My thoughts for the month...
Dr. D Rodger ND, MBA
“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today”
Whether it’s fleeting, in-the-moment stress or elevated, long-term stress, it’s important to find healthy techniques that allow your mind and body to unwind, relax and regroup. Having spent the guts of two decades running my own business as an entrepreneur, I am no stranger to the fast-paced nature of the work world. Long hours, mounting demands and deadlines, high pressure… you name it, I’ve felt it. And it wasn’t just taking a toll on me, it was impacting the physical and mental psyche of my family as well. I had a huge moment of clarity and realized that I needed to take a step back from my work and focus on what was really important: me!
Avoiding stress, or a feeling of being overwhelmed is nearly impossible; this is a natural part of life and overcoming challenges is what allows us to grow and become even stronger, more powerful versions of ourselves. What is possible is shifting the way you view your stress and learning to better understand and partner with it in healthy ways. If stress isn’t acknowledged and properly managed, it can lead to weight fluctuation, digestive problems, brain fog, illness and disease. After acknowledging my own levels of stress and its effects on my health, I started implementing four simple concepts into my daily life that helped reduce stress while improving my focus, productivity and creativity.
1. Reduce stress by putting yourself first.
You are the only CEO of your brain and body and the biggest factor in your success, so try to invest in your peace of mind with relaxation activities a little bit each day. It’s so important to take time for yourself every day and do what you want that gives you the most internal satisfaction and enjoy it, every day.
2. Don’t forget to breathe.
Proper breathing helps you release physical tension, it calms the nervous system, brings new energy into the brain and hits the reset button when you run into challenges and feel overwhelmed. Try this quick one-minute exercise: close your eyes and count ten long, slow breaths in and out. Breathe deeply all the way into your belly. Most of my clients prefer to repeat to themselves “inhale one, exhale one, inhale two, exhale two…” and so on, to keep a natural rhythm and pace. Stay fully absorbed in counting, practicing letting go of thoughts and distractions as you breathe out.
3. Take it one task at a time.
Instead of multitasking, and being all over the place, focus first on the areas that add the most value to your business, working through your to-do list one task at a time until fully completed.
4. Give yourself a break and celebrate.
Remember to be proud of all that you accomplish in a day or during the week. No matter how big or small it might seem, take pride in what you do and who you are. Take the top three things you’re grateful for or the accomplishments you want to celebrate and write them down on a piece of paper or on a Post-It note. Then stick it on your bathroom mirror, the keyboard of your laptop, or somewhere so you can see it often as a consistent reminder of what you’ve achieved that week. It’s a great motivator to stay on track with goals/passions and what brings you joy.
These simple daily techniques allow you to not only improve your physical and mental strength but also to truly thrive at your fullest as you harmonize your mind, body, spirit and purpose.
Whether it’s fleeting, in-the-moment stress or elevated, long-term stress, it’s important to find healthy techniques that allow your mind and body to unwind, relax and regroup. Having spent the guts of two decades running my own business as an entrepreneur, I am no stranger to the fast-paced nature of the work world. Long hours, mounting demands and deadlines, high pressure… you name it, I’ve felt it. And it wasn’t just taking a toll on me, it was impacting the physical and mental psyche of my family as well. I had a huge moment of clarity and realized that I needed to take a step back from my work and focus on what was really important: me!
Avoiding stress, or a feeling of being overwhelmed is nearly impossible; this is a natural part of life and overcoming challenges is what allows us to grow and become even stronger, more powerful versions of ourselves. What is possible is shifting the way you view your stress and learning to better understand and partner with it in healthy ways. If stress isn’t acknowledged and properly managed, it can lead to weight fluctuation, digestive problems, brain fog, illness and disease. After acknowledging my own levels of stress and its effects on my health, I started implementing four simple concepts into my daily life that helped reduce stress while improving my focus, productivity and creativity.
1. Reduce stress by putting yourself first.
You are the only CEO of your brain and body and the biggest factor in your success, so try to invest in your peace of mind with relaxation activities a little bit each day. It’s so important to take time for yourself every day and do what you want that gives you the most internal satisfaction and enjoy it, every day.
2. Don’t forget to breathe.
Proper breathing helps you release physical tension, it calms the nervous system, brings new energy into the brain and hits the reset button when you run into challenges and feel overwhelmed. Try this quick one-minute exercise: close your eyes and count ten long, slow breaths in and out. Breathe deeply all the way into your belly. Most of my clients prefer to repeat to themselves “inhale one, exhale one, inhale two, exhale two…” and so on, to keep a natural rhythm and pace. Stay fully absorbed in counting, practicing letting go of thoughts and distractions as you breathe out.
3. Take it one task at a time.
Instead of multitasking, and being all over the place, focus first on the areas that add the most value to your business, working through your to-do list one task at a time until fully completed.
4. Give yourself a break and celebrate.
Remember to be proud of all that you accomplish in a day or during the week. No matter how big or small it might seem, take pride in what you do and who you are. Take the top three things you’re grateful for or the accomplishments you want to celebrate and write them down on a piece of paper or on a Post-It note. Then stick it on your bathroom mirror, the keyboard of your laptop, or somewhere so you can see it often as a consistent reminder of what you’ve achieved that week. It’s a great motivator to stay on track with goals/passions and what brings you joy.
These simple daily techniques allow you to not only improve your physical and mental strength but also to truly thrive at your fullest as you harmonize your mind, body, spirit and purpose.
