Early January a struggle?

There are two camps of people that get hit with January blues.

Those affected early January and those more likely to be affected end of January. Here’s why you may find yourself in either camp and 5 things that help:

Early January

It’s all about dopamine, weather, and change of pace.

Coming off the 6 week manic high of the holiday sprint filled with sugary boozy bliss (and possibly an intense end of year sales quarter), the brain is revved up and used to more dopamine and depletion than normal. It’s largely in survival mode, distracted by purpose and hustle.

Holiday travel, parties to attend, cards to put out, deals to close, events to host, presents to wrap, and booze to cheers elevates brain reward chemicals and stress hormones for an inevitable crash.

Come January, the weather has been cold and Vitamin D deficient for almost 2 months, but the time sensitive distractions have now waned. Overnight, the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ celebrations turn to ‘New Year, New You’ extreme discipline- but the weather is still uninspiring and cold.

Dance on tables New Years night, hit the ground running (literally) New Year’s day. It’s quite the bipolar turn around. Consequently, some of us struggle with this brain chemistry pivot.

End of January

If your industry conference schedule includes the JP Morgan conference in SF, CES in Vegas, or DAVOS in Switzerland, you likely won’t feel the dopamine pull back until late January as you’re still in the chaotic throws of non stop happy hours and needing to be ‘ON.’

No matter when the gray fog of January hits with its judgy drill sergeant sidekick, you’re not alone, and these can help:

1. Pick a 2 week buffer

Whenever your sprint is scheduled to slow, pencil in 1 week of no social obligations to catch your breath and re-acclimate.

Organize the office, plan your quarter, look at exercise class schedules, and get more sleep. If you’re an over achiever, possibly dip your toes in a mild exercise and meditation attempt and slow the recent fun crutches the body has gotten used to imbibing (sugar & booze).

2. keep self compassion top of mind

Think of the first 2 weeks of your New Year as a detox, slow down period. Add in more veggies, stretch, take a moment to reflect on what you did right last year. Lots of kudos, celebration, and gratitude for the blessings and accomplishments. Chocolate chip cookies & wine can still be on the menu as your body adjusts but more veggies take center stage.

Hold space for the brain to withdraw from the manic pace it’s grown accustomed. It’s a good time to consider more sleep, massages, bone broth, and setting up the body for a detox or fast - just not abruptly.

Doubling the lemon water gets bonus points.

This is not the time for a slammed to do list or unrealistic, punishing fitness goals. It’s cold outside, the body is in hibernation mode, and it’s dry. An hour involving the jacuzzi/sauna with some stretching/dancing, ending with a blanket by the fire is perfect.

No need to dust off the running shoes quite yet if they’ve been sleeping for 2 months. Re-stabilize your core and joints and stretch before hitting the sprints.

3. Double the Vitamin D & B and consider happy lights.

If you struggle during the winter with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), head to vitamin D -ASAP. I take medical grade 50,000 IU of Vitamin D per week during the winter. You’ll notice more tanning beds in Seattle and Portland - and there’s a reason. They also sell bright happy lights for your desk or bedside table to mimic warmer months.

With the downshift in daylight and sunshine, SAD symptoms may require more fun cardio movement for endorphins, long hugs with friends for oxytocin, and gratitude lists for perspective to keep happy chemicals flowing

4. Have the reboot plan -and permission slip for it- ready.

When Dopamine pulls back and immediate purpose isn’t forcing us to show up, downshifting to a new pace can be literally painful. Knowing it’s coming helps, but having the permission slip in your pocket may be necessary.

Something like, “Even though this feels weird and lacks the exuberance of the holiday grind, this is the right way to spend my time and sets me up for a happy year and healthy mind/body. I have permission to transition.”

Anyone with early trauma, anxiety, depression, or addiction tendencies will especially benefit from this external permission reminding the brain it’s ok to rest and recalibrate as it inevitably searches for stimulation.

5. Keep perspective

People really don’t expect much of each other during January and even February. However you spend it is the right way. No one is keeping track of whether you’re perfect with your resolutions or ‘hit the ground running’ in “your best year yet.”

In fact many are right there with you recalibrating. Dry January, detox, and Whole30 attempts often affect social schedules. SAD affects many moods and energy levels. People disappear to focus on work or escape to snowy destinations to ski.

