Stop the Road Rage: Quick and Easy Way to Significantly Reduce Stress Levels

From Samantha Lazaris @SamLaz12, Program Intern

In today’s non-stop busy world, the levels of stress continue to sky rocket. Not only is stress not fun, it is also the leading cause to many health issues such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Now, although there is no magic cure to relieving stress, this may be one of the quickest ways to drastically decrease those moments of panic!

Introducing: 5 minutes of alone time!
Many people “claim” they do not have time but when we allow ourselves time to “unwind”, studies show that not only do we function more efficiently but we are also more positive and happy human beings all around.  This can be a minimum of 5 minutes dedicated to ‘you’— no interruptions allowed! Whether it is when you are showering in the morning or on your walk after dinner, find some time within your day to clear your head!

The only way to be successful at making time for you is to actually write it on your schedule and stick to the plan. The easiest way to do this is by focusing on your breathing and engaging your senses to embrace more sounds, smells and feelings. If you have trouble clearing your head, think about all the things you take for granted and express gratitude for them. Just give it a try for one week and see the unbelievable difference within your mood and road rage :-)

Living Life Without Fear

"When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened."

- Winston Churchill

What if you lived your life without fear?  How different would your life be? Is it even possible?

Fear is an unfortunate contradiction. We need fear as an emotional response essential to our survival, yet it has taken on a maladaptive role in our everyday life. With regard to survival, fear is experienced in the present as a way to protect us from threatening situations. However, most of us experience fear at a much larger degree in response to thoughts related to either past or future events. That’s where the maladaptive stronghold lies.

The past two years of my life have been a personal experiment in letting go of as much fear as possible. What I have found, to my continued surprise, is that fear is self-indulgent and rarely necessary.  I have also found an incredible freedom and serenity in the present with my new-found active dismissal of fear. In retrospect, allowing my past fears to guide my decisions had me living below my potential. When making important decisions now I remember the words of General Colin Powell, “Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers."

A Moment Of Peace From Hawaii

Aloha, from Hilton Head. Yes, I am back to the grind (if you call living on Hilton Head and working at H3 the grind). As I mentioned in my last blog, the best thing about returning from vacation is the knowing that I am coming home to a beautiful place and a job I enjoy. I promise that this is the last time I will talk about my trip, but I had to share one more amazing experience that we had with you. On our last day in Maui, we wanted to keep it simple—nothing too strenuous because we were facing the long trip home that evening. So we consulted our excellent guide book, Maui Revealed, for some ideas.

 

We decided to take a drive along the scenic northwest coast of Maui. The road was described as narrow and windy and we were cautioned to drive slowly and keep our eyes on the road (difficult to do with the incredibly beautiful scenery). Well, we soon found out that narrow meant REALLY narrow, in fact one lane in many places, with one stretch of road being one lane for a whole 1.5 miles. Not only was it narrow, there were many sections without guardrails and sheer cliffs only a few feet away from our tires. The picture below gives you pretty good idea of what road was like.

[caption id="attachment_7465" align="alignright" width="420" caption="Kahekili Road"][/caption]

I can tell you that there were times my heart rate was as high as it gets during a vigorous cardio workout. Having said that, when we had the chance to pull off the road, and take in the views on solid ground, it provided one of the most relaxing and calming moments of our time on Hawaii.

Sometimes when things get hectic and the stressors of life begin to pile up, it’s good to take a mental break, stop, close your eyes, and think about something pleasant or calming. It doesn’t make the stress go away but it might help put it in perspective—or least create a temporary reprieve. Here is the picture I am going to see in my mind’s eye the next time I need to take that mental break.

Letting Go

As many of you already know, I have been patiently waiting for my house in Columbia, SC to sell so my children and I can get our own place on the island. At least, I thought I was being patient. 

