The Value of Walking for Your Mind, Mood, and Body

• June 21, 2020
• Simple Wellness

Today’s blog is a guest post from Joyce Shulman. I shared a book review of her new book Walk Your Way to Better last week. Today she’s sharing about the value of walking just for my readers!

Walking has been part of my life since childhood. I remember walking home from middle school, long walks on the beach the summer of my junior year of college, and the daily walk to my office as a young lawyer in New York City.

But there is one afternoon when I was sixteen that has remained etched in my memory. I came home from high school in a very bad mood. I don’t know if it was a poor grade, mean girls, or maybe it was about a boy … it was high school so it could have been any one of those things or it could have been nothing. My dad, who has a deep and instinctual understanding of people (especially me) took one look and said “go for a walk, and then we’ll talk.” Taking his advice, I dropped my backpack on the red couch in the den and walked out the door. I returned home two miles later and I vividly remember how my mood had shifted.

That was the moment I discovered the power of walking to boost my mood. Since then, I’ve discovered extensive research that has demonstrated the connection between movement and mood. Just one hour of walking can reduce the risk of major depression, and a 2018 study found that people who exercise (including walking) reported 43% fewer “bad” mental health days.

And I’ve discovered more benefits of this walking practice of mine. Over the decades that I’ve worked as a lawyer, an entrepreneur, and a writer, I have wrestled with countless creative and strategic challenges. Truly, I can’t even begin to count the number of problems I’ve been called upon to solve or ideas I’ve needed to generate. I dare say it could easily be in the hundreds of thousands. Perhaps millions. And the temptation is always to sit at my computer until the ideas come and the work gets done.

But decades of experience have taught me that the most effective way to solve a problem or generate an idea is to walk away from it. Literally.

Once again, the research bears this out. A Stanford University study found that walking boosts creative output by 60 percent, and the increased creativity continues for several minutes after the walk.

Last, but certainly not least, is the impact a regular walking practice can have on your body. And once again, there’s my dad. 91 years old young. His mind is sharp, his spirit is intact and his body is strong. And yes, you guessed it, he walks every day. And he is not an anomaly. Research has found that walking has benefits for your heart, your bones, your joints, and your blood pressure. It can also help fight cancer — one Harvard study showed women who walked just 1 to 3 hours per week reduced their risk of death from breast and uterine cancers by 19%, and men with prostate cancer were 57% less likely to see their disease progress if they walked at least 3 hours a week.

My personal walking practice has helped me manage my stress, boost my mood, fuel my creativity, and has helped keep me healthy for decades. And I’m not alone.

Joyce Shulman

Joyce Shulman is the co-founder of Macaroni Kid, Pack Leader at 99 Walks, and author of Walk Your Way to Better. A serial entrepreneur, speaker, and self-confessed idea junkie, you can find her on Instagram at Joyce.r.shulman.

The post The Value of Walking for Your Mind, Mood, and Body appeared first on Live Simply, Eat Well.

Joyce Shulman, founder and CEO of 99 Walks and Macaroni Kid reaches millions of moms each month with hyper-local and national e-newsletters and websites, social media content, video, and her Weekly Walk podcast. Having created a one-of-a-kind digital platform, she connects families to the wonders of their own communities and inspires women to chase their dreams and crush their goals.

Her most recent endeavor, 99 Walks, is on a mission to combat loneliness and improve fitness through the simple act of encouraging moms to walk together. Her mission? Nothing short of getting a million women walking.

It’s amazing what the power of a 30 minute walk can do for the mind, body, and spirit. I encourage you to make the time in your day for a walk. It might be hard at first, but over time you will start to crave that time to think. And with Joyce’s book, you’ll have lots to think about as you walk along.

You can find Joyce’s book “Walk Your Way To Better” here on Amazon.

And you can find Joyce here:

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It is quite easy to be caught up in worrying about the future or over-analyzing the past. Especially in times of uncertainty, we can spend way too much time thinking about the future. And in that, we lose our time in the present.

While I’m not saying that you should never think of the future. There is a difference between planning for and being mindful of the future vs. constantly obsessing about what may or may not happen.

We need to have balance in all areas of our life – and our thought patterns are one of those places. By practicing mindfulness in daily activities, we can keep a focus on what is happening right now. Focusing on the present lets you appreciate where you are in that moment.

Here are 5 places you can practice mindfulness in your daily life…

1. Eating

The benefits of mindful eating are so much more than just being in the present moment. It’s also a fantastic way to improve your digestion and overall health & wellbeing!

So often we are eating quickly, eating on the go, or eating as we stand at the counter. None of these options allow for us to be enjoying our food or properly digesting it. In fact, this one aspect of nutrition is often overlooked when it comes to improving health, nutrition, and digestion.

In order for your body to digest food well and make the most of those nutrients, it needs to be in a parasympathetic state. This means you are relaxed and ready to digest. It should be obvious that eating quickly or as we run from place to place is not a relaxed state! Because of this, our digestion does not work optimally and we experience gas/bloating/indigestion along with a poor breakdown of food which can lead to other digestive health issues.

