Tag: wellness

Women’s Health Spotlight: Get in the Know about Endometriosis
As we get older, we’ve come to realize that so many of our friends, our peers are suffering with pain. Oftentimes, they are suffering silently. Their symptoms are misunderstood by their friends, family and, in many instances, their doctors. Not feeling well is frustrating, and even more frustrating is not being able to pinpoint why you don’t feel well.

So, while uncharacteristic, this month we wanted to offer some insight and education on a commonly misunderstood disease — endometriosis. It happens to be perfect timing as March is Endometriosis Awareness Month.

Endometriosis affects approximately one in ten women in the United States. Yet, according to a recent survey conducted by HealthyWomen – the nation’s leading independent health source for women, less than a third of women correctly recognize all the painful symptoms of endometriosis, including: painful urination, painful bowel movements, and pain during sex. In addition to the general lack of awareness around symptoms, there’s a lack of conversation among those impacted by the disease and clear miscommunication around the illness amongst the medical community.

The survey shows that two-thirds of women respondents know someone who has endometriosis, but the majority say they rarely speak to friends or family about pelvic pain. However, the most disturbing finding was the general dismissiveness of the healthcare community as nearly half of women respondents who identified themselves as diagnosed with endometriosis were told by healthcare professionals that their pain was simply “part of being a woman,” or had their symptoms described as “normal.”

So, today we want to start a conversation about endometriosis and raise awareness of the disease to arm you with the information you need to determine if you may be suffering from this illness.

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to that normally found in the uterus begins to grow outside of the uterus, leading to long-term pelvic pain (during or between periods), pain with intercourse and other painful symptoms. These growths are called lesions and can develop on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes or other areas near the uterus, such as the bowel or bladder.

What are the symptoms?

Here are some of the leading symptoms:
- Painful menstrual cramps, which may get worse over time
- Pain during or after sex
- Painful bowel movements or painful urination during menstrual periods
- Pain in the intestine or lower abdomen
- Heavy menstrual periods
- Premenstrual spotting or bleeding between periods
For a more complete list of symptoms visit: MEinEndo.com

Is there a cure?

There is no cure for endometriosis and the associated pain is currently managed with oral contraceptives, progestins, danazol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids and GnRH agonists. In more extensive cases surgical treatments, like laparotomy or laparoscopy, are often pursued but may be not curative for all individuals

I think I have Endometriosis, what do I do now?

We are not doctors, so we can only recommend that you consult your OBGYN.

However, before your visit make sure to do your homework. Rely on trusted resources like MEinEndo.com and endometriosis.org.

Conducting your own thorough research and arming yourself with questions is the first step towards diagnosis.

And, don’t forget, you are your own best advocate when it comes to maintaining your health and wellness, so make sure your voice is heard.
March 15, 2017
#1 Tip for Finding Time to Exercise

I know it’s a struggle to find time to exercise. It doesn’t seem to matter if you are a new mom or a college student—the day feels like a never-ending cycle of tasks that must get done, and working out doesn’t always cycle to the top of the task list.

I have a tip for you that will change the way that you approach exercise. You WILL find time to workout. You might even laugh at the simplicity of this piece of advice, but hear me out. I’ve managed to exercise during periods of my life when I was working 90-hour weeks in an office, and I’ve also managed to exercise when I was a sleep-deprived new mom.

Here’s my tip for you:

Find time to exercise by prioritizing your workout above all of your non-negotiable, must-do tasks.

What do I mean by this?

Well, we all have a list of items on our to-do lists that MUST get done. Paying bills is a good example. It doesn’t seem to matter how short on time you think you are, you somehow find time to pay the electric bill and the mortgage every month. You also find time to bathe. You find time to buy food and toilet paper. These are examples of non-negotiable tasks.

If you are a new mom at home and use your baby’s precious naptime to pay bills, your workout will never happen. Before you know it, the baby will be awake. BUT, if you exercise during naptime, not only will you somehow manage to exercise, but you’ll also find that your bills manage to get paid before their due dates, too. It’s a mini miracle. You will find new time that you never realized that you had by squeezing in your workout before doing the must-do tasks.

