3016: The Slow Down by Randi Kay of Naturally Randi Kay on Stress Management Techniques and Self-Care

[00:00:01] Wenn jemand Charles und Melanie gesagt hätte, dass sie nach ihrem Tinder-Match gemeinsam einen Channel mit crazy Aufgaben starten, also wirklich crazy, fünf Tage auf einer einsamen Insel verbringen, eine Zipline an einem Gurt runterrasen, eine Million Views knacken, eine Wand mit Saugnöpfen hochklettern und Falschirm springen in Ägypten? Das hätten die beiden niemals geglaubt. Aber das ist das Ding mit Tinder. Es führt dich an Orte, die du nie erwartet hättest. Wohin es dich auch führt. It starts with a swipe. Tinder.

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[00:01:00] Das ist Optimal Health Daily. The Slowdown. By Randy Kaye. Of NaturallyRandyKaye.com. Und ich bin Dr. Neil, dein Host und Narrator. Willkommen zurück zu einem neuen Woche von Optimal Health Daily. Das ist wo ich von den bestenen und Fitnessen blogs auf der Web. Kind of wie ein Ongoing Audiobuch. Und ich werde das intro nice und kurz. So, wir werden jetzt gleich zu heute. Today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:01:29] The Slowdown. By Randy Kaye. Of NaturallyRandyKaye.com. This past week was a little insane. I have been on a planning committee for a big event in town for months. And this past week was go time. Though my role in the whole thing was small, adding something like that into an already busy life schedule can take its toll. This week, I was able to really test how effective my self-care practices are.

[00:01:57] That how keeping your body and mind maintained on a regular basis can help you have the coping mechanisms needed when it's time to hustle. For those times in life when you have to pull all-nighters, remind yourself to eat, and are running around like a crazy person for hours on end, here are some tips for staying in the moment, taking good care, and slowing down while you hustle. Slow down and breathe. Yes, yes, I do talk about breath work a lot.

[00:02:26] Yes, I do think healthy breathing is the solution to all of life's problems. But seriously, slowing down your breath will slow down all of the other systems in your body that are being freaked out by stress. You can still be doing all of the tasks you need to do. And to the untrained eye, you may look like the same busy crazy person. But on the inside, you have a slow and grounded breath powering you through each movement and task.

[00:02:55] A few breathing techniques. 1. Breathe in and out through your nose. If you really need to, you can exhale through your mouth with a heavier breath. But if you can't keep it moving through the nose, you are moving too fast. 2. Keep the breath in the belly. Fill the belly with air first, and then expand your lungs and chest outward. The muscles used with this breath are your primary breathing muscles and should be treated as such,

[00:03:24] not your neck and shoulders and pec muscles. And 3. Use the exhale to release any muscle tension and negative energy happening either within yourself or with those you are working with. Fuel yourself. And no, I'm not talking about energy drinks, coffee and donuts someone brought to you to liven the mood. Food is fuel, and we need to treat it that way. And during stressful and busy times, it's even more important than in everyday life.

[00:03:54] Give your body the tools it needs to be successful. Carry healthy snacks in your bag. Order food to be delivered at a specific time so it can arrive without you thinking about it. And once it does, you'll be reminded to eat. Prepare food and snacks the night before. Have it all ready to go so you don't have to think about it in the morning. Body check-ins. Set a timer on your phone to be reminded to check in with yourself. How are you doing? Take some deep breaths.

[00:04:22] Do you need water or food or a bathroom break? It only needs to take 30 seconds to a minute. But doing this can really help you with your endurance on those marathon days. These mini breaks can give you just the oomph you need to keep going. It can also tune you into anything going wrong in the body if you have been pushing yourself too hard. Allow your adrenaline to calm down so you can tune in and act accordingly. This can prevent injuries, muscle pain, heart attacks,

[00:04:52] not kidding on this one, and all other sorts of ailments. Stand up for your needs. For whatever reason, it has become almost shameful to take time for yourself, especially in the middle of a very demanding project or event. But when people are maxed out and overworked, that is when things can go wrong and tensions can arise. If you need to check out for a moment, do it. Find a good time to do so. Figure out a way that works for you. Things will get done.

[00:05:22] Others can step in. People might be upset, but they can deal with it and are probably just mad that they aren't standing up for their own selves. And if you are one of those people that needs permission to do anything, I give you permission to take 5 or 10 minutes to take care of yourself during a busy project. In conclusion, the reason I take the time for this blog is to spread self-care love so that when poop hits the fan, you can be in the best state ever to deal with it.

[00:05:51] That daily maintenance of yourself is best. But if you haven't been doing it, start applying these tips now. And then when life normalizes, you can start building yourself up for the next busy time. Also, when scheduling your next crazy season, schedule in some recoup time. Communicate to whomever you need to make sure that you have a day or even just a few hours to recover, sleep, eat, take a bath, whatever it is that you need.

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[00:07:53] Perfect for enjoying with family and friends or taking them with you on the go. So, get snackin' and get crackin' with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. This past year, I found myself spending way too much time working. I stopped reading for fun. I stopped playing my guitar. I was definitely consistent about working out, meal planning,

[00:08:22] and eating nutritious foods, but I completely neglected other self-care behaviors, like simply taking deep breaths when things started to feel overwhelming. So, this year, I've decided to dedicate more time to self-care behaviors, but simple things, like taking deep breaths, as Randy said in her post. And lately, I've been listening to a book and the author mentioned that when we're working, especially when we're working at a computer, we should schedule a quick break every 25 minutes.

[00:08:52] I know it seems like this would be completely counterproductive to do this, but I'm going to give it a try. The author poses quite an argument and it convinced me to give it a try, at least. So, I'm going to schedule an alarm on my phone to remind me. And, I'm definitely going to schedule some time in my calendar to take deep breaths. Alright, that'll do it for the Monday episode. I hope you have a wonderful start to your week, and I'll be back here tomorrow, as usual, where your optimal life awaits.