Health Journal Online

Tag: Work

  • The Power of Simple Living: How Minimalists Approach Work, Relationships, and Life

    The Power of Simple Living: How Minimalists Approach Work, Relationships, and Life

    Introduction to Simple Living

    In today’s fast-paced, consumerist society, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that more is better. We’re constantly bombarded with advertisements telling us that the latest gadget, trendy clothing item, or luxurious vacation is the key to happiness. However, a growing number of people are rejecting this notion and embracing a simpler way of living. This movement, known as minimalism, is about paring down one’s possessions, commitments, and expectations to focus on what truly brings fulfillment and joy. In this article, we’ll explore the power of simple living and how minimalists approach work, relationships, and life.

    Defining Minimalism

    Minimalism is often misunderstood as being about depriving oneself of comforts or living in poverty. However, it’s actually about living intentionally and being mindful of how we spend our time, money, and energy. Minimalists prioritize what’s truly important to them and eliminate or minimize the rest. This can mean different things to different people, but some common practices include decluttering living spaces, reducing waste, and adopting a more frugal lifestyle.

    Minimalist Approach to Work

    For many people, work is a major source of stress and dissatisfaction. We often feel pressured to climb the corporate ladder, work long hours, and constantly be "on" in order to succeed. Minimalists, on the other hand, tend to approach work with a more relaxed and intentional mindset. They may choose to work fewer hours, prioritize meaningful work over high-paying work, or pursue alternative forms of income, such as freelancing or entrepreneurship. By simplifying their work lives, minimalists are able to reduce stress, increase productivity, and focus on what truly brings them fulfillment.

    Minimalist Approach to Relationships

    Minimalists also tend to approach relationships in a more intentional way. They prioritize quality over quantity, focusing on a smaller circle of deep, meaningful relationships rather than trying to maintain a large network of acquaintances. This can mean being more selective about who they spend time with, setting healthy boundaries, and investing in relationships that truly nourish and support them. By simplifying their social lives, minimalists are able to build stronger, more authentic relationships and reduce feelings of overwhelm and burnout.

    Minimalist Approach to Life

    So, what does a minimalist approach to life look like in practice? For some, it might mean living in a small, clutter-free home, cooking simple meals from scratch, and pursuing hobbies that bring joy and fulfillment. For others, it might mean traveling lightly, embracing a vegan or zero-waste lifestyle, or prioritizing mindfulness and self-care. The key is to identify what’s truly important to you and let go of the rest. By simplifying our lives, we can reduce stress, increase productivity, and focus on what truly brings us happiness.

    Benefits of Simple Living

    The benefits of simple living are numerous and well-documented. By adopting a minimalist lifestyle, individuals can experience reduced stress and anxiety, increased productivity and focus, and improved mental and physical health. Simple living can also lead to greater financial freedom, as individuals are no longer tied to the constant pursuit of material possessions and status symbols. Furthermore, minimalist living can have a positive impact on the environment, as individuals reduce their consumption and waste.

    Common Misconceptions About Minimalism

    Despite its many benefits, minimalism is often misunderstood. Some common misconceptions include the idea that minimalism is only for young, single people or that it requires a complete rejection of all material possessions. However, minimalism can be adapted to any lifestyle or circumstances, and it’s not about depriving oneself of comforts or necessities. Rather, it’s about living intentionally and being mindful of how we spend our time, money, and energy.

    Getting Started with Minimalism

    So, how can you get started with minimalism? The first step is to take stock of your current lifestyle and identify areas where you can simplify. This might mean decluttering your living space, canceling subscription services you don’t use, or simplifying your wardrobe. It’s also important to define what minimalism means to you and set clear goals for what you want to achieve. Start small, be patient, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes – the journey to simple living is a process, and it’s okay to take it one step at a time.

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, the power of simple living is a transformative force that can have a profound impact on our work, relationships, and overall well-being. By embracing a minimalist lifestyle, individuals can reduce stress, increase productivity, and focus on what truly brings them fulfillment. Whether you’re looking to simplify your work life, cultivate deeper relationships, or live more intentionally, the principles of minimalism can be applied in a way that’s tailored to your unique needs and circumstances. So why not give it a try? You might be surprised at the freedom, clarity, and joy that simple living can bring.

    FAQs

    Q: What is minimalism, and how does it differ from simplicity?
    A: Minimalism is a lifestyle that emphasizes living with only what is necessary, while simplicity refers to the quality of being uncomplicated or uncluttered. While related, the two concepts are not interchangeable, and minimalism is a more specific and intentional approach to living.

