Fight or Flight or Float?... Managing The Stress Response To Your Life

When your threat detection system goes off and your spidey sense starts tingling as the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, how do you respond?

Do you fight or do you flee?

We are all familiar with the feeling that floods in when we become aware of a threat in our surroundings.

Heart rate skyrockets, breathing becomes rapid and shallow, we get that tingling sensation as our blood flows from our core to our limbs to mobilize us for action to escape this threat.

While much less common today, this autonomic response to stress or threats was instilled to protect us from the jaguar hidden in the jungle only given away by the subtle sound of a twig snapping or the need to sprint after the deer to feed your family as it tries to get away.

When our sympathetic nervous system is engaged, we are in full-force action mode to handle anything in our way.

Working opposite to our sympathetic response is the relaxation response known as rest and digest. It helps to keep stress levels in check and takes over when we feel safe and secure. With this parasympathetic activation, our breathing and heart rate slow down and as blood can return to our core, our digestive system becomes more active again and we’re also more likely to be sexually aroused.

There are important functions to both sympathetic and parasympathetic responses in our bodies and we depend on the ability to engage in fight or flight to deal with short-term challenges.

The problem that we face today is that stress has become a constant in our lives. The kids are late for school, then someone cuts you off in traffic, so now you’re running late to get to work and you get chewed out by your boss.

And this is all before 9 am while guzzling down a stimulating pot of coffee.

Our days go by like this constantly and even if we try to stay positive, that threat detection system is used to working subconsciously to protect us.

Even before the booming threat of the pandemic, stress levels were already on the rise, especially in cities where there’s a constant din of noise, motion, and interaction keeping our nervous systems buzzing. Everybody says that they’re stressed and in a constant state of avoiding overwhelm and having to deal with COVID hasn’t helped anyone.

Finding ways to unwind and get our bodies into the relaxation response is one of the best things we can do for our physical and mental health. When the term “relaxation response” was first coined by Herbert Benson, he came up with a protocol for practicing relaxation and eliciting the response.

The original steps for the relaxation response look very similar to a beginner practice of mindfulness and that’s because Dr. Benson is often credited with familiarizing his Western audience with meditation through rebranding it as the “Relaxation Effect.”

Meditation is a tricky thing though because despite rebranding it or rephrasing the concept, most people don’t know how to get started with meditation in a meaningful way that feels like something positive.

But that’s where float tanks come in.

Most people are curious to try out the float experience and to escape from the world in the nearly complete way that only floating can allow for.

It’s not surprising given the many studies that have found floating in a float tank brings on the relaxation effect as well as the benefits that come with that. And this is in part due to how many people describe floating as a sort of training wheels for meditation. It’s like your mental filing cabinet where your brain is able to turn down the noise and sort out the thoughts that tend to swirl around uncontrollably.

People coming in to float notice in real-time the benefits for reducing stress, improving mood, and also helping to increase focus as you return to the outside world.

The float tank environment is the perfect place to turn off that stress response that is ever-present in our lives today. It’s a safe and comfortable space to engage our relaxation response and let go of everything.

Depending on how you like to float, you can completely tune out from all the stimuli that are normally present and keep our fight of flight response actively engaged. You get to choose calming music or blissful silence and the comfort of lights if you don’t want to immerse yourself in complete darkness.

The next time that you feel you're fed up with life and ready to lose it, instead of running away from your problems or getting into an argument, give yourself a time-out to engage your relaxation response. Or even better, treat yourself to a float and relax every muscle in your body while your brain gets to have a complete rest as well.

I Just Had My First Reflexology Appointment

Reflexology In Peterborough

As many of you have already heard, we are excited to introduce reflexology here at Flow Spa in Peterborough.

Heather has been doing her training in reflexology and holistic reproductive practices.

As a avid float member here at Flow Spa, when she reached out to me about partnering up to offer another service to help us all combat stress and relax deeply, I couldn’t wait to hear more.

We all know that people who float regularly have the best ideas!

So there I was, the first on board to get my feet treated by Heather this week.

The Best Foot Massage Ever

I was a little bit nervous about how it would go. Not that I don’t know how to relax well, but I’m very ticklish and my feet were about to be centre stage.

But as I sat down and lay back in the recliner, which is my favourite chair in the whole world, the pressure used for reflexology treatments was no issue for my sensitive feet.

Tension melted away and I felt super relaxed. The room set up works perfectly for these appointments and everyone has been really happy and feeling great with Heather so far.

The treatment is so relaxing that many of Heather’s clients fall asleep.

My feet and whole body were definitely thankful for this relaxing experience.

As a strongman competitor and ramping up my training, my feet bear a lot and take a beating all the time.

You’re going to love it!

Are You an Entrepreneur? Here Are Five Reasons You Need to Prioritize Self-Care

Guest post by Brad Krause of selfcaring.info

(Cover Photo via Pexels)

Ignoring self-care habits is easy to do. With the busy pace of life, pencilling in some extra “me time” isn’t always possible. This is especially true for entrepreneurs — both new and experienced. When you are your own boss, as well as the boss of others, your days can quickly get hectic. However, always having a mentality of needing to “push through” can rapidly escalate to burnout.

If you are a business owner or entrepreneur, explore the top five reasons you need to prioritize self-care.

You are human

Although it sounds almost silly to acknowledge, you are human. You are not a robot. Being human means that you need to take care of your needs daily, and that those needs ebb and flow. One day you might be feeling ready to run a marathon, while the next you may not want to get out of bed.

At all times, treat yourself as the beautifully flawed human being that you are. You cannot be expected to perform well without taking quality time for yourself. Having a self-care routine isn’t being indulgent. Instead, it is a repertoire of actions that refresh and invigorate you, and can help you be your best self.

Let go of the idea that you can get by without any form of self-care.

You are ultra busy

Often used as an argument against taking time for self-care, being ultra busy means that you need even more “me time” than most. When life is constantly full of to-dos, big decisions, and tense moments, taking time to replenish is paramount.

Although you can’t add more hours to your day, you can use strategies to practice self-care while maintaining a super-busy schedule. If you’re looking to improve your work-life balance, take small moments for yourself during the day. Pause your work and reduce stress by setting boundaries with employees and vendors, meditating, going for a short walk to regroup, and working remotely as needed. Stepping outside of the chaos for as little as 5-10 minutes can do wonders for your overall health.

Your mental health needs ongoing care and maintenance

It has been estimated that one in five Canadians experience mental health conditions. With such a high prevalence of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD, caring for your mental health is critical. Whether you currently face one of these conditions, or suspect that you may be struggling with your mental health, this is one area of your life you need to take seriously. Not seeking treatment in a timely manner can have perilous consequences.

As part of your self-care plan, prioritize time off, visits to your therapist, and stress-relieving techniques. Make it a daily goal to do at least one thing that will improve your overall mental health. There is zero shame in seeking help for emotions that you don’t know how to work through, or for a condition you’ve battled for years.

...And so does your physical health

Your physical health is equally as important as your mental health. It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to live off of a steady diet of convenient (yet unhealthy) foods, get too little sleep, and practice other damaging habits (such as smoking). Each day, aim to nourish your body with pre-made meals, supplements, and positive habits.

Self-care helps you be the best version of yourself

Ultimately, taking a neglectful approach to your mind and body will lead to burnout. When you are burnt out, doing easy tasks can feel like an overwhelming challenge. Being proactive about your well-being can prevent burnout, and help you be the best entrepreneur possible.

Additionally, making the most of your time off is ideal when looking to feel your best. Numerous entrepreneurs have found float therapy to be a highly valuable part of their self-care routine. Learn more about this therapy by contacting our team at Flow Spa today.

Flow Spa offers relaxing and rejuvenating float therapy in Peterborough, Ontario. We also provide massage therapy, Infrared sauna, and sports recovery treatments. Learn more about us and the benefits of float therapy.

Quick Practices For Mental Health and Wellness You Can Do At Home This Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we all recognize the challenge to mental health right now.

The struggle is real regardless of who you are.

So this year it’s more important than ever to recognize the cause and notice how the circumstances of our outer world and inner turmoil are impacting us and have been for the last year.

Anxiety rates are higher than ever and so is substance abuse. Feelings of loneliness are spreading like wildfire.

We’re still in and out of situations of being told to stay home to reduce the spread of COVID and so today let’s look at some of the healthy and safe ways we can contribute positively to our own mental health and the well-being of those around us while at home.

Have Positive Conversations

Turning to the support of people close to you is important but are you having conversations with your loved ones that are actually supporting your mental health and theirs as well?

It feels great to sometimes rant and get those feelings off of your chest when something is bothering you. You want to go on and on about the things that upset you like that jerk that cut you off in traffic or the rude comment your coworker made to you at work the other day that you're still thinking about.

