loading...
Canwest News Service
Exercise hard and eat well, and you're on your way to better health.
But forget to slow down and take care of yourself, and you'll never reach your ultimate well-being, say the experts.
"So much of our society is go, go, go," says Dr. Tracy Thomson, founder of Gaia Collaborative Medicine in Canmore, Alta.
"There needs to be a balance. If you're working out really hard and you're pushing your body, you need to balance that with some relaxing time."
Here are some simple, inexpensive ways that people can reward themselves, day in and day out. Suggestions are courtesy of Thomson, Dr. Natasha Iyer, founder and medical director of the Chronos Apollo Anti-aging, Wellness and Medical Aesthetics Clinic in Calgary, and Laura Grier, a registered psychologist in both non-profit and private practice.
Here are some of their ideas:
* Take a yoga class. Not only does yoga reduce stress, but all the breath work improves the mind-body connection. "Yoga is a complete system for health," says Thomson.
* Try something new, such as drumming or dancing. "Part of getting fit and transforming yourself is to laugh and have fun along the way," says Thomson.
* Go for a long walk.
* Enjoy a hot bath with aromatherapy by adding a few drops of an essential oil, such as lavender.
* Consider meeting with a body psychotherapist, who can help you deal with pain. "Training and nutrition is one part of the story. As your muscles start to become sore, they're not sore just because you're working them, but also because we store emotions in our body," says Thomson. "An emotion or old injury could be triggering pain."
* Get a massage.
* Let go of worry. "Ninety per cent of the things we concern ourselves with in a day are out of our control," says Iyer. She tells her patients to mentally shelve worrisome things that are out of their hands; they can revisit them later, if there's time. Most times, people will just let them go. "Worry is like a rocking chair," says Iyer. "There's a whole lot of movement, but you get nowhere."
* Hug someone. "Use that personal connection, because it's been known to lower stress," says Iyer.
* Meditate. "We can train our minds to stabilize and pay attention to what's going on beneath the surface of the mind's activity," says Grier. Even a short amount of time spent focusing on your breath will help, say the experts. For some ideas on how to do this at home, visit meditationworkshop.org and click on Meditation Exercises.
* Every morning when you wake up, say these words to yourself: "I will take care of me first."
"Everyone is running around doing things for everyone else, so I have them focus on taking care of themselves," says Iyer.
* Sleep more.
* Find an overpowering happy place. "I don't care how miserable you are, you've had a happy place in your life sometime," says Iyer. Next time you find yourself angry, stressed or upset, hunt that happy place down. "You can't be mad and happy at the same time."
* Accept your thoughts and feelings. Sounds simple, but few people do it, says Grier. "Accept what you're feeling. Put a welcome mat out for it," she says. Acknowledge a negative feeling and pay attention to where you feel it. That will help you let go of it and move on. "If you're angry or stressed or upset, just turn toward that emotion with kindness. It will soften."
* Be present in every moment. Whether you're brushing your teeth, washing the dishes or visiting with family and friends, make sure you're taking in everything about that moment. To do that, use all five senses. "Bring consciousness and intention to all your daily activities," says Grier.
* Have compassion – for yourself. "People working toward weight loss tend to look at where they want to be, which can create anxiety and depression," says Grier. Having goals are great, she says, but remember to embrace who you are today. "Meet yourself with love and kindness and know that you're human – you're imperfectly human."
* Celebrate success. Whether you said no to dessert after dinner or you just landed a major promotion, don't be afraid to congratulate yourself. "People are terrified to say, 'I did well at that,' " says Iyer.
Calgary Herald
mmagnan@theherald.canwest.com
