On a weekly basis working with individuals to larger organizations, I hear the following statements about the state of the work place.

“ I am not sleeping well because I can’t turn the chatter of work responsibilities off before I go to bed.” 

 “I have so much to do that I don’t even feel I can get up and go to the bathroom.”

 “ How do I manage working, exercise, making time to eat healthy, and be a good parent and wife?” 

 “ I never leave my desk at lunch and eat my meals either in the car or at my office desk.”  

Do any of these statements feel like something you have said?

The very hard truth is that we can’t make stress disappear, especially with longer work hours and fewer people to do the work, but what we can do is work on our stress resilience.

Many of us have heard of the word stress management, but what I am speaking to is stress resilience.  We aren’t merely trying to manage stress which might be reducing stress or trying to get rid of it.  Instead the solution is finding better ways of coping knowing that stress is here and isn’t likely to go away. Dr. Richard Citrin defines stress resilience as “An individual anticipates stress- they know how to respond, which is calming, and then they can let go of the stress and get back to what is needed in the moment.

So how do we increase our resilience to stress?

Science tells us that it is important to have periods of intense focus with renewal time to be most productive and engaged.  I developed 10 tips that I have taught to clients and organizations.  I practice them myself and they REALLY work! 

1) Frequent breaks during the day is vital.

For example, taking 15 minute breaks in the morning, afternoon, and an actual lunch break most days is a start.  On average we take 20 minutes for lunch and most of us eat at our desks.  Getting away for lunch will allow you to take a break.  So where are you going for lunch today?  

2) Prioritize your most important work when demands are high.

Do the most important thing first.  You can write a checklist of what is most important to accomplish during the week and plan it out.   I find on Sunday nights, I look at what has most priority and then I schedule it in.  This is also a good time to schedule self care activities.  I am going to take a walk during lunch on Wednesday and get up early on Tuesday to go to yoga.

3) Create Specific Start and Stop Times

Work for no more than 60 minutes (building up to 90 minutes without interruption).  Turn off your email, cell phone, build specific start and stop times.

4) Eat healthfully and regularly throughout the work day.  Practice Mindful Eating, click here- http://www.intuitivelywell.com/blog/?p=73

 5) Move More

Exercise is vital to keeping our energy up and our bodies healthy.  Try and get in the recommended dose of 30 minutes of cardio, 5x a week and 2 days of strength training (weights, yoga, swimming, or pilates will meet this).

6) Bring your values into your work life  

For example: If you have a value of being kind to others, be kind to others at work via email, meetings, ect.

7) Make Sure you are getting enough sleep.

Most of us need 7-8 hours of sleep, but if you are only getting 5-6 this means you are always starting off the day a little on empty.

 8) Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation at Work

As a wellness consultant and meditation teacher, this is the tool I utilize the most.  You can meditate before or after work to bring more peace and calm and I recommend this and practice this myself.  Additionally, integrating mindful pauses through the workday to incorporate those breaks is essential for productivity and creativity at work.

Here is a tool, you might try to help you get started. Stillness Buddy is mindfulness technology at its best. You can sign up for a 14 day FREE Trial here!  I personally have Jack Kornfield on my computer.  I consider the Spirit Rock Meditation Center to be my spiritual home, so Jack feels like a good friend encouraging me to slow down.  

Stillness Buddy

Are you ready, start flexing this new muscle today! 

www.intuitivelywell.com

What does that mean?  More energy, less fatigue, improved mood, and fewer pounds.  

I have three comprehensive coaching packages that will give you a sense of what can be done to increase your boost for summer.  Special ends May 31st! 

Coaching is a science based approach to facilitating long term changes.  Over the years, coaching has been consistently recognized by behaviors as one of the best tools for achieving success.

These coaching packages integrate the core concept of mindfulness to create long lasting health and well-being practices.  Mindfulness is the energy that helps us look deeply at our body, feelings, mind, perceptions, and all that is around us.

Nutrition Refresher 

• A 50-minute Initial consultation and assessment.

• Two 30-minute follow-up visits by phone or in-person.

• A Personalized nutrition make-over plan to help you increase your energy and eat foods that are nourishing and nutrient filled.

• A guided grocery shopping trip to your favorite supermarket (Learn about nutrient values of various foods, how to read nutrition labels, tips on better choices etc, and leave knowing how to shop healthfully.)

• One lunch or dinner at any restaurant of your choice where Carley will teach you how to make healthy menu choices while dining out.  Come learn the practice of slowing down and mindful eating.  The price of your meal is included to a maximum of $20.