And the people you turn to for these conversations are often the most empathetic. They listen with patience until you're blue in the face and you feel good for a little while. But it turns out that reliving events in this way doesn't help you to work through them. What actually helps is sharing the emotion but also receiving some sort of guidance on what your next steps should be.

You don't have to go around telling all of your friends and family that you need a solution to the problems that you are ruminating on, but start to do this yourself for others and over time hopefully, they will recognize the value of doing the same for you. (Or share this article with them to nudge a subtle hint).

How to calm anxiety (when you’re freaking out). Read more in this article.

Get Outside

Spring is a truly wonderful time to get outside more and there are many mental health benefits to getting outside more often.

Nature acts as an anxiety and depression reliever in a number of ways. You've got the fresh air which our bodies crave, and the extra exposure to sunlight when it isn't raining for days on end helps with Vitamin D production in our bodies. Vitamin D also helps to boost our mood and immune system so that we can feel our best and stay healthy.

Natural surroundings can also help to create a sense of calm in our minds and to reduce the ruminating thoughts and endless internal chatter. Even if you have to go for a bit of a drive to get into more natural surroundings or away from crowded parks, it's worth it to schedule some time in nature each week or as often as you can.

Find Stillness

Social media can help us a lot with staying connected to our friends and family when we're in lockdown and facing restrictions with visiting in-person but it can also be mentally draining to constantly refresh our feeds and compare ourselves to other people.

Try taking a Tech Sabbath or digital detox. On the weekend, or one day a week when you don’t have to be at the demands of your phone for work, turn off all devices and go tech-free. Plan ahead so that this isn’t too hard to do and if you find that a full day isn’t possible right now, start with a morning or afternoon and go from there.

You’ll find this is also a great opportunity to accomplish some of the other beneficial actions like getting outside and you can even pair it with having in-person conversations with people in your bubble while you go for a walk together.

Spring Wellness At Home Guide

Making changes of any sort to your lifestyle and routine can be hard.

Download this free guide to making healthy and sustainable changes at home this spring.

You’ll get additional tips not covered in this article as well as printable habit trackers and worksheets to help you stay on track and accountable to your own goals.

5 Things You Should Do Today to Boost Your Spinal Health While Working From Home

Guest post by Dana Brown, Image via Pexels

Have you recently joined the work-from-home movement? You’re in good company. Though many people started working from home recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reports cited by Small Business Trends show that more than half of businesses expect the shift to working from home to be permanent for many employees.

If you’re planning to work from home or if you already have a home office, you need to give some serious consideration to your spinal health. Flow Spa cares about your well-being, so here are five things you should do every day to boost your spinal health while working from home.

1. Check Your Posture Throughout the Day

Take a minute to honestly assess your posture right now. If you’re currently feeling any back or neck strain, take note of that, too. Now, focus on stretching your spine towards the sky without arching your back. Imagine someone’s gently lifting your head straight up toward the ceiling by a string. Doesn’t this new position feel much better?

You might be surprised to learn that before the pandemic even broke out and workers moved to their homes, many Canadians had poor posture. When you’re sitting at a desk all day, it’s natural to allow your body to slouch into a lazy position. Though it may feel good to sit this way for a few minutes, it will undoubtedly lead to aches and pains in your back, neck and even your wrists, elbows and shoulders.

To maintain good posture while sitting at your desk, Greatist advises you should keep your elbows bent at 90 degrees, draw your chin back slightly, and focus on expanding your chest to open up your shoulders. This will most likely feel unnatural at first, but the more you sit this way, the more comfortable it will become.

2. Get Regular Therapeutic Adjustments

It’s natural to feel some back discomfort if you work at a desk for long periods of time. But that doesn’t mean you have to live with the pain. Scheduling regular therapeutic float appointments, massage therapy or other services from healthcare professionals is a great way to bring your spine back into alignment and release tension in your back and neck.

3. Reduce Stress

Did you know stress can have a big impact on your physical comfort levels? When left unchecked, stress can cause a lot of unwanted effects on the body, including high blood pressure, heart disease and back pain. Minimizing stress can help make any back pain you may experience more manageable. Relaxation and meditation are two great ways to reduce levels and improve your spinal health.

You can also do much to manage your stress levels by cleaning and organizing your home so there isn’t clutter everywhere you look. A tidy and fresh environment is conducive to improved mental health and a healthy atmosphere at home. If there are any areas of your home causing you stress and anxiety, find ways to rectify the problem now so you can start reaping the benefits of a clean home as soon as possible.

4. Take Breaks to Move and Stretch

To minimize the stress and discomfort associated with working at a desk, take time to move and stretch throughout the day. It’s generally recommended that for every hour you spend working, you take 5 to 10 minutes to walk, stand up and stretch. Focus your stretches on your shoulders, back, legs and any other area of your body that feels tense and tight. Hold each stretch for at least 10 to 20 seconds for optimal results.

5. Use Ergonomic Tools to Help You Maintain Good Form

Ergonomic office chairs can help encourage good posture and spinal health throughout the workday. There are many different options from which you can choose, including high-backed chairs, chairs with armrests and chairs without armrests. Try a few different types out until you discover the style that’s most comfortable for you.

If you can keep these tips in mind every day, you’ll increase your likelihood of maintaining good spinal health and comfort while working from home. And remember to connect with Flow Spa for more tips and information that will help you stay comfortable, happy and healthy.

Take Action Towards Wellness At Home This Spring

This spring feels a little like the same old and it’s honestly been challenging to get a system in place to nurture wellness and start to feel better.

Fortunately, we’ve made it through the coldest season and now that we want to take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days, we face a situation of having to get creative by spending the majority of our time at home.

So as we consider what we can do to feel our best this spring, here are some ideas that you can start to incorporate. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a complete shift in your whole life in order to have a positive impact on how you are doing.

Gratitude

Gratitude shifts our brain to a more positive state and allows us to operate from a more optimistic state of mind. When everything around us feels a little to dainty and depressing and the negative news is overwhelming, maintaining a gratitude practice to look at both the big picture and the small things will help out.

Gratitude practices work best when we don’t repeat the same things all the time and when we either write the list down or at least spend a minute reflecting on each thing that comes to mind.

Get Outside More

The nicer weather is starting to come and that means longer and warmer days can work wonders for giving us more of what we need right now.

Fresh air is one of the ways we can revitalize how we feel and the bonus with longer and brighter days is that we’re also getting more Vitamin D from the sun. We’ve all heard how important Vitamin D is for just about every system in our body, including hormone production, mood, immunity, bone health, and strength but how often are we taking action to implement what we know?

If you’re working from home or on a more flexible schedule right now, aim to get outside every day. Being outside around sunrise and sunset can help with sleeping better and mid-day leads to the greatest UV light exposure for getting more Vitamin D production. Short breaks throughout the day can also be a great way to break up the monotony of working from home to stay energized and alert.

Connect With Others

The loneliness epidemic that is a part of our society today is not newly a result of the pandemic but has certainly been exacerbated by our situation of lockdown and isolation.

We often feel better about ourselves when we’re doing our part to lift others up, so start making a list of people that you want to stay in close contact with or rekindle a connection to and spend a part of each day reaching out to others.

Make use of technologies like Zoom and FaceTime that allow you to see and hear your friends and loved ones real time but also know that everyone always appreciates a hand written card arriving in the mail. Communicate in whatever form feels best for you depending on your stress levels.

Maintain Your Exercise and Nutrition

Over the past year as we’ve gone through waves of lockdowns and spending more time at home, which often means winning back extra hours in our days, eating right and exercising has not become any easier.

We don’t have win a physique competition or deprive ourselves of food but we undoubtedly feel better when we eat right and get regular exercise in our lives.

Find More Stillness

We love floating as a way to practice a deeper state of relaxation and meditation but something we need to focus on right now is a practice of stillness on a daily basis, or as close to it as you can realistically accomplish.

When we’re bombarded by negativity through the media and the stress that the uncertainty has brought to work, family, and housing, we need to return to a grounded state regularly. Our bodies can accomplish this if and only if it is given the stillness that it needs. This can be accomplished in many ways and doesn’t have to look like a formal meditation practice, but if that’s something you’re willing to work on, there are a whole bunch of additional benefits that will come from that.

Stillness is a deliberate slowing down. Maybe for you this means getting outside for a walk, or creating music, it could be practicing yoga, or cooking a meal by yourself or with your family. There are many shapes and forms to stillness and it often can overlap with the other strategies for wellness you can work on this spring but what it usually looks like is getting away from digital devices for a while.

Want to learn more about how to apply this in a sensible and actionable way?

Download our free guide to wellness that will help to hold you accountable and map out your progress!