    Q: Do I have to get rid of all my possessions to be a minimalist?
    A: No, minimalism is not about depriving yourself of all material possessions, but rather about living intentionally and being mindful of how you spend your time, money, and energy. It’s about keeping what brings you joy and letting go of the rest.

    Q: Can I still enjoy luxuries and comforts as a minimalist?
    A: Yes, minimalism is not about sacrificing comfort or pleasure, but about being intentional about how you spend your resources. If a luxury or comfort is truly important to you, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy it – just be mindful of how it aligns with your values and priorities.

    Q: How can I apply minimalist principles to my work life?
    A: Start by identifying what’s truly important to you in your work and simplifying your workflow and priorities accordingly. Consider adopting a more flexible or alternative work arrangement, such as freelancing or working remotely, and prioritize self-care and boundaries to reduce stress and burnout.

    Q: Can minimalism be applied to relationships?
    A: Yes, minimalism can be applied to relationships by prioritizing quality over quantity, setting healthy boundaries, and investing in relationships that truly nourish and support you. This might mean being more selective about who you spend time with or letting go of relationships that drain your energy.

  • This Common Supplement Could Impact How Your Medicines Work

    This Common Supplement Could Impact How Your Medicines Work

    If you are someone taking a cinnamon supplement for its health perks, you might want to think twice. New research suggests it might be time to go back to getting nutrients from your plate, not a pill. Researchers now found that a compound in cinnamon supplements could interfere with how your body processes medications, something plain old cinnamon in food does not seem to do.

    Cinnamon is an age-old spice that has long been used as a flavoring agent in foods like breakfast cereals, snacks, bagels, teas, and hot chocolate. In recent years, cinnamon supplements have gained popularity among health enthusiasts, praised for their potential anti-inflammatory benefits and blood sugar-lowering effects.

    The latest study, published in the journal Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences, uncovers a surprising twist for supplement users. Researchers found that cinnamaldehyde, the compound responsible for cinnamon’s distinctive flavor and many of its medicinal properties, can interfere with how the body processes certain medications when taken in concentrated supplement form. This interference could either reduce the effectiveness of common drugs or amplify their side effects, posing unexpected risks for people who rely on regular medications.

    However, adding a dash of cinnamon to your coffee or oatmeal is harmless and might even offer small health perks. But when cinnamon is taken in concentrated supplement form, the story changes.

    The new findings are a reminder that more is not always better, especially for those who turn to supplements as a shortcut for nutrition. “Health concerns could arise if excessive amounts of supplements are consumed without the knowledge of health care provider or prescriber of the medications. Overconsumption of supplements could lead to a rapid clearance of the prescription medicine from the body, and that could result in making the medicine less effective,” Shabana Khan, a principal scientist at the National Center for Natural Products Research in a news release.

    “People who suffer from chronic diseases – like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, asthma, obesity, HIV, AIDS or depression – should be cautious when using cinnamon or any other supplements. Our best advice is to talk to a healthcare provider before using any supplements along with the prescription medicine. By definition, supplements are not meant to treat, cure or mitigate any disease,” Khan added.

    Source link

  • Why Use Stents When They Don’t Work? 

    Why Use Stents When They Don’t Work? 

    Again and again, studies have shown that doctors tend to make clinical decisions for patients based on how much they themselves will get paid.

    In 2007, we learned from the COURAGE trial that angioplasty and stents—percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—don’t reduce the risk of death or heart attack, but patients didn’t seem to get the memo. Only 1 percent realize there was no mortality or heart attack benefit, perhaps because most cardiologists fail to mention that fact. One can imagine that if patients actually understood that symptomatic relief was all they were going to get, with “no additional mortality benefits,” they’d be less likely to go under the knife. Then, ten years later, the ORBITA trial was published, showing even the promise of symptom relief was an illusion.

    “The implications of ORBITA are profound and far-reaching. First and foremost, the results of ORBITA show unequivocally that there are no benefits for PCI compared with medical therapy for stable angina,” that is, heart disease. Basically, patients would be risking “harm for no benefit. It is hard to imagine a scenario where a fully informed patient would choose an additional invasive treatment for no added benefit.” Remember the stent consent form I discussed previously, shown below and at 1:17 in my video Why Are Stents Still Used If They Don’t Work?: 

    Now, it looks like this, seen below and at 1:21.

