11 Ways to Help Maintain Life-Work Balance and Mental Well-being

It's been a while since I last posted. I took a bit of a social media break, mostly because life has gotten a little crazier than usual, and I've been working really hard to be more mindful and to be present in reality.

Life-work balance isn't easy. For the last few weeks I've been feeling like I've just been keeping my head above water, but only just. If a wave were to come in, I'd be in real trouble.

I've talked before about my history with PMDD, and it has recently resurfaced - not to the same degree, but I notice it almost immediately after ovulating. I have to laugh a little bit, because in my head and my body, sometimes it feels like I go into this "empty uterus depression." I hate stereotypes of women being useless during "that time of the month," but to be honest, for me, there is totally a link between my fluctuating hormones and my ability to function optimally (Let me assure you, I can still function, but I know I'm better than this).

I don't know exactly how many other women feel this way. There are a lot of women out there who are so much better at functioning while their hormone levels are changing.

To be honest, without my own naturopathic and self care I would be drowning. And I think it's up to us to realize when we're starting to slip and to get help immediately. Here are a few things I've been working on - practices to help other women keep this balance and keep their heads above water.

1) If you're waking up early for work, go to bed earlier. My bedtime has been scaled back to around 9:30pm. That might sound fairly early, but I haven't been sleeping as well due to added life stress, so I'm more tired than usual.

2) Find out if you need extra nutrient supplementation and take your supplements regularly. This may include extra magnesium (especially magnesium malate), B12 injections, vitamin C, etc.

3) Get assessed and consider extra stress and nervous system support. Nervine herbs like oatstraw (Avena sativa) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) can be calming, support sleep, and mood.

4) Don't forget to exercise but it needs to be something you look forward to, and keep it shorter. I've been doing more yoga lately which helps immensely. Even 20-30 minutes of activity will make a huge difference in your mood. If you don't have time to do this everyday, take 5 minutes to stretch out on your floor. Or maybe just do a couple forward folds, moving with your breath.

5) Schedule 30 minutes each day for you. Read a book that you've been meaning to get through. Wind down for 30 minutes before your bedtime to you do an activity that calms you, brings you joy and that isn't work. I've been either reading or knitting, which has been a huge help for my own mental well-being.

6) Talk to a friend or family member. When I'm this busy and stressed out, I embrace my introvertedness (yup, I'm also making up words), and I don't want to go out anywhere. So instead, I'll call my mom or sister, or even just send them a text if I don't feel like I can talk. Partners/husbands are also great for hugs and cuddles. Petting your cat or dog can also have calming effects.

7) Cry. Seriously, go have a good cry. Then get your breath back and work on slowing and controlling your breath.

8) Journal. On days you don't feel like your 30-minute wind-down activity (see #5), then instead write down a few of your thoughts. What are you grateful for today? What do you need to do tomorrow? What are you looking forward to? What are things do you wish you could get done that aren't getting done? Write down anything. Just write for 5 whole minutes, then go to bed.

9) Once a month (or more frequently if you can swing it), do something bigger for you: go get a massage. Go for a swim. Take an exercise/yoga/support/meditation class. There are so many out there! Meetup.com has some great local options, for all interests.

10) Save time by setting up deliveries. For example, use services like MamaEarth Organics in the greater Toronto area and have groceries (and good healthy foods!) delivered to you automatically each week. Do all of your holiday shopping online to save you the time and stress of having to go to a shopping mall and dealing with crowds. Hire a cleaning service to come to your house maybe once or twice per month. Anything that can give you more time for the things you really need.

11) In general, set a schedule for yourself. Choose a time to stop responding to emails. Schedule time that is just family time. Schedule time for you alone. Set a schedule for both work and your personal/family life and do your best to stick to it.

Sometimes even one activity/class per month can be daunting when you look at your calendar, but I think we need to get back to taking care of ourselves. One day per month isn't a lot to ask. Nor is 35 minutes daily for you. That's 35 minutes out of our 960 minutes (16 daytime hours) per day. Of course, finances can also interfere in the above plan, so do only what you can manage.

And ever forget to ask for help when you need it. You may be surprised by how many people come to your aid when you reach out and ask for help.

Messy Spaces and Anxiety

Our environments have such a huge impact on our mental wellbeing but I find that sometimes we neglect to be mindful of our spaces due to being busy all the time. A simple example of this: a messy living space. Maybe it's your bedroom, your living room, your backyard, or your whole home. 

Things get thrown on the floor, maybe we get too caught up in work or our day-to-day and don't get a chance to vacuum or clean. Papers, books, documents pile up on counter tops or tables, and before you know it you're living in clutter. 

I experienced this first-hand over this past month. Moving into a new house (which is actually a 40-year old home) and having to fix it up and do renovations has been crippling on my own personal mental health. Worst of all, it took me too long to realize it. 

A messy, cluttered space sent my anxiety screaming at full volume, putting me into breakdowns and panic attacks on a regular basis over the past few weeks. I can't remember the last time I felt less like myself. 

When did it all click? As soon as my partner and I threw out the garbage, took out the recycling, cleared off the tables, and swept the floor. Garbage and dishes drive me nuts, but a dirty floor sends me spiralling! 

Maybe that's because I have a certain relationship with the floor. With most floors... and the ground. I have this thing where I feel better being grounded. I like sitting on the floor. I like being barefoot in the grass or on the sand. I like the option of being able to drop to the ground whenever I feel like it and doing a planck and downward dog, literally stretching next to our dog; Sitting on the kitchen floor giving her puppy massages and rubbing her belly. The ground is amazing because I have the power and strength to push myself back up again (whether with or without using my arms/hands).