Love Yourself This Valentine's Day (And How To Practice Better Self-Love)

As the middle of February rolls around, it becomes that Hallmark moment each year where we take a stand and celebrate the love that's in the air. We are either celebrating our self-love or showing our affection to someone else but it turns out that the self-love really needs to be at the centre of it all.

After the year of isolation and, in many cases, loneliness that we've gone through, let's talk about practicing self-love and learning to love yourself like your life depends on it. Because just like the oxygen mask analogy on the airplane, taking the time to show care and consideration for yourself will rise the tide on all of your relationships and the people that you surround yourself with.

What Is Self Love?

While self-love is about care and doing the things that you know support your well-being, it's also just as much about coming to terms with who you are and Braving the Wilderness as Brene Brown refers to it.

When you start to accept all your perfect imperfections, it becomes that much easier to focus on loving and supporting those around you because you recognize your own needs as well.

When we accept instead of dwell on who we are under the surface, we can start to notice more of the beauty in our lives and in our connections with others instead of getting caught up in our mistakes or sense of inadequacies.

Where To Draw Your Focus

We all know that too much focus on our own faults and flaws can spiral out of control and leads nowhere positive, even if it's often easier said than done to avoid. Dwelling on the negativity is not how we break free from that vicious cycle though. Guilt doesn't inspire change. It creates an emotional sinkhole that our mindset fixates on. Furthermore, our brains are drawn towards negative information as it alerts us to perceived threats, and so what we want to do is lean into the positivity whenever possible and with the right strategies.

First, we want to recognize this negativity bias and know that it's a perfectly natural response in all people, although as Jonathan Haidt suggests in the Happiness Hypothesis, some of us have won more of the cortical lottery in being wired for more optimism. We often blame ourselves or get caught up on things that are outside of our control and when we do this, it can be easy to feel like we've failed at something. This fixed mindset thinking though can be course corrected though by using prompts to remind ourselves to think of what's in our control or practicing gratitude to seek out more positivity in our day-to-day lives.

Mindfulness and Self-Love

Taking our focus and self-love a step further, mindfulness is one way in which we can train our brains to counter the ruminating thoughts when done correctly.

Part of the reason that mindfulness originated as a religious practice was as a way to develop the self in a way that could help to have a positive impact on the greater community. We can use Metta or loving-kindness meditation to radiate compassion to those closest to us and the wider community and single-point focus meditation can help you to become more present and train your brain to counteract that fixation on ruminating thoughts.

Connecting Deeply With Your Self

Floating makes for a great self-love date as it is a powerful way to practice mindfulness and being fully embodied in the present moment. With such a reduction in external stimulation because of the unique environment of the float tank, your sense of self dissolves into the water you are floating in and the air around you.

So whether you treat yourself to a float this Valentine's Day or bring along a loved one for the experience as well, know that you are connecting deeply with yourself and doing what's best for you to support the loved ones around you.

Float Your Way To Peace | Studying Serenity and Float Therapy

Finding serenity sounds nice right about now, doesn’t it?

As we’ve struggled through 2020, it can seem like a faraway dream to find serenity now.

With so much uncertainty, it’s difficult to tune out and relax to focus on the present, even though it’s one of the most important things we can do for ourselves right now.

We have to remember to focus on what’s in our own control and what we can have an impact on when the world feels so chaotic. And one of the things we can make a positive impact on is taking better care of ourselves. Finding our own sense of serenity and taking care of our mental health through positive routines is something we can and should control, especially at this time.

Because we so often talk about mental health from the perspective of negative symptoms, it can be hard to remember that mental health isn’t an on/off switch. We don’t often talk about mental health from the positive perspective without comparing it to the negative but the reality is that it exists on a spectrum and even when we’re not suffering, we still have room to make things better for ourselves.

And this is one of the things that floating does best for you. It improves your serenity by helping with mental and physical wellness while setting you at ease.

We often think of serenity as something that comes from meditation or the peace of relaxation but it’s also a specific term used by scientists. Serenity is a marker of mental wellness that gauges how well we stay present, our readiness to practice forgiveness, and how content we feel with our lives despite the negativity.

Serenity was also one of the many mental health factors studied in recent float therapy research.

In 2018, Dr. Justin Feinstein’s team at the LIBR were able to demonstrate the effect of a single 60-minute float on serenity, and the results are part of what makes floating such a promising wellness practice:

In anxious participants, serenity soared post-float, above the baseline for non-anxious participants in the study.

And in the non-anxious group, serenity increased a significant amount as well, demonstrating this mental health gradient.

Even more impressively, when looking at the data from all 50 participants in the study, every single one saw an increase in serenity post-float. And a quarter of them maxed out the serenity scale post-float.

Looking at the graph for all the participants’ data shows the significant results of this study. The red bar is how serene they felt before floating, and the blue bar shows the post-float improvement.

There’s a presentation on the full results of the study here, and the research article is available here. In addition to the study looking at serenity, the researchers also saw decreases in anxiety and muscle tension as well as increases in relaxation and energy levels.

This chart shows the different mental health traits impacted by a single float:

Regardless of what this year has been like to you, we are all able to cut through the chaos and choose to take control of what we can, including our self-care. And this can look like many different things that you find restorative, from meditation to yoga, to sitting by a fire listening to holiday music or even getting away to the complete stillness of a float tank to silence the holiday hubbub for a bit.

Serenity can be found closer to home than you think and isn’t just in some far-off oasis. But it does require you to take the time for yourself to rest and recharge.

Creating a Sleep Routine For Consistently Getting Better Sleep

We all have faced sleep issues at one point in time or another. It seems inevitable that sleep will eventually be impacted by our external circumstances and we’ll have to do something about it to get back on track.

Whether it’s a struggle to fall asleep or to stay asleep, we know what it feels like when our sleep isn’t as good as it should be.

Sleep is undeniably the most important step to improving your wellness.

If this critical component isn’t addressed first and foremost, it doesn’t matter what other health hacks you try to use, they will not fix the root cause of your issues.

So whether you think that you’re a world-class sleeper or you know that you can do better, read on and pick up or remind yourself of a thing or two that can help to make a difference in your sleep.

A Sleep Primer

Before we snuggle under the covers of the best tips to help you sleep, let’s take a really quick look at the importance of sleep and the different sleep stages.

Most of us are aware that sleep is essential to good health. We all need certain amounts of sleep each night in order to feel and function at our best. Usually, we can estimate this number pretty well based on our past but these numbers also change as we age. The simplest strategy is to test waking up without an alarm clock on a morning when this is possible for you. If you slept well and feel well-rested then you’ve got a good idea of how much sleep you consistently need. This test works even more reliably after several days of waking without an alarm, so make a plan to try it out for yourself and go sans alarm clock for your next vacation (or staycation).

When we sleep, our brains and bodies use the time to go through a dishwasher cycle and scrub clean our internal systems. This is an essential recovery process for performing our best and without it, our health will decline over time. Sleep is used for memory consolidation, repair from physical activity, and for reducing stress on our brains and bodies.

We cycle through different phases during sleep and each phase is essential for a well-balanced sleep.

Pre-Bed Routines

The way we prepare for bed is one of the keys to better sleep. There are many different things that we can do to get ourselves ready for bed and the best way to know what works for you is to be open-minded to trying as many strategies as you can over time and sort out the tips that are too inconvenient for your circumstances.

Food

For many people, the timing as well as the food choices for our last meal of the day can impact our sleep quality quite dramatically. Going to bed too full or too hungry will make it difficult to fall asleep (sleep latency) and may also affect the amount of deep sleep that you get or the overall quality of your sleep.

Usually, it’s best to have your last meal a couple of hours prior to bed and not eat to the point of feeling stuffed. For individuals who eat relatively low carb diets or are on a stricter diet, also eating carbs with the last meal of the day is a way to signal the body into a calmer state and helps with relaxing and triggering sleep.

Experimenting with the right combinations of foods and timing for your best sleep quality, like with any of these strategies, takes some patience to find your own sweet spot.

Drugs and Alcohol

Nightcaps and other options for taking the edge off at the end of the day are sedatives that help to initiate sleep but they come at a cost. We know from research that alcohol, THC, and even prescription sleep medications all reduce the amount of deep sleep that we get which is the time when our brains and bodies go through most of the important restoration at night.

Whenever possible, we should try to get away from these options being our go-to strategy for sleep.

One alternative that helps to calm our minds and prepare for sleep and also seems to support better sleep quality is using a CBD tincture that doesn’t contain any THC. CBD is an anti-inflammatory compound found in cannabis and hemp and a dose of around 20 mg seems to effectively induce sleep and also contribute to better quality sleep overall.

Screen Time and Work

After the sun goes down, our brains are already thinking that it’s time to get ready for sleep. When the receptors in our eyes sense this change, our brains start to release the circadian clock hormone of melatonin which initiates sleep and also helps to keep us asleep.