It’s the perfect time to take care of you and celebrate what’s already been accomplished.

This sugar baby survived a 2 week cleanse

Two weeks into my blended raw veggie, superfood cleanse and…

1.     EVERYDAY WORKS:

Everything in my closet fits and daily life is easier. My thoughts are clearer, anxiety largely gone, reactions are better, and mood is balanced.

There’s no random bloating, intense cravings, evening cramping, IBS, or constipation. There’s no time taken out to recover from odd meals, sugar spikes, or toxins from the night before.

I don't fear the dark corners of my mind as toxins spike my chronic inflammation, steal B vitamins and magnesium, and leave me without a mental life preserver when stress happens. 

I hadn’t anticipated the 'life is just easier' benefit of this Vitalist cleanse.

2.     I NOTICE MY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD 

With my cells being fed and blood sugar balanced, I’m not actually hungry. BUT I still very much crave sugar to get me through dull moments and distract with a high. The lack of option is liberating and over time the cravings went down.

It’s nice to have the decision already made, to just feel the urge and notice it without struggling with whether or not to cave to it. My brain slowed down it's ADD search for sugary escape once it knew it wasn't an option. I enjoyed more natural focus.

3.     I'M LEARNING BALANCE 

After doing the first week by the book, I detected a craving from my body for animal protein. I had been on the easy to digest, raw, vegan, masterfully combined superfood blends. I had done the herbs, the castor packs, the tummy massages, the oil drinking, the rest, and even the dreaded coffee enema. It all felt medically good for cleanse purposes but not necessarily perfect for my body chemistry daily.

So I played with balance. I promised myself I'd focus on the wins.

I celebrated my exhibition of more discipline than I thought possible for my rebellious, impulsive, use-sugar-as-a-drug spirit.

Off alcohol and sugar the last month+ to prep and build slowly, I was able to celebrate how big of a deal that was and allow modifications the second week with total self love.

After the big liver and gallbladder flush, I observed a rebellion against the 5x/day herbs. I wanted to sneak in a deviled egg or cooked soup stripped of its original enzymes. I wanted spice intensive, flavorful, sugary curry.

And so 2nd week, I allowed myself, and I watched.

A bit of bloat creeped back in with harder to digest choices and less fluids but I retained a desire to continue mostly blended superfoods 70% of the time for ease and comfort.

I felt a welling pride that I was shifting my flexibility around previous all or nothing thinking and could hear my body's preferences.  I knew I could go back to 5 days of herbs and all blended before the next liver flush and really appreciated the ease these food combinations were bringing to my life.

I liked having the blueprint AND noticing where my wiggle room was on the spectrum. I was celebrating wins instead of counting personal errors.

Halle-friggin-lujah!

I love that my food spectrum no longer includes slurpees, ice cream snickers bars, or cheetos. Sugar and starchy processed carbs are my Achilles heel. Others may struggle with dairy or meat, but I really get worked over by blood sugar spikes.

A recent habitnutrition.com blood test had confirmed what I already intuitively knew: I had sensitive pancreatic cells struggling to release insulin so often. I am prone to diabetes if I eat common sugary desserts – even more so as my activity level downshifts with age.

Plus, like many people, I have chronic inflammation from fast living and high toxin exposure compounded with intense internal dialogue ~ {I suspect originating from early trauma and attempts to system override to prove worth through "productivity."} My already high cortisol levels don't need sugar's 'helpful boost' and the path I was on is ripe for an autoimmune disease.

Even knowing about inflammation's damage, I feared letting go of my sugary security blanket and frankly doubted I could. I had asked the universe for a done for me, easy, delicious way to break my patterning. And doing this first step FEELS HUGE! :)

I know I don't really have the luxury to continue to treat food like an escapist drug rather than information for my cells so I'm super grateful these blended drinks weren't gross. I had to find a better coping mechanism than sugar and the delicious Vitalist superfood blends made exploring this transition possible. The chocolate chia protein powder nut milk blend mimics a cold chocolate mousse and got me through cravings.