    So, is the ORBITA trial the “last nail in the coffin for PCI in stable angina?” That is, for stents in non-emergency situations? An editorial in the journal Cardiovascular Revascularization Medicine disagreed, pointing to “the broad angina relief that occurred in both arms.” In other words, stents helped—even if the sham operation without stents helped just as much. So, “if the patient is treated with PCI and is benefiting from the ‘placebo effect,’ who am I to interfere with that benefit of this ‘therapy’?” In that case, why not perform fake surgeries? Stent placement can cost around $40,000. It’d be cheaper to just fake it all. The reason we shouldn’t keep electively stenting people is because there’s a body count. During stent placement, 2 percent of patients develop bleeding or blood vessel damage, while another 1 percent die or have a heart attack or a stroke. And because something is stuck in your chest, 3 percent of patients have a bleeding event from the blood thinners that must be taken. Or the blood thinners don’t work and the stent clots off and causes a heart attack.

    Why are they still done when we not only don’t have evidence of benefit but, in many cases, we have explicit “evidence of no benefit”? One of the sources of resistance may be all the financial gain. These procedures make a lot of money for hospitals. Don’t expect them to begin promoting “lifestyle changes to combat heart disease. Nor will physicians quickly abandon a practice that both supports their income and seems to make sense.” Is it that simple? Is it that famous Upton Sinclair quote: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” Think that’s just cynicism? Let’s ask doctors themselves.

    Thousands of physicians were surveyed, and 70 percent “believed that physicians provide unnecessary procedures when they profit from them.” That’s what doctors themselves believe. And the data bear this out. Doctors have been shown to make clinical decisions for patients based on how much they get paid. For example, when choosing which chemotherapy to treat breast cancer, increasing a physician’s margin by 10 percent can yield up to a 177 percent increase in the likelihood of choosing one drug over another.

    That may be why Caesarean sections “are more likely to be performed by for-profit hospitals as compared with non-profit hospitals.” “Operating on commission.” Pay surgeons per procedure, and you can increase surgery rates by 78 percent. Could that explain why we do 101 percent more angioplasties than any other affluent country? A study on “physicians’ financial incentives and treatment choices in heart attack management” found that they do indeed “respond positively to the payments they receive and that the response is quite large…Unconditionally, plans that pay physicians more for more invasive treatments are associated with a larger fraction of such treatments,” seeming to result in more invasive treatments. So, it may actually be quite common for patients to receive different treatments based on whether the doctor is getting paid per procedure.

    One of my heroes, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn—who always tries to see the best in people—had to admit that compensation may be playing a role. Evidence surfaced that “doctors have run up millions of dollars in medical bills by doing unnecessary stent implants,” doctors like Mark Midei who inserted 30 stents in a single day. That could be about a million dollars worth of billing. As a token of gratitude, a sales representative from the stent company spent more than $2,000 to buy “a whole slow-smoked pig, peach cobbler, and other fixings for a barbecue dinner at Dr. Midei’s home.”

    “The US is just about the only developed country where health care is delivered on a fee-per-service basis and we very liberally incentivize physicians for doing invasive procedures,” explained the chief of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. “The economic incentives are just too strong.” 



    Source link

  • Managing PTSD symptoms at work

    Managing PTSD symptoms at work

    Having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can affect people in the workplace, but there are coping strategies that can help, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s  Karestan Koenen.

    In a Dec. 12 Forbes article, Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology, said that having PTSD at work can lead people to re-experience trauma, become avoidant, and experience emotional dysregulation. “Avoidance can look like poor performance or not caring if it leads to missing meetings or obligations,” she said. “Emotion dysregulation can show up exactly how it sounds—losing your temper at work or exploding at a colleague over something small.”

    She recommended several grounding, distraction, and relaxation techniques. Grounding can include feeling your feet on the floor or holding something with a comforting texture. She added, “Have a go-to video or music or something to distract your mind while the flashback runs its course. Really mastering breathing techniques that induce relaxation by practicing them every day (twice a day) is helpful.”

    Read the Forbes article: How To Deal With PTSD Symptoms At Work

    Last Updated

    Get the latest public health news

    Stay connected with Harvard Chan School

    Source link

  • How Leaders Build Trust at Work Through Authenticity

    How Leaders Build Trust at Work Through Authenticity

    How much trust does your organization experience? That’s the first question I ask when I do a culture assessment with the businesses I serve. Trust is the essential ingredient and foundation for all relationships and businesses. Unless leaders build trust, they can’t build anything that will succeed for the long term, and any kind of organizational change will be seriously challenged.

