I heard on the news today that more people DIE from heart attacks between December 25 and January 1, over any other week of the year, and that December 25 is the deadliest single day of the year!

I heard on the news today that more people die from heart attacks between December 25 and January 1, over any other week of the year, and that December 25 is the deadliest single day of the year!

That sounds pretty serious.

They actually stated that the reasons given were:

    Family Stress

    Falling out of good habits of healthy eating, etc.

    Increased alcohol consumption (specifically binge drinking)

They said it is a serious concern.  They also attributed 

    Lack of Sleep (losing 39 minutes per night) over the holidays.

And you have traditional doctors seemingly agreeing that the lack of usually healthy habits contribute to this.

I thought this might be a good time to offer thoughts that could help, without too much “stress” on your already over-crowded self.

What if you have a little bit of “Relax Time”—just a few minutes.  If you noticed that little bit of time—and if you could capture that time—to rest for a time, and see how it feels, just taking some deep breaths, just relax your neck and shoulders, lay your hand on your forehead and allow your brain to have a minute of peace, relax your arms, your legs…and just see how it feels.  

Then, what if you took a couple of minutes, at that same time, just think of, and maybe write down, all the ways you have been blessed.  These few minutes will add some life and peace to your day.

Then…what if you could do that for just a few minutes every day, to find “your” best time of your day and let it work for you…do you know it could prolong your life? And make your life more peaceful? Just those few minutes a day…

If that “chosen time” was early in the mornings, maybe even getting up 15-30 minutes earlier, and if you could spend about half those minutes just settling your thinking, feeling the relaxation in you body and mind, and being thankful, so your heart—and your digestion—could have some extra rest… 

then if you could spend the other half of those minutes doing some stretches, or adding some movement of some kind for your body, your blood would have more oxygen in it, your mind would be more creative, your skin would be healthier, your body would move more easily…your bones would be stronger..but Most Valuable, you would have more peace of mind.  Just 15-30 minutes a day, spent on appreciating the stillness, and moving your body.

If you feel down during the holidays, or are simply over-tired from the Busy-ness” of too much going on, Functional Medicine Doctors pretty cut agree that getting some relaxation and meditation helps us feel better about the whole world around us, and moving our bodies regularly does the same thing, and adds better health.

Our thoughts have a major effect on our body—so if your body isn’t feeling up to par, those thoughts can either help or hinder not only how you feel, but also affects the healing process if you are ill.

I also read today, that Dr. Mark Hyman says even thinking a negative experience can set off a cascade of events in our bodies as it it’s actually happening in the reality of “right now”.

So we have the seriousness of Heart Attacks at this time of year, and we have just a couple of ways you can absolutely decrease your chances of ill health, including heart problems, according to most doctors of Functional Medicine.

Life is hard when we’re so busy.  So ferociously going this way, and that, doing what needs to be done—seemingly always running a little (or a lot) behind…

Let’s see if we can make it a little bit easier.  By making a commitment to Your Life, using just a few minutes a day.  It could very well be the most valuable few minutes you could spend… rather invest… in Your Life.  Not to be confused with “making a New Year’s resolution”.  This is a Commitment to Living Your Life. And it’s on Your Terms.

By the Way, there are other additional ways to improve your chances of living longer, healthier and more peaceful lives.  Today, we’re only focusing on two of them.  But if you are ready to make some additional change commitments, which will absolutely be as much of a boost to your health as the ones I’ve talked about today, we’ll go into detail another day—but they are getting enough good sleep, eating good food, and cultivating relationships.

And there are also more ways to decrease your stress, which I didn’t go into detail on—some are: spending some time outside, laughing, taking mini-breaks, helping people who need your help, taking mini-vacations. Also, thinking about WHY you’d like to FEEL good, and be Strong!

And to go a little deeper on “movement”, with the weather being so cold, I am using a walking video, Leslie Samsone.  I use her 15-minute walk for beginners.  She starts out slow, and ends slow, but the rest is Walk, Walk, Walk, with more movements in between the walking that moves other parts of your body.  She also has longer and more intense walks.  I love her energy.  Or if you like to dance, I like “Body Groove” with  Misty Tripoli, and she shows you the dance steps/moves, but emphasizes to be flexible, and make your own as you go, especially if what she shows you is hard for you.  She’s very lively, and has all kinds of dances. It’s very fun!

Wishing you the Very Best in your decisions this week leading up to the beginning of 2023.

To Your Better Life…

Sharon

If you would like to schedule a one-on-one session with me, just email me and let me know.  I respond to email, and I’m here and I want to help you.  Let’s create some more Calm together.

Sharon@WhereisYourCalm.com