So how do we mindfully eat? First start by taking the time to sit down to eat. Take a moment to take a big breath, say a prayer, and come to a rested state before you begin. Eat without distractions. Put away your phone, computer, and work. Focus on the food you’re eating, the people you’re with, and the environment you are in. Take the time to enjoy your food. Think about the flavors & textures. Chew a lot & don’t rush (try for 10-20 chews at least per bite). This helps break down food more for better digestion.

2. Work

Whether you work from home or in an office (or usually in an office but currently at home), it is so easy to get distracted or work on multiple things at a time. While sometimes this is necessary depending on the line of work, this rarely leads to the productivity we imagine. I recently wrote about why you should ditch multitasking. The benefits generally do not outweigh the negatives that come from it.

To do your best work, bring your focus to the task at hand. Silence your phone and close your email program. Give undivided attention to the project you are working on. I have been amazed at the difference I see in my productivity when I do this.

3. Family Time

Most of us do the things we do to support and care for our family. We work to provide for them. We cook and clean to take care of them and the home we share. So when it comes to spending time with those we love, why are we so often pulled away by checking that message we received, replying to an email quick, or scrolling through social media?

Whether you are spending time with your spouse, kids, or friends, the time you spend together will be the most enjoyable when we are focused on the people we are with and what we are doing together. I’m sure you’ve spent time with people who seem so distracted by their phones. They are constantly checking that new message received or glancing at it again and again as you talk. Maybe you’ve been that person. I think we all have at some point. But I challenge you to break this cycle. Silence your phone or leave it in another room when you spend time with those loved ones. Set aside time to do things together and be in that moment.

4. Walking

Mindful walking isn’t something you need to do every time you walk. I love to listen to a great podcast when I walk! But sometimes when our minds have been busy all day, it’s so lovely to take 15-20 min to have a relaxing, mindful walk.

When you walk mindfully (which can also be called walking meditation), you focus on your breath. The goal isn’t to have fast nor a super slow pace. Just what feels comfortable without heavy breathing. Focus on the nature around you. Focus on your breath. Focus on how your heel hits the ground and your foot rolls up to your toes as you take a step. Be mindful of the walking activities and release any other thoughts.

Walking meditation can be a great way to practice meditation if you don’t like doing traditional sitting meditation. You get the same great benefits of a clear, focused mind but while moving.

5. Everyday Activities

Mindfulness can be extended to just about any daily activity. You can mindfully wash the dishes by focusing on what you are washing, feeling the temperature of the water, the look of the items, or the scent of the dish soap.

Mindful driving is something we could all likely benefit from, too. How often do you drive that work commute and end up 5 miles down the road, yet not remembering that last 5 miles? Keeping a keen focus on what is going on around you keeps you focused and alert.

Everything from gardening to cleaning to helping kids with schoolwork can be done with a mindful focus on being in the moment and not letting ourselves be distracted. Observe what you are doing. Focus on the sights, smells, feel, and sounds.

How Can You Be More Mindful Today?

It’s probably unrealistic to expect yourself to be mindful 100% of the time. The human mind just doesn’t work like that. But by working to incorporate more mindfulness every day, we can train our minds to keep better focus and spend more time in the present. Daily meditation practice – either through something like mindful walking or a traditional meditation – can enhance this even more.

What will you work to be more mindful on today?

The post 5 Ways To Be More Mindful Every Day appeared first on Live Simply, Eat Well.

Did I mention that just about anytime I tried to do Instagram stories of my cooking that I ended up burning something? But who cares – I was being super efficient and getting so much done!

But truth is, I wasn’t.

I wasn’t doing my best work. I wasn’t giving my projects my full focus. I was leaving out things that should have been done, burning dinner, and not giving my loved ones my full attention in our conversations.

It’s not all or nothing

I am not saying that you should never multitask. I often record video messages to my sisters using the Marco Polo app while I get ready in the morning or washing dishes. Or I listen to podcasts while I walk or commute. Not everything in life needs to be a single task.

But we also need to be truthful with ourselves when it comes to the quality of work and attention we are giving each task.

Are we only half listening to the people we are talking to because we are also focused on our phone, laptop, tv, etc? Are we doing our best work at our jobs or own businesses? Are we remembering to do the things we said we would do?

Multitasking doesn’t = efficiency

The idea behind multitasking is that you are doing multiple things simultaneously so that you work on multiple projects or to-do list items at once. Theoretically, this should lead to higher accomplishments and productivity.

However, continued research into multitasking has shown that the opposite is true. We get less done and we do lower quality work when we are constantly multitasking.

This is because when your brain has to switch from one task to another constantly or is interrupted by phone notifications or other shiny objects, something always suffers. While you may think you can easily jump back and forth, end work quality generally suffers as we lose our train of thought and get out of the “zone” of concentration. This interesting research by Stanford found how distracted multitaskers were and how it affected their cognitive abilities.