The blue light from our digital devices is known to impact melatonin production to some extent which is why if you have trouble falling asleep, it may help to adjust your tech time in the evening so that the screens go away 1-2 hours before bedtime. Not only is this helpful for reducing blue light exposure that may blunt melatonin release, but it’s also a lot less stimulating which will also help your mind to calm down and get ready for sleep.

Whether you work on your device or just scroll through social media, an important part of getting better sleep is to let your mind settle down through less stimulation. A lot of people work relentlessly until the minute their head hits the pillow and then wonder why they spend all night thinking about their to-do list and the work they have to do the next day.

Winding Down

Instead of watching tv or playing on your phone, use the last 1-2 hours of the day to read a book, have a relaxing conversation with family or friends, get outside for a walk, or do any other enjoyable and peaceful hobby.

Sometimes watching tv at the end of the day is the truly pleasurable or mindless activity that someone wants to do, which is ok as well, and if this is the case, it’s a good idea to look into trying a pair of blue light blocking glasses. Blue light blockers help to reduce the amount of blue light your eyes are exposed to which can help if you are particularly sensitive to the effects blue light can have on your sleep quality.

When you give your mind permission to settle down, it will follow suit for you over time.

Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is a term that’s used to describe the environment in which you sleep, and involves making it as supportive of your sleep quality as possible.

When it comes to sleep hygiene, the three main factors we want to control are:

• Temperature

• Timing

• Light

Controlling the amount of light in your bedroom is important for the same reason that we want to reduce our blue light exposure when winding down to sleep. Ideally, we want our bedroom to be as dark as possible, which may mean looking into getting blackout blinds or using a sleep mask to block out the light. Any devices that emit light should also be unplugged in your bedroom, moved to a different room, or use electrical tape to cover up any tiny lights on the devices.

Our bodies signal to us that it’s time to sleep when body temperature drops by a few degrees and so much of us get our best sleep in slightly cooler rooms, typically in the mid-60s. When your bedroom isn’t exclusively your own bear cave and you’re sleeping with a partner, you may consider using a fan or a cooling pad on your bed to help with the temperature regulation. Using a fan can also create a helpful white noise if you live in a noisy neighbourhood that isn’t a constant sound.

Timing is another important factor with your sleep hygiene and schedule. Consistently going to bed at the same time will help with sleep quality and usually, the best way to initiate this is by waking up at the same time every morning regardless of if it’s a weekday or weekend.

When it comes to getting enough sleep and still waking up on a consistent schedule, most sleep experts recommend that you keep your wake up time the same even if you missed out on a full night of sleep and to try to catch up on the sleep you missed by going to bed early the following night.

Staying Asleep

Staying asleep can be a big problem for a lot of us. Maybe you fall asleep no problem because you’re super tired all the time but then your body jolts you awake in the night and you struggle to get back asleep. Some people will just get up and start their day, or pace the house, or go and watch tv or read a book.

It can take some experimentation to find what works best for you but sleep experts like Matthew Walker suggest that we don’t stay in bed, not even to try to meditate or read something. It’s best to get up and move to another room to do something calming, even boring, like that and once it feels like you’re ready to sleep again, go back to your bed. This keeps you conditioned to see the bed as the place to sleep and not just a cozy reading or meditation nook.

Healthy Wakeups

Being blasted out of bed by a blaring alarm may be one way to wake up but it sets your body off with stress first thing in the morning, which is not a great way to start the day. Our bodies naturally release more of the stress hormone cortisol as we start to wake up which helps with alertness but we still want to enter our days with relative calmness.

This is why it’s great to have a morning routine that lets you not rush out the door to start your day. Train yourself to wake to a soothing alarm or no alarm at all and do the things that set you up for a successful day in the morning, whether it involves meditating, exercise, journaling, writing, or another hobby that you enjoy. Unless the night time is when you perform your best, the peace and quiet of the morning are when we can do the things that we like that set us up for our best day possible.

Getting exposure to the sun in the morning is another tool to use for setting your circadian rhythm and priming yourself for wakeful alertness throughout the day. Get outside near sunrise whenever possible in order to take advantage of this naturally occurring mechanism.

So don’t miss out on the opportunity to audit your morning routine for a more healthful wake up because it will set you up for continuing a positive spiral with your sleep cycle and continuing to see better sleep.

Sign up for early access to our complete wellness course, which goes further in-depth into optimizing your wellness with sleep, nutrition, movement, and more.

Why Wellness Matters Now More Than Ever

We all need wellness now more than ever.

Our mind and body and are tightly connected and we’ve watched as a see-saw of turmoil has tilted us back and forth this year.

It’s no wonder that our health and wellness is on the brink of disaster. Cold and flu season is still the same old story but we’re also seeing much higher rates of stress and anxiety. As we go into the darkest and coldest season, everyone is feeling the effects of being downtrodden.

This isn’t to say that it’s all doom and gloom.

This is a wake-up call.

Our wellness is essential for our own life satisfaction and for our ability to thrive as part of our family and our communities.

What are you doing to be well right now?

Practicing wellness isn’t about fads, it’s rooted in what our bodies and our minds inherently need for flourishing.

We’ve got to water our Life Garden.

Take some time to think about what practices you have done that led you to feel your best. Write a list of them and put it up somewhere that you will see it every day. Then try to do something on that list every day if possible, or as frequently as you can.

The more balance that we create each week for ourselves, the better we will feel over time.

The start of your journey to greater wellness doesn’t have to wait until some arbitrary start date or until the pandemic dies down.

We need it now more than ever, so start today.

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Since the start of the first wave of COVID, I’ve been working hard with my friend Telsi to create a comprehensive wellness course that will help you weather the current storm that is the pandemic but live with greater health and vitality.

If you want early access to the course and special bonuses, click here to go to the special landing page for it over on our online learning platform at The Flow Academy.

You Need To Recover Up

Train hard. Recover hard. Recovery is the next hottest wave in fitness. It's what keeps professional athletes, professional athletes. It's a must-do for both extreme fitness types and sports enthusiasts of all varieties, from runners to yogis. Now, for those who strive toward the seven day, power-packed workout schedule, but instead spend a few days each week in reality-stricken guilt...recovery is the best trend to happen to exercise since smoothie counters.

Recovery: It's not what it sounds like, exactly. After a training session or intense workout, recovery is the process of your body restoring (healing) itself — muscles receive the nutrients they need to reenergize, hormones rebalance and the central nervous system gets a moment to repair. Active bodies need to focus just as much on recovery as they do training, not just for relaxation, but also for endurance and injury prevention. Side note: recovery does not mean mere downtime; it means efficient downtime.

For ages, athletes have been using the perks of infrared therapy as a secret recovery weapon. Not only is it an oh-so-soothing, mind/body experience, but it's also a great way to maximize downtime between workouts. Infrared light waves heat the body directly (unlike a traditional sauna that heats the air) and increase your body's core temperature (which increases circulation and blood flow, so it's like working out — without working out).

First off, there are two types of recovery: one that puts you at a standstill under doctor's orders, and one that restores your body. Even though sometimes, after a feisty-fitness session (like when you wake up the next morning with concrete legs and an appreciation for the elderly climbing stairs), you might feel like passive recovery is the best option...it's not. You move a little, you feel a lot better.

Passive Recovery.Is what helps repair certain types of injury. It's when the body is resting, which includes sleep, a healthy diet, and applying compression. It involves doing almost nothing.

Active Recovery. Helps the body flush out and release the nutrients it needs to repair itself, as it gently gets your circulation going, without loading your body with resistance or impact. So, walking, stretching, Frisbee, some light dancing, infrared-sauna-ing...

A DOSE of Recovery

.        Passive & Active Are Both Welcome. Infrared therapy both heals and prevents injury.

.        Just heat it (heat it)! Infrared saunas enhance blood flow, delivering nutrients to the body, without over-challenging the muscles that need a little rest.

.        Clean Up After Yourself. In a sauna, with blood moving and sweat excreting, your body is releasing toxins (that could be impeding your overall performance gusto).

.        Loosen up.FYI, muscles and joints love circulation. Give them circulation and a moment of rest, now that's a relax and repair win-win.

Let's take another tip from the pro athletes. Those who sport-a-living, literally, also favor infrared sauna use because it leads to an increase in HGH. What is HGH? It's the human growth hormone, naturally produced by the body in the pituitary gland, and, as its name suggests, it's responsible for cell growth and regeneration. An increase in HGH is beneficial for many reasons including repairing tissue, healthy organs, and skin — a.k.a. it's a look good, feel-good hormone everyone wants more of.   