I think it's important to know that my house is adorable -- any buyer would be lucky to own it, thus I was certain it would sell in a matter of weeks. I clung to this dysfunctional optimism despite many negative reassurances from anyone and everyone that the idea of my house selling quickly was laughable. Okay, they didn't come right out and laugh, but their knowing grins were just as irritating.

My house remained on the market month after month and my frustration grew, mostly because I couldn't reconcile my expectations with the reality. My house was supposed to sell quickly. I was supposed to get close to the asking price. None of that was happening and the kids and I are still living with my parents.

In my "Letting Go" lecture last week I heard myself saying that "An expectation is a premeditated resentment." Soon after, I realized that my expectations about when and how my house should sell were creating just such resentments. Each month that my house remained on the market my resentments grew.

The notion that expectations are future resentments is applicable to so many aspects of life. How often do we harbor resentments because people don't do or behave just as we expect? How often do we allow resentments or frustrations from vacations or events that didn't go exactly as we planned to steal all possible enjoyment?  Expectations are often elusive attempts at control. Not until we let go of our need for control can we allow the universe to do its magic which results in a wonderful byproduct, serenity.

Letting go is part of the realization that we can’t control others, and to some extent, outcomes. Letting go is the belief that things are exactly how they should be regardless of whether or not it’s what we wanted. Don’t get me wrong, I realize that last sentence sounds a little too simple and that letting go is not a passive endeavor but rather an active choice – one that can be very difficult to make. However, what a great choice…cling to your rigid expectations and live in caustic resentment or give up your expectations and see where life takes you with fascination and curiosity?

With this reminder, I visited my home in Columbia and had my own little letting go ceremony. I reflected on many joyous memories the house has afforded me through the years -- Gabrielle grinning from ear to ear with outstretched arms for me to lift her from her crib; Delany laughing hysterically when I sang the lollipop song; Raucous parties with dear friends, and many more. I was filled with gratitude which transformed my expectations and resulting resentment into a desire for the house to make it into the hands of just the right family, no matter how long that took.

And guess what happened...the universe did its magic two weeks later. My house is under contract! Ah, the joy of letting go.

Are You Ready?

This morning I went in for my pre-natal visit, and when my doctor informed me that I would be coming in now every 2 weeks, it suddenly hit me how quickly my due date is approaching!  Because I’m a planner by nature, my mind instantly went to, “Oh, my gosh, am I ready, what needs to be done?” 

Now, a few hours later, I’m settling into my thoughts.  Life has its way of hitting us with the unexpected, doesn’t it?  In my case, the event is expected, it’s the timeline that’s out of my hands.  No matter how much we prepare, there is always something that comes up that wasn’t in the picture we envisioned.  How resilient are you when “life” hits you with a whammy – positive or negative!?  Life’s curve balls are things like an injury, illness, divorce… but it can also be a surprise birthday party, a promotion that changes your routine, or, like me, a new little member to your family.

If you can keep a clear understanding of your vision and set forth each day with the mindset to do the best you can do that day to move closer to your vision, that’s really all you can ask of yourself.  Of course we all have days when we are ineffective or hinder that progress, but the sooner we can bounce back, the greater chance we have to realize that vision.  If we can ask ourselves, before each decision we make, “Will this take me closer or farther from my goal?”, and make the choice that takes us closer at least 7 out of 10 times, resilience is ours.   

What’s your vision?  Is your path still leading to one that motivates and inspires you?  What can you do today to take one step toward that goal?  If I could wish one thing for you for 2012… it would be Resilience.  Happy 2012!

Self-Care and Love

SELF. This is one of our foundational components here at Hilton Head Health. It stands for:  Stress management, Longevity, Empowerment, Fulfillment.

Think SELF-esteem, SELF-care, SELF-love… and remember that none of these things equate to selfish.  Loving and caring for yourself allows you to better care for and love those around you.  The investment in SELF insures that we are offering our best selves to the world. It means being able to show up for your life in a better way.