• A 60 minute home visit, helping you to keep healthy foods in your home, practice mindful eating and cooking at home, and learn easy recipes to incorporate for your life (Learn the 3 most important tools for keeping weight off)

• A Total of 6 in-depth and unique sessions customized for you and your lifestyle.  

Whole Body Health 

• A 50-minute Initial consultation and assessment.

• Two 30-min follow-up visits by phone or in-person.

• A Personalized wellness plan and session (integrating mind body practices for optimal health)

• A 60 minute personal training session or yoga session.

• A Personalized nutrition meal plan.

• A 60 minute coaching session, teaching you how to integrate these new practices to create more balance, health, and happiness in your life.

• A Total of 5 in-depth and personalized sessions.  

Create a Personal Happiness Project! 

It has been found that when we match our values to our actions, we feel more content and happy in our lives.   

• A 50-minute Initial consultation and assessment, lets get down to what really matters to you. 

• Two 30-min follow-up visits by phone or in-person.  

• A Personalized Happiness Prescription and Plan

• Two Personalized Coaching Sessions helping you to integrate these changes into action for long term change.

A Total of 5 in-depth and personalized sessions.    

Additionally, your coaching sessions can be arranged into a package that works for you to address your unique goals and desires.

All you need to do to get started is click on the link below to register (Look for Whole Body Healing Start Up) contact Carley at 415-971-7556 or info@intuitivelywell.com

http://www.intuitivelywell.com/carleys_voice.html#startup_one

Summer Perk

• This Coaching Package is 20% OFF just for summer!  
• Special Ends May 31st, but you have all summer to use your sessions.  
• Additionally, if you refer a Friend or NEW client to me and they buy coaching, you will automatically be gifted a FREE session with me.  

 What do I get in working with Carley?

•  Compassion and Education
•  A Structured plan of support and encouragement
•  A Practitioner who deeply believes in her clients ability to heal and transform and walks with them on this path.

 Carley Specializes In:

• Mindful Eating and Weight Loss
•  Nutritional Counseling
•  Mind- Body Practices
•  Couples Counseling
•  Work/Life Balance
•  Mindfulness and Stress Resiliency

 To your Health! 

www.intuitivelywell.com

I believe Cathy had been ready to make these changes for a long time, but she needed some words of inspiration to help her make the first step.  She came to me asking for support and we created a plan around exercise, nutrition, cooking, and even a little bit of mindfulness.

Cathy is a testament to what choosing health can do for your life. I am honored and feel much gratitude for being able to share this experience with Cathy.  I thank her for her generosity to share her story.

I think the 3 main ingredients to Cathy’s success were her positivity, consistency, and effort.
Cathy’s Milestones:

January 1: I weigh 207 pounds.

February 15th: Lost 10 pounds.

March 2nd: Lost 15 pounds.

April 13th: I’m in size 10 blue jeans!

April 16th: Lost 24 pounds!

May 6th: My breathing is so much improved-thanks to my weight loss-that I’ve been switched to a lesser asthma inhaler.

May 25th: Used the elliptical machine at the YMCA for the first time.

June 12th: I can swim for 50 minutes.

June 22nd: Lost 30 pounds.

July 5th: I weigh 175 pounds.

July 18th: A new high for me: 465 calories burned in 38 minutes!

August 10th: My percentage of body fat is down 17%, to 25.7%! The optimal range is 15-25%.

Cathy has lost 40lbs total and has an intention to lose 50lbs. She is now an avid road biker, exercise enthusiast, mindful and healthy eater, and has actually biked more than 100 miles in the month of January.

Cathy already started off interested in cooking and eating healthy, but really transformed her cooking and her lifestyle with her food choices.

Her husband wasn’t exercising, but actually lost weight just by eating what she was eating. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

I always say you get fit in the gym, but you lose weight at the table.

Cathy feels the most helpful resources for cooking were:

•Martha Rose Shulman, who writes the Recipes for Health column in the New York Times.

I’ve liked practically every recipe of hers that I’ve tried. And the fact that they’re accompanied by nutritional info has been very helpful.

•I’ve liked a lot of recipes from Heidi Swanson’s blog, 101 Cookbooks, and her latest cookbook, Super Natural Cooking Every Day.

Cathy modified Swanson’s recipes to fit her tastes.

•I love Salad as a Meal, by longtime cookbook writer Patricia Wells.

I wanted to share this story with you to inspire you that if Cathy can do it, so CAN YOU!