This phenomenon reminds me of the tedious process that I used to experience when writing a paper for school. If I allowed myself a month to work on it, I would use the whole month. If I only allowed myself a week to work on it, I would get it done in a week. There was no option to not get it done, and I seemed to work with whatever amount of time I had, even if it was a minimal block of time. Fitting exercise into my life along with other obligations works the same way. Even if I think I’m too busy to exercise, if I just go ahead and do it, all of the other necessary tasks in my life still manage to get done.

Besides the obvious human needs that we all have, non-negotiable tasks will vary from person to person. You need to determine what your must-do list is, and whatever it is, place exercise ahead of the items on that list.

The reason why you are not squeezing in a workout as it stands right now is because you do not consider exercise to be a non-negotiable activity. Make it one. In the beginning, your workout may only be 15 minutes long because your life is so busy. Who cares? Build the habit today. If you build the habit now, you will automatically increase the length of your workout when your schedule allows for it. Right now, 15 minutes may be as good as it gets, and that’s just fine. Commit to a program, even if it’s brief, and fit it into your life like a non-negotiable meeting.

July 17, 2015
Why Naked is Better

A few years ago, I had a fabulous pink bikini that fit well and felt great. Yesterday, I put that same bathing suit on, and I noticed that my skin bulged around the elastic. I felt lumpy and bumpy and became quite critical of myself as I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Here’s an interesting point— I don’t remember the last time I passed judgment on my naked body. I only began judging my body yesterday afternoon when it was clothed in a swimsuit. Without the constraints of clothing, there was no pinching or squeezing or reason to doubt myself. It was only when I shifted the framework and added the constraint of clothing that my thoughts became negative.

This got me thinking—How freeing it would be to just enjoy the stripped down version of EVERYTHING in life—without a framework for comparison.

Think about it: You feel good about your accomplishments…until you shift your framework and begin comparing those accomplishments to someone else’s. You feel great about your morning run…until you realize that it took you four minutes longer to run the same route that you ran last week. You feel great about your body until you try to squeeze it into skinny jeans. If only we could always just enjoy life as it hits us, in its raw, naked form, without judgment, WE WOULD BE FREE!

Here are some tips to free yourself:

-Life is too short for ill-fitting clothes that make you feel like crap. Have you gained a few pounds? Fine. It happens, and you’ll deal with it, but there’s no reason to walk around feeling self-conscious. You should feel confident because you are worthy. Buy a few items that fit well and make you feel like the rock star that you are.

-Try going for a run, going for a bike ride, or doing whatever it is that you like to do as part of your fitness regimen, and do it without timing yourself. Jog until you don’t feel like it anymore. Slow down if you want to. Speed up if that feels good. Lift some weights without counting reps. Elevate your heart rate for as long as it feels invigorating, and then stop. Of course you should challenge yourself and set goals, but once in a while, strip it down to the basics: Enjoy moving your body just because you can.

–“Keep your eyes on your own paper.” Did every elementary school teacher say that before a test? At the end of the day, when you glance at someone else’s work, you just end up cheating yourself. Stop comparing. Your life experience is yours and no one else’s. Don’t take the joy and pride out of your accomplishments because the guy next to you seems to have done more.

–Practice yoga in solitude. This idea is an extension of the “keep-your-eyes-on-your-own-paper” theme. The energy of a yoga class is amazing, and you shouldn’t give it up, but too often, we are distracted by the abilities of those around us. We begin to judge our own yoga skills and wonder if we are strong enough or flexible enough to keep up. By practicing alone, you will learn to keep your eyes on your own mat and build a practice that you love, without negative judgement.

July 9, 2015
Overcoming Perfectionism

Today, I looked out the window and decided that it was going to rain. And then the sun came out, and I decided that it wasn’t going to rain anymore. And then it rained again. And then it stopped. And then it started again. (It’s actually a bit humorous, now that I’m re-reading what I’ve typed here.)

I stuck my head out the front door to check the temperature. It was hot and humid…typical summer weather in New Jersey, and perfect for stretching and yoga. I briefly considered going outside to practice in the heat, but I changed my mind when I looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds. Conditions weren’t perfect, and I could imagine slipping on my mat in the rain, and hurting myself. Who needs an injury on top of the searing pain that I already have in multiple joints?