Practicing mindfulness in all we do is key to staying in the moment, having our best focus, and doing our best work. When we are mindful of our activity, we can think more clearly, have better inspiration, and be super productive.

Breaking up with multitasking

Multitasking is probably ingrained in your personal life and workflow. You check emails and messages while you eat before rushing out the door. You reply to emails that ding on your computer or phone while you work on a work project. I know this was a very common practice for me. But I also knew that it really wasn’t working for me. I wasn’t making the progress I should in my work, and I was distracted constantly from my other tasks. I want to offer some suggestions to break up with multitasking.

1. Top 3 List

I like to write a to-do list for the day of things I’d like to accomplish. I try to be realistic as I write this, but also include extras that I’d love to accomplish. I then pick the top 3 that either absolutely NEED to get done or are things that I really want to get finished. These 3 are my main focus for the day. Once I finish those, I pick my next top 1-2 items and go from there.

2. Only work on one

I don’t try to do more than one item at a time. I pick one to start with and go from there. I work on that task until it’s finished. The only exceptions to this are if there’s some wait time (like waiting forever for my slow internet to upload a video to my YouTube channel). I don’t switch back and forth between my top 3 tasks or between the task at hand and my email, phone, etc.

3. Minimize distractions

When I’m trying to get a project done – whether it’s for work, my business, or our home – I get rid of all distractions. If I’m working on my laptop, I close every program except what I’m using. All email is shut down (unless of course I’m working on email replying!). My phone gets silenced and often left in another room on the charger. If you are working at home with others, it is also helpful to tell them that you are working on a project for the next hour and to please not interrupt unless it’s an emergency.

4. Don’t strive for perfection or “doing it all”

Because here’s the truth: nobody is perfect and no one can do it all. And some of the things you may put on your to-do list are things you probably shouldn’t be doing at all to make the most progress in your work and personal life. It’s very easy to get caught up in the busywork when really we should be focusing on the progress movers…the things we can do to really make progress towards our goals. So first, take a look at your to-do list and make sure you aren’t filling your time with things that aren’t moving you towards goals. Second, don’t exhaust yourself trying to do a massive amount of things in a day. Be respectful of your energy. Be respectful of your body & mental well being. Find balance in work, activity, sleep, and self-care.

5. Work on improving your focus

If you’ve been multitasking for years, you may have some trouble getting yourself to focus on one thing and to be mindful during activities. You will have to work to create more mindful behavior. Ways to improve your mindfulness and focus:

• Practice meditation – meditation is hands-down one of the best ways to get your mind better at focusing. It teaches you (and your mind) to be present and in the moment. It helps you learn to deal with the distractions that float in and to refocus. I love the Calm app, but there are other great free meditations on YouTube or through other sites. If you don’t like traditional meditation, you can try walking meditation where you walk and focus on your feet hitting the ground, your breathing, and your surroundings.
• Eat mindfully – when you eat, remove all distractions (phones, books, tv, etc.). Focus on what you are eating, how it tastes, smells, and feels. Chew slowly, enjoy the food! Focus on the people you are with. Have conversations, listen more than you speak.
• Alternate nostril breathing – This breathing technique helps to relax your body and clear your mind. To use this technique, use your right thumb to close off your right nostril. Inhale through your left nostril, then plug your left nostril with your right ring finger. Release your thumb from your right nostril, and exhale. Now inhale through the right nostril, close it off again with the thumb, release your finger from your left nostril, and exhale. This completes one cycle. Repeat for 5-10 cycles or even for a few minutes.

One at a time…

I know this is a hard one to break. I still catch myself doing it more than I want. But I also know that I have seen the positive benefits of staying on task. Increased productivity, higher quality work, improved focus, better relationships, more awareness of what I’m doing… and less burnt food.

The post Should You Ditch Multitasking? appeared first on Live Simply, Eat Well.

I found that as my home simplified, my brain was more relaxed. It was then that I truly realized how much visual clutter affected my mind and my ability to focus and feel relaxed in my home. This is even more apparent now because I can sense the stress level difference when I’m in a messy space vs. a simplified one. This was something I didn’t notice earlier.

My closet was one area that I really noticed this – first through basic decluttering but then again when I really reduced items and took more out to create a capsule wardrobe.

In February I decided to whittle down my wardrobe further and see how things worked dressing with less. I had been following Courtney Carver from Be More With Less for a while and I’d seen a lot about her Project 333 capsule wardrobe. Using that as inspiration I did take out a lot and I have been living with much less in my closet for almost 3 months now.

Around the time I did this, I also pre-ordered her Project 333 book that was released in mid-March. I was excited to get this book and dive into this topic more deeply.

What is Project 333?

The basis of Project 333 is that you are creating a 3 month capsule wardrobe with 33 items. These items include tops, bottoms, dresses, shoes, outerwear, & accessories (belts, hats, scarves, jewelry, etc). Not included are socks, underwear, sleepwear/loungewear, and workout clothes (as long as they are only worn for working out).

