4 Ways to Slow Down this Holiday Season, and Other Times Too

Note: Written by Guest, Angela Duncan, creator of the upcoming virtualsidekick.us 

Imagine your packing a suitcase. It’s a large suitcase, whichever color you prefer, with lots of little pockets and compartments for hundreds of things. You’re deciding what to put in it, and you decide the more you can stuff in, the better off you’ll be. You can never be too prepared, right?

Now you’re packed, the seams are stretched and ready to burst. You go to move the suitcase, but it’s too heavy to pick up. The wheels are pressed into the carpet and it won’t budge. You open it again to see if there’s something you can leave behind. You can’t decide! Your family is waiting in the car and you’re going to miss your flight if you don’t leave now.

Sound stressful? Now imagine that suitcase is your life. It’s overflowing with everything you need to do: dishes, laundry, work, appointments, responsibilities, and more. You’re hauling around this massive case, with no end in sight. You’re tired, overwhelmed, and on the verge of tears. Now tie a big fir tree to your back, because it’s December. The most stressful time of the year.

So how do we slow down and reclaim some time to enjoy this Holiday season? Here are a few suggestions:

1) Say no. Don’t roll your eyes. It’s actually something people do! Some of the busiest, most successful people will preach that in order to be productive and happy you must learn to say no. On John Lee Dumas’s podcast, Entrepreneurs on Fire, he asks each of his guests, all successful business people, “How do you protect your time?” The answer is almost always the same. Learn to say no. Say no to housework, no to your employer, no to your in-laws. Do it! Politely, of course, and not all the time, but when you feel that what is being asked of you is too much, say no. You’ll feel relieved when you do, and most people will understand, and if they don’t, I have to wonder how heavy their suitcase is.

2) Stop multitasking. It can actually slow you down and cause a ton of stress. For a long time, multitasking was thought to be a good skill to have. Being a multitask-er meant you could cook dinner, talk on the phone, and keep an eye on your crawling baby all at the same time. While it's true you can probably do these things simultaneously, we need to ask ourselves if this is wise. Is your friend on the phone really being heard? The baby never wanders off? And dinner never burns? What about your stress-level during those minutes? 

I have a bad habit of trying to read more than one book at a time. I will often read a chapter in one book, then a chapter in another; back-and-forth. I didn't realize how much my reading time was being hindered by this. It actually takes me more time to read two books this way, then it would if I read them one at a time! The mere stress I get (and time wasted!) from trying to decide which book to pick up first should be a big indication to just choose one. 

Sometimes it's difficult for us to not multitask, but I'd like to encourage you to give it up. Give one task your full attention until it's done. Of course, interruptions happen, but then give the interruption the attention it requires, until it's settled, and you can go back to the first task. You'll be amazed at the quality of everything you do, and I bet you'll feel less stress and more at peace.

3) Find time for leisure. In preparation for writing this, I searched for synonyms for “busyness” (yes that’s the kind of brainstorming I do), and I got distracted by the antonyms: laziness, idleness, apathy, negligence, the list goes on. All negative. No positive.

So I thought of what I’m doing when I’m not busy. I wouldn’t say I’m indifferent, lazy, apathetic, or ignorant. I’d say I’m resting, enjoying free time, relaxing, meditating. This list goes on too. So I have to wonder, when did leisure become a sin? 

In Brigid Schulte’s book, Overwhelmed, she discusses women's interviews on busyness: "We assume that if people aren't busy, then they must be lazy," she told them."I don't know how people would not be busy," sniffed another. "I'm so tired, I need a sabbatical," one woman said before quickly vowing she would never take one, as if that would be admitting a lack of stamina to keep up.

We work to have leisure, on which happiness depends. - Aristotle

Don’t work, work, work and never take leisure time. It’s necessary for health and happiness, and you’ve earned it.

4) Don’t be impressed by busyness. Oliver Burkeman refers to ‘busy-bragging’ as an epidemic in which everyone talks about how busy they are, as if it’s something to be envious of.

People are competing about being busy. It’s about showing status. That if you’re busy, you’re important. You’re leading a full and worthy life. There’s a real ‘busier than thou’ attitude… – Ann Burnett

Don’t participate in the competition. In a society where busyness is the norm, and leisure is considered laziness, it’s hard not to get swept away by the need to convince others how busy your life is. Even when life isn’t busy, we say things like, “we’re doing things around the house this weekend, “Or I’m making plans for…” the next stretch of busyness. It’s rare that anyone admits they’re relaxing on a weekend. Even our vacations are “go, go, go” times (like the plastic army men from Toy Story).

Make an effort to not talk about your busyness, even if your life is hectic. Talking about it elevates stress and does nothing for productivity.

The next time someone asks you how you are try saying something besides "busy." When someone asks you what you’re doing for the weekend, try saying you’re "taking it easy." You’ll get responses like "isn’t that nice" (sarcastic), "I wish I had nothing to do" (sincere, but also stings), or they’ll make suggestions for what you can do (politely decline). At the very least, it’s an interesting experiment.