    Organizational scholars define trust as our willingness to be vulnerable to the actions of others because we believe they have good intentions and will behave well toward us. In other words, we let others have power over us because we don’t think they’ll hurt us; we think they’ll help us and have our backs. When the trust level is high within coworker relationships, it corresponds to trusting the company that employs us, and we feel confident it won’t deceive us or abuse its relationship with us. 

    But what are the mechanics of this? How do we trust? In order to trust someone, especially someone who is unfamiliar to us—which means we haven’t had the opportunity to develop trust yet—our brains build a model of what the person is likely to do and why. And there’s a lot going on beneath the surface; we use both mindfulness and empathy during every collaborative endeavor. This means both people in an interaction are always assessing, Should I trust you? How much do you trust me? Some of us are innately trusting, naturally seeking positive intent and putting we, before me. But in my experience, trust is earned. This is why it matters that we as leaders build trust with those we lead. It is not wise to trust someone blindly until you have vetted that they are, in fact, trustworthy.  

    Trust and Safety Requires Nurturing

    The level of trust in an organization is influenced by how much psychological safety exists. Do people feel safe voicing their honest opinions? Do they believe that any criticism aimed their way will be fair and that their response to it will be heard? Teams that enjoy high trust levels have been shown to be more creative and to come to decisions faster. They’re higher performing teams because they’re willing to admit mistakes and to call out problems and challenges and ask for help. If two teams are equally smart, why would a more trusting team be more productive than a less trusting one? Because they iterate faster. They learn faster. And why do they do that? Because they trust each other to be honest and point out the things they’re discovering in real time. A foundation of safety helps these team members understand and develop those discoveries quickly, collaborate smoothly, and cocreate with flow. 

    In the workplace, trust is highly influenced by leadership because leaders model the behaviors others will follow. When leaders lead with fear and dominance, trust and safety suffer in the long run. A boss who berates, threatens, or punishes you will affect your performance and ability to speak up authentically as you focus your attention on self-protection. This leads to feelings of “learned helplessness” as employees avoid the boss and/or remain as invisible as they can by doing the minimum. And face it: this kind of leadership behavior hurts, to the point of inflicting trauma. 

    Humans experience social rejection and social pain in the brain’s pain matrix for longer than they experience physical pain. Research in neuroscience has shown this. We are wired to connect and belong. If we lack the trust and safety that are essential to belonging, we feel that our very survival is threatened, which prolongs our suffering. To turn this around, we can consciously and actively work to create greater belonging using conscious leadership techniques at work and in the world. Belonging means belonging to yourself, as well as being connected to a purpose larger than yourself. 

    Authenticity In Action 

    Being authentic is one of the fastest ways to create psychological safety in the workplace.  

    Psychological safety is the sense that we can share our feelings, beliefs, and experiences openly with others at work without fear of reprimand, losing status, or punishment. Studies on psychological safety conducted in collaboration between Google and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found it to be one of the most important factors in creating successful teams and thus high performing, innovative organizations. This insight is the result of almost 30 years of research by Amy Edmondson. Psychological safety supports moderate risk taking, speaking your mind, creativity, and most importantly trust. In my work with teams and senior leaders, I assess the psychological safety of the individual leader, the team and the culture first.

    Before leaders build trust through being courageous in our interactions with others, we need the courage to understand ourselves and what’s important to us. Try out this practice that focuses on cultivating this understanding. 

    A Mindful Practice to Deepen Your Inner Trust

    Find a quiet space if you can and take out a journal. Take a minute or two to breathe and tap into your center. Now think of a recent experience you had with a partner, friend, family member, or coworker where you wanted to be authentic, but weren’t. Imagine pausing at the height of this interaction and asking yourself the following questions:

    • What am I afraid would happen if I shared my thoughts and feelings with this person right now?
    • How will I feel if I don’t share them?
    • If I weren’t afraid, what would I most want to say to this person right now?
    • How can I be even more open and vulnerable?

    Cultivating Trust with Your Teams at Work

    As leaders and managers, it’s important that we’re the first ones to model how to be authentic in the workplace. Josh Tetrick, cofounder and CEO of Eat Just, Inc., and I talked about his process of hiring for resilience and developing a resilient culture by leading with authenticity. First and foremost, Josh makes it clear in his communications what he cares about most. Eat Just’s mission is to increase the consumption of plant-based foods, to reduce animal maltreatment and forest degradation. Josh has found that the more confident he is in his mission and who he is, the more vulnerable and humble he can be when he makes mistakes. 