The number 33 may sound very limiting, especially if you have an extensive wardrobe. But don’t fear – first of all, if you are new to this, it’s always good to just try something new. But also know, that this is a flexible thing. If you decide on 40 things instead, that’s ok. As Courtney says, “This is not a project in suffering.”

But the idea of picking out just 33 items can be a challenge! I did end up with more than 33 when I did my first one in February. With working 2 days per week out of the home and spending the rest of my time working from home I needed to see how to balance my wardrobe variety. But I did greatly reduce the clothing in my closet. In the end, I had about 25 tops that I rotated through…and that number was only that high because I dressed in layers of shirts + cardigans a lot due to workplace temperature fluctuations. You can watch the video I made about my capsule wardrobe below.

Challenging Your Never

One thing I loved about the Project 333 book was the section called Crazy on challenging your never. There are so many things in life that you might catch yourself saying “I could NEVER…” She says to take these things and say “Wouldn’t it be crazy if…” and then really think about making them happen. You might be thinking…

Wouldn’t it be crazy if I simplified my closet?

Wouldn’t it be crazy if I could actually dress with only 33 items for 3 months?

Those were some thoughts I had along the way, but here were some more I’ve had…

Wouldn’t it be crazy if we downsized our home from 2700 ft to 1600 ft? It’s kind of crazy to move out of a great old farmhouse and downsize to save money. We’d definitely give up space (both in house and in our yard), but it would allow us to pursue our dream of buying wooded land and building a modest size home.

Wouldn’t it be crazy if we could both work jobs that we loved and brought us joy? What if we could both be working jobs that weren’t stressful, that we loved doing, and that we felt properly rewarded for what we did? What if we could pursue dreams to try new things?

Wouldn’t it be crazy if we could spend more time doing the things we love? What if we could get rid of some of the things that were consuming so much time (and that we didn’t love doing) so that we could spend more time on new hobbies we wanted to try or to travel to places we had always wanted see?

I encourage you to think about what your crazy or never statements might be. And then think of how you could take those on and make them happen.

It starts with a closet…

I truly think the closet is a great place to start if you’re looking for somewhere to simplify your life. The beauty of the capsule wardrobe is that you don’t have to get rid of everything. It simply gets boxed up and put away somewhere for a while. There’s no permanent commitment to get rid of those things. But you may very well find that after 3 months you will be ready to let some or all of those things go.

Dressing with less can free your mind … choosing what to wear is SO much more simple when you have just a few things to choose from. If you choose things that mix and match well, the outfit combos are endless, and it’s so fast to just pick something out and be on your way to starting your day. One less major decision to think over in the morning.

Courtney’s book was a great inspiration for me to keep my closet simplified. It goes through the whole process to help you create your capsule wardrobe, but it also offers so much more insight and encouragement about why you should try it and how it will benefit you. You can find the book on Amazon or in your favorite bookstore.

The post Project 333 Book Review + Create a Capsule Wardrobe appeared first on Live Simply, Eat Well.

If you are feeling stressed, I’m not surprised.

And while we might realize we are stressed, ignoring it and moving forward is not generally the best option. Stress (whether brought on by things we can’t control or self-made) can be really hard on the body. Today I’m going to talk about some of the ways stress can affect your body, but keep reading, because I’m also going to talk about how to combat stress and reduce the effects of it.

Immunity

Constant stress sets off the fight or flight response in your body. Unfortunately, this happens whether we are running for our life, or we lose our job, have relationship issues, or are losing our minds trying to help our kids do virtual school by relearning geometry & pre-calculus after 24 years (raises hand).

When stress happens occasionally, your body reacts and goes back to normal. But when there is a constant stress response from our body, it can weaken your immune system, which can make you more susceptible to illnesses. This is obviously not what we want right now!

Energy

As mentioned above, stress starts that fight or flight, which releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These are normal reactions to stress that help our bodies react as they need to handle a situation.

In the case of chronic stress, these hormones are continually released and eventually, it gets to the point where the body can not recover properly. This results in many issues, including fatigue & that burnout feeling.

In addition to stress reduction (which I go into below), be sure to eat a well-rounded diet filled with whole foods, lots of veggies, protein, & healthy fats. Keep refined carbs & sugars to a minimum as this will help keep your blood sugar more stable.

Sleep

Sleep is SO important. It’s one of the important functions to help your body heal & recover. But it is also something that can easily suffer due to chronic stress. As mentioned above in the Energy section, these same reactions result is poor sleep when our body becomes worn out from overproducing these stress hormones.

Additionally, feelings of anxiety can weigh heavily, leaving our minds spinning as we try to go to sleep. I find that prayer & meditation work really well for me to calm my mind (and heart rate) when I’m feeling anxious. [Related Post: Setting Yourself Up For Great Sleep]

Cravings / Weight

An additional reaction that happens when those stress hormones are released is the effects on the cravings we have. Cortisol can stimulate your appetite, and its generally for things that are “comfort foods”. Since chronic stress also can leave us with less energy to get moving, and sleeping poorly, the addition of cravings and overeating can result in unwanted weight gain. [Related Post: How To Handle Stress Eating]

So what do we do about stress?

