​Hmmm, I don’t know, I can’t decide.  How often do you think or say something along those unsure lines? The typical person, according to research in the Journal of Health Psychology, makes more than 30,000 choices each day, which can easily lead to decision fatigue whether you know it or not.  Making decisions can be a challenge   Being indecisive can wreak havoc on your psyche, your fun, your relationships and on your well-being.  Consider any or all of the following to become a bit more decisive:

• Tap into your resilience – Trust that no matter the choice, you can get through it
• Be honest – Share your worries/concerns with others and trust that they can relate
• Adopt – Pivot to a best for right now vs. perfect one day
• Limit - Narrow your choices and decrease the time spent evaluating too many options
• Ready, set, decide –Give yourself a specific deadline to make a choice & stick to it
• Listen – Trust your gut and go with what you really need, want and deserve

 
It’s time to stop wasting time waffling, analyzing and second guessing. It’s within your control to decide to decide.

​Before we go too far into the new year, give yourself the opportunity to reflect on some of the highlights from the past year.  Consider any or all of the following:
 

• The best idea you had
• The best change you made to your routine
• The best beverage you drank
• The best purchase you made
• The best compliment someone gave you
• The best text you got
• The best thing you did for yourself

 
We often forget about the bests and focus on the bads.  Let’s flip that script and give it your best effort to recognize what’s good, fun, satisfying and healthy for you and your total well-being.

​There are times that we simply miss.  For example, we missed posting on this blog during the first few days of December.  Is there a good reason? Not really, but…..it’s ok.  We need to give ourselves the opportunity to not beat ourselves up about an occasional miss.  We will be back in January, and maybe hoping you missed the post…just a bit.

If you ever have driven a manual car, you know when you need to either shift to a higher or lower gear, because the car “tells” you.  In many ways our bodies, emotions and intuition do the same for us.  Consider any or all of the following shifts you might need right now:
 

• Expectations – lower yours for the upcoming holidays.  Approach this season with an openness that doesn’t border on obsessive details or the perfect gift, dinner or outfit.  

 

• Energy – allow yours to flow and go with how you feel in each situation.  Increase it if the music and the moment inspire you or decrease it to meet yourself where you are.

 

• Exercise – do what you can regarding moving, and by moving it can be walking, lifting, standing, Zumba-ing, bopping, spinning or whatever gets you less stagnant.  Kick it into high gear when possible and accept that a low key activity might be what the day calls for.

 

• Engagement – this is all in your control, be it socially, professionally, or personally.  Check in with yourself and determine what you really want, need, and deserve and let that be your cruising speed and GPS

 

• Enjoy- switch it up and give yourself the opportunity to both do things that are out of your comfort zone, as well as staying in a comfortable neutral, familiar place and space

 
Listen to what truly drives you and shift into and or away from those things, thoughts, and tactics.  There is no manual for determining the direction you may shift towards. It’s also not automatic, you are the driver of your well-being.

​Knock, knock.  Who’s there? Orange. Orange who?  Orange you glad that orange “stuff” can contribute to your health and well-being? Consider any or all the following ways to incorporate more “orange” into your daily routine:
 
Pumpkin – truly tis’ the season to enjoy pumpkin something.  Make some pumpkin bisque or bake some into your next batch of muffins for a boost of potassium, fiber and antioxidants.
 
Carrots- crunchy, sweet, dippable and great for when you get your eyes checked to say, “What’s up doc?”
 
Orange Juice – it’s not just for breakfast anymore.  Use it in marinades, make popsicles with it or use a splash of it to add a shot of sweetness to bubbly water and possibly benefit by decreasing some inflammation.
 
Clementines – portable, peelable and a pretty decent source of Vitamin C
 
Basketball- shoot some hoops, play horse, dribble or just play – your heart will thank you.
 
 
Orange just may be the color of the season, so celebrate and have some fun with it.  Orange you glad that happiness and health are no joke!
 
 

It’s back to school time.  We all can be life-long learners no matter if we are officially enrolled in classes or not.  This September, consider trying and or integrating any or all of the following into your routine:
 
Snacks – forget about an apple for the teacher, enjoy one a day.  Apples support your immune system, their skins contain quercetin, a type of plant pigment flavonoid that helps boost your immune system and reduce inflammation.
 
Bedtime – set a time to get ready for and to be in bed. With a more consistent sleep schedule you will reinforce your circadian rhythm, which helps productivity and wellbeing and can improve your biological, mental and emotional health.
 
