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beating those back to work blues…

3 Jan

After two awesome 4-day weekends and not much work the 3 days between the holidays, I woke up this morning with a bit of anxiety about heading back to the grind. I have one of those salaried jobs with lots of emails, meetings, annoying internal processes and the constant feeling that I should and could be doing more (I know I’m not alone in this…). I told myself I’d go through emails last night – I didn’t – and then that I’d wake up early to tackle my to-dos – again, didn’t happen.

But I’m not beating myself up about it. I work in wellness and I feel strongly about practicing what I preach around work-life balance because it really does matter.  If I’m tired or unfocused I won’t do a good job anyway. Rather than freak out and stress out (neither of which are good for my health or my sanity), I’m setting boundaries. The work day starts at 8am and ends at 5pm.  If that’s not enough time for all the important things I need to get done, I’ll set aside a few hours in the evening or early morning to catch up, but I won’t give away my whole life. I make realistic (this is important) to-do lists each morning of priorities and focus on those for the day, and I make sure to schedule in breaks and time for personal stuff after business hours.  I try and remember that others’ stress is not a reaction to me but to a situation, and find solutions rather than freak out about why some things don’t go as planned.

I love the field I’m in, just not always the day-to-day, so I try and step back and see the big picture when I’m feeling stressed. Life is too short not to spend time with people you love doing things you love. If your job isn’t exactly your idea of heaven, find ways to make it manageable while you work on the big picture. As one of my wise bosses always said, “Don’t let anyone take away your joy!”

It’s 7:59 here on the West Coast. Time to work! Here’s to a productive and healthy 2012, y’all!

 

 

 

living yoga

2 Sep

A couple of quick funny stories to start off your Friday :)

Apparently I was teaching a yoga class in my sleep last night. I’m a notorious sleep-talker, but normally you can’t understand what I’m saying. Last night though, I clearly said, “tuck your chin and breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe.” Hehe. I hope it was a good class and that my dream students enjoyed it.  Too funny!

And, I had a new student in one of my classes last week. She came back last week and was telling me that after class she felt really strange. I was worried something had been uncomfortable or painful, and then she said, “it was like I smoked a bowl or something, I was completely chilled out. Before class I was mad at someone and stressed, and after I just felt really calm and relaxed.” Yes! That’s exactly what yoga is about. Kinda sad that calm isn’t our normal state and feels “strange” to some of us, but hopefully with more yoga my student (and you!) can find that peace anytime.

Cheers to the freaking weekend!  Have a happy, healthy and safe Labor Day!

relax! vacations are good for your health

2 Jul

We live in a crazy world. If you’re anything like me, you go from one thing to the next without taking much time to rest. Our technology-filled world keeps us constantly connected, so much so that we often forget to just be in the present. I sometimes feel like taking one day off will leave me feeling more stressed or behind than rested, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

My lovely little sister, Stephanie, passed along this article from Brenda Wilson on why vacations are so vital to our health and wellbeing. From lower blood pressure to improved connections with friends and family, relaxation and rest give our mind, body and spirit a welcome break.

A pic from our February trip to Puerto Rico. Ahh!

This weekend, I’m challenging myself – and you – to take some vacation. Even if it’s just a day, try to disconnect. Focus on living in the present, really being with the people (or nature or book, you get it) you have right here, right now. If you can do it, ditch your cell phone for the day (or at least put it at the bottom of your bag and only use it for emergencies).  We’re taking a stay-cation pool/BBQ day on Monday and I’m soo looking forward to laughing, swimming, eating and catching up with friends.

I hope you all have a very happy and safe 4th of July weekend and remember to relax!

Sunday Night Santosha

31 May

It’s not technically Sunday (although it is the end of the long weekend so I’ll allow it) and I wanted to share a little love with you.  I’ve decided to start a weekly blog sharing simple life inspirations and/or happenings I’m grateful for, and hopefully create positive, peaceful energy to start the new week.

Why “Sunday Night Santosha?” Santosha (सन्तोष) means contentment or a “peaceful kind of happiness in which one rests without desires;” it’s one of the five niyamas, or personal observances, in yoga. (Niyama is the second of the eight limbs of yoga.)  Practicing contentment allows us to be present and grateful for each moment – one of the best ways to be truly happy.  Take a look around and for at least a moment, realize you have everything you need right now and that you are fine. It’s that simple.

Fresh flowers always make me happy!  Thanks to A for the beautiful flowers and G for the lovely vase. 