I looked outside again. The sun was shining and the rain stopped. This was getting absurd. This time, I decided to head out to my driveway to practice. I started with a few rounds of sun salutations, some hamstring openers, a quick flow, and then I rolled onto my side, and got into one of my favorite yin yoga poses (Cat Pulling its Tail Pose), and I settled in for four minutes. Not even 30-seconds into the pose, the sky opened up, and it started to rain. I lifted my head (as you can see in the photo) and looked around. Yes…yes, it was raining. And that was really all I had to say about that. I put my head back down onto my upper arm and continued to stretch. The world was not ending, and I got through my practice in the rain.

So, what does this story have to do with you? Well, I’m guessing that I can’t be alone in this— I waste vast amounts of time, waiting for conditions to be perfect before taking action. I am reminded today that conditions don’t have to be perfect to take action. It’s so easy to get bogged down and remain stagnant while waiting for all of the right circumstances to fall into place.

Stop waiting for conditions to be perfect!

Stop placing expectations on how things SHOULD be.

Learn to act today, embracing what IS.

You can thrive in the current environment, and you don’t have to wait another minute, waiting for the stars to align.

Today, I expended unnecessary mental energy, trying to decide whether I should practice outside. All along, the answer was yes, I should practice outside, and once I’m out there, I’ll know how to adjust my plan if necessary. No, it wasn’t perfect, but I got something done.

Ask yourself if you’re holding yourself back in some part of your life because you are waiting for perfection.

-When it comes to your diet, are you giving up on healthy eating for the rest of the day because you “messed up” at breakfast and ate three doughnuts? Are you waiting for tomorrow to start over because you need a clean slate? Why do you need to wait for conditions to be perfect? Can you overcome your desire for perfection and just get started right now?

-When it comes to exercise, are you skipping it altogether because you only have 15 minutes? Have you convinced yourself that a full hour is the ideal workout length, and 15 minutes isn’t worth your while? Ask yourself why you need this perfect amount of time to workout. Can’t you begin to make a difference in your life with 15 minutes a day?

Life is rarely perfect. Usually, I allocate a solid block of time to write for this website. I don’t whip up my articles in 30 minutes, so if I happen to be very busy or traveling, the articles don’t happen. I spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to convey my thoughts with the right words. The perfect words.

Today, I don’t have that kind of time to spend on the website, but in the spirit of overcoming my own issues with perfectionism, I’m going to go ahead and post this piece in its rough, unedited form.

I had two choices when I came inside out of the rain: I could quickly type up these thoughts and share them with you (even though the article is far from perfect), or I could skip writing altogether. In the end, I’m glad I chose to write.

July 7, 2015
Struggle Management
I have been very public about my own wellness journey and the struggles that I have encountered along the way. I’ve posted articles about my diet, my meditation practice, my first experience with acupuncture, and all sorts of other topics that relate to my health. I’ve even posted a bunch of tips to consider after being diagnosed with an illness. What I haven’t done is discuss how I’ve dealt with the emotional toll of being diagnosed with a medical condition. It’s a disconcerting and frightening time, especially at the beginning. Even the most level-headed person can fall into the trap of imagining worst case scenarios and horrific outcomes. It’s not a good place to be. It is far better to be in a place of hope and positivity, and that is the goal—to make your way to an emotionally comfortable place following a medical diagnosis or any kind of life struggle.

Your struggle may not be an illness— Maybe you’ve lost your job, or maybe you work three jobs as a single parent to make ends meet. Maybe you’re caring for a sick relative, or maybe you’re overwhelmed at work or stuck in a job that you dislike. Whatever your struggle is, I’m confident that you can manage your way through the muck and live a fulfilling life that feels purposeful and worthwhile.