While an injured athlete may be restrained from activity, infrared saunas boost HGH, which not only stimulates recovery, it releases endorphins — a way to avoid workout FOMO. In other words, say you're a runner and you can't run for injury reasons...infrared saunas give you that runner's high, while also burning calories, while also helping your body heal.

Good recovery, good recoup. Infrared provides hyperthermic conditioning, which is a fancy way of saying that infrared exposure helps you stand the heat, so you don't get stuck in the kitchen. By acclimating the body's core temperature to feelin' hot-hot-hot, you prep your physical endurance later on...for say, a sweaty summer marathon, or an outdoor, asphalt-grounded basketball game.

Book a HigherDOSE sauna after, before, or in-between workouts. Oh, and try these everyday recovery tips, too.

About Balance. Always plan recovery into your workout schedule, as a part of your workout schedule, to keep a healthy balance.

Break or Risk Breakage. Allow 24-72 hours between intense training sessions, focusing your workout on other areas of the body, and implementing proper downtime.

Zzz. Lack of sleep reduces tolerance, affects your mood, and increases both physical and mental fatigue.

Cheers! Hydrate. There's never a better-yourself list that doesn't include proper hydration.

On The Inside. Diet. During recovery, good nutrition is required to properly rebuild muscle tissue and rebalance enzymes and hormones.

You've Got Options. Ice baths, cold showers, cryotherapy... Don't let the wellness lexicon fool you, recovery doesn't have to be redundant.

Bodywork.Getting a massage helps optimize recovery and relieve pain where it's needed, and so does osteopath and acupuncture (yeah, it's a tough life).

Roll Out. You know when you pull a thread on a sweater, and then suddenly, half the sweater just bunches up into nothing? That same thing can happen to our bodies (thanks to factors like stress, dehydration, injury, and repetitive activity, etcetera, etcetera.), like when you feel pain in your knee but actually, your shoulder is injured. Myofascial release techniques target and smooth out those small-yet-unexpectedly-impactful tensions. Go for the foam form — using a foam roller is a great form of self-myofascial release.

Article Originally Published at HigherDose.com

Cover Photo by Dylan Sauerwein on Unsplash

The Power of Breath Work and The Wim Hof Method For Resilience and Growth

This past weekend we had our first Wim Hof Workshop take place at Flow Spa.

Most of us have lost touch with what it means to breathe well but there are certain people like Wim Hof who are influencing that reconnection to one of the roots of our health.

Hof has dedicated his life to serving as an inspiration and case study for scientists on the ways that our mind can overcome the perceived limitations of our body.

This is a man who has shown that mind over matter is a real thing, as he’s climbed past the kill zone of Mount Everest in just a pair of shorts. He’s also run a marathon in the desert while carrying no water with him, and if that doesn’t sound hard enough, he didn’t even training for the run.

While this charismatic man from Denmark may be eccentric and put off some cult leader vibes, his methods which have modernized millennia-old breathing traditions are helping people all over the world handle some of their biggest health issues and reach new levels of well-being.

Just Breathe

It’s hard to believe that something we do 20,000 times per day is almost universally done incorrectly and it’s leading to weakened immune systems and chronic stress. Wim Hof has been one of the pioneers in the past several years to bring researchers and journalists alike into the scope of understanding the power of breath and how to breathe properly.

Most of us breathe too much - we actually get better oxygen flow in our body when we breathe slow and deep instead of short and shallow - with many people also mouth breathing which are two contributors as well as indicators that the body is in a stressed state.

The Wim Hof Method introduces us to a number of unique components of breathing that we don’t normally practice. In its most basic form it consists of hyperoxygenating the body through about 30 deep breaths while releasing on exhale without fully breathing out. This leads to a shift in oxygen to carbon dioxide ratio in the blood which is then followed by a full exhale and a breath hold with lungs empty of air.

The body activates the parasympathetic nervous system on this exhale which allows for a decrease in cortisol levels and deeply relaxed state during what is known at the retention time or breath hold. As the breath hold time, the body starts to crave oxygen again and while you gently resist that sensation, there is an activation of the sympathetic nervous system and release of epinephrine.

This combination of low cortisol and high epinephrine has been shown by researchers studying Hof and his students to be a way to control parts of the autonomic nervous system and immune system that were believed to be impossible by Western Medicine before Hof started showing the world what he could do.

They’ve even researched how this breathing method can suppress the immune response to an endotoxin being injected into the subjects all of whom showed little to no symptoms after training in this breathing style compared to the control group which exhibited cold and flu-like symptoms.

Train The Mind and the Body Will Follow

Other parts of the Wim Hof Method are used to train the mind to remain calm in the face of intense sympathetic activity, through power breathing and cold exposure.

By remaining calm and controlling the breath in the face of cold exposure that creates an intense spike in epinephrine and sympathetic activity, we learn how to better handle other stressors as well and create a mindset that we are able to accomplish anything.

This mindset of grit and resilience are at the forefront of the characteristics that most world-class performers foster for achieving greatness.

Not that anyone necessarily has to be driven to achieve greatness but we’ve all seen in 2020 the importance of maintaining an optimistic mindset and handling adversity with resilience. Having a reserve of self-confidence and grit means that we are ready for the obstacles in our way and also able to be there and lead our loved ones when they need us most.

Learn more about the Wim Hof Method online and if you’re ready to experience the full power of this method, check out the page on our website for upcoming Wim Hof Workshops at Flow Spa.

Giving Thanks and Gratitude Practices

I've been doing various gratitude practices for a number of years now and from personal experience combined with the research on high-performance psychology, I know the massive impact that it can have on states of optimism and quality of life.

Gratitude and giving thanks may be something that we tend to reserve for certain times of the year but it doesn't have to be that way.

So while you may be gathering with close family this upcoming weekend either in person or from afar virtually, here are a few ways I have found that you can give thanks and feel it deeply while also maybe making it more of a regular practice for yourself.

Feel It, Don't Just Say It

One of the things that I often don't do well enough is taking the time to embody the feelings of gratitude. There's a big difference in the experience when we take a moment and actually think and feel the thanks we are giving instead of just saying it and continuing along on our train of thought or going about our day.

Remembrance Day is a good example of this when we pause for a minute to remember.

When you work on feeling the gratitude even for a minute, it will have a greater impact on you.

So take that pause, close your eyes if you need to, and visualize the things that you are thankful for. When we operate more from a place of gratitude, we see the world through a more positive light and live in a state of resonance with our hearts.

Past, Present, Future

There are many things that we can focus on with gratitude but one of the best ways to train yourself to think more optimistically and not get stuck with your gratitude practice losing its effectiveness is by doing a three-part gratitude practice.

This takes into account having one minute to reflect on something in the past, something in the present moment you are grateful for, and then something down the road for you that you are looking forward to.

Usually, each of us favours one form of gratitude so this practice helps us to keep more balanced and all it takes is three minutes a day.

If you have a hard time sticking to it, stack it with other habits you already have ingrained, like doing it immediately after brushing your teeth in the morning.

Write It Down

Maybe you'll be giving a toast this weekend to your family members and this is another great way to have your gratitude become more salient and have a greater impact.

The other thing that you can consider doing more to continue this practice over the longer-term is to start to write down your gratitude list each day. By writing the things you are grateful for down you help your brain integrate both left and right hemispheres in the practice instead of just thinking about it. When you do this you'll feel it deeper and when you're looking forward to future things, it will also prime your subconscious to look for opportunities to make it happen.

The other advantage is that by writing it down, you’ll have this amazing bank of good memories to turn back to when you’re feeling stuck or lost in your ways.

It sounds a little woo-woo but the neuroscience behind writing down your gratitude lists is solid so hopefully, you'll give it a shot because we all need more positivity right now and to keep our heads up as we continue to move forward into uncertain territory.

So whether you’ll get to gather with loved ones from near or afar this Thanksgiving weekend, remember to feel that love and gratitude more deeply than just saying it. Because it actually makes a difference and we all need a little more of that in our lives right now.

Cheers.

RJ Kayser

The Link Between Exercise and Brain Health

As the weather starts to change this fall we may be more inclined to turn inside and exercise less. With restrictions tightening again as well as we weather the storms of another COVID-19 wave, many of our options for fitness may be limited again. But for certain we need exercise in our lives for the benefits that it provides.

Today let’s talk about some of the most important benefits of regular exercise and how you can keep going this fall and winter in spite of the circumstances

Most of us are familiar with the benefits of exercise when it comes to cardiovascular health. It’s good for our heart and our lungs to get our heart rate up and sweat.

What’s just as helpful and important to know about is that exercise improves many factors related to brain health as well. Right now as we combat the pandemic we need to stay as healthy as possible and keeping our brains sharp is part of that.