Tonight’s santosha has been inspired by good friends and simple beauty. I can only be content when I stop and take in the love and beauty that surrounds me: visits from dear friends, yummy food enjoyed over laughter and lively conversation, the amazing scenery of La Jolla, and outdoor yoga – the earth directly below us, the sun beaming down on us, and maybe a sprinkler shower (I mentioned laughter, right?). Life is good.

I hope you all took some time to recharge and be content. Happy Memorial Day! Here’s to a new week!

sensible yogi says…

10 May

I found this flow chart on the Yogis Anonymous Facebook page and wanted to share.  It’s a great reminder to let go and not stress about things we have no control over, as hard as that may be sometimes.

 

Guest Post: Mood Food: 5 Tasty Ways to Beat the Blues

3 Mar
Big thanks to Wendy Lau for this submission!
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Wendy Lau is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on getting your bachelors degree online for the Guide to Online Schools.

When feeling tension or down, or sad, there are many ways people go about finding comfort. Some people go shopping, others resort to alcohol and then there are those who turn to food. Turning to food can be an issue if you are overindulging yourself in unhealthy food. There are foods you can turn to that are healthy and that have properties to help make a person feel better.

Some healthy foods act as stimulants to elevate mood and help the body release serotonin, or “pleasure hormones.” Many of these healthy foods also improve the immune system so you have a quicker recovery process to any challenges that come your way.

There are many foods to help you beat the blues, and we nailed down five of them here that should be easy for you to find at the grocer or supermarket. These are also foods that are readily edible or that are easy to prepare.

5 Healthy Foods That Can Help Change Your Mood

1. Almonds

Faced with tension, almonds are who you need to go to. A handful of almonds will pack your body with vitamin B and E.  Vitamin B helps improve the function of red and white blood cells, while Vitamin E is an antioxidant that bolsters your immune system. A handful of almonds a day may also help maintain a healthy cholesterol level, according to the Almond Board of California. This is a much healthier way to beat the blue than popping Doritos in your mouth. (more…)

4 steps to sustain peak performance

18 Jan

I’m borrowing these from Keith Ferrazzi’s blog and because they’re so right on, they don’t need much commentary.  These tips come from Scott Peltin, author of Sink, Float, or Swim.  They’re great for both personal and organizational wellness programs.

 

1.    Mindset: You have over 60,000 thoughts a day. Reframe thoughts that drag you down. Instead of thinking “I’m overwhelmed, “ think “I am present.”

  

2.    Nutrition: FORTY PERCENT of how you feel right now is due to your last meal. Did you eat a meal that set you up for success? Make sure that every meal you eat fuels you properly for your activities of the next three to four hours.

(more…)

as one year ends, another begins

27 Dec

I love the New Year.  I think the New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day combo is probably my favorite holiday of the year!  Between the fun parties with friends, countdowns, sparkles, and the feeling of fresh newness that January 1st brings, it’s the perfect end to the holiday season.

2010 was an exciting and busy year for me.  I finished my nutritional consultant and yoga teacher certification programs, started a new job, got a new car, and traveled quite a bit (throughout the US for work and in Europe to vacation and visit family).  I wouldn’t change a thing, but I have to admit that the year left me exhausted!  I’m hoping that 2011 will get me even further on my journey toward balance.

I don’t really make resolutions for the new year, but I do like to set goals and write them down somewhere to hold myself accountable and this year you can help!  In 2011, I plan to… (more…)

Guest Post: How Writing Can Help You Balance Your Life

13 Dec

Big thanks to Anna Miller for this great post! 

We often think of writers as eccentric people who make a living writing novels in a cabin on their own. Or we think of writers as people who use the act of writing to communicate important information, such as a breaking news story. We think that these people are good at writing, and because they make a living from it, then most likely writing is a process that’s only for the experts.

But what we don’t often realize is that writing is something that’s available to all of us, if only we can be confident in our abilities. You don’t have to be a great writer in order to use writing to balance your life. There is a kind of writing that only you will see. It’s the kind of writing that you use to help you during periods of intense self-reflection. It’s writing for you and for you alone.

So, with that in mind, here are five useful ways of writing that can help you reflect upon and balance your life.

Keep a Dream Journal

Keeping a dream journal is a great way to help you recover and understand your emotional state. Dreams are often outlets for the suppressed emotions we’ve experienced throughout the day to bubble up, so it makes sense to try to evaluate them, as they can give us insight as to what is troubling us or making us happy. Try keeping a dream journal during the especially emotional periods of your life. The minute you wake up, freewrite for five minutes in your journal, doing your best to retell the dream exactly as it happened. Then, let the journal sit throughout the course of the day. When you get home, take a moment to reread your dream journal. Spend some time writing a reflective paragraph on what the dream might mean to you and your day.