    He now recognizes that when Eat Just was just starting, he projected more self-assurance—to the point of arrogance—than he really felt because he wanted to sound more confident than he really was. But as he’s stepped into leading, he’s learned that he’s good at some things and not so good at others, and he knows and accepts that. This frees him from feeling the need to overcompensate and allows him to be his authentic self.

    Josh let me in on some of the things he says when interviewing new hires: “This is the kind of company we are—this is the mission. If you gave me a 100% chance to get bought by an investor or a 20% chance to stay in the ring and get closer to achieving our mission, I’d choose the 20% probability.” 

    Then he tells potential new hires he wants them to ask themselves if they’re willing to get gritty, step into the unknown, and stay focused on that mission for the long haul. Sharing his truth upfront in this way weeds out people who aren’t the greatest fit for the culture. Josh takes the same approach with investors. 

    Josh also asks job candidates questions that are designed to assess their resilience, because he’s found that those who are the best fit for his company are inherently resilient. Josh offers a great example of how leaders build trust by cultivating a strong inner game of authenticity and sharing your truth and confidence as a leader on the outside. 

    Leading from authenticity sometimes means leading from vulnerability. According to Brené Brown, vulnerability entails uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. As a leader, you have the opportunity to create conditions that support naming the fears that come up around being vulnerable. Once they’re named, you can get past fear to the place where courage arises and encourage more confidence, teamwork, and connection.

    4 Questions to Foster Your Authentic Self 

    When we fear that we can’t think and act as we truly are, we put parts of ourselves on hold. Here’s how we can begin to let go of expectations and pressures and tend to our wants and needs with kindness. Read More 

    • Carley Hauck
    • October 12, 2016
    Why Vulnerability is Your Superpower 

    Dr. Michael Gervais speaks with author and researcher Dr. Brené Brown about the relationship between vulnerability and courage, and what it takes to show up even when you can’t control the outcome. Read More 

    • Mindful Staff
    • November 20, 2018



    Source link

  • 11 Reasons to Work with a Health Coach

    11 Reasons to Work with a Health Coach

    Reviewed by Brian St. Pierre, MS, RD

    You can learn everything on your own… right?

    In other words, between books and free online articles and videos, what’s the point of working with a health coach?

    Well, there’s a few points…

    A health coach offers unique knowledge and insights that can help you in ways you can’t necessarily get on your own. They fill in the nutritional and exercise gaps you may overlook, make sure you’re adhering to your intentions, and suggest solutions (and moral support) when you hit inevitable obstacles.

    In fact, hiring a health coach may be one of the best decisions you can make for your long term wellbeing.

    Keep reading to find out 11 (good) reasons to work with a health coach.

    First, what is a health coach?

    A health coach is a dedicated wellness expert who can help you achieve your goals.

    Health coaches possess expertise based on a solid foundation in exercise science, anatomy, and physiology to craft safe and effective programs. They take into account individual requirements, capabilities, and objectives to tailor wellness plans to suit your unique needs.

    Health coaches may also have nutrition expertise. They’ll delve into the dietary considerations and lifestyle factors (like stress management, sleep, and recovery) that impact your overall health.

    As you attempt to make and sustain changes, your health coach can also be a valuable source of encouragement and accountability. They provide guidance, monitor progress, make adjustments as needed—so you can get the results you’ve been looking for.

    11 reasons to work with a health coach

    Working with a health coach can help you in numerous ways, whether you’re just starting, or need some tips or tweaks along the way.

    Reason #1: You’re not seeing results.

    If you’ve been putting in consistent effort without seeing results, consider the expertise of a health coach.

    They bring a fresh set of eyes to your habits and routines. They’ll assess what you’re currently doing and suggest tweaks or changes to make your plan more efficient and effective.

    Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of fine-tuning your approach. They’ll also help you set realistic, achievable goals, ensuring you’re on the right track.

    Reason #2: You don’t know where to start.

    With so much information out there, how do you know where to start? A health coach can help you make sense of all the (sometimes contradictory) advice and provide you with a clear, actionable plan.

    They streamline the process, break it down into manageable steps, and offer an appropriate starting point tailored to you.

    They’ll introduce you to fundamental exercises, including cardio, weight training, and flexibility training. If appropriate, they might introduce you to nutrition fundamentals, including finding the right balance of macronutrients.