Here are my top tips for helping you navigate the choppy waters. This is how I’ve dealt with all of the major struggles that I’ve faced in life, and I hope you can find inspiration here to continue moving forward.
1. Determine what good can arise from the situation. This is a tough one, but I believe it’s a necessary step in overcoming any challenging circumstance. You might have been dealt a terrible hand, but you need to play it. Your situation may be painful and seem insurmountable right now. It might be difficult to imagine anything good coming out of the struggle, but try to make a list. Can there be any purpose in the pain? Will this struggle help you prioritize what is truly important in life? Will you live each day with more clarity and purpose because you are being faced with this struggle? Will you be able to advocate for others with a strong voice as a result of facing this situation yourself? Will your struggle force you to slow down and find beauty in simple everyday acts? Will you overhaul destructive habits and adopt a healthier lifestyle as a result of your struggle? Will you help your family become stronger as a result of them witnessing your strength during this trying time? Make a list, and see that goodness can flow right out of a not-so-good situation.
1. Maintain a positive attitude. This tip goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip. You must change your thinking. Once you can find purpose in your struggle, or at least something positive that might arise as a result of your struggle, it becomes easier to stay upbeat. Yes, you need to mourn whatever it is that you’ve lost (your good health, a family member, your life savings, your job, etc), but you can’t stay in a deep dark place forever. You have a choice to send positive energy or negative energy out into the world, and I know that you can keep it positive. Remind yourself often that you are strong and capable. Remind yourself that the mind is a powerful tool. You can convince yourself that you are too tired and too weak to overcome your circumstance or you can create a positive environment and talk yourself right into a better mindset where you feel empowered. The choice is yours, and it is up to you to make the right choice.
1. Take control of your health. There is so much that we cannot control about our health, but fortunately, there is a tremendous amount that we can control. Don’t allow a medical diagnosis to crush your spirit. Don’t give up on your body. Do some research and get inspired by natural remedies and foods that can help you feel better. Regardless of the nature of your current life struggle, you can change your diet, implement a daily exercise program, and begin a regular meditation practice to lower stress levels. You can reduce systemic inflammation, boost your immune system, strengthen your bones and muscles, improve the quality of your skin, and generally feel much better than you’d otherwise feel if you gave no thought to your health habits. Get on the wellness bandwagon. You won’t regret it.
1. Help someone else. When you hit rock bottom, it’s hard to think about helping someone else. After all, how can you help someone else if you can barely figure out how to help yourself? I understand, and I get it. But I also know that the tendency during a personal struggle is to focus on me, me, me. Yes, it’s warranted, but it’s also healthy to focus on something else that is worthwhile, and something that will also give you a greater perspective on life. Maybe you won’t have the time to volunteer at the local shelter or organize a fundraiser, and that’s ok… but you’re not off the hook. Figure out another way to be of service to someone else. This may be as simple as joining a support group and sharing your experience with someone else going through the same struggle. Sharing your experience and providing your own unique perspective can be inspiring and helpful to someone else.
1. Sleep. What can I say? I didn’t believe it for a long time, but a good night of sleep can do a lot to transform your state of mind. Feeling blue? Exhausted? Too overwhelmed to even call a friend? Go to bed, and make sure to get plenty of rest. Healing on many levels occurs overnight. It will all seem a bit more manageable in the morning.
July 6, 2015
75 Tips for Your Wellness Journey
Wellness is not just about the weights you lift or the food you eat or the number staring back at you on the scale. Wellness is a state of being that reflects your health in various areas of your life— food, fitness, flexibility, sleep, spirituality, relationships, etc. In order to inspire you to continue on your lifelong wellness journey, we have created a list of 75 tips to help you live a healthy life. Enjoy!
1. Automate your breakfast. Think of a few different healthy breakfasts that you enjoy, and plan to eat one of those pre-selected meal ideas each day. By doing this, you will always start the day on the right foot.
1. Exercise, even if you only have 10-15 minutes. Baby steps count and add up over time.
1. Limit your TV watching time to 1 hour per day.
1. Cook your own food, take-out less.
1. Wash, chop and store your vegetables in the refrigerator so that they are ready to eat. Healthy meals are much easier to create when all of the prep work is done ahead of time.
1. Commit Sun Salutation A to memory so you always have a portable yoga sequence.
1. Develop a relationship with a doctor when you are healthy and feeling well. If you become sick, you will be grateful to have a healthcare professional that already knows who you are.
1. Get up from your desk once an hour to move or stretch.
1. Keep an extra pair of sneakers in the trunk of your car so you always have an option to go for a quick power walk.
1. Set a daily intention. Move through each day with purpose.
1. Carry your own pen— especially during flu season.
1. Get enough sleep.
1. Shop the perimeter of the supermarket for fresh, whole foods.
1. Look for foods in their most natural form. (Veggies instead of veggie chips; fruit instead of fruit juice)
1. Replace all sweetened beverages with unsweetened tea or fruit-infused water.
1. Create a positive affirmations practice. You ARE on a healthy path. You ARE worth the effort.
1. Schedule your exercise session the way you’d schedule an appointment. Take it seriously, and don’t cancel!
1. Turn off all text notifications on your phone to increase productivity and create more free time in your day.
1. Eliminate refined sugar and flour from your diet.
1. Start a meditation practice to lower stress levels.
1. Get some fresh air, even if the weather isn’t ideal. It’s amazing what it can do to change your mood and clear your mind.
1. Do something for yourself each day that is purely for pleasure. Maybe it’s a hot bath, or maybe it’s curling up with a good book. Just find something that brings you joy, and do it.