Write an Angry Letter (But Don’t Send It!)

Another thing you can do is use the letter format as a way to purge yourself of excessive emotions. A favorite of mine is to write an angry letter to someone who I feel has wronged me. I take a moment to write the letter quickly and angrily, then let it sit overnight. I review it and make changes the next day. Then, once I’m happy with it, and once I feel that my emotions have rebalanced, I shred it. I can use the letter to help me deal with the situation or I can use the letter to let the situation pass by. In either case, the process of writing and revising the letter helped me balanced my emotions.

Write a Story

One really interesting way to use writing to balance your life is to consider writing a story. This is useful for when a situation you were involved in didn’t go your way. Writing a story with yourself as a character lets you examine the real situation as it happened and plan out other scenarios. This is helpful for honing your social skills and letting you understand how you respond in different social situations.

Keep a Memory Journal

Another great use of writing is to write down all of the memories you can remember. Keeping a memory journal can help you organize and understand the trajectory of your life. Remember, that’s why we love to read novels so much, because they often give us a complete and meaningful understanding of a characters life. Through a memory journal, you can also create that same feeling in your own life.

Track Your Activities

Finally, for a more pragmatic way of balancing your life, you can use writing to track how you go about your daily routine. Spend a week to write down what activities you do each day and how long you do them. After that week is over, look at the time your spending on each activity and compare that to your list of goals for achieving a balanced life. Where can you shift your time? What activities are useful and what seem to unbalance your routine? Write down a plan for changing your routine.

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This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topics of online degree programs.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: anna22.miller@gmail.com.

Guest Post: Music Therapy in Wellness

21 Oct

Thanks to Maria for this awesome guest post!!

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If you’re seeking to work toward balancing your mind, body, and spirit, music therapy may be a helpful tool to consider. You can engage in solitary music therapy yourself by listening to relaxing recordings at home, attending concerts or recitals, and choosing soothing radio stations or CDs to reduce stress while driving. However, many advocates of music therapy acknowledge that holistic benefits are better achieved when interacting with a therapist. Professional music therapists can also help you decide how best to maintain personal wellness with music, improving overall physical coordination, motivation to become engaged in wellness treatments, emotional support, and willingness to express feelings. No matter what your unique wellness needs might be, music therapy can provide a way to help you become a happier, more balanced member of society.

The Benefits of Music Therapy

Because music can have such a profound effect upon people and their wellness, some of the benefits are simply incalculable. Those that can be measured are defined by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) as follows: promoting wellness, managing stress, alleviating pain, expressing feelings, enhancing memory, improving communication, and promoting physical rehabilitation. The benefits of music therapy are so widespread that they affect every aspect of the mind, body, and spirit, providing a perfectly balanced approach to cumulative wellness.

How Music Therapists Can Help

There are many different ways in which music therapists can use their expertise to enhance your wellness, including diagnostic procedures to determine which areas of wellness might need attention in your unique case. They can use your responses to musical stimuli to assess physical health, emotional well-being, social functioning, communication abilities, and cognitive skills, then design individual and/or group music therapy sessions based on your needs. These sessions may include musical improvisation, song writing, discussion of lyrics, receptive music listening, combinations of music and imagery, learning through music, and music performance. In addition to these staple components of music therapy sessions, your therapist may have innovative ideas to add and you could experience something that’s even better tailored to fit your needs. Many music therapists also invite you to participate in planning
your own interdisciplinary treatment, including other types of therapy, and join them in consistently evaluating your wellness progress. You can ask your therapist to help you decide on ways to continue music therapy at home between sessions or if you decide to discontinue your visits. When you choose to try music therapy, you’re retaining control of your wellness and simply enlisting professional help to maximize the efficacy of your treatment plan and help you to achieve your goals.

About Your Professional Music Therapist

Professional music therapists hold BAs or higher in music therapy and have studied musical, clinical, and music therapy foundational principles. They’ve spent 1200 hours in clinical training, including a supervised internship, and have studied AMTA Professional Competencies. All professionally practicing music therapists have passed the national board certification exam, obtaining MT-BC (Music Therapist – Board Certified) credentials from the Certification Board for Music Therapists. They follow specific standards of clinical practice and a code of ethics determined by AMTA, so you can trust them to help you improve your wellness. You can request a list of certified music therapists in your area by calling AMTA at (301) 589-3300 or e-mailing the organization at findMT@musictherapy.org.

Bio:  Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, researching various online programs and blogging about student life issues. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

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