The ground makes me feel steady. So having it covered in dust, debris, drop cloths, painting clothes, drywall, pieces of wood, and multiple empty cans of Perrier made me feel like my world was crashing. 

I didn't have a space -any space. Everything was chaos. And when our surroundings are chaotic we emotionally feel the chaos. 

Some of you might not understand this at all. Perhaps you're like my partner and just deal with it. You know everything is going to be fine in the end; It'll all get cleaned up eventually, right? So what's the problem?

The problem is with those of us who really are sensitive to their surroundings. Even if you're not, you might notice that just by cleaning and decluttering you feel better - almost lighter. 

Back in my undergrad and graduate studies, I would always do a huge house/room cleaning before studying. I couldn't sit and concentrate if things were messy or dirty. Cleaning my space and introducing some fresh air through open windows would make all the difference in the world. I could focus, I could concentrate, and I was at my best. 

Yes, there are things out of our control. I can't control how much drywall dust gets on our floors on a daily basis because of home renos, but I can clean up a space for myself. 

I encourage you to give it a try the next time you go to sit and work on a task, or even before you take some relaxation time. Clean and organize your space first; get rid of all the old shit you don't need. Clean out your closet(s), donate old clothes, and towels. File away all those papers or documents that have been piling up. Dust off shelves, or sweep/vaccum your floors. And lastly, if the weather permits, open up a window or door for a few minutes and bring in some fresh air. 

I don't want to encourage manic or obsessive cleaning here, but just an activity to try when you're feeling frustrated, unable to be at rest, or to concentrate on a task. Getting messy and dirty is amazing, and a ton of fun (like running outside in the mud and dirt or stretching on the ground), but a clean space can make a more clear happy mind. 

5 New - and more creative - ways to Journal!

We frequently read about and are told how good journalling is for stress and anxiety. I'm a true believer in this, after all, this is how I started blogging. By not writing, I was anxious and felt like I had a lot bottled up. Not just emotions but words, ideas and thoughts.

You might call me a bookworm or a book and reading enthusiast, but not all of us are. We're not all writers, or even necessarily creative in a conventional way. But some of us do tend to get caught up in our heads. Maybe we spiral with our thoughts. Maybe they wake us in the night or prevent us from falling asleep in the first place. Maybe there's something we want to say to another person but we want to choose our words and our message very carefully. Journalling is one of the best ways to help guide us through these processes but when left with a blank page, sometimes our minds also go blank.

So in classic book-nerd fashion I spent a few hours at Chapters/Indigo in a euphoric state, falling in love with dozens of titles and books wanting to take all of them home with me. As a writer and a blogger, writing off the top of my head comes a bit easier, but there are times I want and need to be guided. I want my brain to be stimulated by an idea; Other times I need my brain to be more focused instead of wanting to explode with a hundred different thoughts.

I was so excited by what I found and wanted to share these amazing resources with you. So here are some unconventional ways to journal:

The 52 Lists Project is a book in which you will create a list for each week of the year. Each page will prompt you with different inspirations and ideas for making lists to help with your own self-discovery and expression. Some include listing your favourite movie characters, the best road trip songs, places you want to visit, etc.

Not only are you prompted with what to list, but it gives you the opportunity for self-reflection.











642 Things to Write About is a wonderful book and resource for those of us whom writing comes a bit easier, but still experience the dreaded writer's block. If you want to be creative without sharing your works with others, this is a great way to stretch out those writing muscles.















Wreck this Journal: A creative and very unconventional way to journal, this book will guide you through "exercises" and practices for literally wrecking the book. You might be instructed to rip out a page and crumple it, or spill some coffee on it.
It forces you to make mistakes and be content with imperfection. A great exercise for those who tend to
 perfection. You are given full permission to be messy, to break a book and make it look used.  And even better for those who will get a great sense of relief from the messy and somewhat destructive instructions instead of solely relying on journalling as a writing exercise.

What's even better is that Keri Smith's collection of "Wreck This Journal" is now up to 5 different books/journals.





Finish This Book, also (partially) written by Keri Smith, requires you to literally help her finish this book. Inside is a series of missions - if you should choose to accept them - with guided instructions.

This book takes the guess work out of the equation and all you need to do is follow her instructions, using your own words and creativity along the way.










The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook was just one of several workbooks found in the Well-being book section that uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques.  These types of workbooks are extremely helpful for helping you get to the root of any emotional and mental issues you're experiencing.

This book will guide you step-by-step to help you recognize your feelings and the experiences that accompany them. It will help you to identify your triggers for anxiety and stress, and teach you how to utilize stress management techniques.

Workbooks such as this are wonderful when you feel stuck or when you're struggling to overcome a specific or general type of stress.

Is a Type-A personality the new silent killer?

Working Hard
We all have to work at something: bettering ourselves, pushing our careers forward, investing in our relationships, building or "fixing" our homes, taking care of others to help them learn and grow, and reaching our own goals (in addition to making new ones). Sometimes it can be energetically or physically draining, but hard work can go a long way.

