20 posts tagged “healthy lifestyle”
Today would not be a good day to operate heavy equipment! Luckily, it isn’t required of me either considering how I’m still feeling. I would be an absolute hazard.
Did you block off some time for self-care on this week’s calendar?
Pardon? You don’t have time for self-care?
Do you have time to be wiped out for a few days flat on your back? Often when we shirk on our self care, this is exactly what happens. We push ourselves until we drop – literally.
As I’ve apparently developed a sinus congestion/head cold, today’s schedule is: work 2 hours, sleep 1; repeat. It’s the same schedule I had yesterday and it’s allowing me to plod through my commitments.
Thursday I have booked a chiropractic adjustment and a one hour massage therapy session. Massage gets blocked in a minimum of once a month and usually every three weeks. It keeps me sane and mobile.
Take a moment, right now, and make an appointment with yourself this week (preferably today) for something you enjoy – it could be an extra-long lunch, a walk in the park, a manicure, time out to read a favourite book or magazine, whatever works for you. Then, and this is the biggie, keep the appointment. It’s part of learning to create boundaries and knowing where they are. More on that later…
To you!
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Expert
Do you get sick more often than you used to? Before you get ill, is there a ‘sign’ that it is coming again? Do you listen to your body when this ‘sign’ appears? Does your illness tend to manifest in the same way each time (sore throat, low back, sciatic, migraine…)? Does the illness incapacitate you to the point that you must actually stop and rest for a day or longer?
Illness is normally our body telling us that we are not listening and/or taking care of ourselves. Originally, the issue started at another level (spiritual or emotional) but we either failed to hear (or were unable to hear or chose to ignore) the message for whatever reason. Perhaps because amongst all the other internal chattering and ‘priorities’, we simply missed it. When the message is not ‘listened to’, the body uses stronger and stronger tactics until it gets your attention. Any illness that puts you in bed for a day or more is your body saying: “I need a break. I need time to recuperate. I need time to heal. Pay attention to my needs.”
At this point, most of us take the day (or two, or three) needed to restore ourselves. Many of us fail to realize that we missed the message from within a long time ago and this is simply the manifestation of that message in a different form. If we choose to continuously ignore the messages from within, the body will utilize stronger and stronger messages until we absolutely must stop. Personally, I have a lot of experiences with what I consider ‘life’s 2x4s’ simply because I wasn’t listening or allowed the ‘priorities’ of my life at the time to have first place. When I chose to change, to heed the lesson, to do what I felt was necessary to become healthier … amazingly, it worked very quickly. Obviously, since this has happened many times, I’ve had a lot of lessons to learn. In hindsight, you think I’d catch on … but, apparently not. With age, however, comes intelligence and I am learning to pay attention earlier before an issue becomes a problem.
Tomorrow I will post some information on specific illnesses and their possible co-relation to emotional/psychological and thought patterns.
To your health…
Sue Crutcher, Life Empowerment Coach & Mentor
After drifting slightly off-topic the last couple of weeks – I just got so caught up in the ‘possibilities’ and intriguing math equations and formulas that I had to share them with all of you – here we go on the continuing variations on a theme: “Baby Steps to Success”.
Today, I simply have a question for you:
"If you don’t take the time to look after yourself (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually), who will?"
We all run around looking after others, tending to their needs, overextending ourselves at various levels until we are, at some point, forced to stop. If we took care of ourselves on a regular basis (and this doesn’t have to take tons of time), we would be much healthier and more capable of helping others. It makes perfect sense, but it is rare that people follow through on it. This week we will discuss a few ways to begin this journey of ‘self-care’.
To your continued health…
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Expert
Life Empowerment Mentor & Coach
PS – my apologies for not getting to comment on everyone’s blogs over the past couple of days and updating my blog. My new system is running much better but not during fog and thunderstorms (which have been circling us almost constantly). Internet and television were unavailable yesterday. You are not forgotten.
I’ve checked back to when I posted the blog regarding increasing your water by ¼ to ½ cup daily – it’s been at least 5 weeks now.
Have you followed through?
If you have, you are up to an extra 1-1/4 to 2-1/2 cups more than you were drinking just over a month ago and making great progress. See how easy it is?
For those who haven’t been taking the ‘baby steps to success’ for a healthy lifestyle – start today. I was at a seminar a few years ago where the guest speaker said that most diseases would be helped if people would simply increase their water intake. Naturally, because it’s such a simple solution, people choose not to do it. Will you be one of those who choose not to at least try a simple solution? Or, will you be proactive?
Start today. In fact, start now. Go get yourself a glass of water. Sip it while you’re typing your next blog entry. One down … ‘x’ to go!
“Create a fabulous day!”
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Expert,
Everyone appears to have enjoyed and incorporated the neck and shoulder stretches from last week. This week we will focus on a series of simple hand, wrist and finger stretches that will be very helpful due to all the time we spend on our computers.
These stretches may be done as often as you think of them – preferably at least once an hour while at the computer. More frequently is better. Doing them once a day is still better than not doing any at all so do not get frustrated if you don’t always remember. In time, with practice, they will simply become part of your typing routine.
Stretch one hand at a time or, to save time, stretch both simultaneously:
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Ball your hand into a fist
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Squeeze tightly
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Open wide, splaying fingers as far open and apart as you can
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Ball back into a fist
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Repeat 3 times
That’s it for today. It’s a tough one. Tomorrow we add another one and start on the routine that will be finished by Friday.
To your self-care….