1. Set a cut-off time each evening for electronics. Unplug from it all, and wind down. It will still be there tomorrow!
1. De-clutter your bedroom to create a peaceful environment for sleep.
1. Eat mindfully— sit down at a table to eat your meals. Focus on your food, not on your phone, computer or TV.
1. Keep a food journal if you find yourself mindlessly eating throughout the day. If you must commit it to paper, you will feel accountable.
1. Call a friend. Make an effort to keep in touch with the people that you care about. You need a strong support system.
1. Find time to give thanks for all of the good things in your life. Maybe even start a gratitude journal.
1. Get the most out of your day by making a to-do list. Live intentionally!
1. Take care of your skin. Wash, moisturize, and protect it with sunscreen.
1. Take photographs to track your progress. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a yoga journey, a weight loss journey, or a muscle-building journey. It’s hard to see the changes on a day-to-day basis, but weekly photographs will help you record the progress.
1. Don’t forget to floss your teeth.
1. When eating out, share an entrée or choose an appetizer as your main meal. Portion sizes tend to be large at restaurants.
1. Chew your food thoroughly. Digestion begins in the mouth!
1. Stop obsessing over the number on the scale. You already know when you’ve been eating well and taking care of yourself. You don’t need a machine to confirm what you already know.
1. Get familiar with the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen so you can make smart decisions in the supermarket.
1. Adopt an active lifestyle. Going to the gym is just a small fraction of the day. It matters how you live when you’re not officially exercising. Take the stairs. Go for walks. Park your car in the back of the lot.
1. Cut out the processed food/snacks from your diet.
1. Listen to your body, and don’t ignore the signals. Sometimes, your body will tell you to move, other times it will tell you to sleep, or heal, or even see a doctor.
1. Try different types of workout programs to keep your exercise regimen fresh and interesting.
1. Wake up at the same time each day to stabilize your circadian rhythm.
1. Find a fitness/yoga/wellness support system on social media. A community of like-minded people will keep you inspired.
1. Use a cold-pressed oil (such as olive oil) to prepare meals. If you plan to use canola oil, make sure it’s organic and expeller-pressed. Many canola oil products have been bleached, deodorized and extracted with chemical solvents.
1. If you have a chocolate craving, choose a small piece of good quality, dark chocolate (greater than 70% cacao) instead of milk chocolate.
1. For optimal gut health, include fermented foods in your diet, which have a probiotic effect: miso, natto, sauerkraut, tempeh, natto, kimchi, etc.
1. Choose wild-caught fish over factory-farmed fish.
1. Reduce your caffeine intake, particularly in the afternoon and evening when it can affect your ability to fall asleep at night.
1. Challenge your mind. Stay sharp.
1. Get out of your comfort zone. Try something that scares you a little. How about a handstand?
1. Save sweets for special occasions—maybe as a treat on Friday night or at a gathering or event. If you must have dessert every night, choose fruit.
1. Check your bedroom for lit-up digital displays on alarm clocks and electronics. Keep these displays covered at night, as the small amount of light thrown off by these devices can affect the quality of your sleep.
1. Make portion control easier by eating off of smaller plates.
1. Each time you shop, buy a vegetable that you don’t usually choose at the grocery store. Gain exposure to nutrients and flavors that you typically don’t get!
1. Take your shoes off at home to avoid tracking in pesticides, fertilizers, allergens and germs.
1. If you carry a purse, keep it off of kitchen counters, dining tables, and other food preparation areas. The bottoms of purses are often places that harbor bacteria, as a result of being placed on floors of public places.
1. For natural remedies for a number of minor ailments, consider using essential oils instead of over-the-counter pills.
1. Get a massage.
1. Looking for natural relief from allergies or sinus problems? Try rinsing your nasal passages with a Neti pot.
1. Wash your hands often to avoid getting colds.
1. If you don’t have time to put on your workout gear, do a few sets of push-ups.
1. Practice deep breathing techniques to alleviate stress.
1. Carry your own healthy snacks from home rather than shopping at the convenience store when you are famished.
1. Listen to a Yoga Nidra guided meditation to experience deep relaxation and stress relief.
1. For the greatest nutritional benefits, replace whole grain products with actual whole grains (ie, barley, whole oat groats, brown rice, millet).
1. Ramp up the number of green vegetables in your diet by making green smoothies in the morning.
1. Read fitness and wellness blogs or subscribe to a couple of health magazines to stay motivated and inspired.
1. If you train hard, remember to include a day of rest. Rest does not mean that you have to give up all forms of activity. Try a restorative yoga class or go for a leisurely walk.
1. Find a workout buddy that will keep you accountable. Even if you’d rather exercise alone, find a friend that you can text or e-mail each day with a workout update. Having to report to someone on a daily basis will help you stay on track.
1. If you are intimidated to attend a group fitness class or a group yoga class, hire a personal trainer or a yoga instructor to work with you for a few sessions.
1. Good health is easiest to achieve when everybody is on board. Include your family in your wellness journey. Allow your children to help you prepare a healthy meal. Encourage your family to join you for yoga, biking, jogging, etc.
1. Practice the Confucian teaching of “Hara hachi bu” and eat until you are 80% full. The goal is to be satisfied, but not stuffed to the gills.
1. Create a playlist of music that motivates you to move your body.
1. If you don’t have time to exercise at a gym or yoga studio, invest in a few good exercise DVDs or an online membership to take fitness/yoga classes.
1. When you don’t feel like exercising, tell yourself that you can stop after 10 minutes. Chances are, you won’t stop once you get started.
1. Consistency matters. Your wellness journey will reflect what you do on a regular basis, not what you do once in a while. Commit to just a couple of healthy lifestyle changes first, and make sure you can incorporate them into your life before adding more changes.
June 10, 2015
It’s Never Too Late