    A health coach takes the time to understand your specific needs, capabilities, and objectives. They’ll also ensure you’re not just going through the motions but truly understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. This helps you build a solid foundation to make gradual but definite progress.

    Reason #3: You have a specific goal in mind.

    If you’re focused on an objective, such as weight loss, muscle building, healthier eating, or stress management, a health coach can make a difference, helping you connect the dots between what you eat, how you move, your sleep quality, and more.

    Even if you have a particular area of your life you’re striving to improve, a health coach can help you see the “big picture” view, and how often one aspect of your life is connected to and affects other aspects of your life.

    That way, you can understand where to focus your energy—sleep, exercise, nutrition, relationships—to help you achieve your goal.

    Reason #4: You need more structure in your wellness routine.

    A health coach will create a plan that optimizes both effectiveness and efficiency.

    During workouts, health coaches offer direction to ensure you exercise with precision. They provide feedback, corrections, and technique guidance to make your routine more impactful.

    This also applies to nutrition. A health coach can help you learn how to incorporate foods with greater nutrient value in ways that work for you, so you’re more likely to develop healthier habits in the long-term.

    Reason #5: You need someone to hold you accountable.

    By scheduling regular sessions and check-ins, health coaches create a structured framework for your progress.

    This significantly increases the likelihood of you adhering to your workout and nutrition intentions. Without the accountability of a scheduled session, it’s easier to skip exercise or make less nutritious food choices.

    Of course, there’s always a financial and temporal investment associated with health coaching. Committing to regular sessions not only safeguards your financial investment but also reaffirms the importance of allocating time for your well-being.

    Reason #6: You’re having trouble staying motivated.

    In addition to accountability, your health coach serves as a source of encouragement and motivation.

    They celebrate your triumphs, provide reassurance during challenging moments, and offer constructive feedback. They understand the ebb and flow of progress and help you generate the motivation needed to sustain behavior changes.

    A health coach will take the time to understand your aspirations, struggles, and targets so you feel heard and valued. Having a coach to cheer you on and push you past your limits can make all the difference.

    Reason #7: You need an expert resource.

    Working with a health coach goes beyond achieving exercise and nutrition goals—it can be a valuable learning experience.

    Certified health coaches possess a deep understanding of human physiology, body mechanics, behavior change, and nutrition science, making them a valuable resource for clients seeking comprehensive knowledge on holistic wellness.

    Reason #8: You need someone to make decisions for you.

    Working with a health coach offers a reprieve from the constant decision-making that comes with managing your fitness and nutrition.

    The multitude of choices, from exercise routines to dietary plans, can often lead to “decision fatigue,” which can then lead to frustration. You may find it a relief to have a trusted expert guide you and help narrow your options.

    Reason #9: You want to enjoy taking care of yourself.

    Exercise doesn’t have to feel like a chore.

    A health coach can help you find ways to move your body that are enjoyable so that you look forward to taking care of yourself.

    Not all exercise suits all people, but a health coach can help you find something that works—even if you’ve never exercised before.

    Reason #10: You want to learn how to take care of yourself.

    If your goal is to eventually create and follow your own instincts, working with a health coach can help get you there.

    As we’ve said, health coaches understand exercise, nutrition and how those two things work together to create a healthier lifestyle. By dedicating yourself to learning the wellness skills and knowledge that work for you, you’ll one day be able to sustainably take care of yourself.

    Reason #11: You’re looking for long-term benefits.

    Anyone can start exercising or following a fad diet.

    However, a health coach will help you learn how to incorporate nutrition and movement into your life in a way that’s sustainable.

    This means taking into account factors such as your age, current fitness level, goals, lifestyle, and anything else that affects your health. Long-term benefits include learning how to tend to all six aspects of Deep Health (not just what you eat and how much you exercise). Those six aspects are:

    • Relational health
    • Existential health
    • Mental health
    • Physical health
    • Emotional health
    • Environmental health

    When you take into account your psychological well-being, your ability to focus and think clearly, how well your home and work environment supports your health, your relationships with others, and your overall sense of purpose, you’ll be more likely to create a meaningful plan—and stick with it.

    We’re here to help you reach your goals

    You don’t have to tackle your health journey alone.

    The coaches at Precision Nutrition are experts in exercise and nutrition—as well as behavior change—and can help you reach your goals effectively and safely.

    With our 1:1 Coaching Program, you’ll work with a coach who’ll tailor a nutrition and wellness plan based on your lifestyle, goals, and preferences using scientifically proven methods. With help, you’ll learn how to incorporate healthy habits into your daily lifestyle for long-term success.

