3-5 days a week alleviates anxiety and stress, helps with depression symptoms, and creates a physical awareness and sense of well-being that can aid in self-regulation tremendously. See the "Let's Get Physical" blog.
Begin to think about yourself as that furnace or faucet and regulate the temperature throughout the day. Take the techniques from previous blogs and insert them into your daily life. Make some techniques something you do every day, no matter what you feel. The routine is like maintenance. You are keeping the system in good running condition with a regular routine. Make some techniques the ones you use when needed. These are the quick and easy grounding or breathing techniques typically. Make them a habit. Every time I feel stress, I take 5 long, slow breaths, for example. Finally, make some techniques what you use after the fact. Let's face it, sometimes life is hard and stressful. We get through it and use a self-regulator to help move the mind and the body moving forward. Some of techniques might work for more than one, some might overlap. Try to have 5 or more go-to self-regulators, gradually building your skills and your routines to include the most effective techniques until it is a habit. Your awareness grows, your coping improves, and your daily life becomes do-able, easy even until you realize that you are happy and joyful most of the time on most days!
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