Now that you have seen a few things stress can impact in the body, how do we counteract this when some things are out of our control (like job layoffs or virtual schooling). Here are some things to try:

Reduce stress where you can

Find ways to get rid of the extra things that are just adding to your stress pile. These are your “controllables”…the things you CAN control when so many other things are out of control:

• Let go on your rules – if monitoring screen time length (once schooling is completed) is a daily stress, consider relaxing the rules on it during this time. Sometimes we all need a little escape and a place to find extra sanity.
• If wiping down every item you buy from the store is making you lose your marbles and stressing you out to the max, stop doing it. Many experts are saying that this is not really necessary…and considering that stress lowers your immunity, it’s better to let this one go if it’s adding stress.
• Consume less social media & news. Trust me on this one, it’s a huge help with stress during times like this (and honestly during a lot of times!). I avoid most news and only go on social media 1-2 times/day…sometimes less. I can notice a huge difference in how I feel compared to days I’m on more often. [Related Post: It’s Time To Turn Off Notifications]

Make time for downtime

It may sound funny to some to say “make time” but I can personally say that even though I am not working outside the home right now and only leave on rare occasions, I STILL don’t always take the time to take a walk, exercise, or meditate. It’s very easy to push these things off, especially when we get into a funk. You will not be disappointed in the results if you take the time to incorporate movement, favorite hobbies, and mental downtime. Start small if you need to – that’s what I did. I started adding one habit per day. Now I’ve been walking 2 miles most days, meditating almost daily, exercising multiple days/week, and doing yoga as well. I definitely feel the difference! This me-time does so much for my mind & spirit.

Give yourself grace

We ALL deserve some grace – especially during times when our normal has been scooped up and tossed into the air like confetti. Some days you will be doing amazing things and organize & declutter an entire room. The next day you may find yourself wandering around aimlessly staring out windows. Both of these are ok. When I feel like the latter, I allow myself a day of “meh”. And then the next day I work to give myself something to focus on. This normally gets me back to feeling even semi-productive. But I allow myself to feel that blah sometimes and I don’t get down on myself about it.

May You Be Well

This is a mantra I love to repeat… “May I Be Well”… “May I Be Happy” … “May I Be Healthy” Sometimes we need to repeat these things in our minds (or out loud) to remind our hearts & minds that we will be happy…we will be well. I encourage you to take time to do the things above to help destress during any time you are feeling overwhelmed or exhausted. And I will say for you as I do for myself: May You Be Well.

The post 4 Ways Stress Affects Your Body + How To Combat It appeared first on Live Simply, Eat Well.

Yoga is simple in practice but result-oriented in nature. It is an effective exercise. Yoga’s disciplinary and therapeutic movements assist your body to release stress quickly and promote positive energy. It gives your body a feeling of soothing.  It makes you whole again in no matter of time. 

Yoga is a practice, an exercise, and an experience. In Yoga you experience yourself. It connects you with yourself. It connects you with nature too. Yoga’s simplicity and purity help you regain yourself from a stressful environment. It gives you back to yourself. Where gyms and some of the best fitness equipment fail to protect people from stress, Yoga becomes a remedy. Here is how Yoga benefits millions of people worldwide every day in reducing stress and improving the quality of their lives.  

Mind, body, and soul are at the heart of Yoga’s philosophy. Put them at peace, you are stress-free. In Yoga, away from your life’s hustle and bustle, you are no one but you. Besides nature’s songs and scenes, you are only who you can listen to, feel, and experience. This gives you time, space, and a chance to know yourself. It gives you spirit, motivation, and realization of yourself. 

As a mystic said “you learn through reading but understand with love”– by learning and understanding yourself you become aware of yourself and your surroundings, which are a source of disturbing your peace and causing stress. It makes you love yourself again and take care of your mind, body, and soul.

2)   Connecting with self

When you are busy in your demanding life, you become forgetful of yourself. You don’t have space, time, and energy to connect with yourself, to communicate with, to listen to, to notice, to know, and understand yourself better. You ignore the demands of your body and soul, let alone making an effort for meeting them. No matter how long you have been lost in the jungle of your daily life, Yoga will locate you. It will help you find yourself.

Yoga creates an urge in you to step back from your life for a moment. You sit on a mat or on the ground at home or in the park where you are no one but you, then you remember nothing but you. The moment of nothingness is when you finally look for yourself. It is probably the first and only time when you feel you are with yourself.   

3)   Connecting with nature

Your ecology is nature’s sights, scenes, and songs. You should listen to them, see them, and experience them to stay fresh, full of energy, and healthy. When you ignore them. When you are out of contact with them, you are lost. Connect yourself with nature. It is as important as connecting with yourself.

