Too Much!

Moderation. Balance. Both are terms we hear and preach all the time---we know we should have and practice them in our lives, for our wellness.

How good are you at Moderation and Balance?

I like to think I'm pretty good at both, but sometimes I get a glimmer of my imbalances and over/under-indulgences. I have goals---and this is good for planning out my Moderation and Balance....but sometimes my goals seem to throw me out of alignment too.

So now, I'm finding that I'm trying to Moderate and Balance my Moderation and Balance! What?! Seriously, though, if you find yourself out of whack, reign it in----lay your plan out in front of you---is it reasonable? If not, how can you change it? What planning, attitude and determination can you cultivate to meet your goals and still be sane and content with your life.

This week I found myself not dealing with much of anything because I couldn't figure out where to start. So I started nothing (except those things that had urgent deadlines or consequences, and that filled my time nicely alone).

Now I'm re-evaluating and trying to catch up. I'm making a list of my committments and taking note of the things on that list I can change without derailing my long-term plans. Phew---it's work.

Bottom line: Moderate your Balance and Balance your Moderation. Just like the other wellness stuff, it takes planning, the right attitude, and determination. Make it fun, keep a healthy perspective, and don't get down on yourself when you're not balancing perfectly---just adjust and move on....And then laugh about it.

Help! Please :)

Hello Friends,
Welcome to Thursday, and good luck to those of you participating in the Corporate Challenge tonight! I won't be there to cheer you on, as I previously thought, but I know you'll tell me all about it afterward!

Running is an interesting sport (is it a sport?)---some people hate it, some people love it, some people love-hate it (that would be me). I've gone in spurts of running and not running throughout my lifetime, but never taking it too seriously.

Now, I've signed up to run the Marine Corps Marathon in October in Washington DC. There are a couple reasons for me to do this.
1. Joe wanted to and wouldn't sign up because he missed general registration--so the only way to get in is through raising money for a charity--and he didn't want to ask people for money. So I said I'd do it too, and convinced him the fundraising would be no big deal.
2. I think it would be great to say I've run a marathon.

That's it---no big goals (besides to finish before they open the road back up to traffic), no aspirations for wellness or anything. Although, I hear the psychological high is pretty good at the end. We spent a long time deciding which organization to donate to--and decided on one that supports kids who have autism. I have a special connection to this cause, which stems back to when I worked at Hanscom Air Force Base and led a phys ed/motor skills class for the group of special needs middle school kids on base. My two favorites (I know, not supposed to have faves, but who can help it?) were autistic, and I learned a lot about autism and children by spending time with them.

So, if you are inclined, I'd like to ask you to consider donating money to a really great cause (and as a side effect you'll be helping Joe and me enter the race). We decided we would both raise the required $500, and whatever our combined leftover balance is at the deadline (sept), we'll split the cost. You can donate on the secure website to either Joe or me, and you'll get a receipt from the organization.

Thank you :)

The cause:

The Organization for Autism Research
http://www.firstgiving.com/lisabeach4
http://www.firstgiving.com/joeywilliams

OAR is a national non-profit that provides practical information to the autism community by funding research studies whose outcomes offer new insights into the development of individuals with autism, with an emphasis on education, social life, and employment. OAR's information programs provide guidance on the best therapies and treatments for those living with autism.

A New Normal

Yesterday I was talking with someone who is trying very hard to maintain the determination to stick with all the little changes she's made. She hasn't really seen big results, and she's having a tough time seeing the benefit of just doing the little things---even though the things she's doing aren't too difficult or dreadful.
We talked about how sometimes it's helpful not to gauge progress by measureable tangible results in the beginning (especially if there aren't any yet). One of the best ways to see if you've progressed is to look at your "normal." Has your normal changed? Before, did you never go to the gym and now you go once a week without thinking twice about it (...and maybe your ultimate goal is to go 4 times)? So, your old normal was to never go and your new normal is to go once. So maybe your next new normal will be to go twice! Or maybe in the past, you never ate vegetables and now you eat two servings a week---New Normal!

So another way to look at your baby steps is to use the concept of creating a New Normal----make a little change comfortable, easy, and second nature....and then move on to something else. Part of it is about staying in the moment, being comfortable and content with where you are, and then being flexible and accepting the process of change.

Choose Your Battles

Sometimes we try to focus on too many things at once---we want to fix all our problems and make everything better and right at the same time, and because we overload ourselves with change in order to do this........we end up making no detectable progress. I say no 'detectable' progress because I think every time we try something new in the right direction it is progress in some way. We'd just prefer to only consider it progress if the change sticks.