When we're just starting out in our careers it's important to keep busy and to put in the time. With anything, it's easy to sit around and do nothing - TOO EASY. Having that motivation and discipline to work hard at something is how we get ahead. Want to get into shape? It's not going to work if you decide to sit on the couch instead of moving your body. Want your business to soar? Having a Facebook page or website isn't enough, we have to hustle, we have to work on projects, make connections, get our names out there.

I wanted to bring awareness around overexerting ourselves. Many of us Type-A personalities love getting stuff done and controlling the organization of it all. We like the final "product" to be perfect, we create our own deadlines, and we can be competitive (either with outside competition or just ourselves).

Some of us really like staying busy. Maybe we work better with the pressure or get bored if there's nothing that needs our attention right away, so we seek more work.

It doesn't really sound bad, does it, being productive or overly productive? It's all in how we handle that much work and if we can achieve balance in our lives. For example, there have been some claims regarding the increased incidence of anxiety, increased stimulant use (including caffeine) and cardiovascular disease in those with Type A personalities. This isn't really far-fetched. We use coffee and other stimulants to keep us going everyday. Remember The Wolf of Wall Street? They used cocaine to wake them up and keep them sharp for such a high-pressure position.

Anxiety, Stress and Cortisol 
If we start feeling anxious about deadlines or time crunches, or if we're always in GO-GO-GO mode, this is where our health can start to suffer. Increased feelings of anxiety go hand-in-hand with the "fight-or-flight" response: it's your body's way of dealing with stress, and it's pretty awesome. We need this stress response, but if we are chronically in that state, our body can get tired from being "on guard" all the time.

Cortisol, the main hormone released in this stress response helps your body's efficiency for "fight-or-flight". Cortisol is also important for helping regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and your immune system. The idea is that cortisol comes in when you need it and then after the stressor is gone, the body recovers and is ready for the next "attack".

With chronic stress, we are constantly pumping out cortisol, so much so that our adrenal glands can't keep up with the demand. We also stop responding to those same amounts of cortisol. Your body wants the "fight" to be over so that it can repair, balance and be prepared for the next "attack". Without this recovery phase, it's very easy to experience Adrenal Fatigue (chronically low levels of cortisol).

Adrenal Fatigue and un-regulated cortisol can affect your sleep, blood pressure (feeling light-headed when you stand up), your mood, you may crave salt, feel tired (especially upon waking), have blood sugar crashes, brain fog, and get sick often.

When stress runs our lives, we can be more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, infertility, menstrual dysregulation, hypothyroidism. Yes, that's right, your adrenal function is very closely related to your thyroid and sex hormone regulation!

You might feel great now. Maybe working really hard keeps your even more motivated and you feel super accomplished. Those 4-6 hours per night of sleep are enough for you and you're getting stuff done! But this won't always be the case. Our bodies always catch up with us and although you're functioning fine now, you may burn-out a few years down the road, or feel quite debilitated. This is often the pattern I see in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients: previously type-A personalities who after 10-20 years have completely burnt out and their body can't keep up anymore.

What's important is the balance: avoiding being overworked by allowing the body to recover. How can you do this?

• Set boundaries for work: This will look different for everyone but may include putting your phone away or not answering emails for 1-2 hours in the evening (or as soon as you walk in the door!). 
• Eat slowly and healthily: Don't eat on the go, or rush your meals. Take the time to enjoy your food. Anxious, stressed or rushed eating will impair digestion. When your body is handling stress it sends all its energy and focus to other places in your body - and away from your gut! Limiting consumption of sugar and processed foods will also help decrease inflammation in the body. 
• Limit or eliminate stimulants: Caffeine has been shown to increase cortisol; But you can't use what you don't have (see my post on why coffee might not be working for you). Caffeine can also promote or increase anxiety. 
• Get enough sleep! Your body needs to relax, recover and repair. 
• Supplement support: 1000mg of vitamin C per day can help support your adrenal glands. You can also talk to your naturopath about which adaptogens (botanicals that support adrenal function and cortisol) would be best for you.
• Give yourself time to relax: Yoga, non-cardio exercise, colouring, working puzzles, playing games, take a bath, get a massage. 
• Seek counselling: Sometimes it's nice just to talk to someone, to get things off your chest and to pick up new tools on how to manage stress. 
• Remember to breathe: Remind yourself throughout the day to take a few deep breaths. We tend to have very shallow breathing, especially when stressed. Take a nice big slow cleansing breath to relax the nervous system.

Washing off your day: how to change your whole attitude after a tough day

As a healthcare practitioner it's hard to come home without lingering thoughts and emotions from my day. Patients and their stories, their moods, they rub off on you. I used to take my days home with me. I'd walk through the door, start talking to my partner and he immediately recognized that something was off. I'd get easily annoyed, I was angry or upset and I'd snap. This wasn't a good thing.

It's hard not to take work home with you. It's even harder if you commute and you carry those frustrations with you on top of everything else. So I created a game plan - with some help of course.

I had to change my energy and change my routine. The first thing was to make it known that once I walk in that front door of the house, I will say hi but then I am NOT to get into any conversations until I've dealt with myself. I go straight upstairs and "wash my day off" myself.

You can take this literally or figuratively - or both! Here are things you can do to wash your day off and change your attitude after work:

1) Brush your teeth: if you talk all day, like me, you need to wash everything out of there. Have "clean words" and conversations for the rest of the evening

2) Brush the tangles out of your hair. Again, literally and figuratively: As I brush through my long hair, I'm brushing out all the "tangles" from the day. It's refreshing!