 In urban settings, you have everything but nature. Everything but nature is not enough to live a quality life. You cannot come in terms with peace. You are stressed and tense. You have no energy. You are down and depressed. You have all life luxuries. Your life is convenient. Yet you are empty. It is time to bring nature into your life. Yoga can help you build a connection with nature and fill the void.

Yoga’s calm and healing postures are exactly the opposite of a hectic lifestyle. It is a popular practice worldwide. It is also in high demand in the US and Europe, where all modern exercise facilities and the best fitness equipment are not helping people to avoid stress.

4)   Exploring self

You practice Yoga every day. You grow into its movements. The practice becomes a journey to you. You seek to explore yourself more and more. You test your limits. You reach new levels. Then you want to take it to another level, to the next level. You reach that level too. You have an urge, motivation, and energy to explore yourself further and further.

Your exploration of yourself becomes an experience for you. It becomes a journey, a journey into yourself. You look to break free from negative thought and energy. You seek positive energy. You feel and experience your life closely and thoroughly. It becomes a cycle, a process. It is an evolution.

5)   Finding self

The art of knowing is knowing what to ignore. It separates pure from contaminated and truth from falsehood. It is relevant to knowing, understanding and finding yourself. Yoga releases stress from your body, mind, and soul. You discover your true self.  Until then you were injured and buried under the debris of your life pressures and demands. You were not living your life.

The purity lies in limited and simple. Yoga’s philosophy demands you to retrain yourself from greed for more. It motivates you to stay more limited. It helps you find yourself in the limited. It asks you to find your peace there.

6)   Coming to peace

Yoga is a walk. You take one step, two steps, then more steps and you grow into it. Every day you come closer and closer to the later part of your travel. It is when you see early signs of peace. You can feel peace approaching your body. Your body tones down to relax and calm. You are as calm as water in a pond. Stress eases away. Yoga cleanses your body of stress as water cleanses it of dust. An important sign of peace is that you enjoy your life. You smile. You live in the moment. You live in present. You are not worried about your past that you have already lived. You are not concerned about your future that is yet to come.

7)   Freeing self

You are not stressed. You are not down and depressed. It is first time you feel free! You feel free of your life pressures, your attachments, and compulsions. Freeing you from yourself and your attachments is what Yoga is all about. Yoga gives you freedom at its outset.

If you are tired and sick of doing everything to get rid of stress or if you’ve tried and exhausted all exercises and methods to bring peace in your life. It is time for you to think and try Yoga. Even the smallest start will set you on the course of a longer journey, your journey to your freedom.

Reference Resources: https://www.verywellmind.com/the-benefits-of-yoga-for-stress-management-3145205

Millie Lowe

Millie is a Yoga Guru and teacher of Yoga philosophy. She organizes workshops and outdoor Yoga sessions for Yoga lovers and stress remedy seekers. Millie is currently associated with Xn8 Sports, which specializes in designing, manufacturing and selling Boxing, MMA & Fitness gear and accessories.

The post Guest Post: The Benefits of Yoga for Reducing Stress appeared first on Live Simply, Eat Well.

I had the wonderful opportunity to join Lexie from Wild Sparrow Wellness on her Eat Well & Live Full podcast recently. Lexie and I met through our Nutritional Therapy training at the NTA. Not only do we both share a love of holistic nutrition, but we are both passionate about simplicity and minimalism.

In this podcast, we talked about how you can reduce stress through decluttering & find more time for the things you love.

You can listen to the podcast below or check it out on Anchor.fm:

I’m a big believer in the power of simplicity in our lives, homes, and minds. I’ve been working steadily over the past couple of years to simplify our home. We have been decluttering a lot this year for my 2,020 in 2020 challenge (fill in the box below to join in the fun!) But I’ve also been working on decluttering our schedule, activities, and my mind. When I started this journey, I didn’t know for sure where it would lead, or how it would affect me. But I’m here to tell you, it’s even better than I thought! I’ve learned so much about myself, what is truly important to me, and I’ve felt the solid benefits of living with less.

I hope you’ll join me on this journey!

The post Podcast Interview: Declutter to Destress [Eat Well & Live Full Podcast] appeared first on Live Simply, Eat Well.

Most people want to be healthy. And I would say that a lot of people also try to do their best to live a healthier lifestyle. I know from my own experience that doing “all the healthy things” is not always the easiest path. Sometimes that path can be challenging or even confusing.

What do I need to do to be healthy?

I’m trying to eat well…why do I still feel
exhausted or bloated all the time?

Sure, eating healthy foods is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle, but there are other factors at play as well that sometimes get overlooked. That’s what I want to talk about today (in addition to nutrition)!