The Takeaway 

Experimenting with truly balanced blood sugar for 2 weeks has been such a gift. Having clearer thoughts, needing less sleep, feeling lighter in my body, enjoying a svelte physique, and reducing decision fatigue in the food arena has been great. I suspect the aloe in my favorite 'Aloe Detox' blended drink has also helped repair leaky gut damages to my intestinal walls. That drink will forever be found in my fridge.

Pretty excited to be past the all liquid part so I can get back to the Unicorn nutballs and the nut cheese, jalapeno chip Nachos. I love food and want to feel good and sometimes that's a tough balance for this sugar baby.

25 ways to be happier

Repost from InspitationsandCelebrations - check out #13 :)

25 Experts Tips on How To Be Happier

To celebrate the International Day of Happiness, today’s personal growth guide features 25 tips from happiness experts (including Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Self-Help Authors, and Motivational Speakers) on how to be happier.

1. LOVE YOURSELF: “The best way to be really truly happy is to love yourself. External happiness will be brought into your life when at your core you are genuine in your thoughts, words, and actions. Embrace your strengths and accept or change your struggles.” – Kelley Kitley, LCSW is the owner and psychotherapist at Serendipitous Psychotherapy, LLC. in Chicago, Illinoi.

2. IMAGINE THINGS GOING RIGHT: “When everything is going wrong, explore the ideas of some things going right. Happiness is typically conditioned upon a state of being. People experiencing unpleasant phases of life can achieve happiness when they make the right things bigger. Make your happy bigger than your problems.” – Shannon Battle, LCAS, LPC, CSOTS is the Clinical Director of Family Services of America in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

3. END NEGATIVITY: “Reduce stress in your life by avoiding negative people and staying around positive people as much as possible. Stop watching the news or at least reduce your viewing as there is so much negativity in the news. Supplement with the anti-stress mineral, magnesium.” – Carolyn Dean, MD, ND is a stress management expert and nutrition expert, as well as the author of The Magnesium Miracle and The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Women’s Health.

4. DO GOOD, FEEL GOOD: “Doing nice things for others has been research-proven to increase your happiness and boost your mood. Giving back to others can help you to take the focus off of yourself and your worries and can improve someone else’s day. Kindness and compassion are some of the most important things that we have to offer.” – Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LGSW is a Mental Health Therapist and Social Worker in North Potomac, Maryland.

5. WRITE IT DOWN: “Write down one thing (you) are grateful for every day. There is extensive research that supports the effectiveness of gratitude in making people feel happier, and the act of writing it down helps my clients develop a gratitude-habit which eventually becomes a way a viewing the world.” – Marie Levey-Pabst is the founder of Create Balance and a consultant who helps parents find balance and joy in their lives.

6. DO WHAT YOU WANT: “Do things that you want to do versus things you feel you should do. Should is guilt inducing and it drains our energy. When it’s a want, it empowers us.” – Jenn DeWall is a professional coach and motivational speaker in Denver, Colorado.

7. BE GRATEFUL: “Build a gratitude list, embrace progress over perfection, laugh at yourself, find your passion, and live with integrity.” – Richard London is a motivational speaker, author, and the owner of A Handbook for Life Center in Matthews, North Carolina.

8. VALIDATE OTHERS: “Validate others. This is simple and powerful. Throughout the day actively look to thank other people for their contributions; thank the grocery checker for a good job; thank a police officer for being out there for you; thank the paperboy. It’ll make their day and yours.” – Dr. John McGrail,  PhD, is a Los Angeles-based clinical hypnotherapist, self improvement expert and personal/relationship coach, as well as the author of The Synthesis Effect: Your Direct Path to Personal Power and Transformation.

9. FIND UPLIFTING PEOPLE: “There are many benefits to spending time with people who encourage, uplift, support and cheer for you, not against you, some of which include improved health, reduced stress and increased creativity. Lifters genuinely want to see you do well. They celebrate and encourage awesomeness which in turn allows you to find more awesomeness within yourself.” – Tammie Norn is a certified leadership speaker, trainer, and coach in Ontario, Canada.

10. TAKE A BREAK: “With the fast pace of our society and all the instant connection, it’s difficult to step back and take a breath. Schedule a 15-30 minute break to rest, unplug, and do absolutely nothing. Put this important meeting on your calendar and protect your time.” – Kanesha Baynard is a Life Coach and Author in San Francisco, California.