“It is never too late to be what you might have been,” George Eliot.

It’s never too late. If you’ve been following Two Fit Moms since we launched our website, you know that this is our mantra.

We are committed to inspiring everyone — but especially moms, like us, that it’s never too late to be your best self. Regardless of your age, you can achieve your fitness goals, your career goals, your life goals. You can change direction at any time and realize your potential.

This motto is one that can be applied to many aspects of life. And, we think it’s worth repeating.

Remember. It’s never too late to be your best self. It’s never too late to be fit. It’s never too late to achieve your wellness goals.

Has this quote inspired you too? If so, let us know how.

April 26, 2015
Taking Care of You

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a life coach. It’s an interesting concept. Most people have probably never considered the idea of getting a life coach, but in theory, I guess it makes a reasonable amount of sense. All elite athletes have a coach to help them train. A coach can see things in you that you are unable to see in yourself and therefore, they are able to direct you toward the best path for success.

Unlike a therapy session or a counseling session, which delves into your past to understand the present, life coaching analyzes the present in order to help bring positive change to your future.

At the end of my coaching session, I felt like I had been shown my own reflection, and that reflection wasn’t muddled or distorted. It was a perfect mirror, and I was able to see my own life with a level of clarity that I hadn’t seen prior to the session.

I didn’t receive bucket loads of advice from this coach. In fact, I think good coaches rarely tell you what to do— they illuminate the way so that YOU know exactly what to do and can make those important decisions yourself. This particular coach did happen to give me a piece of advice, and I’m so happy that she did. It’s such a great piece of advice that I’m going to pass it on to you. It sounds obvious, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. Are you ready? Here goes:

Do something for yourself every single day.

