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5 Fitness Tips For Busy Professionals

February 26, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Your work can be bad for your health. You might sit at a desk for eight hours. Or look at a computer screen all day. Or spend your day on your feet, running around an emergency room treating patients.

Your risks include repetitive strain injury, stiff joints, eye strain, and back pain. One of the biggest risks is weight gain, especially for busy professionals.

Even being on your feet during the workday poses problems. You might turn to sugary foods to keep going, adding to the risk of weight gain.

There is good news, though. Here are five fitness tips for the busy professionals among us.

1. Sleep Well

It’s one of the best things you can do for your health. Sleep improves your focus and performance.

And, it means you’ll more likely make the right dietary decisions.

Choosing the right foods gives you fuel to do your workout. It improves your mood. And it can even boost your sex life.

2. Plan Well

If you want to maintain your fitness you’ll want to plan ahead. One of the biggest downfalls of any lifestyle is the inability to maintain it.

So, if you know you’re prone to grabbing junk at lunch, make sure you prepare your lunch the night before. Do the same with your breakfast and dinner.

If you often forget to grab your gym bag, leave it at the door or somewhere you will see it for when you need it. The magic number when it comes to moderate exercise is 150 minutes – it is easier to achieve than you think.

3. Switch Up Your Commute

Provided you live fairly close to your workplace – you can leave the car at home and hop on a bike or just walk. Not only will it save you money, it also helps protect the environment.

Look at you, thinking of others and improving your health!

4. Lunch Break Movement

If possible, consider going for a walk on your lunch break – the fresh air will do you good.

You can walk to a park to eat lunch. Or walk to a healthy eatery where you know there’s time for you to dine well and get your steps in.

It will also provide you with an energy boost, you’ll find your afternoon at work goes in quicker, too.

5. Travel Well

If travel is a regular part of your business, then you know how difficult it can be to exercise and to eat well. The first thing you can do is start keeping a food diary. This way you can track what you’re eating while traveling, as it’s easy to lose track.

When it comes to exercise, check ahead to see if your hotel has a gym. If it doesn’t, you can track a path to walk or jog and see if there is a gym in the vicinity.

Even in a hectic atmosphere, there are plenty of ways you can find time for fitness. You can skip the elevator and always choose the stairs.

To save time, try to find a gym that’s on your way home from work – you can slip in a few nights a week for a quick workout.

You may be surprised at how many calories you burn doing the housework.

Start your day with a short yoga session. Eat a healthy breakfast.

Tackle the day with the energy and vigor it deserves.

JohnK 2-26-2018

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Overheard: “The difference between someone who is in shape, and someone who is not in shape, is the individual who is in shape works out even when they do not want to.”

~ Unknown

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Horse Sense For a Complex World: Linda Kohanov on CHI FOR YOURSELF

February 19, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

On the next CHI FOR YOURSELF, we’ll hear about a new approach to the changing role of leadership.

Linda Kohanov adapts horse-inspired insights into powerful tools for developing collaborative leadership and managing change.

Linda Kohanov is the author of The Five Roles of a Master Herder: A Revolutionary Model for Socially Intelligent Leadership.

Join us on Thursday, February 22nd, at 1 pm Pacific, 4 PM Eastern time at chiforyourself.com

JohnK 2-19-2018

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Mass Shootings, Boys, and Feeling The Feelings

February 16, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

It’s been a tough week in the U.S. with another school shooting capturing the country’s attention. CHI FOR YOURSELF usually doesn’t discuss these types of events. Certainly not from a political perspective or one that whips the populace into a frenzy.

But it’s worth noting that these shootings tend to have one thing in common. They’re committed by males. Young males. The nation asks “why?”

Today we look back to a 2013 CHI FOR YOURSELF episode with guest Cynthia Gill. She told us about ways in which boys are educated, conditioned, and often left with feelings of hopelessness.

Cynthia Gill is the author of Jump-Starting Boys: Help Your Reluctant Learner Find Success in School and Life. Hear the show by clicking on below–

(Article)

Down But Not Out: Feel the Feelings and Keep Going

The other day I was reminded of the waves of emotions that can roll through our lives unannounced. These can range from down days to the darker depression-like moods.

I dealt with those heavy feelings earlier in my life. I referred to those as “situational” since there were some troubling issues that had to be faced.

When I ran a search on the definition of emotions I found: A natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

Definition 2 read: Any of the particular feelings that characterize such a state of mind, such as joy, anger, love, hate, horror, etc. The key word in the first example is ‘natural’.