5 Keys To Health

1. Nutrition

Of course I need to start with nutrition. Eating a healthy diet is one of the biggest keys to getting energy, weight loss, improved immunity, better digestion, and overall health. But what does “good nutrition” even mean? This is obviously a big topic, and one that can’t be completely covered in a short blog section, but let’s focus on the basics:

• Eat lots of veggies – and I mean lots! Include them with all meals, incorporate them into snacks, fill half your plate with them.
• Make sure you’re getting your protein. Many people lack the protein they need in their diets, especially if you eat a lot of refined carbs. Eat 4-6 oz of protein at every meal, and include protein in your snacks as well.
• Don’t be afraid of fat. Eating healthy fats is a great way to make meals more satisfying and to help you feel full for longer. Plus healthy, less processed fats like olive oil, butter, ghee, coconut oil, and avocado oil offer a lot of great fats for overall health. Add fats to your veggies – did you know that some vitamins require fat to be properly digested? Obviously you don’t want to drown everything in butter – it should be used smartly just like any other food. Nothing should be eaten in excess.
• Eat your carbs – but choose wisely. Carbs are not the enemy. Yes, low carb diets work very well for some for health & weight loss. But for others, very low carb diets can do the opposite and actually lead to hormonal issues. So don’t feel like you need to be keto just to be healthy. Instead, enjoy carbs in moderation. I like to eat them as a small side instead of being the main feature of a meal. Also, choose more carbs that are complex or whole-grain vs. simple/refined carbs. And remember – vegetables are carbs. Fill up on those and supplement them with starchy carbs as needed.
• Balance your meals & snacks. This is super important and ties together everything above. When planning out your meals, be sure to include protein along with your carbs and some fat as well. The same thing applies to snacks. Make sure your snacks include protein and aren’t just carb centered. This even goes for eating fruit – add some protein and/or fat in along with it. The reason for this is that when you eat just carbs, it can cause a blood sugar spike soon after. And after a spike, comes a crash. This can often lead you to feel low energy and very hungry again in a short time…and have you craving more carbs/sweets. Instead, when you mix in some peanut butter with your apple, the blood sugar hit doesn’t happen so drastically, digestion is slowed down and your blood sugar levels stay more steady…and you stay feeling full longer!

2. Hydration

Along with nutrition, drinking water is very important for overall health and feeling your best. Dehydration can cause symptoms ranging from headaches, fatigue, & moodiness to migraines, muscle cramps, and back/joint pain.

The general guideline is to drink half of your body weight in ounces per day of water. So for someone weighing 130 lbs, that would be 65 oz of water per day.

For more details on the importance of hydration, check out my blog post about Why Drinking Water Should Be Your First Health Goal.

3. Sleep

Getting good quality & quantity sleep at night is key. Sleep is when our body is allowed to rest and do its internal work. A lot of body repair and detox is done while you sleep. Because of all of these things, sleep is a huge key to health.

If you aren’t sleeping well, you are going to have a hard time, functioning well mentally, losing weight, and feeling healthy in general. Even if you think you do fine with 5 hours of sleep, you may not be doing as “fine” as you think. If you are low on energy every afternoon, craving caffeine and/or sugar, or struggling to lose or maintain your weight, I want to encourage you to get more sleep.

I wrote a blog post about Setting Yourself Up For Great Sleep that goes over ways you can get better sleep and wind down in the evenings to promote great sleep.

4. Movement

“Ugh…now you’re going to tell me to work out?” Well yeah…maybe. But I would be missing a big part of health if I didn’t talk about the importance of moving your body. In my blog about Finding Exercise Motivation, I talk about the many health benefits of movement:

• Builds muscle & increases strength which…
  • helps burn more calories
  • stabilizes your body/joints to help prevent injury
  • allows you to do more activities & lift heavier things in everyday life
  • strengthens your bones
• Burns calories in general but also helps boost your metabolism
• Releases endorphins that make you feel happy & good
• Increases cardiovascular fitness which gives you more endurance & strengthens your heart
• Boosts your energy, reduces anxiety, and helps you sleep better at night
• Improves self-confidence
• Supports healthy immune systems by improving lymphatic flow

Those are all pretty amazing!

So you know movement is important, but how do you incorporate that into your life? Well, it does not mean you have to join a gym or that you have to spend 60 min every day running.

Movement can be many things. It can be hiking, walking, lifting weights, doing bodyweight exercises, yoga, dance, running, biking, team sports, etc. The most important thing with movement is that you enjoy it. I know that finding time can be one of the biggest obstacles to starting an exercise routine, but I’m telling you – make the time. It’s important and it’s something you need to work into your schedule if you want to feel your best.

5. Stress Reduction

Stress is not all bad. Sometimes it can be an important response from our bodies. But so often, we live with chronic stress, and this is very hard on your body. It can lead to fatigue, blood sugar dysregulation, lowered immune response, weight gain, digestive issues, poor sleep (!), and more. While for some, it leads to a decreased appetite, for many it leads to stress eating.

We can take steps to reduce stress in our lives where we can – by reducing commitments (for ourselves & our kids) and simplifying our home. It’s also important to spend time simplifying your mind by reducing distractions, and learning how to focus better and be in the now. Here is a great blog about Quieting and Decluttering Your Mind that talks more about mindfulness.

