Release Your Stress

21 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

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Calm Your Nervous System, Handling Stress, Healthy Body, letting go of stress, Mental health, Release Your Stress, Shake It Out, Stress, Stress Management, Wellness

A baby’s way of handling stress is to cry, a toddler’s way is to have a tantrum, and then as we get a bit older, we are taught that it’s not socially acceptable to use these behaviors, especially in public. A dog’s way of letting go of stress is to shake it out. Sometimes it’s just their head, and other times it’s with their full body.

Take some time today to use your body to release stress, shake it out; shake out your hands, arms and legs, you might also try bouncing in place, like young kids often do.

Have fun with it, even if you choose to do it privately!

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Finding My Way Home

18 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Mind

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Creating a Happier Experience, Doing it Differently, Frustration, Happiness, heading in the right direction, Health, Healthy Mind, Honoring Yourself, Love, Mental health, Robert Holden, second guessing, Self-Love, Stress, Uncertainty, Well-being

Last night I was leaving San Jose where I had just heard Robert Holden, the author of Happiness Now speak. I was feeling happy, peaceful and filled with love. I got in my car and expected to be home in just over an hour.

I had confidence in being able to follow the freeway signs and navigate my way home. After 15 minutes I realized I wasn’t traveling on the same freeway I took to get there. I followed signs to San Francisco, knowing I was heading in the right direction, yet 30 minutes later I still was second guessing if I was on a route that was going to get me home to the East Bay.

Then, I had an epiphany. Recognizing that my feeling of happiness was being gradually taken over by stress, frustration and uncertainty, and wanting to get back to feeling happy, I had I asked myself, “What could I have done differently that would have been loving to myself?”

The answer was clear. The most loving thing I could do for myself when unfamiliar with an area would be to get out a map or turn on the navigation in my car or on my phone BEFORE driving.

I eventually made it home, as I always do, and I’m looking forward to creating a different experience for myself next time. What’s one area of your life where you could be more loving towards yourself?

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Don’t Cut Things Too Close

19 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

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Allowing Extra Time, Allowing Space, Arriving Calm, Creating a Healthy Lifestyle, Extra Time, Health, Healthy Body, healthy-living, Little Changes, Managing Stress, Mental health, New Habits, Running Late, Rushing and Stress, Self care, Stress, stress level

Have you noticed that when you are rushing around, barely making it where you need to be on time, that your body feels stressed? Making a mad dash or sprinting to get to work, class or an appointment on time takes a toll on our bodies. A big part of creating a healthy lifestyle and healthy body is learning to manage your stress level.

Little changes, like getting in the habit of leaving 5-10 minutes earlier than usual can make a big difference in arriving to your destination relaxed. You may also find enjoyment on your way there, feeling more at ease, noticing your surroundings and leaving more space between cars if you are driving, even if there is traffic. Leaving a bit earlier also gives you more time to find parking, again decreasing your stress level.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Your Body Is Talking, Are You Listening?

12 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

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Aches and Pains, Being vs. Doing, Body Signals, Change in Mood, Creating a Healthy Lifestyle, Doing vs Being, first signs, Health, Healthy Body, Listen to your body, Major Crisis, Mental health, Messages From Our Bodies, Results Before Feelings, Signs of Stress, Stress, Your Relationship With Your Body

How closely do you listen to your body? Do you notice the first signs of stress, discomfort, minor aches and pains or a change in mood? If so, do you brush it off and press on?

Our culture has been more focused on “doing” rather than “being,” “results before feelings.” Sometimes it takes a major crisis to get us to slow down or stop and really look at how we are living our lives. We have miraculous bodies that, if we tune into them, can give us guidance and messages if only we take the time to listen.

To tune into your body’s signals try this:

1. Stop for a moment.

2. Scan your body for discomfort.

3. Tune in to how you feel.

4. Ask yourself what you need.

Often times by acknowledging the signal it will reduce the symptom and you may even get some insight into a better way of doing, being or living.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Please Take Care of Me!

08 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

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Airborne, Alternative Health, apple cider vinegar, Boost Your Immune System, Boost Your nutrition, Chronic Symptoms, Cold and Flu, Cold Symptoms, Emergen-C, Emotional Stress, Health, Healthy Body, Immune system, Lower Stress, Meditation, Prevention, Reiki, Sleep, Staying Healthy, Strengthen Your Immune System, Stress, Throat lozenge, Water

Winter is in full swing and for some people it is a time of getting sick or fighting off symptoms. While we may not be able to avoid being exposed to germs, there is a lot we can do to strengthen our immune system so that we don’t get sick, and if we do, it is short-lived.

If you are experiencing low-grade chronic symptoms, especially runny nose, mild sore throat, stuffed up head and feeling tired, it’s your body’s way of saying, “Please take better care of me.”

Here are some suggestions:

1. Get some extra sleep by going to bed earlier.

2. Drink plenty of water, and tea, hot water with lemon and honey, apple cider vinegar in water, or clear vegetable or chicken broth. Sip on liquids throughout the day to flood those germs out!

3. Boost your nutritional intake by eating fruit, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains, while eliminating or significantly decreasing the amount of sugar you consume.

4. Take nutritional supplements, vitamin c, Airborne, Emergen-C, use cough drops.

5. Lower stress with meditation, yoga, a warm bath, etc.

6. Increase circulation with movement, exercise, walking, etc.

7. Reduce emotional stress by processing and releasing sadness, grief, loss, fear, anger and resentment. Journal, draw, use visualization, prayer, or talk with a trusted friend or professional.