Did you get that? You probably think you do, and maybe you do. I thought I got it, but I didn’t.

I said to the coach, “I always do things for myself! I wake up at the crack of dawn each day and exercise, just for ME! I stay up late preparing healthy meals for the next day. That’s also for ME! I practice yoga to balance all of my strength training and to stay limber. And I even meditate every night! Trust me, I’m doing lots of things for myself. I’ve got this concept down pat.”

The coach listened. We then discussed each of the items that I rattled off my list. After talking for quite a while, I came to understand that everything that I did each day for myself was out of obligation, not pleasure. The coach’s intention behind her suggestion to do something for myself every single day was based on pure pleasure.

Yes, I happen to enjoy my daily wellness habits, but I’m not doing any of those items for pleasure. I exercise, meditate, stretch and cook for hours to maintain good health and to avoid painful flare-ups. I do them religiously because I value my health and partly because I fear the pain and immobility that accompanies an autoimmune flare-up.

So now…. Time to re-evaluate. Do I do something for myself every single day? Purely for pleasure? Probably not. I am ready to make this change. Are you? It doesn’t have to be an hour-long activity. It can even be 15 minutes. What do you love? Maybe it’s a cup of tea at a favorite café. Maybe it’s a bath at night. Maybe it’s a bike ride or a half hour with a magazine or good novel. Whatever it is, let it be something with no strings attached. No guilt attached.

Do it for your well-being. Do it as a daily ritual to honor yourself.

Please share what you plan on doing each day in the comments section below!

April 19, 2015
3 Tips to Increase Your Productivity

Some days, I feel like I work, move and hustle continuously, but when I finally get into bed at night and mentally review what I’ve accomplished, I have nothing to show for it. I know I’m not lazy, and I know I’ve been sitting at my desk working, so where did I lose all of my precious hours of productivity? Well, this is a bit embarrassing to admit, but I think I know the answer. My hours were lost to my iPhone.

I don’t mean that I surf the web for hours or get caught up in video games. Not even close. I probably don’t even spend more than 10-15 minutes at a time on my phone, but I’ve found that even a 30-second break to respond to a text, to mindlessly scroll through photos, or to check for new e-mails is long enough to break my concentration. Once the concentration is broken, it’s a process to re-immerse myself into my work.

Here’s a quick illustration of this point:

As an experiment, I placed my phone, face up, right next to me on the table as I began to write this post. After 40 minutes, I assessed my productivity. I wrote ONE paragraph. FORTY minutes to write four sentences! Geez…Yes, I happen to be a slow writer, but I’m not that slow.

The problem with having my iPhone next to me at all times is that it is a constant distraction—even after minimizing what I thought were the obvious distractions.

Let’s take a look at my current efforts to minimize phone distractions:

-My phone settings are configured so that all social media notifications are turned off.

-My text message notifications are on, but they are completely silent as they flash across my phone screen.

-Even my phone’s ringer is turned to silent mode and only buzzes for incoming calls.

Despite this effort, my phone still affects my productivity.

Here’s what happened during the 40 minutes that I was supposedly writing:

-I received 21 text messages and read all of them as they arrived.

-I responded to 4 of those messages.

-I checked my e-mail once.

-I checked my notification feed on Facebook once.

Each item on the above list probably took less than two to three minutes to address, but the end effect was not just a loss of two to three minutes of productivity.

The smart phone is such an amazing feat of technology, allowing me to travel and work and stay connected at all times, but it is a double-edged sword. This small device that acts as my phone, mini-computer, family photo album, public library, television, instant messaging service, etc, constantly calls for my attention and gives me the constant stream of information and stimulation that I crave. And of course, the more I give in, the more I crave additional information and stimulation. (Hence, the constant checking of the phone.)

I know I can’t be alone in this experience, and I know I can’t be the only one that is fed up with disappointing days of low productivity.