3) If you're on your feet most of the day: take off your socks, wash your feet in the tub, give yourself a quick little foot massage and then put on some fresh dry socks. Your feet will feel so good!

4) Change your clothes! You're wearing work clothes - take them off! This is the best time to change either into your comfiest clothes, or your "Super suit" (Clothes that are comfortable and that represent you. Putting these on make you feel empowered). Peel off the layers from the day and put on fresh new ones.

5) Wash your hands. Wash your day off of you. Some of you might want a full shower. That's cool. But if not, just wash your hands and imagine that you're washing off all the garbage and emotions from your whole day. Watch it run off your hands and down the sink. It's gone. You don't need to carry it around with you anymore.

Lastly, make sure you're giving your body what it needs. If you haven't eaten since lunch, have a snack in the afternoon or at the end of your workday so that you don't have a hypoglycemic crash by the time you come home. Drink a glass of water - rehydrate.

This also applies to anyone working from home. It's important to separate work from family. Taking just 10 minutes for yourself when you get home or finish work isn't that much and it can make a world of a difference!

Why coffee isn't helping to correct your fatigue

We see it way too often. Towns and cities full of people, waking up tired and going straight for the coffee. Many of us - like myself - love coffee for its aromas, its taste and the ritual of a morning coffee. Oh the ritual! The careful preparation, the feeling of warm mug in our hands, and the thorough enjoyment of each slow sip.

But too many people take these things for granted. Coffee has a purpose and that purpose is energy! It's to wake up. To be able to function! They walk around with their 16oz or larger cups filled with the hot brown liquid. Coffee pots containing 12 servings are gone by lunch time. And do they feel any better? The answer is usually no. They need it to get through the day. But what these people don't know is that their 10-person family-size serving of daily coffee can be acting against them.

First, this is way too much caffeine, but it never seems like it to a "chronic, high-dose" coffee-drinker. This is because our bodies become accustom to these levels of caffeine. One or two cups is no longer enough. Your body knows what you've been giving it. Try to cheap out, and you don't feel the same. The more you consume, the more you get used to it, and the more you need to function at the same level. To make matters more complicated, caffeine can actually intensify anxiety. Feeling anxious like Tweak from South Park? Yeah, your coffee is making that worse.

Yes, you can function on lots of caffeine. Maybe it really does get you through your day. But aren't you just burning through "false" energy? I mean, a little caffeine can be a great help, but what are you teaching your body? We don't have enough energy but we have to keep going! Keep pushing! Keep moving! Keep working and work harder! You've exhausted your system.

In my experience, many of us "type-A" personalities are at the most risk. We can power through anything - and we'll use what we need to to get the job done; to stay up studying, and to stay focused. But we're forgetting something key: Our energy building blocks. We keep burning through such a "Yang" energy - this quick, "hot", full-speed type energy - we need to also build our "Yin" side: the substance and matter. For example, where running and cardio are Yang, Tai Chi or Yoga would be Yin. You can even attend a Yin Yoga class. They're everywhere!

So how do we help build up our energy and actually help our bodies with recovery instead of  continuously burning through energy that we don't have in the first place?

1). Slowly wean down the coffee. Every few days have smaller and smaller amounts of coffee. This won't be fun, but you'll have less withdrawal effects compared with cold turkey. Get yourself down to 2 8oz cups per day.
OR
Cut out caffeine cold turkey and have a week-long wash out period. Then you can start again with 1 cup (8oz) per day. Notice how differently and well you respond to just 1 cup of coffee, instead of 12.

2) Talk to your naturopathic doctor about which botanical formulas, or single herbs, would be best for you and what you're experiencing. Rehmannia and Rhodiola are two great herbs that act more Yin in the body.

3) Avoid other stimulants. Even something like Panax ginseng might be too stimulating if you're finding you burn out easily. Everyone is different, but these herbs are not to be taken lightly.

4) Start gentle exercising like Tai Chi or a gentle yoga (not power flow). Meditation makes a great addition to this.

5) Consider a B vitamin Complex. B vitamins are the building blocks of not just neurotransmitters like serotonin, but they also plug in as co-factors in the Kreb's cycle of energy production (remember that from high school? ATP production?). For anyone on acid reflux medication or on oral contraceptives, B vitamins can be depleted by these medications.

6) Get enough sleep. Seriously. For every night that you don't get enough sleep, you run a "sleep deficit". And your body will make sure that you repay every hour. If you don't, you suffer through the consequences (decreased concentration, adrenal fatigue, headaches and more).

Our schedules are busy. We have deadlines, places to go, things to get done. But if we neglect self-care, everything that we do to our bodies now will have an effect later. Remember to give back some time for yourself. Enjoy a cup o' Joe - just not the whole pot.

How to be a socially-functioning Ochlophobic introvert

I have always been an introvert. I'm the type that wants my space but also hates being excluded. I also have Ochlophobia (fear of being surrounded by huge crowds of people). The anxiety is awful - like I'm being suffocated and I can't escape because gravity is keeping my feet glued to the earth's surface and no one around me thinks anything is wrong.  I like my alone time, my space. But it was never fulfilling enough. Once you hang round with certain people, you realize how amazing they are for you. They provide an energy and feelings that you can't get on your own. Be alone for too long and you become swallowed in loneliness.