Feel Good Neurotransmitters

The first beneficial effect of exercise on the brain is one that we often associate with long-distance runners and the Runner’s High effect but the release neurotransmitters that boost our mood come from any type of exercise.

Movement and increasing circulation is something we’ve evolved to do and so our brains naturally light up during exercise to release neurotransmitters that make us feel good.

Pushing hard during a workout does provide additional results as the hormones released during harder exercise further stimulates the release of endorphins which will then give us the euphoric effects of the Runner’s High.

Our brain’s reward systems also feel a lot of satisfaction from these hard workouts and will also give us a boost of dopamine.

Get an accountability partner or set up regular sessions on your calendar to exercise. During this pandemic, we need to stay positive and keep our brains healthy.

Boosting Memory

In addition to making us feel good, research shows that we can improve our memory through regular exercise. The increase in blood flow to the brain is the first reason why exercise has been linked to improving memory. It is often recommended that students take regular breaks from school work to exercise and help with memory consolidation when studying or between different assignments. The same practice has also been used by many of the greatest writers and thinkers, including Darwin, Thoreau, Emerson, Einstein, Steve Jobs, and countless more.

If there’s something important for you to study and remember, after going through the practice of reading through it, get out for a walk or do some sort of exercise to give your brain some time to process it and let it set in.

Higher Performance

The vast majority of individuals who perform at a high level in their lives are regular exercisers. On average, the people we see making the biggest difference in our communities and around the world are incorporating exercise into their routine at least four times per week as a way to stay healthy and keep stress under control.

Maybe you don’t see yourself currently as a high-performance individual but whatever goals you have for yourself if you start to treat exercise as a more important part of your routine you are going to automatically see a rise in your productivity and quality of life.

Preventing Aging and Cognitive Decline

Well-exercised brains are healthy brains. As we age we start to see declines in memory and cognitive performance but research shows that regular exercise is one of the best things that we can do to slow down this process. Often exercise along with brain training activities can completely halt cognitive decline for several more decades than where we usually see it begin and in some cases, reverse certain conditions.

Stress can be one of the conditions that lead to more rapid cognitive decline, including drastically affecting memory and so now more than ever we want to use the power of exercise to help us in fighting off stress.

Sometimes We Just Need The Reminder

We all know that exercise is good for us and important to get regularly but sometimes we just need that reminder of all the benefits it is providing for us. So to keep your brain and your body this fall, get your workout routine set. It’s going to help to boost your mood and stay positive during these challenging times and help to fight off stress while keeping your brain functioning at a higher level.

If you want more ideas on how to make exercise routines easy to stick to, read this here:

Make Exercise Easy To Stick To

Introducing Flow CBD at Flow Spa

We are excited to announce the news that we have partnered with Flow CBD!

Flow CBD is a broad-spectrum hemp-based CBD company, providing high-quality CBD products. The advantage of broad-spectrum CBD oils over other types is that there are synergistic effects with the other cannabinoids found in broad-spectrum CBD, which research supports produces better relief from pain and anxiety without the ‘high’ caused by THC-containing oils.

Their new line of products are beneficial for a wide range of symptoms that CBD oil makes a particularly good natural solution for.

As it works on the systems in our body that produce natural anti-inflammatory and calming effects, CBD helps to reduce chronic and acute pain as well as anxiety. Many people are choosing to use CBD oil instead of relying on over-the-counter pain medication these days as the quality of the products and consistency of results has improved without the side effects caused by pharmaceuticals.

The calming effects of CBD oil also make it a useful supplement for aiding in better quality sleep and works well whether with the drops or using CBD bath bombs to promote deeper relaxation.

Flow CBD’s products are made with MCT oil as a carrier for their broad-spectrum CBD. It has a slightly nutty flavour to from the CBD oil and is very easy to take the desired dose by dropping it under the tongue and letting it sit for 30 seconds. This allows the oil time to be absorbed sublingually which will allow for better effects than through intestinal absorption.

You can learn more about Flow CBD and view their quality Certificate of Analysis at flowcbd.ca

How CBD works

CBD is a fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) antagonist. It increases anandamide in the body which then activates the CB1 and CB2 receptors throughout the brain and body. Anandamide is a neurotransmitter associated with euphoria - its name comes from the Sanskrit word meaning “joy, bliss, delight.” Sounds pretty good right? It also appears that higher than normal levels of anandamide in the brain and body can lead to reductions in anxiety, lack of fear, and enhancement of the immune system.

The Role of CB1 and CB2 Receptors

The CB1 and CB2 receptors are the main receptors of the endocannabinoid system. Early research into this system was shown to be the target of action for phytocannabinoids like THC and it wasn’t until later that scientists discovered anandamide’s activity on these receptors. CBD has a low affinity for the CB1 and CB2 receptors themselves but works indirectly on those pathways for pain and anxiety modulation through its action as a FAAH antagonist amongst other pharmacological mechanisms.

The CB1 receptor is located in the brain and central nervous system and is primarily associated with euphoria and mood regulation as it is targeted by cannabinoids like CBD, THC, and anandamide.

The CB2 receptor is located throughout the body as part of the pain signal pathway and modulates the inflammatory response in the body.

Research suggests that the other cannabinoids found in broad-spectrum CBD oil work is slightly different ways on the pathways in the endocannabinoid system, which leads to synergistic effects and better results compared to CBD isolate alone.

Because of the mechanisms of action, both CBD and THC can reduce pain and lead to improvements in mood, while CBD does so without the psychoactive effects of THC, meaning you won’t get high from CBD.

This makes CBD a very safe and effective way to improve mood, reduce anxiety, and mitigate pain and inflammation in the body without the harmful side effects that anxiolytics and over-the-counter pain medication has.

Globally, we’ve been seeing an increase in CBD use with both topical application and internal use for a wide range of conditions including:

• anxiety including social anxiety and PTSD

• depression

• pain, including arthritis and fibromyalgia

• stress symptoms

• dermatological conditions like psoriasis and dermatitis

• addiction and neurological conditions

• sports performance

The dosage depends on body weight and the severity of the symptoms that you are trying to remedy. Most people will start out with more modest dosages of around 10-20 mg per day and gradually increase daily or every few days until the desired effect is attained.

Looking on the Bright Side - How To Train Yourself To Become More Optimistic

The year 2020 has not been an easy one for the naturally optimistic and that much harder if you’re trying to become more optimistic but tend to see the world from a negative perspective.

The best of the best, those performers we call world-class, are universally a class that believes that things will work out in the end. And this holds true despite the doomsday prophesies, quarantines, and political outrages.

The good news is that the trait of optimism is trainable if this isn’t normally how your mindset operates.

Here are a few of the best ways that you can start to shift towards becoming more optimistic or further harness this characteristic if it’s already a part of your personality.

Begin With The Idea In Mind

Optimism happens naturally for some of us, you know them as the glass is half full folk. But to begin looking for the silver lining when it’s something that’s new to you starts with the idea in mind. For this entire process of shifting your mindset into a more optimistic state, I would strongly encourage you to keep a notebook or journal. The first practice is to set your intention to become more optimistic.

If this is a completely new concept or feels strange to you, it’s ok. Nobody has to ever see what you’ve written down.

Keep it secret, keep it safe.

The question that you are trying to answer for yourself with intention setting is:

• “Why do you want to become more optimistic?”

On this first page or in this first section that you are writing down your intention setting you also want to write an affirmation statement something like: “I am the type of person who is optimistic” or “I am optimistic” or “I am becoming more optimistic.” Or an even more descriptive statement if optimism doesn’t mean much to you yet is to state “I want to be the best version of myself.”

These statements always feel weird at first when you write them down but when we physically write down affirmations like this we are activating and priming regions in both hemispheres of our brain that will seek out opportunities in our environment to confirm this statement.

It’s the same as if I were to tell you not to think about a white bear. What are you thinking about now?

Or if you’re expecting an exciting delivery from FedEx, you’ll notice more FedEx trucks on the road.

The science of priming is a fascinating way to tap into the power of your subconscious mind to have it help you work away in the background even while you’re consciously engaged in other tasks. Don’t underestimate it if you’re looking to make positive changes in your life.

Training Optimism Every Day

Now that you’ve set the intention that you will become more optimistic, you need to train the brain to pick out the positive things each and every day.

Set aside about 5 minutes in the morning and/or at night for this practice. Put it in your calendar as a recurring appointment if it helps you stick to it because for a lot of us, what doesn’t get scheduled doesn’t get done.

Every day you want to write down three things that went well. We want to train optimism in the present moment but if you are having a particularly rough day, you can also draw on gratitude from past experiences that were highlights of your life or look forward to what’s coming up next in your life or future goals that you’re excited about.