Here’s an idea: Let’s reclaim our days and be more effective with the time that we are given. This is my latest challenge to bring an increased sense of peace and mental clarity to my life. I hope you will join me! In an effort to limit distractions and maximize effectiveness and productivity, I will implement the following three changes in my life:

Reduce Frequency of E-mail Sessions to Three Times Daily
No more frequent e-mail checks through out the day. I am in the bad habit of turning to my inbox all day long—when I am bored, having writer’s block, waiting for a document to print, etc. Instead of continuing with this disruptive activity, I will set aside three specific times during the work day (no less than four hours apart) to check e-mail. While I respond to e-mail, I will focus on that task for no more than 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, I will close my mail until the next allotted time.

Disable All Notifications on Phone
I will turn off ALL notifications on my phone— including text message notifications. Going forward, I will only check text messages during my planned breaks. The only interruption that will be allowed is the ring or vibration for incoming phone calls. I will not worry about urgent texts—there’s no such thing. If there is a true emergency, someone will pick up the phone and call me.

Treat Social Media as a Hobby
Think about your hobbies. Think about what they are and when you participate. No one pulls out a sewing machine to sew for ten minutes every hour. No one stops working to play tennis for ten minutes every hour. As a hobby, there is a special block of time set aside to enjoy it fully. To work well in my life, I think that social media needs to be compartmentalized, just like a hobby. I don’t want to whittle away at my potentially productive blocks of time with a few minutes of mindless scrolling every half hour. Instead, I will set aside two periods of time each day to connect with friends and family on my personal social media accounts. No more three-minute Facebook breaks that disrupt the work flow. I’m done with that. If social media is going to be a hobby, it’s going to be treated like a hobby.

April 9, 2015
Yoga Lifestyle: Remove Mental Clutter with a To-Do List

The longer I practice physical yoga poses, the more I come to the realization that yoga is a state of mind. It’s not just the Warrior 1 pose or the High Lunge or the Headstand that you can hold all day. It’s the stillness of spirit and peace in your soul that you can feel whether you are standing on a yoga mat or waiting on line at a department store. Yes, the physical yoga practice will train your ability to focus and find peace in uncomfortable situations, but don’t leave this valuable training on your mat. Begin to live your yoga by finding and creating peace in all aspects of your life. Create a yoga lifestyle.

The To-Do List
This week, build your yoga lifestyle by getting into the habit of creating a daily to-do list. In a previous article, I mentioned how important it is in my own life to create a to-do list before bed each night. By committing my list of tasks to paper, I remove the mental clutter and liberate my mind. This simple task of creating a list helps me sleep more restfully, and I close my eyes each night feeling organized for the coming day. Remember—If you are going to bother spending time on your yoga mat to clear your mind, it’s probably in your best interest to develop a few habits that will help you carry that peace and focus to other areas of your life.

Tips
Here are a few tips that I keep in mind when creating my list each night. See if you feel more organized, focused and productive as a result of creating a daily list!

–E-mail your to-do list to yourself. I used to be a big fan of paper lists—until I started forgetting my list at home. These days, I create my to-do list on my iphone’s notepad each night, and I e-mail it to myself as soon as the list is created. By doing this, I know that my list cannot be misplaced, and I can access it from my phone or my computer when I need it.

–Break down large projects. Do NOT write a task on your list that will take days to complete. Larger projects can be approached as a series of smaller tasks. If you need to re-organize your entire house, don’t write “re-organize house”. Instead, write line items like “sort and donate kids’ clothing” or “discard expired condiments/food from fridge”.

–Keep it short. Be sure that each item on your to-do list is a task that can be completed within 1 to 2 hours. Short, manageable tasks are most likely to get done. Don’t discourage yourself by listing a 5-hour task on your list.

–Include easy tasks. Include a few items on your list that you are sure that you can complete. These can be very simple tasks such as “make the bed”, “pack lunches for school” or “chop vegetables for dinner”. List those items first, and get them done immediately. It’s a great feeling to cross items off of your to-do list early in the day. It will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to continue tackling items on your list.

-Prioritize. Get through a few of your easy tasks, and immediately tackle an important task on your list while you are feeling fresh and motivated. If you need to create a marketing presentation for tomorrow, do it early in the day. Don’t wait for your mid-afternoon slump to kick in.

-Start fresh each day. Even if you only get through a couple of items on your list during the day, take the time to create a new to-do list each night. The act of creating a new list is like a mental reset button. Tomorrow is a new day, and you will have another opportunity to get it all done.

November 4, 2014