I had to learn that we as humans are not islands. We can be temporary hermits or have our own little personal "getaways", but we can't live without each other. We need the connection. We need to share with each other, to learn from each other, to grow. We need to be touched - we need hugs! It releases hormones in us that send signals to our brains. (In childbirth we call Oxytocin the "cuddle hormone")

So how does a girl balance this without her brain blowing up? It's about the balance of energy. Being around the positive energy of people we love but also re-charging our batteries with that alone-time we crave.

1) Be social in small groups : No need to go clubbing downtown in huge crowds; hang out with your core group of friends or organize events in smaller groups. This is where we're most comfortable. Our good friends have made the cut. We know that they make us happy, we make each other laugh. It's an environment of positive energy. No need to mess with a good thing. And when someone new comes around, yeah, we like to put them through a screening process. We're cautious with new energy. That's okay too. Take a deep breath and observe.

2) Escape to nature when you need it: If you're living in the city or your workplace is busy, filled with busy-body people, spending an hour or two on a crowded streetcar or subway, make the time during the week to get outside in a non-populated area. Hike through a forest. Walk barefoot in a large grassy park, run through a meadow, sit and look out at a body open water (lake, ocean, stream - depending on where you live).

3) Look up at the stars at night and remember how ridiculously gigantic the universe is. Think of how much space is out there. Let those thoughts of wonderment make you appreciate life, everything you have and of not being alone in such a vast galaxy. The second point here is that being alone in the universe is not all its cracked up to be. Even the Doctor (as in Doctor Who) takes a companion with him.

4) Journaling and colouring: Start writing. Write down your thoughts, feelings. If you need an escape from this world and this reality, write fiction. No one needs to see it but you. Introverts are energy-protectors. But if we shelter ourselves too much and bottle up our emotions, we build a time-bomb within our selves. Best to get it all down on the page and out of our stewing heads. An alternative: Adult colouring books!

5) Call your mom. Sometimes we drift away from family. We get busy, we have our own lives; or maybe there's family tension. Either way, never lose connection with your mom (or any family member who means the world to you). When you feel like you don't want to be social but you need to hear a human voice, call your mom. It doesn't matter if you're 18 or 38, that lady will always be there for you. Or even better, drop by her house for a hug.

6) Practice your breathing. Deep, slow breathing can calm the nervous system. Breathing is more effective at controlling your nervous system and immune system than you think. (I'll be posting more on Wim Hof's incredible methods on a later blog).

7) Schedule alone time or alone activities as well as social ones: Your daily "to-do" list should always contain at least 1 item that is for your own sanity; An activity for stress relief, or fun, whatever. List things that you have to get done, as well as the ones you want to get done.

Hitting the reset button on your body when you're feeling the effects of stress and anxiety

Sometimes you just need to hit the reset button and there's no better time than now (actually, I was going to say the Spring). Spring clean your body! Every once in a while we just need a reminder. We get stuck in a routine, or things come up in life... maybe you've had a hectic week. That's okay. In real life, shit happens. So take care of business and then get back to taking care of you.

The following are suggestive guidelines that help prime the body for handling stress and decreasing anxiety. 

1. Eliminate stimulants: caffeine, nicotine and preservatives (like MSG). Although you may feel like your 4 coffees per day keeps you going, in some situations (anxiety being the big one) it can actually be more taxing on your system and cause you to be more anxious! After the first few days of "coffee withdrawal" you'll start feeling a lot better and you'll stop craving it. If you're not as anxious, stick to no more than one cuppa joe per day.  

2. Eliminate consumption of refined sugar, sucrose, dextrose and other sweeteners such as corn syrup. This is another substance that can be very addictive and puts more stress on your body and your immune system.  

3. Reduce or eliminate refined and processed foods from the diet as much as possible. Replace with whole and fresh foods which will work with your body to provide proper nutrition without added fillers that do nothing for you but weigh you down (figuratively and literally).
 
4. Avoid foods that you have an allergy or sensitivity to. Easier said than done, as many of us are sensitive to gluten and dairy, but it'll make a huge difference in multiple areas of your well-being (including but not limited to memory, concentration, gut health and function, healthy bowel movements, clearer skin, energy, and so on).  

5. Reduce consumption of red meat as well as poultry containing steroid hormones and other chemicals. Replace with organically fed and free-range lean meats and seafood. But remember to avoid big game fish like swordfish, and tuna which have higher levels of mercury.  

6. Increase intake of dietary fiber. It'll help clear out your gut and remove anything old that's been lingering. Regular bowel movements make for happy bodies. No one wants to hang onto a bunch of crap. Your body feels the same way.  

7. Drink water throughout the day - At least 1L per day, but up to 2L is optimal. Hydration is key. It can help prevent headaches, dry skin and moodiness.  

8. Increase vegetables. Okay, so this one is kind of redundant, but I can't stress it enough. Think of veggies are your natural vitamins. At least 1/2 to 2/3 of your plate should be veggies. You'll fill up faster than you would eating something like a bowl of pasta, and the nutrient content is so much higher. Natural vitamins can help correct deficiencies which = happy people.  

9. Reduce "bad" fats and increase intake of the "good"/helpful ones. Toss away the corn oil, canola oil, fatty cuts of red meat, and replace them with fish, avocados, olive oil, walnuts, flax and coconut oil. Overall, you should have more omega-3's in your diet than omega-6s. Keep the scale balanced towards omega-3's and your mood will improve, your skin will look better, and inflammation goes down.  

10. Do at least one thing per day that brings you joy. Sounds simple, but most of us spend so much time taking care of everyone else, or worrying about different things that we forget to live in the moment and think about what we need. Laugh at something, do something fun, no matter how small. If it makes you smile, laugh or feel warm and fuzzy, it's worth it. 