If you’re doing this in the morning, reflect on the previous day and the three things that went well or if the end of the day works for you, look back on three things that went well during your day before going to sleep. You can simply think about these things but writing them down is an even more powerful practise and can have compounding effects when you start to look back on each day if you do have a difficult day. It becomes a little well of positive emotions that you can tap into whenever you need a pick-me-up.

Do this practice for at least 30 days. What you’ll start to find is that with consistency you’ll being to feel really good about your days quickly and you aren’t going to want to stop the practice once you build up momentum. As with any good habit, the goal isn’t to get to some arbitrary number of days and then just let it go cold turkey, it’s about learning to integrate it into your lifestyle for lasting changes.

Turning Tragedy Into Triumph

Everyone faces tragedy but what we know is that optimistic people seek out ways to turn that tragedy into triumph. It’s not about saying that everything is always going to work out perfectly as much as it’s about recognizing what’s in your control and what is not and working on staying focused on what you can control when bad things do happen to you.

We often get caught up in what’s going on around us and those external forces that we have no control over. It’s understandable because often the circumstances are overwhelming but when working from an optimistic mindset you want to direct most of your focus on the four forces that are under your control:

• Thoughts

• Attitudes

• Actions

• Efforts

Even when we have been physically restrained and lost that freedom as Victor Frankl experienced in the concentration camps, later described in his book Man’sSearch For Meaning, we still have the freedoms of our thoughts and attitudes. Those forces are always within us and even if your physical actions are withheld, you can still maintain your efforts despite restrictions.

It’s true that bad things happen to good people and it really do be like that sometimes.

But part of the optimistic way of looking at your life is that you don’t dwell on the past but instead learn and grow from the experience and find meaning.

It’s not about being naive in your optimism, as we saw from Frankl’s experience, those individuals in the camps that expected to be freed by an arbitrary date were the ones who ended up giving up hope and expiring when those days continued to pass by without any sign of freedom on the horizon.

And know that you don’t have to deal with things alone. When things do seem too hard to get through, reach out to the people you care about the most for support and turn to the mentors that can give you more perspective on the situation. There are also professionals that can help through hot-lines and even remote counselling services.

When COVID-19 locked everything down for us earlier this year, I re-read Man’s Search For Meaning to get some perspective on how much freedom we all still had despite many of us feeling cooped up.

Another great book to turn to during hard times is Ryan Holiday’s bestseller The Obstacle is the Way. This book can provide helpful insights into the Stoic way to see The opportunity in the obstacle and get a new perspective on your experiences through practicing objectivity.

Just like the coach on the sideline, taking a step back is often what we need to do in order to see the bigger picture when our lives become a whirlwind of emotion.

At first glance, optimism seems like it has to be something that was served on a silver platter to those most fortunate in the world but in reality, it is a trainable set of skills that do not discriminate on your circumstances. Start by setting your intention to become a more optimistic person or wanting the best from your life. Then reflect each day on three great things or experiences you had. When times seem too difficult to do this, turn back to the highlight reel from past times and look ahead to what’s next in your life. And remember that even good people face tragedy and it’s how we focus on what’s under our control and learn and grow from the experience that determines whether we’ll sink into despair or come out on top of it.

Here's How To Make It Simple To Connect To Your Breath More Regularly Throughout The Day

Your boss just adds another stack of paperwork to your desk. Your phone buzzes with a news release that piles even more stress and anxiety on your plate.

Much of the world we live in today is completely stressing us out.

One of the simplest ways that we can feel better is through checking in with our breath more regularly throughout the day.

The reality is that most of us do not breathe well or check in on the status of our bodies regularly enough and it leads to a whole range of issues from higher stress and anxiety levels to compromising our immune system.

Training yourself to breathe differently from what you’re used to can be a great challenge. Something that we do 25,000 times per day is deeply ingrained and requires a lot of conscious effort to adjust.

How To Breathe Properly

It sounds silly to have to go over this until you realize that the majority of people have terrible breathing patterns that lead to issues like higher stress levels and weakened immune systems.

When we properly breathe we engage our diaphragm which allows us to breathe more deeply and counteract the sympathetic nervous system that stresses our body and makes us sick when chronically activated.

When we are tense or in an anxious state we breathe just into our upper chest, often taking the air in through our mouths. This activates the sympathetic nervous system and can keep us in a chronic state of stress, eventually leading to illness and burnout. 

A proper breath for calming our nervous system is taken in through our nose with the exhale being longer than the inhale. This allows for a more proper exchange of carbon dioxide to oxygen in our bodies. With the frequent practice of calm breathing, we become more effective at managing our stress levels. 

Calm breathing induces the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system for greater relaxation.

4-7-8 Breathing For a Calm State

Dr. Andrew Weil has come up with the 4-7-8 technique as an easy way to extend that exhale and drop you into a calm state. To use the 4-7-8 technique, focus on the following breathing pattern: 

• Empty the lungs of air, breathe in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds. 

• Hold the breath for a count of 7 seconds.

• Exhale forcefully through the mouth or nose for 8 seconds. 

• Repeat the cycle up to 4 times to significantly reduce anxiety levels.

So let’s talk about how we can connect with our breath more regularly throughout the day to create stronger patterns for healthy and calm breathing.

These practices are built around the habits that we already have in our lives which will simplify the process and make it highly intuitive and automatic to complete with no added effort.

1. Set Up a Phone Alarm

The first strategy that you can use is to set up trigger alarms in your phone, or if you have a smartwatch, use an app like Breathe to remind you multiple times per day to check in on your breath. It’s a good idea to start with at least 3 or 4 times per day. So you could have your alarms set for first thing in the morning or just after breakfast time, late morning or early afternoon, after work, and before bed. Experiment with whatever times of the day are most realistic for you to practice catching your breath and calming it down for a minute.

2. Anchor It To Other Habits

Another way to make checking in with your breath more automatic is to anchor it to habits that you already have. This is known as habit stacking. As an example, you can spend a minute slowing your breathing through your nose each time you finish washing your hands after going to the washroom.

Another habit to stack to is anytime you refill your water throughout the day.

We all have unique habits but think about what habits you have every day that can serve as a starting point for checking in on your breath.

3. Certain Times of Day

Just like creating a trigger alarm for your breathing, the other strategy around the time of day is to simply create a hard set rule for yourself that you will check in on your breath at certain times of the day so that it becomes ingrained as automatically when you will practice. This could include times like during your morning commute, at your lunch break, or before you get out of your car and head back into the house after work.

4. Phone Wallpaper

The closest thing to getting the word “breathe” tattooed on your wrist without having to go that far is to create a wallpaper for your phone that has the word on there as a reminder. This little trick can help in addition to the other strategies above but is not as salient so I would suggest that you add this in addition to the other ones instead of depending fully on it.

It can serve as a nice little trick reminder for you though and once you’ve already started working on the habit, every time you see the note on your phone it may help you to also question what purpose you are checking your phone for so that you’re also approaching your devices with more mindfulness.

It Takes Time To Make The Change

Just as you’ve been breathing in your current pattern for a very long time, you won’t automatically start breathing like a meditation guru overnight so be patient with yourself and work on this consistently for a couple of months. You’ll slowly start to see changes in how calm you are and your overall stress levels.

How To Ease Back-To-School Stress

The start of a new school year is always a challenging time for kids, parents, and teachers alike and this year is even more of a challenge.

With a little preparation and the right attitude though, shifting from the extended summer break due to COVID-19 this year back into school mode can be made stress-free and healthy.

Helping Yourself or Your Child Cope with Back-to-School Stress

Here are four things families can do to deal with back-to-school stress.

Fall 2020 is a completely unprecedented back-to-school time for students, teachers, and their families.

Whatever choice is made with schooling, there is a higher level of back-to-school stress and uncertainty going into this coming school year than there ever has been before.

How do we cope with such back-to-school stress? What can we do to make this a time for our children that feels less scary, even if we ourselves are unsure during this difficult time?

Practice Self-Care and Encourage the Same From Your Kids

We've got to put on our own oxygen mask first in order to stay healthy for the needs of our families this year. We are less effective in caring for our loved ones if we are not caring for ourselves too.

Self-care looks a bit differently for everyone but before you or your kids start to get too stressed out, create a list of your favourite hobbies so that you have something to turn to when you start to feel frazzled.

• List out any fun hobbies that you can do on your own or with your family on a regular basis.

Take Time To Talk To Your Children

In addition to family self-care time, communication is extra important as we venture into these uncharted territories. With all the uncertainty in the air, your children need to know what the start of this school year will look like for them.

Stress and anxiety doesn’t always show on the surface, so work together to be open about what’s going on.

Allow your kids to ask questions and be honest with them. If there is something you do not know the answer to, let them know you will do your best to find out.

• Whether you’re a teacher or the parent of a student, set aside time now to talk to your kids about this new normal of the school year this fall.