Spring is a great time of year in the Northeast part of the country---things are just really coming alive, and people are sort of waking up in a similar way. It's easier to be motivated than it was before. We want to wear warm-weather clothes and go on vacations. Maybe our kids are almost out of school, and our schedule will change along with that.

It makes my job a little easier when spring rolls around---people are more likely to come to me for help or to ask questions, rather than me having to feel like I'm 'selling' wellness. I won't complain about that!

The point here is that if we don't focus on a couple things, we tend to be a little scatterbrained and not get as much accomplished. It's a great time to set some goals. Try some new things. Rather than trying to quit smoking, exercise 5 times a week, eat more veggies and fewer donuts.....pick a couple goals just for this week. Small, manageable things you can do that will make you feel good and that you're likely to experience success with.

Then branch out a little next week. Check in, get a walking buddy, do something for fun. Celebrate the good weather, wear short sleeves and flip flops---or whatever makes you feel really springy. Get excited about what you can do to make some wellness improvements, and if it doesn't quite work out---try something else!

PLAY!

Sometimes as adults, I think we forget to play. We go to the gym for the sake of burning calories. We go on a walk because it's good for our hearts. We eat vegetables because they have phytochemicals (phyto-what?).......

Can't we do things for the sake of pure enjoyment? Joe and his nephew Kyle, and my nephew Matthew are really good at this---or at least Joe can act like it for the kids' benefit. On Saturday, we took Matthew to the playground and then to the Jump Club---I'm not sure who had more fun, Joe or Matthew. They both ended up with some brush burns and Matthew was totally sweaty and worn out by the time we were done. They ran, jumped, slid, played, climbed....all the stuff that used to be fun when we were kids. I didn't play as much, having worn the wrong shoes and no socks (you can't play in Jump Club with bare feet or shoes). Actually, grown-ups are not supposed to play in there at all, but we went in the evening when no one else was around except two high school-aged employees who didn't seem to notice that Joe is three decades older than Matthew.

It had a dual impact on me---one, I was super happy Matthew had so much fun and it was good exercise for him (and maybe a little bit for Joe). It was also a sort of revelation (again) that we place too much importance on physical tangible results--what is this going to do for me? For my health/weight/heart?

When was the last time you played? Went outside with a young child and played tag or t-ball or just ran in circles? Went on a leisurely bike ride where the miles and speed didn't even matter?

What a great feeling to just play with no expectations about health attached! You might be surprised that you feel more benefit from this than a hard workout.

Detox or what?

To detox or not to detox...is that the question? Maybe the real question should be: How do you detox? Because we all should. I think the word detox has an association with it that can really freak people out---they automatically assume it means something extreme and weird (ever heard of the Master Cleanse?).

The bottom line for detoxing is that we should all do it, and all it really means is to reduce and clear out the number of toxins in our bodies. We are exposed to toxins through the food we eat, the environment, the products we use, etc. If we want to detox, or cleanse our cells, we just need to decrease the amount of toxins we encounter.

You can do this in a focused program, like by eating lots of organic veggies and fruit for a week. Or you can take a detox approach to life---just think about ways you can decrease your exposure to toxins on a daily basis. Maybe you switch to natural kitchen and bathroom cleaning supplies and laundry detergent. Maybe you buy organic produce 50% of the time. You could get outside in nature and take deep breaths of clean fresh air. There are many many things you can do to reduce the toxin-load on your body.

It can be just like any other area of wellness---pick something small that doesn't sound dreadful, and just try it out! Maybe you won't feel a significant difference, but your cells will thank you :)

Get Back Up!

When life knocks you down, what's your response? Do you stay down for a bit, pondering the meaning of being knocked, before you pick yourself up? Do you stay down till someone else picks you up? Do you jump back up and hope nobody saw you down?

Whatever your method, take a minute to think about why and how you respond to challenges. What makes it worth it for you to get back up when you're down?

When I did my dissertation I asked women what makes them place a high priority on their health---why do they make healthy choices and sustain them over time?

They answered in all different ways---some people wanted to set good examples for their kids. Some wanted to avoid disease, or it was about fear of disease. Others had just always done things that way.

Some people had faced a crisis, hit the bottom of the barrel, swirled around there for a bit, and then realized their only way to survive was to take care of themselves.

I want you to think about why health issues, and other choices you face, warrant improving and stepping up to the plate. Why be positive? Why fix your problems and face your issues? You could probably exist by choosing the less noble, healthy, or proactive way.

A common thread for all decisions in health (and generally in life) is that although the WHAT impacts the outcome, the WHY and the HOW are the most important factors--they are what make you who you are and they create meaning in your life.