Finding Balance: the yin with the yang

I've been away from writing for the past while. I found myself in a mid-school-year slump and was fairly deficient in life. What I mean by that was that I just felt so depleted. I've spent so much time on patient research, and reports... putting way too much pressure on myself and forgot all about balance.

I was getting palpitations, my anxiety was an everyday occurrence and although I thought I was still managing self-care, I realized (too late, mind you) that it was the wrong type of self-care.

I forgot all about balance! I was drinking 2-3 cups of coffee per day trying to perk myself up, but it wasn't working as well as it had in the past. I was running as much as I possibly could, forgetting all about my yoga.

It was a sit-down with my clinic advisor that reminded me what I was totally forgetting: The yin/yang balance of energy. And it's totally ironic because I use this model with my patients on my Chronic Fatigue/Fibromyalgia clinic shift. But we're all vulnerable to this pattern!

The Yin Yang Theory:
Yang represents movement, heat, motion, fire. It is adrenaline; masculine in nature. Whereas Yin is nurturing; it is substance, water; female in nature. Where Yang is energy and activity, Yin is matter and rest.  They are opposites, but neither can exist without the other.

For example, coffee and other stimulants are Yang in nature. So is a cardio workout (like running). Whereas sleep or a restorative workout is Yin in nature.

Although your Yang will go up and down, there are certain aspects of our lives that contribute to a depletion of Yin: overwork, poor diet (not eating enough or not eating enough nutrient-dense foods), lack of sleep, and chronic/daily stress.

So we try to get through our day with caffeine to keep us awake, or we keep busy and run around like crazy with tasks and work, but if we don't nurture the Yin side of our energy balance, we start making more and more "withdrawals" from the Yin piggy bank to make up for our spent energy on the Yang side. And over time that piggy bank gets more and more empty (or "less full" if you're an optimist). 

I recently fell into this imbalance and needed a reminder to take care of my Yin side, otherwise I'd have nothing left to give of myself and I would ultimately crash.

How to restore Yin to avoid burnout:
There are many things that we can do to help rebuild our Yin side. The key is to think "restorative". Just because Yang is motion, movement and energy doesn't mean that we have to stop exercising, but we need to balance how we exercise and how we take care of ourselves.

• Restorative or Yin Yoga - as it is actually called. I went to a hot yoga class and felt amazing afterwards. Slow movement and deep breathing can do wonders! The best part is at the very end where you lay on your mat in the beautifully warm room and breathe. This is time for just you. Don't think of anything or anyone else. Your yoga instructor should remind you of this during your class. 
• Qi gong - another Yin building type of exercise that matches breath work to slow and controlled movement
• Hydrotherapy: I spent 2 hours at Body Bliss, an amazing hydrotherapy spa. But don't worry, for those of you without access to Toronto's therapeutic waters, you can easily make-shift your own at home.
• Take a nice warm epsom salt bath. Epsom salts are made from magnesium. They help to relax your muscles, especially if you're feeling any strain.
• Do contrast showers at home: 3-5 minutes hot water, alternating with 30 seconds as cold as you can tolerate. Repeat for 3 cycles. This will improve circulation and help boost your immune system. After the cold you can bundle yourself up in a nice warm robe or big fluffy towel and rest to allow your body temperature to regulate. 
• Use the saunas or steam room at your gym. Just remember to end your treatment with a cold shower (at least 30 to 60 seconds). 
• Ditch the stimulants, and drink more water, or tea like Nettle tea. It's nourishing and contains vitamins A, C, K and minerals like calcium, potassium and iron. 
• Pace yourself. I got a little too crazy with my workouts. Running makes me feel so good that I was going for runs too often. Give yourself a break from the cardio every so often and focus on stretching or holding yoga positions. 
• Get some sleep! There are many options out there for those who have a hard time going to sleep or staying asleep. There are botanicals (teas) and things like melatonin that can help assist your body in falling into it's natural circadian rhythm - talk to your ND about the best course of action for you.
• Get nourishment through food. Eat nice hearty, warm foods like stews or soups. Avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol ... though I wouldn't say no to a small glass of wine once a week :)

And lastly remember that it's always okay to say no to someone. If someone asks a favour of you and you really need time for yourself, it's okay to say no and to take care of you. Give yourself permission to rest - you don't need to justify yourself to anyone.

Fragile XX Syndrome

Yesterday I made a comment, telling my boyfriend I had taken care of something financially-related, and followed it with, "Aren't you proud of me?!"

It's the same question I asked when I mentioned last week that I hadn't had a breakdown over exams yet: "A whole week and I haven't had a breakdown yet! Aren't you proud of me?!"

So a male friend of mine asked, "Why do girls always ask if we're proud of them? Why do they want us to be proud of them?"

I had to think about it for a few minutes. I think, I just want to do things that make him happy. Not things that stunt my growth as a human and a girlfriend. Habits are hard to change, so when we do something new for someone else, it's a big deal!

There are many things that I'd rather just "sweep under the rug" than deal with, so it's an accomplishment when I actually deal with it. I haven't freaked out majorly over exams in over a week! That's HUGE for me.

I remember the first exam period we were together, my boyfriend actually had to give me glycine to me calm down from a panic attack. He mixed it in my water bottle, sat me down at a table with soup and told me to study while drinking my glycine water.