Get Outside

As we start to bundle back up into long sleeves and stay indoors more, it's important to still take the time to get outside regularly.

Whether as a family or for some self-care time alone, getting into nature is a powerful way to relieve stress and improve your immune system. The natural fragrances released by trees and other plants have been shown to reduce blood pressure and stress as well as help to boost the immune system.

It doesn't take much time to benefit your well-being, 30-minutes a week can make a difference, although the more time outdoors, the better!

• Go for a bike ride or visit a park or hiking trail to reclaim your calm and balance.

Get Your Schedules Set

Our sleep cycles are crucial to staying healthy and reducing stress. For many parents and kids alike, the summer is a time when longer days and more free time shifts our schedules and the quarantine has only accentuated that this year.

Now is the time to get a schedule set back in place, prioritizing sleep and self-care time to stay well throughout the school year.

Help your kids make informed decisions about their digital devices and the impact that screens can have on sleep quality and stress levels.

You can set up Screen Time apps together or include coordinated Do Not Disturb periods for the family activities that you want to do.

A great example of how to do more of this comes from the book 24/6 by Tiffany Shlain on how to create a Digital Sabbath for yourself and your family.

We all have our part to play in staying healthy and safe as schools start back up. This includes being conscientious to not exhaust yourself and burn out through taking the time to stay connected as a family, talk through the uncertainty, spend quality time together, and unplug from technology to reduce stress and sleep better.

Self-Care for the Selfless Supporter: 4 Tips for Preventing Burnout

The overwhelming sense of indulgence in doing things for your own sake may feel like a waste of time but it makes you so much better in the other areas of your life that you owe it to everyone you perform your best for to do it.

We have been witnessing an extreme amount of caring for others and self-less ness over the last half of the year that could warm any heart. It's wonderful to know our loved ones have our back and are doing everything possible to stay positive and support us during the odd and difficult times.

But something that is for certain is that the selfless supporters can't go on indefinitely without checking in to how they are also doing. While some may have a good routine for this, more often than not, it is the most selfless of us that need the practices of self-care the most.

We have been seeing incidences of burn out increase over the last several years and the burden of COVID-19 is only like to exacerbate that problem.

When our bodies are in sympathetic overdrive for too long without giving the proper chances to rest, we start to shut down and crash. This can lead to compromised immune systems and illness or even the need for hospitalization when things get too far out of hand.

So let's talk about some of the ways that you or your selfless loved ones can practice self-care and give some of that love back into the system to keep on going much longer term.

Take Regular Pauses Throughout the Day

Most of us just jump from one task to the next without giving ourselves the chance to pause and re-engage.

There’s a big difference in how you will feel when you allow yourself even a minute or two to close your eyes or even just let your gaze soften between tasks or at the top of every hour.

We get stressed when we keep pushing hard without resetting and often it is eye fatigue from constantly staring at our work that drives this limiting factor in our bodies. Allowing the eyes the chance to rest can dramatically change how you feel throughout the whole day and into the evening as you transition from work to home life.

Fuel Good. Don't Just Feel Good.

We often reach for the most tantalizing of foods when we are feeling stressed or worn out because we get a lovely hit of dopamine in anticipation of and from the act of eating these foods. But think about how you feel after the fact. Probably not very good, and often you feel even worse because these junk foods are not refuelling your body the right way.

It’s undoubtedly a challenge to change our eating habits but knowing that it can make a huge difference for how good we feel and how well we can care for our loved ones when we are caring for ourselves first.

Move Your Body

Our bodies are meant to move. And often a lot more than we allow ourselves to. It’s important when caring for yourself and for others to stay physically active and healthy.

This doesn’t look like hard work, it looks like consistent work. A 30-minute walk each day or two fifteen-minute walks is enough to make a difference.

Give Yourself More Time To Fully Escape

As selfless caregivers, we have others on our minds at all times. It’s what we do but to continue going on in that way long-term requires that we keep our selves in mind as well.

The way that we best take care of ourselves will vary from one person to the next but it’s important that in addition to the micro-breaks that you take throughout the day you give yourself a deeper chance to reset on whatever frequency you feel you need.

For some individuals, this may mean an hour alone twice a week to do something you love like read a book quietly or go for a treatment at the spa.

It doesn’t really matter what activities you take part in as long as it resonates with you like something you get a lot of joy from.

Do what you need to if it requires you to plan in advance because it’s crucial to your long-term well-being and ability to care for others.

Once you start to implement this time into your schedule regularly, it will become a natural part of how you approach things and you will see the dramatic differences in how much more of yourself you have to give to those who need you most.

One Simple Tip For Eliminating Distractions and Gaining More Freedom In Your Schedule

We are bombarded by notifications when working on our digital devices - so much so that it’s no wonder we vent frustration at how distracting it can be to get our work done on these gadgets that are supposed to help increase our productivity.

While this is a just cause for the rationalization of using the perfect technology that is a notebook and pen, many things can be only done with proficiency on our computers.

Whether it’s coding, or editing videos, or typing out the manuscript to your bestseller, our computers are undoubtedly better at getting the work done for us for many of the tasks that we do today.

So how do we handle all the incoming swaddle to stay focused and flow with our work?

By giving ourselves more freedom.

First, Why Is This Important?

In Cal Newport’s excellent book Deep Work, he argues that as more and more jobs become automated with robotics, it’s going to be the knowledge work that only humans can do that becomes essential and even more valuable. To really excel with this work though requires sustained focus to both get the work done and also find the creativity that is uniquely human and needed to be masterful at deep work.

Apart from this, we know that becoming more mindful benefits us for a whole host of reasons and that our digital devices are an enticing distraction from practicing more presence and calm.

And if all of that is not enough, being in better control of our work allows us to accomplish more in less time which will allow us the freedom to do what we please with the extra time on our hands.

Discipline Equals Freedom

There are several apps and devices settings that we can use these days to create a more disciplined and controlled environment on our devices.

Instead of having a Swiss Army knife at your disposal, we can control our devices to be more like the simple pocket knife and in doing so have the right tool at the right time.

The best app that I have found for creating more structure from the free-for-all is Freedom. This app works across all devices and platforms to synchronize block times to restrict access to certain apps and websites (or all of it at once).

Freedom works well for developing the habit of staying off of certain apps during work hours or keeping yourself off of the internet at a set time during the day.

The way I use Freedom is to block access to all websites and email for myself from 8 AM to 10:30 AM every morning. Now, I don’t have a problem checking email or going on social media before this time, so I didn’t set up the restriction for any earlier, but if you struggle with that urge yourself, then a morning Deep Work session with no internet access going all the way to your wake up time is the better way to go.

If I’m struggling to stay off of sites in the early afternoon, I will also set up a Freedom session at that time to restrict things like email and social media pages with a little more access to internet searches if I’m looking things up. As a note though, it’s always better to automate this process so that you’re not trying to process the thought of turning off social media at the time you’re already the most distracted.

The Freedom app does cost a little bit - there’s an annual fee or a lifetime purchase option for Freedom but the amount of extra focus and work you get done means you’ll have paid for the app within just a few hours of your deep work time.

I would also point out that taking the cognitive load off of yourself for the first couple of months of using Freedom will ingrain the habit to the point that you’ll no longer feel the urge to jump on the internet during your Freedom time when you’re supposed to be getting into Deep Work. So you could just purchase it for a few months and then stop using Freedom but use your discretion at whether this will work for you or not. On devices that I don’t have freedom set up on I still abide by my no internet rule automatically now when I’m in offline mode after having formed that habit.

Notifications Off and Screen Time Limiting

There are very few notifications that we “need” to have come into our devices and so I would strongly suggest you turn off all notifications other than phone calls and maybe messages (although arguably you don’t need these on either).

A few other notifications you may want to keep on:

• Calendar

• Reminders

• Health and Wellness Pings

Other than those, notifications will pull you out of flow too often to be considered valuable to have on your devices.

The other thing to set up is a screen time limit or a bedtime set up on your device. IOS offers these now and you can set it up similar on Android. When you hit certain limits during the day, like when you’re supposed to wind down before bed, your phone will go into a screen time limit mode where it will ask you to verify that you want to open an app before unlocking it. This can help to give you the pause to think about whether you really need to be on your device anymore or if you should be asleep or getting ready for bed.

Extending this screen time limit is the morning can be a game-changer to not checking your phone right away upon waking if you find that’s something you do a lot. Give yourself at least an hour in the morning with your limit in place to wake up with a more deliberate morning routine.

Giving yourself more freedom on your digital devices comes from deliberate action to restrict the rapid swiping and incoming notifications.

Technology can be incredible for productivity and you can spend most of your day in flow even with these powerfully distracting tools if you just start with a little more discipline and a little more freedom.