Sue Crutcher, Personal Trainer
After completing the neck stretches section from yesterday’s post, add in a variation of this. You have the movement down. Today, let each movement flow from one to the next. So, in fact, you are doing head circles as opposed to head rotations (those are advanced techniques best done with the help of a chiropractor … or a priest depending on what is going on in your life!)
Put it all together:
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Do your drop shoulder exercise
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Followed by the shoulder blade pinch
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Followed by the warmup described yesterday for your neck
Now … add in:
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Starting with face and eyes forward, chin level
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Drop chin to chest
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Now rotate head toward left shoulder,
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Follow through with your head back as far as you can and looking up
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Now down to your right shoulder
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And back to chin on chest
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Repeat once more.
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Repeat twice in opposite direction
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Do another drop shoulder to relax
It doesn’t take more than about one minute longer but it will feel much better and more complete than the one yesterday.
Already? Yes. A whole week has gone by...
This week we worked on:
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Add another ¼ to ½ cup of water to daily intake
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Walking a little more than normal each day
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Walking backward
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Walking sideways
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Calf stretch
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The evil plank
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Do your remember the meaning of proprioception?
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Line drying clothes
Last week review:
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Add ¼ to ½ cup of water to daily intake
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Try one new fruit or vegetable
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Attempt to eat a fruit or vegetable of each colour daily
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Not look at your scale
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Use a smaller plate at lunch/dinner
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Sleep a little better
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Clean up for one or two 15 minute segments
I trust you are adding in what you can each day. Most of these 'baby steps' require little or no extra time in your daily schedule and are very easy to incorporate. If you are able to keep them up for 6 weeks, they will become part of your 'routine'; if you keep them up for 12 weeks, you are on your way to a new 'lifestyle'.
Looking forward…
This upcoming week will feature baby steps to home and office organization.
To your ongoing success…
Sue Crutcher, Life Empowerment Mentor, Success Coach, Personal Trainer
In keeping with Matt’s blog on conserving energy, I would like to remind everyone that in addition to using the clothes dryer at a lower temperature than you usually would, also consider:
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Laying items flat to dry
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Line drying on a rack (or on a line in the bathtub)
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Or, if you are lucky enough, line dry outside – very fresh and crisp laundry result
I use only warm or cold water for laundry now and I find with my complementary health care practice that cold water actually works best especially on sheets that have aromatherapy oils on them. If I use warm or hot (most people mistakenly choose hot) water, it actually ‘cooks’ the oils into the sheets and they smell rancid very quickly. Not a nice ambiance for the next client.
Check-in:
Are you managing your walking backwards, sideways and a few planks this week? I trust you are expending energy there not conserving it. This is one place where it is better to use energy.
Keep up the good work!
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success
In keeping with Matt’s blog on conserving energy, I would like to remind everyone that in addition to using the clothes dryer at a lower temperature than you usually would, also consider:
-
Laying items flat to dry
-
Line drying on a rack (or on a line in the bathtub)
-
Or, if you are lucky enough, line dry outside – very fresh and crisp laundry result
I use only warm or cold water for laundry now and I find with my complementary health care practice that cold water actually works best especially on sheets that have aromatherapy oils on them. If I use warm or hot (most people mistakenly choose hot) water, it actually ‘cooks’ the oils into the sheets and they smell rancid very quickly. Not a nice ambiance for the next client.
Check-in:
Are you managing your walking backwards, sideways and a few planks this week? I trust you are expending energy there not conserving it. This is one place where it is better to use energy.
Keep up the good work!
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success
Thanks to Aaron, who made a comment on yesterday’s blog regarding balance, I am now sidetracked into a different angle of ‘variation on a theme’ relative to walking.
If you have been implementing the last couple of suggestions (walking backwards and sideways) this week, you will most likely have some sore muscles. If not, don’t worry, they’ll show up eventually. It takes from 24 to 48 hours to feel the reaction as an ‘ache’ and everyone is different on their timing. If you feel pain, as opposed to ache, at any time STOP immediately. The theory of ‘no pain; no gain’ is assinine for the average human working on a healthier lifestyle. If you’re a professional tri-athlete, it’s a different story for you.
Today:
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Continue incorporating little blocks of walking backwards and sideways into your day when you think of it and it’s safe (thinking of Yann in central London here) to do so.
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If you have sore calf muscles, here is a stretch that will help them. Also ideal for women who habitually wear high heels (yes, April, I know they are a great conversation starter for meeting new people and yes, Jenn, I know they are part of a fabulous wardrobe), your calves are likely very tight from standing on your tip toes for extended timeframes.
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Requirement: set of stairs with a railing
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Stand on the bottom step; grasp railing with one hand as if you were going to climb the stairs (do not panic, we are not going to run or even walk the stairs today). Place both feet side by side a little closer than shoulder width apart.
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Nudge your feet backward off the step until you are on the balls of your feet only with the rest of you suspended in space. Keep hanging on the to railing for balance and support.
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Now, GENTLY, lower your heels as far as you can. Do not bounce. Just lower and hold.
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Raise back to your starting position.
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Now, GENTLY, lift up on the balls of your feet as high as you can. Again, do not bounce. Just up and hold.
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Repeat 10 times (if you can)
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Remember to breathe. At this point it doesn’t matter when you breathe in or out, just remember to breathe. Some people have a tendency to hold their breath when they concentrate that’s why I mention it. Just be aware.
That’s it.
Repeat throughout the day when you have an opportunity to do so. Do not get overly excited and do 100 of them … you’ll be sore and sorry. Although the bright side is you’ll be forced to remain sitting. In which case, you will be able to put in many more hours than planned on Kevin Hogan’s IMWW course!
Sue Crutcher, life empowerment mentor / personal trainer / success coach
Baby Steps to Success