11. KNOW YOURSELF: “Watch for patterns in your life, and seek to understand why they are occurring. This allows you to capitalize on the great ones, and course correct on those that aren’t making your life better.” – Brian Brandt is a Motivational Speaker and the CEO of Core Insights in Tyler, Texas.

12. MAKE A SCHEDULE: “We should always know our goals and priorities. We have to schedule minimum time for each and ever part of life, (such as) career, family, personal time, and health. Just measure and monitor (your time), and you will have a good habit developed in no time.” – Shawn Chhabra is an Author and Podcast Host of “Winning The Game of Life Podcast” on WGL.FM in St. Louis, Missouri.

13. CELEBRATE YOUR WINS: “Count your accomplishments. We are bombarded with images of where we lack. Practicing celebrating all of our wins trains our brain to be less anxious, kinder to ourself, and (helps us) release rewarding brain chemicals.” – Sara Plummer Barnard is a relationship and happiness consultant who helps people get past their past and into their best selves.

14. BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF: “You are responsible for your own happiness. Do not rely on others to make you happy. Create a life where you do things you enjoy, a life that brings you happiness.” – Dr. Raquel A. Stuart is an Author, Educator, and Radio Host as well as the Founder & CEO of Sistas Speak, LLC. in Willingboro, New Jersey.

15. RELEASE CONTROL: “Stop trying to control everything and just let it flow. Adopt this philosophy to your life. When something in your life goes wrong, just yell ‘plot twist’ and move on. Learning to let go of control, be flexible, and realize that the things you’re stressing about today really won’t matter tomorrow eliminates all of the worry and stress in your life, and allows more happiness and joy to come to you.” – Sherica A. Matthews is an Author, Life/Relationship Coach, and Speaker in Houston, Texas.

16. START THE DAY RIGHT: “How we start our day sets our mood for the day. We should wake early to be able to ease our way into the day. Have a cup of coffee, listen to a podcast, watch something you have been saving on your DVR. If you start your day calmly and in an enjoyable way, you set the tone for the rest of your day.” – Nicole Martinez, Psy.D., LCPC is a Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.

17. EXERCISE: “Exercise frequently. Physical exercise increases endorphins and dopamine release which promotes happiness. If possible, spend some of this time outside. Sunlight increases the production of Vitamin D, which promotes a positive mood.” – Dr. Jared Heathman is a psychiatrist in Houston, Texas who is trained in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry.

18. LET IT GO: “Don’t harbor ill-will or grudges. When we hold onto grudges, it only becomes our burden. Get rid of negativity. Look into things that make you feel less happy and eliminate those from your life. Pessimistic people, bad news, social media, etc. (Just) let it go.” – Joshua Evans is an enthusiasm expert, speaker, author, and mentor at Enthusiastic You! in Houston, Texas.

19. MEDITATE: “One of the easiest and simplest ways to be happier is to develop a daily meditation habit. It only takes a few minutes a day, but just by taking the time to sit up straight, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing, you can, over time, decrease your stress levels.” – John Turner is the CEO & Founder of QuietKit, which provides guided meditation for beginners (for free).

20. MAINTAIN HYGIENE: “When we are oscillating towards feelings of sadness, we tend to lay in bed for more hours than not; not shower; watch television all day. When we (do these things), we are not activating our bodies and this can further contribute to sadness. A refreshing shower has a positive impact on your mood and day. Therefore, the internal and external go hand-in-hand.” – Dr. Stephanie J. Wong is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Palo Alto, California who helps people that long to be connected to others, maintain sobriety, and feel accomplished.

21. CHANGE YOUR FOCUS: “What we focus on becomes our reality. When we adjust our focus to the good… we open up our ability to see more good and happy moments. Our brains notice what we consciously spend time on. Spend more time recognizing the good, (as) the positive and the uplifting stories allows us to be more aware of the positive and increase our level of happiness throughout the day.” – Cara Maksimow, LCSW, CPC is a Madison, New Jersey-based Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Life Coach, Motivational Speaker and Author of Lose That Mommy Guilt Tales and Tips from an Imperfect Mom.

