There are 37.2 Trillion Cells in Your Body The “raw clock speed” of your brain is 20 million billion calculations per second or 20,000,000 GHz (though it is estimated you can only do conscious calculations at the speed of 2 GHz per second), according to Cognitive Neuropsychologist Chris Westbury. Your second brain (your gut) has a mind of its own, meaning it can act autonomously and even influence behavior by sending signals up the vagus nerve to the brain.
Your vitality, your energy level, the clarity of your thoughts, your connection with creativity—ALL depend upon how well your body, including your brain and digestive system, are operating—and influence how you show up in each role you play in life.
So what are you doing to prioritize the care and feeding of your body?
What Platinum PracticesTM on your list of personal best practices support you in nourishing yourself on every level: body, mind, and spirit?
If you’re in a state of overwhelm and you most often decide that the next thing on your work “to do” list is more important than taking care of yourself, then you need to be aware of the cold, hard facts:
- STRESS is the number one killer (if you don’t understand the role of stress on the body, take a few minutes to take the National Geographic’s Stress Quiz)
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of the population), according to the ADAA
- Among adults age 20 and over, nearly 26 million Americans, or more than 11% of all people in this age group have diabetes
- About 1 in every 4 deaths in the U.S. is caused by heart disease, according to the CDC
- The risks for heart disease? Eating a poor quality diet, not getting any or not enough physical activity, using excessive amount of alcohol, having diabetes, and being overweight or obese
AND, the vast majority of these health issues are PREVENTABLE with simple changes in diet, physical activity, stress reduction, and—often most important—changing your mindset.
How can you improve your diet?
Eat real food, not packaged food, 80% of the time. That’s simple enough.
How can you increase your physical activity?
Move your body more than you are now. The American Heart Association recommends “at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days per week for a total of 150 minutes”.
How can you reduce your stress level?
- Shift your mindset (see below).
- Practice conscious breathing.
- Spend time in nature.
- Take regular breaks throughout the day (ideally one every 90-120 minutes).
What does it mean to change your mindset?
- Acknowledge your choices helped shape the reality of your current work and life
- Accept the things you cannot change, have the courage to change what you can, and cultivate the wisdom to know the difference (as the oft-quoted Serenity Prayer so wisely states)
- Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. What are you over-complicating? What can you let go of? What can you delegate to someone else who would enjoy or benefit from taking it on?
But, still… you do not do what you know you need to do. Why not?
The most common answer I hear is “I don’t have enough time.”
Reality check? You do have enough time, you just don’t know the best way to perceive time and enlist its help in supporting your most important goals.
To learn more, schedule just 15 minutes with me to talk further about your unique situation and challenges.
It’s time you took a stand for your health and well-being, your amazing capacity to do great work in the world, and took care of yourself for all those who depend upon you.
We’re all connected and I want us all to thrive to enjoy life more and get the best possible results at work and at home. Call me!
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