Your first reaction might be to turn your feelings away. You might push the feelings down, put them on hold until later, or use distractions to get your mind off of things.

You can deny them or indulge in them (often called wallowing). And there’s a cliche to match every situation- ‘I don’t have time to think about that now’, ‘It’s always something’, or ‘I’ll take care of it later.’

But what you’re feeling is neither positive nor negative. It’s all part of being human.

If your choice is not to experience intense feelings they could become embedded in your physical body. When they set up shop deep inside you they can have an effect on the way you look at the world.

The worst case scenario is that they can be so troubling as to cause illness. This is a good time to monitor your thinking, too.

One of the greatest figures in the Human Development field is Louise Hay. She put it this way, “The thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives.”

You can bring out the feelings, front and center, to experience them in a safe and enriching way. When I feel the need to do this I pretty much drop whatever was planned for the day, if possible, and get to the feeling place.

You may have a more demanding schedule, so how about a date- with yourself? Pick a safe, secure, and comfortable place along with a time when you can be alone.

Start by remembering the circumstances that touched off the emotions you’ve been putting off. When you’ve stirred up the emotions let yourself FEEL them. Don’t block them.

Cry if you feel like it. Let any thoughts that come up come through.

And be gentle with yourself. This is not a good place to judge what’s happening.

Recognizing your emotions instead of pushing them away helps you to stay emotionally healthy and goes a long way toward truly conscious living.

JohnK 2-16-2018

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Overheard: Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings – always darker, emptier and simpler.”

~ Friedrich Nietzsche

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Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF And A New “Freebie”

February 13, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Last week’s CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel ran into some “technical difficulty” as they say. So it was not available to you live. But my conversation with Ira was recorded.

Ira Israel is the author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

First, a look at some of the show’s talking points:

The central theme of the book
The meaning of “negativity bias”
A definition of authenticity
The part resentment plays in our lives
Is there such a thing as the “mid-life crisis?”
The myth of romance
Beginning the process of forgiveness

…and, the show itself. Listen by clicking on below–

A new CHI FOR YOURSELF “freebie” is up and available. Get this free report on dealing with stress when you click here–

FREE Stuff

JohnK 2-13-2018

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Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF And A New “Freebie”

February 13, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Last week’s CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel ran into some “technical difficulty” as they say. So it was not available to you live. But my conversation with Ira was recorded.

Ira Israel is the author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

First, a look at some of the show’s talking points:

The central theme of the book
The meaning of “negativity bias”
A definition of authenticity
The part resentment plays in our lives
Is there such a thing as the “mid-life crisis?”
The myth of romance
Beginning the process of forgiveness

…and, the show itself. Listen by clicking on below–

A new CHI FOR YOURSELF “freebie” is up and available. Get this free report on dealing with stress when you click here–

FREE Stuff

JohnK 2-13-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

A Grown-up Look At Childhood: Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF

February 8, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

It’s our first (first run) CHI FOR YOURSELF episode of 2018!

Our guest will be psychotherapist and counselor Ira Israel, author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

Ira offers a step-by-step path to recognizing the ways of being that we created as children and transcending them with compassion and acceptance.

Hear the CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel on Friday, February 9th at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com

JohnK 2-8-2018

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Adventures In Solitude With Robert Kull

February 2, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Although many cultures have long recognized solitude as an opportunity to look inward, in our culture we sometimes think that spending time alone is unhealthy.

In the 2009 CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Robert Kull, we learned that spending time alone can actually soften our sense of alienation from others. Kull used his journey to deep wilderness solitude to drive that point home.

Robert Kull is the author of SOLITUDE: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes- A Year Alone in the Patagonia Wilderness.

Listen to the interview by clicking on below-

JohnK 2-2-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

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Eating To Live And The Signs That You Eat Too Much

January 31, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Eating is a fundamental pillar of life. Most of us enjoy it, especially when we’re savoring some great tasting food!

Unfortunately, we also don’t always have the best sense of when to stop eating. Especially when we have access to good-tasting foods in immense quantities.

We poke fun at humorous situations such as Homer Simpson eating until he can’t move. But, there are consequences to this. They range from a mild stomach ache to cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Plus, overeating is not as dramatic as eating until our pants are about to burst. It’s subtle. It’s more like eating more than we need in one sitting. Or eating until we’re full rather than eating until we’ve gotten the nutrients we need.

We don’t have the natural constraints our ancestors did to prevent us from overeating. In evolutionary terms, most humans couldn’t overeat. Large-scale agriculture and food processing are fairly recent developments.

Most humans (especially Americans) have access to more food and convenience than ever.