In fact, I've only had one real breakdown this week and it had nothing to do with exams... just with what I call "Fragile XX syndrome." (not to be confused with Fragile X syndrome: a genetic disorder affecting the mental status and social behaviour of males).

Fragile XX syndrome, also known as "Fragile lady"... aka "Girlfriend PMS".

Symptoms include: moments of emotional instability, bouts of uncontrollable crying, difficulty making decisions without getting upset, fatigue, snapping at boyfriends for no apparent reason, making arguments that make no sense whatsoever to anyone except the patient.

Naturopathic treatment: hugs, cuddles, chocolate, wine (of the red variety), smiles. The patient must be reassured that everything will be okay and that although she is acting crazy (don't use these words though, because it will make her condition worse), that you still love and care about her and that it's okay to get upset sometimes. Most importantly, although she is very independent, she will also appreciate being taken care of. Oh, and don't forget to feed her!

Supplement with puppy hugs, teddy bears, twilight turtle light therapy, Melissa tea, Himalayan salt rock therapy, back rubs and kisses.

Contraindications to treatment: yelling, driving in traffic, disagreements, schedules, appointments, people in public and low blood sugar.

Here's hoping that this last week goes well!

Change: it's not as scary as a T-rex, so why do I hate it so much?

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I hate change. I just don't handle it very well.

Every time Gmail or Facebook changes their layout, I cry a little. I get angry. I used to write letters to the customer service departments telling them that they should have left things the way they were. 

I was even thrown off when Food For Life changed the packaging of my gluten-free bread. And when I was being tested on giving B12 shots this week and I walked in the room to a Teaching Assistant who I had never seen in my life, my eyes started to tear up and I almost broke down.

So when I say that I hate change, it's an understatement. The bigger the change, the more intense my response is. So I'm trying to figure out what's so bad about it. I know it's not the end of the world. I know nothing terrible will happen to me. But maybe it's that "unknown." Something is not the way I know it to be, and now ANYTHING could happen.

I think that being in my CCNM school bubble, I'm under so much stress that I need some stability. Anything that's different could throw me off completely; and that bubble stops being my "safe house."

Ironically, right now I'm listening to "Be calm" by Fun. In an interview with Blake J Graham, Nate Ruess said that he wrote "Be Calm" in the shower while having a panic attack. The lyrics were his words of advice to himself; like his own therapy:
(source: http://theairspace.net/music/nate-ruess-interview-fun-truth-words-rhymes-notes/)

I know you feel like you are breaking down
I know that it gets so hard sometimes
Be calm

I feel like this is going to be my new mantra. Especially coming up onto my clinic entrance exams, I'm going to need many reminders to stay calm. I'm so exhausted from long-term stress (my poor adrenal glands!) that anything that challenges my body's stress response just sends me over the deep end.

There is something about the "unknown" that is scary and exciting at the same time. So why do I only see the scary side? Is this some evolutionary instinct? Maybe one day, a very long time ago, my ancestors went to fetch water, but the trail they had used for years and years was flooded! By a mudslide! So this one time they had to take a different route, and they walked right into a T-rex nest! And the mommy t-rex saw them (because back then they didn't know about the rule where you have to stay completely still around t-rex's to outsmart their terrible vision) and then the mommy t-rex ATE them! And maybe one of the kids in the family saw this and hid in the bushes and when he or she escaped, they vowed never to change their routine because it meant getting eaten by a dinosaur.

So now, all of my genes are messed up because of a sudden dinosaur attack and I'm scared of all change because it means I might get eaten alive. Okay, now that I've figured it out I feel a bit better. But I think I'll keep my new mantra, just in case.

Be calm.

In my head: "Who are you?! You mean Dr. Lewis won't be in my practical session to watch me do injections?!?"

(Recognize this scene from Jurassic Park? Yup, that's what my face looks like when something unexpected happens to me. This face, followed by tears...)

If Y2K and the Mayans can't cause the end of the world, I'm pretty sure Disappointment won't either

We interrupt your life for Breaking News: Local school administration upsets students. Details after this...

Okay, so I know that I'm an extremely sensitive person. It doesn't take much for me to cry. Again, I think I may have mentioned that March of the Penguins had me going through half a box of Kleenex and anxiety can send me into a panic attack of palpitations and tears. But it's only been recently (past 2-3 years) that I've been able to identify it and to calm myself faster than in high school or undergrad.

So, the fact is, I had two satellite clinics that I had my heart set on working at and I was just too far down the selection list to get either of them. That was the moment I realized I'm not going to get a shift outside of the RSNC (our school's clinic). It truly isn't the end of the world, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't upset. I thought that this was a learning experience that would greatly benefit me and was told continuously "Make sure you get a satellite shift!!" So my initial response was heartbreak, and then panic and then some crying as I realized my clinic experience had just been chopped short.

It took me an hour to calm down and realize that this isn't a deal breaker for my career. It's unfortunate, but I had to understand the master plan. I wasn't meant to have that shift. It might sound absurd to some of you, but it's the truth. It's how I ended up at CCNM, so I'm taking this as another sign. Back in my undergrad years I dreamed of being a doctor and applied to traditional medical schools in Canada for 3 consecutive years, writing the MCAT each time. This stuff isn't cheap! I spent thousands of dollars on study materials, applications, exam fees and it was all just there to show me that I wasn't meant to be a traditional Medical doctor.