8. Try a massage, acupressure, acupuncture, or Reiki.

If you are sick or have had chronic symptoms, it may be wise to visit your doctor and get a check-up with a blood test to assess what is going on and to rule out any deficiencies.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Brain Research and Nutrition

06 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Eating, Healthy Mind

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Attention, Brain, Brain Research, Cognition, Healthy Eating, Healthy Mind, Intellegence, Memory, Nutrition, Nutritional Neuroscience, Stress

As a continuation to last weeks post, “Brain Research and Exercise,” science is proving that what we eat affects our brain; cognition, memory, attention, stress, and even intelligence. The journals Nutritional Neuroscience and European Journal of Clinical Nutrition have been studying the effects on schools that pay attention to nutrition and cognition.

There seems to be direct correlation in children between what they eat and how the brain functions. Those who eat a diet of fruit, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains/complex carbohydrates have been shown to function better at school than those who consume a diet of processed foods and fast food high in fats and sugars.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

The Mind Doesn’t Know The Difference

26 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Mind

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Anxiety, Cortisol, Dopamine, Fight-or-flight response, Gratitude, Healthy Mind, Laughter, Meditation, Mental health, Play, Positive Psychology, Serotonin, Stress, Stress hormone, stressful event, Thoughts, Thoughts and Hormones, Well-being

The mind doesn’t know if you actually did something or just thought about it. Research has shown that without a stressful event actually happening, we can create anxiety along with the chemical release of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, just by thinking about such an event. These hormones provide the “fight or flight” response, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure.

The converse is true. When we have pleasant, calm or happy thoughts, the biochemical production and release of serotonin and dopamine occurs.

How you think has a direct correlation to how you feel. Since our thoughts create a cascade of chemical releases, and we know our thoughts can produce healthy or unhealthy hormones, we do have some control over our well-being.

Here are some ways to shift to calmer, happier thinking:

Focus on gratitude, being thankful, looking for the happiest moment of the day, or meditating. Ease up on perfectionism, laugh and play more. Remind yourself throughout the day to check in with your thoughts. You could do this each time you reach for the phone, stop at a red light, just before you eat, or when you wake up and just before you go to sleep.

If you are feeling stressed, it may be time to look more closely at your thinking and choose to look at situations differently.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Get It Done Now – It’s Good For Your Health!

17 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Mind

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Anger, anger resentment, Do it Now, Energy, feelings of inadequacy, Get it Done, Happiness, Health, Healthy Lifestyle, Healthy Mind, Just Do It!, Laziness, levels of stress, Mental health, Now vs. Later, Procrastination, Stress, Time management, Well-being, Worry

Are you a “get it done now or get it done later” person? Did you know that it takes more energy to not do something than to just do it, especially if you are going to do it anyway.

We rarely, if ever, think about the amount of energy we use to ward off not doing something we need to do. Some people may call this procrastination or laziness. It doesn’t matter what you label it. Putting off doing what you need to do can negatively affect your health and well-being.

When we put off doing what needs to get done, by avoiding it and doing other, non-important things, internally we may be building increased levels of stress, worry, anger, resentment, and fear that we won’t get it done or feelings of inadequacy.

What would it be like if you just did the task or made that decision? What if you jumped in and got started on that project and avoided all of the associated stress? Or, what if you stopped all of the ways you keep “busy” doing other things and not feeling, while avoiding what you really need to do?

Try it today. Do something you’ve been putting off NOW!

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Don’t Wait to be Sick or Injured to Give Yourself Leisure Time

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

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Happiness, Healthy Body, Healthy Lifestyle, Healthy Mind, healthy-living, Intuition, Leisure, leisure time, Leisurely Activities, Mental health, Slow Down, Stress, Thoughts

I have had several opportunities lately to spend time with friends, including one who was in the hospital after surgery. When recovering from surgery or a major injury or illness, we are forced to slow down, and then we realize the tension and stress we have been carrying while rushing around to get it all done. Our minds and bodies can handle a lot, but at what price? Without some leisure time we often don’t get to slow down enough to listen to our thoughts, our intuition and our bodies.

Today, spend some time slowing down and incorporate some leisure into your day. Go for a leisurely walk, hike, swim or bike ride, browse a store, read a book or magazine, drive at the pace of other cars rather than passing them, or any other activity done for the pure enjoyment of it.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Perfectly Imperfect

02 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Mind

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Anxiety, Enjoyment, Helthy Mind, Imperfect, perfectionism, Stress

Perfectionism is a trait often learned in childhood and carried into adulthood. Unfortunately, functioning to do things perfectly often takes more time and energy. It can also put us in a chronic state of feeling stressed and anxious, by the pressure we put on ourselves or the perceived pressure others put on us.

Who might you be trying to please or impress, or is it now just a habit or a way of life?

Do you hold yourself back from having people over because your home isn’t perfectly decorated, straightened up, or spotless with everything in its place? Or have you refused to do something that looks like fun, like tennis, golf, knitting, or any other activity, because you aren’t very good at it yet?

Those of us who have been perfectionists miss out on enjoying the process along the way, and seeing the beauty in things rather than the flaws. There is a better way. It’s okay to be “good enough,” for our living space to be clean enough, and for us to slow down and not rush or spend so much time on a task until it is perfect, that we never complete it or that we resent the amount of time spent on it.

If you wait for everything to be perfect you will miss out on the enjoyment of life. Allow yourself to be good enough. Aim for enjoyment. Set your priorities, and determine where it is worth producing a perfect result and where good enough will suffice. And while you are at it, don’t expect others to be perfect either.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis