Stress and Self-Care

Panic and anxiety attacks are exhausting.

During an attack, the “fight or flight” response of the body goes into high alert/hyper vigilant mode and the body responds as if it’s in danger.

The parasympathetic nervous system that governs the “fight or flight” response can be triggered when the brain perceives itself to be in a dangerous situation.

However, it can be triggered when there is no threat at all. This can happen for a variety of reasons including stress and other medical conditions.

Everyone experiences stress from time to time and there are different types of stress, all of which carry physical and mental health risks. A stressor may be a one-time or short-term occurrence, or it can happen repeatedly over a long time.

Long term, ongoing stress an lead to anxiety and panic attacks.

The neurological condition that affects my nerves can cause them to go into “fight or flight” and causes anxiety and panic attacks.

Not all stress is bad.

In a dangerous situation, stress signals the body to prepare to face a threat or flee to safety. In these situations, your pulse quickens, you breathe faster, your muscles tense, and your brain uses more oxygen and increases activity—all functions aimed at survival and in response to stress. In non-life-threatening situations, stress can motivate people, such as when they need to take a test or interview for a new job.

Long-term stress can harm your health but there are ways to manage stress. This is why a SELF-CARE routine is so important!

Be observant. Recognize the signs of your body’s response to stress, such as difficulty sleeping, increased alcohol and other substance use, being easily angered, feeling depressed, and having low energy.

Talk to your health care provider or a health professional. Don’t wait for your health care provider to ask about your stress. Start the conversation and get proper health care for existing or new health problems. Effective treatments can help if your stress is affecting your relationships or ability to work.

Get regular exercise. Just 30 minutes per day of walking can help boost your mood and improve your health.

Try a relaxing activity. Explore relaxation or wellness programs, which may incorporate meditation, muscle relaxation, or breathing exercises. Schedule regular times for these and other healthy and relaxing activities.

Set goals and priorities. Decide what must get done now and what can wait. Learn to say “no” to new tasks if you start to feel like you’re taking on too much. Try to be mindful of what you have accomplished at the end of the day, not what you have been unable to do.

Stay connected. You are not alone. Keep in touch with people who can provide emotional support and practical help. To reduce stress, ask for help from friends, family, and community or religious organizations.

When experiencing an anxiety or panic attack — remember, “This too shall pass.”

Being open, accepting and compassionate with yourself about your symptoms can help them pass quicker. Tell yourself, “It’s OK, there’s something happening in my body, but that doesn’t mean it’s dangerous or life threatening.”

Light Sensitivity & Migraine Relief

Different types of light can trigger migraines, worsen typical headaches, and cause photophobia, eye pain and fatigue.  The natural sunlight can trigger them as well, but to a lesser degree for me than fluorescent, LED and blue lights.  Over the last few years, I have noticed increased headaches when using my phone and even working on the computer.  

In my effort to educate and promote self-care, I have shared my struggles with blue lights and fluorescent lights triggering electric shock headaches and migraines.

A couple of months ago I became increasingly aware of blurry vision and talked to my neurologist about the possible causes.  He referred me to an Ophthalmologist who checked my eyes and optic nerves.  The Doctor said my eyes are healthy, however my age (I have celebrated my 40th birthday) is a factor, in addition to the light sensitivity.  He wrote a new prescription that included the FL-41 filter for the lenses which should decrease the headaches triggered by light.  

I have a pair of tinted lenses for indoor use and a pair for outdoor use.  

• Indoor lenses block 80% of blue-green light associated with migraine, photophobia and other light-sensitive conditions.
• Outdoor TheraSpecs provide better protection against sunlight than regular sunglasses. They are dark, polarized, 100% UVA/UVB and block the same blue-green light.

 

You do not need a prescription to order these glasses as FL-41 is a filter.  However, the filter can be added to any glasses with a current prescription.  

I’d love to know if you order a pair, or currently have a pair of FL-41 lenses and how they are working for you.  Have you noticed a decrease in headaches?

Pageant Queen Principles of Health – Exercise

 

Are you swimwear ready? Whether you are a pageant contestant, current titleholder or not, your personal style begins with good health and fitness.   

The Pageant Queen Principles of Health and Fitness begin with exercise.  Physical activity is an important part of every morning routine. Studies show exercising first thing in the morning followed by a healthy breakfast is best for elevating the metabolism after a good night’s rest. A higher metabolism throughout the day not only continues to burn calories keeping You appearance ready but also helps you stay energized for all those appearances.

Additional reasons why it is a great idea to work out first thing in the morning include:

• Leaves time for other priorities: Now that your workout is done and over with first thing in the morning, you have the rest of your day to complete other tasks.
• Increased energy levels during the day: Exercise has been proven to increase energy levels and focus throughout the day. By working out first thing in the morning, you are getting a head start on your day.
• You’ll be less likely to skip your workout: It can be easy to get distracted at various points of the day that might sabotage your workout (less motivation, fatigue, overdue school work). By working out first thing in the morning, when your mind has very few things to concentrate on just yet, you will be less likely to skip your workout later. (Source:NIFS)

*BONUS: For every 1 lb. of muscle you gain, your body will burn an extra 6 to 10 calories per day at rest. Gain 10 lbs. of muscle and you could be burning an extra 100 calories while at rest (Source: BuiltLean).

How to make successful daily steps forward using good habits with your planner

Let’s break the title of this article down into manageable sections.

“How to…” – I do not claim to be an expert at productivity.  The opposite is true, actually. I am very well versed in the art of failure and as a result, have learned numerous ways of how to and how not to do things.  My aim is to show you how to move forward with your goals by using a planner.

“…successful…” – After much trial and error, I have learned that the first step to success in setting and reaching goals is identifying the end result.  I set values-based SMART goals which allow me to able to focus in on the tasks I set for myself.  Who am I?  What do I believe?  What do I stand for? Hopefully, you have identified those values for yourself.  Assuming you have, you need to ask yourself, “What do I want to achieve?”  Be specific. How will you know when you have achieved it? Set a standard by which you will measure your progress. Document your starting point. Once you have identified your starting point and your end goal, ask yourself, “Is this attainable?” Are you able to reach this goal in one effort or do you need to break it down into smaller goals? Is this a realistic goal to work towards? Or do you need to gain additional skills or resources before you can start working towards it?  What is the timeline for reaching this goal? When do you want to reach this objective? Remember, a goal without a deadline is a daydream.

“…daily…” – Repetition is key.  Once you have established your goals it is easy to determine if you should begin a certain project or not.  Will it help you reach your values-based goals? If yes, it is time to identify the daily tasks that will create momentum and do them.

“…steps forward…” –  How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!

“…good habits…” – Whether you realize it or not, you are already engaged in a variety of habits.  And while they may or may not be BAD for you, they may not be serving the purpose of helping you achieve your goals.  Each time to watch television or eat a meal or sit down at your computer, ask yourself, “Is this helping me reach my goal?”  If the answer is yes, repeat it daily. If the answer is no, stop doing the thing that is standing between you and your goals and replace it with one that will help you reach them.  

“…planner.” – Show me your calendar and I will tell you what your values are.  A planner is more than a calendar. A planner houses your calendar, for deadline specific events and tasks, and your project management system.  Project management can be as simple as a list of to-dos for your annual spring cleaning or as elaborate as a forecast and analysis of your instances of headaches to days of rainfall.  Planning systems and styles are unique to each individual, but I have identified the two major categories of planners based on learning styles: left and right brain. Most people are either a logical list-making, left-brain planner or an intuitive, creator-designer, right-brain planner. Some are a combination of the two and utilize what I call a “Bilateral Planning” approach.  I use this style of planning and it has revolutionized my life…this is not an understatement!  It seems simple, but you would be surprised how many people struggle with using a planner to organize their hopes, dreams, and wishes into actionable projects. If you think you would benefit from bilateral planning, check out my series on YouTube to learn more.

For the sake of this article, let’s set a SMART, values-based goal.

“I will let ten pounds go by summer.”  

One of my values is to be healthy, strong and flexible. The goal is specific.  It is measurable, as I can stand on my scale and record my starting weight and in 3 months, at the end of my timeline I will stand on the scale again and record my progress.   Since summer is 3 months away, this is an attainable goal and realistic because I do have ten pounds I could give to the universe. (Notice I didn’t say lose, because I have no intention of finding these ten pounds after they’re gone.)  Now what? Pray that the scale moves in three months? No! I must set a plan of action in place and create tasks to help me in my endeavor. I will call this my Summer Body Project (“Body”).

Within the project section of my planner, I will have a section tabbed “Body” in that section I will list out all the actions that will need to take place in order to reach my goal.  

• Diet – What kinds of food will I/won’t I eat?  How often will I eat? Will I intermittently fast?
• Exercise – What kind of physical activity will I participate in? How many days a week?
• Rest – When will I schedule my body time to recover?

Once I have determined all the components necessary to reach my stated goal, I will add at least one task to my calendar, daily.  At the end of each day, I will review how I did and what worked for me/what didn’t and either repeat the day’s actions or make a change.  At the end of each week, I will gauge the outcome of my efforts and decide how I can improve for the following week. When I reach my deadline, I will evaluate my progress.  Did I reach my goal? Did I fall short? Did I surpass it? What will I do moving forward?

What planning and organizational style do you employ to manage goals in your planner?  Tag me (@theorganizedmiss) on social media with your goal planner and use the hashtag #bilateralplanning!  

Happy Planning!  

Need a way to track your health and wellness goals? Check out how I track my fitness goals!

Developing Your Style – Start with YOU!

 KNOW THYSELF

“The essence of knowledge is self-knowledge.” – Plato

“Who am I in the midst of all this thought traffic?” – Rumi

It is important to ask questions and reflect on the answers you develop in order fully know who you are and what motivates you in the areas of Service (which I identify as Being), Syle (identified as Body) and Scholarship (identified as Brain).  

Being is how you identify yourself in relation to your contribution to the world.  It encompasses your platform which identifies the type of SERVICE you share with people and organizations.  Your BEING can be identified as your purpose; your personal mission statement and ultimately defines your STYLE.   

Brain is your (SCHOLARSHIP) educational pursuits, both personally and professionally.  Additionally, it covers areas of personal development to include your TALENT.  

Body is a large category that includes the areas of health and fitness, as well as your physical environment.  The sum of these three parts (Being, Body, Brain/Service, Style, Scholarship) is also categorized under Body/Style.  You, your style, your image is a brand and is the output of all the other factors contributing to the definition of who you are.  STYLE, then, is HOW you relate to the outside world; your family, friends, school, and community.

Hopefully, you can see how important the knowledge of who you are and what you value.  It is not only important to your core identity but it is extremely helpful in determining the what and how you plan to give, do, and be during your year of SERVICE as Miss (Local/State).

What do you know about you?  How can you share your unique gifts, talents, skills, and abilities with your community and the world at large?  Download this FREE Style Inventory and to get started on identifying your personal brand. 

STYLE

What comes to mind when you think of style?  How do you define style?  Perhaps a better question is, how do you define your style?  Style encompasses the ‘how’ you do something.  Style is not just how you dress or how you style your hair, but style is also how you walk, how you talk – your behaviors and mannerisms.  And style all begins with how you think!

How you think about yourself and the world around you are fundamental in shaping your personal style.  For example, an individual who loves animals and chooses to eat a vegan diet and abstain from wearing clothes manufactured from animal skins will have a different style than an individual whose priorities in life are not aligned in the same manner and therefore wears products made from animals.  Neither is inherently right or wrong, just a personal choice that is reflected in their lifestyle and thus defines their style.

As you can see from the example above, thoughts are powerful in shaping your individual style.  Are your thoughts positive or negative?  These thoughts will lay the groundwork for all of your choices.  Your choices eventually display themselves in how you dress, how you walk, how you talk and the activities and organizations you are involved in.  Yes, these are all considered a part of your ‘style’ and your style is uniquely your own.

Additionally, style is expressed through body language, those nonverbal cues that subtly signal information to others more powerfully than words.  Those subtle messages can communicate what is often referred to as ‘je ne sais pas’ which translated means “I don’t know.”  However, when used to describe a person’s characteristics it means the quality of being or possessing something indescribable, as in “She has that certain je ne sais pas.” You may have also heard the phrase referred to as ‘IT’ – as in “She has the ‘IT’ factor.” This essence of style is not something than can be taught or bought.  It is a state of being and is rooted in a person’s image of themselves  – how they think about themselves and the world around them.  This way of thinking permeates their every choice.

Your style is constantly communicating a message to the world about you.  Style is the way of saying who you are without having to say a word.

What does your style communicate to others?

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Check back next week for a worksheet on developing your personal style and translating it into a brandable image.