Connections – make a new friend, go to something you enjoy or have always wanted to try or join a club.  Being with others is one of the healthy things we can do for ourselves and our spirit.
 
Energy- manage your energy, just as you do your time and hopefully your stress.  Know what and who drains or adds to your well-being. Consciously managing our energy provides us with more opportunity to do those things that we enjoy and get joy from.
 
Recess- when your mind is full, it’s time to take a break.  Taking a time out allows us to recharge and can increase productivity, creativity, job satisfaction and connection to ourselves. 
 
No studying, no memorizing and no tests for you this September.  Simply, try a few things to optimize your routine and ready for yourself for some healthy growth and discovery.  It can be a fact that taking better care of yourself is fun.

​Chill
 
It’s hot out there these days.  Take a moment or more to step back and chill.  Temporarily let go of your non-essential to-do’s and or try something new (and cool) by considering any or all of the following:
 

• Drink.  Make ice cubes that are fun to look at and even better to enjoy once they melt in your beverage.

 

• Eat – Enjoy frozen fruit for a sweet treat.  Grapes, berries, and bananas are terrific ways to snack or close out a meal.

 

• Take a time out – Literally chill out and banish the shoulds from your mind for a day or even a week

 

• Recover – Jump in a cold shower or bath after a workout that gets you heated up.  If you have no time or desire to change up your bathing water temperature then just take an ice cube and rub it on the back of your neck and the chill will quickly be upon you 

 

• Sleep –  Cool is the rule to optimize sleep.  Keep your nighttime thermostat in the 60”s, minimize extra blankets and put away any distractions as long before going to bed as you can manage.

 
We all want to be cool in our own ways, it’s truly in your control to be chill.
 
 

​Side-to-side, step aside, side angle, side-lined, side dishes and the list of types of sides could go on.  Let’s face it, we all have a lot of sides that we contend with on a daily basis.   Sometimes we simply need to put something or many things to the side.  Consider letting go of any or all of the following:
 
Ego – Put your ego to the side and allow others to grab/get/glisten in the spotlight, it might just shine a different light on and for you.
 
Perspective – Your approach is important/insightful/intriguing and valid, but try and see a situation from someone else’s perspective.
 
Time – Don’t check the clock/phone/watch and simply try and be in the present moment.
 
Energy – Allow something else to drive the meeting/moment/memory forward.  
 
Project – How important is that task/chore/errand?  Consider not doing it(now) and determine the impact (if any).
 
Stuff – We all have too much of something. Give some of it away and see what (or what doesn’t) happen.
 
 
Often, when we put something to the side, we make room for more and with more we may find our plate is full enough with what is really important.

.We all need a break from time to time, not because we are broken, but to help prevent becoming worn down.  The blog is taking a break this month, but will be back in July..
​

​Data
 
We live in a world obsessed with numbers.  Net worth, weight, height, tipping, shoe size, step count, temperatures and the list goes on.  Many perceive numbers as comparisons, but we can use numbers as helpful data.  Consider any or all of the following:
 
Set point- Our weight fluctuates naturally as we age (thank you hormones), but we all have set points.  The weight that our body settles around, give a few lbs either way.  Look at your current weight, (note: not what it was X years ago!) and determine your now set point.
 
Sleep – If you are not careful, you will never achieve what the “experts” say you need to be well-rested.  Consider how you feel after a variety of nights sleep (quantity and quality), review what you might have been doing (or not doing) prior to the evening and identify your sleep number Note: by sleep number, it is not a reference to a certain type of bed, but rather the realistic amount of sleep you and your body needs to thrive throughout the day.  Use that data to start working towards achieving your number.
 
Sitting – Is sitting the new smoking?   If you spend hours at a time in a chair, car, on a couch or propped up in bed without getting up for a moment or two, then yes, consider that a warning from not only the surgeon general, but from your heart, bones and body to get up to simply stand, stretch or stroll around the room more often.
 
Social – How many likes do you have?  Actually, it doesn’t matter – what counts is having a few trusted peeps (friends, family, etc.) that you can count on to listen, love, engage with and simply enjoy interacting with. When it comes to your well-being, it’s quality, not quantity.
 
Healthy data isn’t about math or coming to a correct answer.  It’s figuring out what equations work for you, your body, mind and spirit.