22. TAKE ACTION: “Finding happiness requires action. If you are not feeling happy, you need to do something different. Start by asking yourself, ‘what in your life is keeping you from being happy?’ The action you need to take to find happiness comes from those feelings. Whatever you can do now to elicit those feelings is crucial to finding happiness.” – Loris Brant B.A., B.Ed. is the Author of The Happiness Toolbox: Finding Happiness Regardless of Circumstances (launching June 1, 2016), a  Teacher, Life Coach & Master Spirit Life Coach in Ontario, Canada.

23. ENJOY THE LITTLE THINGS: “Remember that our lives happen in singular, small moments. We can consciously make those small moments feel magical for ourselves and for others. All to often, we focus on big celebrations or future events we think will make us happy. But the truth is, when we get present to small moments and we do little things to brighten up those moments, our lives start to take on this technicolor feel.” – Sherry Richert Belul is the Founder of Simply Celebrate in San Francisco, California.

24. JUST SMILE: “Facial feedback works because the brain senses the flexion of certain facial muscles (like the zygomatic major, which is required to smile) and interprets it as “Oh I must be happy about something.” Similarly, if that muscle isn’t flexed then your brain thinks, “Oh, I must not be happy”. In addition to the direct neural feedback, in the real world you also get the added advantage of social feedback. Smiles are infectious (perhaps another post on mirror neurons in the future). So even if you don’t feel much happier, the people around you are more likely to smile, and that can improve your mood as well.” – Alex Korb, Ph.D. is a contributor to Psychology Today.

25. WEAR UPLIFTING COLORS: “Based on the study of Color Psychology, colors can have an effect on the way we feel. Invigorating colors (such as yellow and orange) tend to help us feel more upbeat, socially-inclined, and optimistic. On days when you need an extra boost of cheer, opt to wear a mood-elevating hue.” – Christina-Lauren Pollack is the Lifestyle Blogger behind Inspirations & Celebrations, as well as a contributing writer to Carmel Magazine, The Los Angeles Fashion Magazine, and the Huffington Post.

3 reasons to choose forgiveness and it's empowering benefits:

The very thing that thrusts us forward & keeps us ambitious, may be the thing that also makes us angry, impatient, unkind, and unhappy. How to reclaim your sanity when you're at your wits end, overwhelmed, needing a break, and defaulting to your darker side.

Here's a quick meditative video on the personal benefits of forgiveness and why we should use it to our advantage improving everyone's experience. I made it as a reminder to myself and hope it serves you too. Happy Monday!!

The REAL reason we should forgive. Arming ourselves with the best tools and understanding why. WE DESERVE TO FEEL GOOD. GetHealthySexyHappy is a wellness site and series that addresses how to look, feel, eat, move, think, sleep, and love better.

I am really starting to love myself!

Amid all of the manic to-dos and busy bee buzzing I had this beautiful thought just now- "I am really starting to celebrate and appreciate who I am!"

Take that mean voice. 

That's right, after years of kicking my own ass up and down the street regardless of how fast I ran, how much I got done, how many people 

I kept happy, I am starting to realize that even 1/3 of that effort would be enough! I'm allowed to feel good & enjoy this ride!

Geez... about time.

With this self love, appreciation of effort, and celebration of small victories comes another revelation: I may actually give myself permission to be happy. Permission to enjoy this ride without all of the exhaustion, sprinting, punishment, binging for relief, and fear of imperfection. I get to be happy without getting anywhere near perfect- AND THAT'S EVEN BETTER!

I get to pick a few things that are important to me right now, commit to them, and revise the list whenever it suits. I get to laugh when I fall and hope that someone else saw so they get a good chuckle too.

I get to enjoy the parts each phase of life has. I get to use my body and brain. I get to feel pretty in lots of different ways. I get to brighten others days and appreciate the little yummy treats like the bike guys smile. I get to be happy. 

Anytime I want to be happy, I get to count my blessings, celebrate my recent efforts, and notice how I've shown up or been kind recently. I can slow my breath, dance in my living room, organize a closet, watch a funny show, do 15 pushups, sing in the shower, get a massage, give a smile and bring myself right back to the open, happy, loving space where we are all one and I get to feel good just as I am in this moment with bright future choices yet to be revealed..