Wellcoaches defines self-care as a way of living that incorporates behaviors that enable one to maintain personal health and balance, replenish energy and motivation, and grow as a person.

This is an important and often overlooked component to living a healthy, balanced life. Our culture teaches us that we are successful only if we are always busy and on the move. Those seen as successful are often times the ones you look at and wonder when/if they ever sleep.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

This is a great quote by businessman Herman Cain, but it can be applied beyond the realm of work and our lives. We will be successful if we have love and positivity around us, and invest in our health. It changes our mood as well as how we react to the world and events in our life. All of this comes down to how we take care of ourselves. Know that you are worth the care. So go ahead and follow the steps below for setting up a self-care plan and set yourself up for success by being at your best.

Creating a self-care plan

The best way to start a self-care plan is to take an inventory of those actions or things we can do to bring peace and harmony to our lives. Take a few minutes to sit down and write out your ideal day. If you could take one full day to yourself to do the things you enjoy doing or know are good for you, what would you do? Make a list. Below you will find an outline of your day. Fill in self-care options for each time.

Some examples of self-care activities include: organizing your space, taking a bath, watching the sunrise/sunset, listening to music, drinking sparkling water, practicing 10 minutes of yoga, quiet time, getting a pedicure, reading a book for pleasure, exercising, journaling, eating a healthy meal, getting a massage, going for a walk or reading the newspaper. This is the fun part, you get to list all the things that you enjoy and build you up.

• Wake up time


• Morning self-care activities


• Breakfast


• Early afternoon self-care activities


• Lunch


• Late afternoon self-care activities


• Dinner


• Evening self-care activities


• Bedtime


• Anything additional *

Keep this list close by your computer, next to your bed or on the fridge. Whenever you have a few moments to yourself or are having a difficult day, turn to this list. Pick one of the activities that you have time for. There are always options; taking just a few moments to put yourself in a better place can have a huge impact on your day!

*Adapted from article by Jenny Sansouci

Resilience

In these days following the close watch and preparation for Hurricane Irene, we are now in the mode of reviewing the after effects, and are of course analyzing if we were as prepared as we could have been. 

Life is full of hurricanes, isn’t it?  Sometimes we prepare for a Category 1 but get hit with a Category 4, and look back and say “What the heck just happened?!”  Other times it goes the other way – we prepare for that Category 4, when a tropical storm breezes by, and we think, “Now what was I so worried about?!”

Managing life circumstances, whatever they are – hurricanes, relationships, grief, disease – is all about gaining resilience.  Resilience in psychology is the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and adversity.  It’s important to understand that Resilience is a process, not a trait of an individual.  (You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, okay, so what does that mean?”)  Resilience is something that we can acquire.  We can build it.  It is not something that we either have or we don’t.  And you know what??  It’s vital to our well being.  It trains us to deal with the unexpected or the unthinkable – and even the storms that we see coming from miles away.  I must say, I am thankful for this ability.  I am thankful for this tool that I can acquire and train; that can help me through the rough times that lie ahead. 

Hello Everyone!

Hello all past, present and future H3 Guests! My name is Allie and I am interning here at Hilton Head Health this summer. You can read more about me in the “About Us” section. Whether you came last week or three years ago or you are hoping to come in the near future, this blog will give you the information to help you stay on track and continue living your healthy lifestyle.

 

What will be on here?

Posts will feature workouts to try, current events/research finds, tips, guides (i.e. dining out, grocery shopping), recipes, success stories, H3 updates, tutorials, videos and much more—all with a personal touch. However, I want to post what you all want to read! Feel free to suggest content that you would like to see on this blog by making a comment on a post or by emailing me at getinspired@hhhealth.com.

Be sure to check back daily, weekly, or whenever you need a nudge in the healthy direction. Use our blog as part of your morning routine—that way you start your day with the right mindset. Sometimes all we need is a good start to the day.

So please follow me on this journey—to spreading health and happiness!

Take care,

Allie