Thought Management
Awareness, Compassion, and Intention
-
Cardio Exercises
-
Nutrition
-
Sleep
-
Brain Chemistry
-
Genetics
-
Meaning
Wellness Plan
Self-Help: Create Your Own Welness Plan
Peaceful Moments
For example, Peaceful Moments are very specific to an individual, some find mindfulness techniques suite them, others might be drawn to knitting or crossword puzzles. As long as you maintain a single-pointed focus on an object or activity that encourages a parasympathic nervous system response (the relaxation response). The activity would need to be calming rather than stimulating.
No fight and flight system activation!Activate your parasympathic nervous system or relaxation response on a regular basis:
mindfulness
meditation
crosswords, puzzles, or calming solitary games
knitting or quiet activities
Cardio Excercises
Burn off the stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, etc.) and fuel (glucose in your bloodstream) created by your body for the fight and flight response (sympathetic nervous system response) by engaging in cardiovascular exercise. Your body wants to run or fight, respond to that by engaging in cardio allowing your body to work it off. If you remain stationary, you experience intensified anxiety symptoms or stress.
brisk walking – running – swimming- cycling- using exercise equipment – cardio focused
Nutrition
Sleep
If sleep is a challenge for you, consider the below tips as a try-me list. One basic recommendation to address sleep disturbance is to create a “sleep routine” or “ritual” to cue your body for sleep prior to going to bed. Your body would then become ready for sleep.
See what might fit for you on the brief “try-me” list below:
-
go to bed at a regularly determined time
-
create a “worry list” prior earlier in the evening and create a “to do” list from it
-
adjust room temperature (cooler temperatures encourage sleep)
-
engage in non-screen based calming activities prior to bedtime (see Peaceful Moments)
Brain Chemistry
Your brain’s chemical messages CAUSE change in your mood …
and
Your mood CAUSES a change in your brain’s chemical messages
Brain chemistry can be impacted by all the components of your wellness plan. When you engage in activities that create feelings of peace, happiness, or contentment for example – your brain responds by producing changes in the neurotransmitters levels that reflect these emotions.
Directly impacting your brain’s chemical responses is possible on
a daily basis through the engaging in a comprehensive wellness plan.
Medications can be a helpful component of a self-care plan in certain circumstances and given certain mental health conditions. When medication is recommended, one might consider that the effectiveness is increased significantly through creating a self-care plan that addresses the many other components of health.
People have found that balanced and healthy lifestyle choices can contribute to significant changes in mental wellness that are reflected in their brain’s chemistry.
Genetics
You can influence the EXPRESSION of certain tendencies through caring for your health and well being.
We may be genetically loaded for certain mental health concerns, like anxiety or depression. Rather than seeing this as hopeless or inevitable, one could also see this awareness as an advantage. A clearer example can be found with a genetic predisposition for heart disease based on family history. This could be seen as a warning sign that challenges you to be conscious of ensuring healthy nutrition and exercise. The same holds true for anxiety and depression, this genetic tendency could be seen as a challenge to ensure a healthy and well balanced self-care plan. As soon as you experience symptoms of anxiety or depression, you are now made aware that it is time to attend to your self care.
Meaning
Meaning, Spirituality or Religion
What is the meaning/purpose of your life?
What do you believe in?
Some schools of thought in counselling focus entirely on finding meaning. When we see life as having purpose it provides perspective. This perspective can put our worries into context. We are then able to focus more on our values, the general scope of what we would like to see in our lives.
For example, let’s say you said something to someone that you regret or that worries you. The tendency might be to focus on this, replaying the scenario in your mind over and over again. When you stop – focus on your values – on what you hold to be true — perhaps that “events happen for a reason” or “what is important is that they understand I care” — we are then able to put the event into perspective. This perspective invites a new way of thinking of the event, that perhaps it is not as horrible as we had believed. Essentially it provides thought stopping and reframing opportunities, techniques commonly used in counselling.
Schedule an appointment today
(778) 765-4110