If you want to simplify your home this year, you can join in my 2,020 in 2020 challenge to declutter 2,020 things this year! You can download the tracker below.

I want to encourage you to focus on one small change in each of these areas. By making small changes, you will start to see big benefits. And once you have new habits in place, you can add on more small changes. I find that this is a sustainable way to add healthy habits without being overwhelmed. If adding from each category at once is too much, just pick one to focus on for now. Every step counts!

The post 5 Keys To a Healthier You appeared first on Live Simply, Eat Well.

I went to bed one recent evening. I was tired; ready for sleep. I went through my normal wind-down routine to get ready, turned off the light, and got in bed.

And then my mind started thinking…

Topic to topic, to-do lists, worries, contemplating, analyzing, debating, etc. This sort of thing doesn’t happen too often for me, but I find it happens most when I have some worry on my mind and/or I haven’t been taking time to “reset” my mind.

Obviously, this time of pandemic, quarantine, safer at home, and the unknown have many of us worrying more than normal. I am, overall, a laid back, optimistic person. For that reason, most of what is going on doesn’t get to me and take hold. I am mostly able to observe it, process it, and let it pass.

It is what it is.
– Me to everyone

But sometimes if I’ve spent too much time on social media or have read too many news articles that day, I’m left with an “ick”. A heaviness that gets my mind working and spinning.

This doesn’t just happen in times of pandemic. This can occur when I have other unrest in my life, one of my kids has something heavy happening in their lives, or, once again, I spend too much time on social media and see too much negative (why people, why must you be so negative all the time!).

This is when it’s time to quite my mind

As we process these things and worry, fear, sadness, or irritation fill our hearts & minds, it is very common for our stress levels to rise. It may not even be something you notice, or you might feel it as heaviness in your chest, increased heart rate, having a harder time breathing, poor sleep, loss or gain of appetite, mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, or fatigue.

Increased stress is never good for your body, and neither are any of those side effects listed above. Increased, constant stress leads to negative effects in your body that can affect your metabolism, energy levels, and immunity.

So let’s quiet our minds!

Here are some of my favorite tips for quieting your mind and reducing that stress…

1. Stop looking at the news & social media

I’m serious. Take a break. If you feel awful and negative feelings happening every time you look at Facebook, perhaps it’s time to stop looking at Facebook. Trust me when I say that you can stop going there multiple times per day and that you will still know what you need to know and be fine. I limit my scrolling to not more than twice per day and sometimes only once or not at all.

I also don’t actively visit news websites or watch the news. So much news is sensationalized and is focused on the hype or negative that it isn’t really telling the whole story. By checking Facebook once/day I do end up seeing the biggest most important news articles. If you want a great news source, check out The New Paper email. It’s a free daily email that aims to “overcome sensationalism by spreading factual news”. I get this report daily and it’s just the facts without bias or hype. I really enjoy it. You can subscribe on their site at this link.

2. Don’t forget to pray

There is something about prayer that has always calmed my mind. It gives me peace like nothing else. It allows me to unburden my heart & mind to God and release those worries to Him. Sometimes we turn to prayer as a last resort, but I encourage you to use it as your first plan of action.

3. Find gratitude

Something amazing happens when you spend a few minutes every day writing down the things you are grateful for. Whether you decide to list 3, 5, or 10 things every day, I promise you that it will change your mindset. Find a journal or old notebook and start today by writing down those things you are grateful for. The things you are blessed with despite anything else that might be going wrong. There is always something to be thankful & grateful for.

4. Practice mindfulness

Next to prayer, meditation is one of the main things that helps clear and quiet my mind. Some days when I practice it goes better than others, but the end result is always a mental improvement. You can use an app like the Calm app, or find various YouTube videos for meditation. Spending even 5-10 min per day meditating can have wonderful effects on your mind. It helps you to focus and remain in the present.

I also love listening to relaxing music or nature sounds to help me relax and clear my mind. This is one of my current favorites.

5. Try breathing techniques

There are various breathing techniques that can help reduce stress and bring calm to your mind & body. One very popular relaxation breathing technique is the 4-7-8 method. You can do this technique by sitting or lying in a relaxed state, whichever is more comfortable. Exhale completely and then breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 7 seconds, and then exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. The exhale should be forceful breath pushing all the air out, making a shhhh noise. Repeat this 4-6 times. If you can’t hold your breath for 7 seconds, try halving all of the times instead.

Another technique to try is to breathe in through your nose for 7 seconds, then breathe out through your mouth for 11 seconds (no breath-holding in the middle). Repeat multiple times.

I’ve found that, for myself, both of these methods can slow down a rapid heart rate and help to reduce anxiety.

Do what works for you!

Not all of these techniques will work for everyone. Start with what feels most natural to you, but don’t be afraid to try something new. I was skeptical about what meditation would do for me before I tried it. Now I love it and it’s something I look forward to doing often.

Which of these methods have you tried? What works for you to clear & quiet your mind?

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