This season, try lightening your suitcase by unloading a lot. Don’t add any more to it, don’t brag about how heavy it is or how strong you are, set it down for some leisure time, and maybe do something to lighten someone else’s load. It is time for giving after all.

If you have other suggestions on how to slow down, leave a comment below. I'd love to hear them. Happy Holidays!

5 Tips and Tricks for Healthy Eating

It's that time a year again, when sweets and treats are everywhere we look. Here are some 5 simple tips and tricks for healthy eating:

• Each meal should consist of 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fats (oils, nuts, seeds, fish, etc.). Avoid hydrogenated fats. Use butter instead of shortening to make your pies. 

• Your body protects itself from substances it doesn't recognize as food (i.e. sugar) by turning it into fat. This is why it's more important what you eat, than how much. Try only using half as much sugar in your desserts and limit yourself to just one. I like to try just one or two bites. Also use 1% milk when recipes call for cream, to reduce fat content.

• On-and-off dieting is hard on your body. Commit to eating healthy, and you'll never need another fad diet.

• Check out eatbydate.com to really understand how long your food lasts. No more wasting food that's past it's "best by" date but still good.

• Trying to eat healthy on a budget? Try less trips to the store. Plan for going to the store once every one or two weeks. Eat the foods that goes bad first. Here's some suggestions to help: Eat spinach and butter crunch lettuce first (lasts 3-5 days), then romaine (lasts 7-10 days), then kale and broccoli spears (lasts 1-2 weeks), and finally cabbage and cauliflower (lasts 7-21 days). To top your salads, try pairing them with these fruits: Bananas, strawberries, (last 2-3 days), then peaches (last 3-5 days), blueberries and grapes (last 5-7 days), avocados (last 7-10 days), and apples and oranges (last 7-21 days).

Every meal, try to balance your foods and proportion your plate like this:

Add a tablespoon of healthy fat and a fruit for dessert.

More sources for eating healthy: eatingwell.com, quickanddirtytips.com, nutritionovereasy.com, emeals.com, yummly.com, and Nutrition Diva podcast.

Have any more tips for healthy eating? I'd love to hear them. Leave a comment below.

Exercise, Rest and Reaching Your Goals With a Game

Did you know weight-bearing exercise doesn't just mean exercising with weights? Weight-bearing includes any form of exercise that resists gravity or involves bearing your own weight. Examples are walking, jogging, lifting, hiking, dancing, yoga, etc. Non-weight bearing would include exercises such as swimming, rowing, biking, or other exercises done while sitting. 

To get the most out of your exercise regime, you should try to do 3 weight-bearing and 3 non-weight bearing exercise sessions per week. 

Avoid repetitive workout regimes, such as running 6 days a week. If you don’t mix-and-match your exercises, you are more likely to become injured. (If you’re a runner, check out the book Run Less, Run Faster for excellent advice on healthy running habits.)

Rest is also very important for our bodies. 

Try resting a day between intense exercise in order for your muscles to grow stronger and avoid injury. 

It’s also critical to get a consistent night’s rest. The best way to do this is to go to bed and rise the same time each day. If we stay up late at night, the adrenal glands kick in, making it more difficult to fall asleep or to sleep through the night. Winding down at night, dimming lights, and going to bed early all help to achieve a good night’s sleep. Eating a healthy breakfast and getting 20 minutes of sunshine each day also help with sleep.

Now for the fun part!

If you’re looking for a fun, effective way to stick to your health goals, try the following:

1) Create SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) goals regarding your health. An example of a SMART goal: Instead of, “lose 20 pounds” try “I will lose one pound each week for the next 20 weeks.”

2) Create daily goals that will help you reach your SMART goals. Assign points to each goal to compete with yourself. Example: Drink 8 cups of water each day, exercise 20-30 minutes, eat 2 salads, and get 7 or more hours of sleep would each get one point. If something is particularly challenging for you, consider giving yourself two points for completing it, for extra encouragement. Tally your points each week, and watch your score grow. 

3) Reward yourself. This is tough. If you’re reaching your goals, you definitely deserve something extraordinary. Figure out what your reward (something other than a food item, please) will be at the beginning, set a finish line for when you’ll earn it, and get to work. If you're struggling, don't be hard on yourself, it will only make it more difficult. Remind yourself why you want to reach these goals and seek help from friends, family, or me (I'm always here for support and accountability). Pinpoint what's not working and take advantage of what is. 

If you need a little more encouragement, check out these resources: healthmonth.com (free), dietbet.com, stickk.com, and beeminder.com.

Have any other suggestions for maintaining a healthy exercise regime? I'd love to hear about it! Leave a comment below.

Remember, if you live a healthier lifestyle, you will influence your family to do the same. Good luck!