    Source link

  • How To Stay Calm Under Pressure

    How To Stay Calm Under Pressure

    In high-stakes scenarios, we can panic and underperform. Here’s why that happens, and how to stay calm under pressure.

    A star athlete misses a penalty shot in overtime. A famous singer bungles the national anthem. A great actor forgets their lines on stage. We’ve all witnessed someone choke or struggle to stay calm under pressure.

    And while it may seem like a high-profile phenomenon, it can also happen to us in everyday life—whether we’re trying to nail a job interview, pass an important exam, impress a new date, or give a successful presentation.

    So how can we stay calm in high pressure situations? And why do we panic in the first place?

    In this video from TED-Ed, educator Pen-Pen Chen explains why pressure makes managing stress more difficult, and how we can regain control.

    Choosing Where You Place Your Attention

    One of our main enemies when struggling to keep it together under pressure is perhaps the most obvious: distraction.

    “Performance suffers when the mind is preoccupied with worries, doubts, or fears, instead of focusing its attention on performing the task at hand,” Chen says.

    The reason for this is deceptively simple. When we’re too busy focusing on our panicked thoughts—Did I arrive too early? What if I shouldn’t have said that? Do they like me? How much time do I have?—we can’t concentrate on more important things, like the speech we’ve memorized. We excel when we’re able to choose where we place our attention (or where we don’t place our attention).

    “Performance suffers when the mind is preoccupied with worries, doubts, or fears, instead of focusing its attention on performing the task at hand.”

    “When relevant and irrelevant thoughts compete for the same attention, something has to give. The brain can only process so much information at once,” Chen says.

    Getting Out of Your Own Way

    Another reason we panic is we’re constantly monitoring our progress during a task—in other words, we over-analyze.

    “Tasks we do unconsciously seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of choking,” Chen says.

    For example, one study looked the performance of competitive golfers, for whom putting is a skill they perform so regularly they don’t have to think about doing it. The study found that when told to consider the detailed mechanics of their putting stroke, the golfers performed worse than when they were simply instructed to hit the ball accurately.

    “The logic goes that once a skill becomes automatic, thinking about its precise mechanics interferes with your ability to do it,” Chen says.

    Three Ways to Stay Calm Under Pressure

    Feeling nervous before a big event is often inevitable. But that doesn’t mean you’re destined to forget the words to your speech, or embarrass yourself in front of a date. Explore these three ways to remain calm:

    1. Learn to be with discomfort. If you know you have a high-stakes event coming up, one of the best things you can do is lean into difficulty instead of pulling away from it. One way you can do this is by becoming familiar with feeling pressure, and learning to work through it. Need to give a presentation to coworkers? Rather than practicing on your own, try out your speech on a couple of friends. Do you have to write a qualifying examination in under an hour? Instead of studying cue cards, time yourself answering questions.
    2. Establish a pre-performance routine. Whether it’s deep breathing, finding a quiet space to regroup, doing some light stretching, or having a quick phone call with someone you trust, spending your last few minutes doing something active before a big event will prevent you from spiralling into worry, so you can perform confidently. Sometimes it’s the littlest things that help us overcome challenges and reduce stress.
    3. Use mindfulness to focus your attention. To avoid over-analyzing your situation, try shifting your attention away from your worries and towards the task at hand. Mindfulness can help you regain a sense of calm and focus your attention, so you can avoid being caught off guard by your anxious thoughts. You can see it for what it is, and choose to direct your attention elsewhere. Explore this nine-minute meditation to focus a busy mind in times of stress or overwhelm.



    Source link

  • Three Simple Ways to Recharge

    Three Simple Ways to Recharge

    My client, who is also a therapist, said this to me the other day: “I know my values. I follow my values all day long. Then why do I still feel so blah, uninspired, and exhausted?”

    My simple answer to that question is that too much of anything can become a bad thing. 

    Wise effort isn’t just pointing your arrow toward your values and going at a level 10 on repeat. It’s about using your effort wisely. Sometimes that means dialing it up and other times that means dialing it back, and almost always it means changing things up.  If you’re the kind of person who values engaging in life with real meaning and purpose, but you’re feeling drained by the constant effort, you’re not alone. There’s a way to live intentionally without inviting burnout. Try these three simple shifts to turn your energy around and upgrade your day from blah to hurrah!.

    1. Notice What’s Worth It

    There’s a point when doing more doesn’t get you more. And some things just aren’t worth putting extra effort into. The question to start asking yourself is, What is worth my precious energy today? 