Here are 5 Tips to Keep Your Health Motivation High!

1.  Stay Accountable

Accountability is an important self monitoring tool and can keep you accountable to the intentions that you set each week.

How do I stay accountable?

•Check in with a friend, coach, or family member every week.

•Write it down.  Put it on the calendar, use a food diary, etc.

2. Be Adventurous

Try new things!

•Learn a new exercise (rock climbing, swimming, road biking, etc.)

•Try new recipes

•Explore nature and be active

3.  Enlist Support

Its important to have support outside of ourselves.  Keep a cheerleading squad of support who knows you are on the path to health and can encourage you along the way.

Cathy created an entourage of support:

- Her daughters and husband

- Me, her coach

- Friends

- Extended Family

- Her road biking community

- Her hyperactive Jack Russel dog who helped Cathy get outside at least once a day.

4.  Keep Your Commitment

Its so easy to be distracted by what other people are doing or not doing, but that isn’t necessarily what is best for you.

Example: You are at a restaurant and everyone is ordering dessert, but you know you aren’t hungry.

What do you do? You keep your commitment to making healthy choices and pass on dessert, but get tea so you can join in.  Next time, when you have some room and really want dessert, you order it.

We all slip and in fact this is a normal part of change. When one slips, its important to be compassionate with ourself, see what might’ve caused you to slip, and then get back on your plan and the routine that has been working. It is as simple as that.

Long Term change looks like taking 2 steps forward, maybe one step back, but you are still 1 step ahead.

How does Cathy keep her commitment?

•Brings exercise clothes when she travels and aims to exercise 5-6 days a week.

•Eats healthy at restaurants and while visiting friends and family out of town

•Looks for new and healthy recipes that she shares with friends and family while in the Bay Area or even cooking these recipes if she is able to and out of town.

5.  Recognize Your Success!

This important step is often forgotten.

We can often have our to do list, check it off, and then start a new list the next day.

What is missing in this equation? We aren’t actually acknowledging the work that we are doing and giving ourselves a moment to soak in our efforts.  Its important to stop and say, “Hey, Good JOB Lady or Mister, that was hard work you just did.”

This week no matter what it is, how can you take in and acknowledge your beauty, hard work, and goodness?

If you can start these tips today, I know you can create the kinds of healthy changes you are seeking!

If you feel inspired by this story and/or want more support to create healthy changes in your life, coaching might be the answer.

What can I expect from Coaching?

•A integrative and tailored approach to your unique goals and lifestyle.

•Education, Support, and a Plan you can stick to.

•Weekly Encouragement and Accountability

Carley Specializes in the Following Areas:

•Mindful Eating and Weight Loss

•Nutritional Counseling

•Mind/Body Practices

•Exercise Prescription

•Couples Counseling

•Work Life Balance

•Meditation and Stress Reduction

Make your first step today and call Carley at 415-971-7556 for a FREE 20 minute Wellness Consultation!

Intuitive Wellness

Giving to Mother Earth

This holiday season, you can adopt acres of land to be protected, plant trees to cut down your carbon imprint, or even adopt animals that need a fair chance for survival.  Here are some organizations I believe are doing great work.

Adopt an Animal- Oceana

Buy Land or Plant a Tree- The Nature Conservancy

350.org- Helping to Solve the Climate Crisis- http://www.350.org/

Wellness Books

The Buddhas Brain

I highly recommend this book to all my clients to really understand how your brain works and learn to incline your mind to the positive.

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach Ph.d

This is a book for women and men alike who struggle with being kinder to themselves.  Tara Brach is a very gifted writer and compassionate teacher.

Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson

There are so many cookbooks, but one I have come to enjoy and love and helps you to cook from more whole foods is this one.  Enjoy!

Mindfulness

I couldn’t talk about gift ideas without some helpful tools in how to integrate more mindfulness into ones day

Daily Mindfulness Practice

Hugger Mugger sells wonderful zafus aka (meditation cushions) yoga mats, and other products that will help you to slow down and reconnect to yourself.  Simply click on the above link which will direct you to my home page and then click on the Hugger Mugger icon.

Awaken Your Joy

Awakening Joy is a 10 month class one of my meditation teachers, James Baraz teaches.  I myself took the course 2 years ago and really enjoyed it.  It is a a wonderful class that you can do here in the Bay Area or even gather friends and family who don’t live here to take it with you online.  The class starts in February.

Awakening Joy

www.intuitivelywell.com