So, what drives us to eat more than we need?

One key insight is the emotional connection to food many people have. Research has shown that they tend to eat more or overeat when they’re feeling sad. Or depressed. Or if they’re struggling with an issue.

A study in the Journal of Adolescent Health looked at eating disorders like binge eating. It found that “it’s important to consider depressive symptoms in overeating.”

Are we eating because we’re hungry, or because of an emotional issue we’re dealing with?

Another consideration is symptoms of Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. The Medical University of Warsaw found that these symptoms can lead people to eat more. Why? To satisfy urges to increase insulin. So, it’s important to practice moderation when eating sweets. They cause us to eat far more than we actually need.

Finally, your body is your best warning system. Warnings come when you experience constipation, blockage, vomiting or stomach aches. Your body is telling you it’s had enough.

If you feel a constant need for laxatives or antacids it’s most likely your body’s alarm system at work. It’s telling you that you’ve taken in far more food than you need.

Your body’s energy level and mental alertness also are signs of eating too much.

We all enjoy a well-prepared meal or delicious healthy snacks. Yet as far as biology is concerned food is no more than fuel for our body to consume and turn into energy.

But when you bog your system down with excess or poor quality food (A.K.A. junk food) your energy will decrease. You’ll feel sluggish and less alert. Rather than boost energy, it will make your digestive system feel overloaded.

Your brain and your emotions work together to send you the warnings. These can come in the form of depression or stress.

Be mindful with this. Be aware of your current state. Your body tells you through your energy levels and digestion system when you’ve had too much.

The signals are there. Are you listening?

JohnK 1-31-2018

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Overheard: “It’s not that some people have the willpower and some don’t. It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not.”

~Carl Sandburg

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Build Self-Esteem: The First Step Toward Self-Development

January 24, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

If you’re interested in self-development but have low self-esteem, the first thing you need to do is change that. Until you do, it’s much harder to assess what you need to learn and change to achieve your goals. In fact, if you have low self-esteem it can be difficult to even see what your goals are.

Imagine yourself as a dart board. At times anything and anyone can become a damaging dart pin at one point or another.

These dart pins will destroy your self-esteem and pull you down in ways you may not even be conscious of. It’s important not to let them destroy you, or get the best of you.

So what are the dart pins to avoid, and how can you keep them from hurting you?

Dart Pin #1 Negative Work Environment

Beware of “dog eat dog” theory where everyone else is fighting to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive.

No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner, and stay up late. You may find you are working harder and harder for less and less return.

Stay away from this since it can ruin your self-esteem. Find ways to manage your work within the normal working day at least 90% of the time.

If you have to compete with others, compete on your own terms. Don’t fall into power games or negative behavior that could hurt your self-image.

Dart Pin #2: Other People’s Behavior

Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, the walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers … all these negative behaviors in others can damage your self-esteem.

And, they’ll push back your self-development program. But remember, it’s not the person who is the problem: it’s their behavior.

Dart Pin #3: Changing Environment

Changes challenge our paradigms. They test our flexibility, adaptability, and they alter our thought process.

Changes will make life difficult for a while and often cause stress. But when we look back we’ll see that change is often the catalyst or cause of self-development. Decide not to resist it.

Dart Pin #4: Past Experience

It’s okay to cry and say “ouch!” when you experience pain. But don’t let past hurts turn pain into fear.

Dragging the issues of your past relationship into your new one is a road to failure. Don’t expect your partner to be a mirror image of your last partner.

Treat each failure and mistake as a lesson, and move on.

Dart Pin #5: Negative World View

Look at what you’re looking at. Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negativities of the world. In building self-esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of worst situations.

Dart Pin #6: Determination Theory

Your behavior is said to be the result of a mixture. The ingredients include your inherited traits and your upbringing.

Other factors include your environment, such as friends, work situation, and the economy. You can even throw in the climate in your country.

Know that your genetics or upbringing don’t determine your life path. Failures among your family members don’t rub off.

Learn from other people’s experience, so you’ll never have to encounter the same mistakes.

In life, it can be hard to stay true to your code. Especially when things and people around you seem to keep pulling you down.

Yet, building self-esteem will lead to self-development if you become responsible. Be responsible for who you are, what you have, and what you do.

When we develop self-esteem, we take control of our mission, values, and discipline. Self- esteem brings about self-improvement, true assessment, and determination.

So how do you start putting up the building blocks of self-esteem? Be positive. Be contented and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to compliment.

A positive way of living will help you build self-esteem and set you on the path to positive self-development.

JohnK 1/24/2018

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