    One way to do this is by paying close attention to when you’re reaching a point of diminishing returns. 

    It’s not always black and white, and priorities will sometimes shift from day to day. Some days waking up at five to get to the gym is worth it, and on other days, you could use some extra sleep.  Listen inside, ask yourself whether something is worth it to you, in this moment, in this context, and then decide. 

    If you were to make a worth it/not worth it list of your effort, what would it look like? Here’s one of mine:

    Worth It

    Writing in the morning from 7am-9am

    Making waffles for my kids

    Walking with my mom

    Having make-up sex with my husband

    Not Worth It

    Writing from 11am-1pm

    Not sitting down to eat with my kids

    Talking about myself the whole time

    Picking a fight in the first place

    Make a list and pay attention to points of diminishing returns. By noticing what is worth it, you will start to make wiser choices as to what you take on, and what you pass up.

    2. Try Productive Procrastination

    When you have lost joy in what you are doing, even though it’s guided by your values, it’s also time to look at what  you are doing, not just how much. Too much of one thing, even kale, running, or taking care of your aging parents, can become a bad thing if you don’t add variety.

    One principle that can help with diversifying your energy diet is something called “productive procrastination.” Productive procrastination is when you swap one values-aligned activity with another adaptive, albeit less important, one. Erin Westgate, a researcher at University of Florida shared with me in a podcast interview that she came up with the concept when she noticed that in graduate school she would write papers to procrastinate studying for an exam. In her research Dr. Westgate found that not all forms of procrastination are equal. In fact, students who engaged in productive procrastination (e.g. cleaning your room to procrastinate doing paperwork) had the same benefits in terms of lower alcohol use and higher GPA as non-procrastinators. 

    Take a look at how you are using your energy and notice where you can diversify your energy diet with productive tasks. See where you can  try something new, or mix it up, or productively procrastinate so that you have a more nutritious effort diet. 

    Included in this, , of course, is an openness to just having more fun. Let’s look at that next.

    3. Have More Fun

    One of the things that surprised me most when we took our kids to a summer retreat at Plum Village Monastery, was that the nuns wore tennis shoes under their robes. They’d spend the morning in sitting meditation, leading dharma talks, cleaning dishes and chopping vegetables. But by afternoon, they’d be out playing ping pong, basketball, and volleyball with the kids. It’s quite a sight to see bald nuns in brown robes spiking a volleyball or a nun stealing a soccer ball from your kid. This type of  fun, is done on purpose. 

    Fun isn’t just good for you, it can be a form of activism. In the book Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, adrienne maree brown writes that engaging in pleasurable activities challenges the norms and structures that perpetuate suffering and oppression. By prioritizing happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction in our own lives and communities, we can enhance our resilience and effectiveness in political and social movement. Living out your values does not need to be joyless and full of sacrifice. 

    When I interviewed Dr. Michael Rucker, author of The Fun Habit, he recommended we generate a “fun file.” 

    The purpose of the fun file is to serve as a tangible reminder of what activities make you happy and to encourage you to incorporate more of these elements into your daily life. What would be in your fun file? Keep a fun file and from it, make a list of 8-15 enjoyable activities. Make sure to include things that require no preparation or little time, things that are moderate in planning and time, and things that take a little more effort to make happen. For example, here’s mine:

    Low Effort/Prep/Time Commitment

    • Play Uno with my son
    • Gardening
    • Making desert on a weeknight

    Medium Effort/Prep/Time Commitment

    • Go to the farmer’s market
    • Hike with my dog
    • Make pasta from scratch

    High Effort/Prep/Time Commitment

    • Go to an outdoor concert
    • Take a beginner’s painting class
    • Lead a retreat in Costa Rica!

    What would you add to your fun file?

    Letting Go of “Burnout As A Badge Of Honor”

    There’s a big misconception we have about living from a place that’s rooted in meaning and core values: that unless we’re exhausted and miserable, we aren’t “doing enough.” The assumption is that burnout is the indicator that we’re moving the needle on important things. 

    I’d invite us to question and challenge that assumption. 

    What if being selective about how we expend our energy actually makes us more effective in the long run? What if more joy, more fun, and more pleasure actually fuel our capacity to make a difference? 

    If you are feeling burned out on all the meaningful activities you do, consider that it’s time to add in more play, spontaneity, and fun to your life. Make your list and make a commitment to do something fun every day. Even if it’s really small. And when you do it… savor it!

    Source link