Because of that "rejection," I was able to see the big picture and find my true calling: to actually help people to heal, to use preventative medicine, and to teach others by becoming a naturopathic doctor.  But trust me, all of those rejection letters and shitty MCAT scores felt like a kick to the face each time... actually, like Joe Rogan kicking me in the face - and that's really saying something! 

The hardest thing was to realize that I didn't fail, I was being pushed in a different direction; the one I was meant to follow. So that's what I'm making of today's gong show that we call Day 1 of Clinic Shift Selection. I wasn't meant to go anywhere but the RSNC and I can deal with that.

As quoted by Tom Hanks' character Jimmy Dugan. One of my favourite movies. I have to remind myself of this often.

I see so many frustrated students out there who keep hitting a brick wall. Ones who are trying to get into one field and yet they are struck by that road block each time. It was so hard for me to learn this lesson, and I know that others have to learn it for themselves, but I found it necessary to share my story so that maybe we can all sit back and think "Okay, this CLEARLY isn't working out for me. There has to be a reason why! There has to be another way!"

If you keep hitting a brick wall over and over again, maybe it should be taken as a sign. Maybe it's not meant to be that particular way. I don't mean for you to not try something, or to give up on your dream, but if you've attempted something 3 or 4 times and it's still not working out for you, try to think about why it's not working. Find a different path to get from A to B. I'm still going to be a doctor, but I'm becoming the doctor that I was meant to be - not one who sees patients for 5 minutes and hands out prescriptions like candy on Halloween.

So, although our school's organization wasn't at it's best on this particular day, let's not get angry; let's deal with what we have and appreciate it. I'm not going to be a terrible doctor just because I won't be spending a semester working with Dr. Ladd or Dr. Gowan.

It's truly not the end of the world. The dinosaurs that are up in heaven are laughing at us right now. I'm pretty sure they wish they could all kick us in the face for being so dramatic about our lives. Or eat us.

For my own personal mission, I want to be more mindful and grateful for what I have. And I hope I can remember that the next time I feel heartbroken or disappointed.

I was bit by a dog, but experienced more anxiety from my phone

So today (meaning yesterday) was one of those days where I just wanted to smack myself and yell out "SERIOUSLY!" There is only so much you can do to stay bubbly before the world just spits in your face - or in my case, bites your leg.

On my way out to my car I noticed someone had double parked and blocked me in. Just great. So in addition to having to go door-to-door trying to find the culprit of the park and dash, I was attacked and bit by a dog. Now, I wish I could say that this was a huge ass dog with fangs like a Basilisk and paws like a bear... A dog that was frothing at the mouth with rage in its eyes! But embarrassingly enough I was bit by this tiny white fluffy -what I call a - "kick-me dog". Okay, so take that picture there just below and imagine him just a little bigger and mangier!

Image from: http://www.dailypuppy.com/dogs/max-the-bichon-frise_2009-01-02

You know what I'm talking about and don't even pretend like I'm some Death Eater who's out to kick puppies. I love dogs. I love puppies even more (hard to believe), but there is something about the small, yappy vicious dogs where they bark at you one too many times and you have the urge to punt them like a kicker going for a field goal. Yet the whole time I could feel this little shit's teeth trying to sink into my leg, all I could think about was how annoying this stupid dog was and how I just wanted it out of my way.

But being bitten, or even just ambushed by an animal can be a fairly traumatic experience for someone and cause a lot of anxiety. I'm going to switch gears and share with you the real source of my anxiety, which came later on in the day: technology.

My supervisor in clinic said something really profound this weekend. She said that we're now in a world where we are expected to be available all the time, and where we're expected to respond instantly. And think about it: If someone doesn't respond to a text or email within 10 minutes, do you ever wonder why they aren't responding? Maybe they don't like you. Maybe they're with cooler people than you. Maybe something terrible happened to them. Maybe they're just busy and are ignoring their phone. You have no idea, it could be anything! But we get sucked into this need to constantly know everything all the time. We update our statuses religiously, and if no one "likes" something that we put on Facebook, we immediately take that as rejection.

For a teenager I can only image how influential this is on their mental well-being. I never had a cell phone as a teen. I carried an "emergency" quarter in my backpack in case I needed to use a payphone. We didn't have text messaging. Closer to the end of high school we had ICQ messenger... but it was on dial-up internet and if you were "offline" you truly were offline. Now, you can hide your status. Pretend like you're busy. Or maybe you really are busy, but no one really knows and we're all so obsessed with knowing!

Our phones have become our lifelines. And I didn't realize the impact it had on me until today. I actually switched from my Android to the iphone 4. Granted, it's not the new snazzy iphone, but it does the trick, and it likes to talk to my MacBook. I joke that when I plug my phone in to my mac, they form a shadow government and start syncing secret information. Because really, I don't know what happens in the Cloud and I'm pretty sure I can't even get access there yet.

My point is, for the entire day I obsessed over setting up this phone. Syncing my calendar, my music, making sure I still have Wham! as my ringtone, and transferring all my contacts which apparently can't be done. Seriously, we have the power to follow the trajectory of meteors but someone couldn't figure out how to transfer a contact list from one phone to another? And this was my biggest stressor of the day! That dog bite took the backseat on my anxiety scale.

So what is to happen to future generations? Will we be riddled with anxiety disorders? Depending on how we use them, will our brains evolve or dissolve? Or maybe the Bichon Frise dogs are just waiting for our phones to explode and then they'll eat us and rule the world!