Seedlings

Swinging Into Summer - Reduce Stress, Increase Fun

What are you doing to reduce your stress by strengthening your physical CORE? 

Recently I decided that I wanted to add more FUN to my walk, weights and 5 Rhythms Dance routine.  So, I am taking an East Coast Swing dance course.  Yes, I have taken dance lessons numerous times throughout my life with mixed results.  The main missing element has been getting good enough so that I am a confident follow.  That has changed since I took tango lessons.

For many years I had wanted to dance the tango, and yet had only seen it done “on stage” or in movies.  Then I was asked by a tall, handsome gentleman if I had ever thought of taking tango lessons.  Needless to say, he had my attention.  He was very generous and helped me get started with the basics before I even took a class.  I was smitten. 

James, my first tango dance partner, was a great advocate for social dance.  What he and I agree you gain from social dance is:

1)    Enjoyable exercise, physical and mental.

2)     Being taken to a "different world" where stress naturally melts away.

3)    Fun… most long-term ball room dancers dance because they love it and you can see it on their faces and with their dancing.

4)    “I feel more alive!” quipped one of my fellow dancers after a recent dance.

5)    A place to mingle with men as well as women as a single person.  There are generally enough singles who will dance that you can be on the dance floor whether you have a designated partner or not.  (I am focused on finding these groups, and welcome any suggestions.)

The icing on the cake with tango was that I learned to follow.  Sonny Newman, who teaches Argentine tango in Seattle’s north end, is a task master and it pays off.  Thanks to him I began to experience dancing the tango with a partner as almost a spiritual experience.  Being present with a partner translated into my becoming an increasingly competent follow with greater appreciation and compassion for my partner.

How about you, are you dancing?

What keeps you dancing literally and figuratively?

If you want to enjoy skilled instructors, check-out:

jodi@LeftFootBoogie.com

Sonny Newman and his wife Nancy at http://www.tangoseattle.com/

Bring on Your Personal Spring

Ah, our first days of spring!  We are definitely ready for it here in the Pacific Northwest!  As professional women 45 and over, I sense we are also very ready to experience an internal spring and reduce the heightened stress many are feeling.   Tending to our Pleasure Quotient is one way to do it!

Today you can increase your pleasure quotient and simultaneously decrease the impact of both internal and external stress.   Christiane Northrup, M.D., who educated many of us about our bodies in “Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom” teaches us all about the power of pleasure in “The Secret Pleasures of Menopause.”

Have you ever noticed the euphoria of “new love?”  Having experienced new love fairly recently it comes to mind easily.  What joy!  I definitely felt ten years younger.  On a biological level what I learned from Chris is that the pleasure that I experienced in that relationship actually resulted in physical changes in my body.  My blood vessels emitted gases which, in turn, turned up the chemicals in my body that are a form of endorphins decreasing physical pain and enhancing my mood considerably.  
 
Now as pleasant as having a “new love” might be, that might not be an immediate or lasting solution for bringing on your personal spring.  Fortunately there are myriads of ways for you to enhance your renewal and pleasure.  Here are a few:

• Start preparing your spring beds or pots.
• Plan a spring/Easter/Passover celebration and invite those to join you who consistently bring you pleasure.
• Add a refreshing touch to your wardrobe.  Doing so can be as simple as buying a new scarf or piece of jewelry.
• Do some spring cleaning!  The results will not only be less clutter but a refreshed outlook and new energy! 

Most importantly, notice you are always at choice when it comes to deciding what pleases you!  When you decide to enhance your well-being consistently with small pleasures, you strengthen your CORE.

Satisfying Stress Reducer #3 - Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

If you checked out the list of 52 stress reducers you probably noticed how many of them had to do with preparing ahead- get ready for the day ahead the night before, do preventive maintenance for your body (get that mammogram and those teeth checked regularly, etc.).  Rudolph Giuliani’s preparing his city for disasters man-man and otherwise helped him think clearly and avoid the overload of stress that 9/11 could have produced for him. As it was, he called on his fire department personnel and other city employees and got shorter response times and more effective action because they had prepared for difficult challenges (biological weapon attacks, bombings, etc.)

This week I found myself nervous about pulling together a team with a colleague to do a five month plus project.  Then I remembered Giuliani’s speech and I thought, OK, the best thing I can do is prepare thoroughly for what I know needs to be done and engage my teammates in the process.  So, I laid out plans for making multiple decisions and getting their input as we went along.  In an hour and 15 minutes we accomplished a great deal and the team left the call feeling energized and excited about what we were all creating. 

One of the bonuses of preparing well for one project is that our learning is there to access for other projects.  By being proactive we are smoothly the pathway for future success and preventing unneeded stress.

• How have you successfully reduced your stress and that of others through preparation?
• What works for you in making preparations?

Spread the wisdom; share your experience by commenting on this blog post.

Satisfying Stress Reducers #2 - Turn off the TV

If we are creating a recipe for a less stressful life, after cutting caffeine Stephen Cherniske, M.S., nutritional biochemist, suggests focusing on your quality of life by reducing the background stressors. Cherniske directs our attention to another very popular part of the American diet, television, and suggests turning it off.  Turn it off to make time for relationships with family, friends, pets (that’s my addition), neighbors, and the groups/organizations that nurture you spiritually, whether it be a church, mosque or synagogue, and where you feel a sense of community.

This is a perfect time of year to remember how precious time with family and friends can be.  Family gatherings can remind us of the value of time together and bonds renewed.  Recently my brother returned from his wife’s family reunion which is an every-other-year summer ritual.  He reveled in stories of various family members and, most importantly for him, that fact that everyone attending had taken time to be together and relax together.  He clearly had been renewed and, no doubt, others had also.
 
Yes, spend time with Rover or your furry feline, too. You can have this kind of TLC (tender loving care) right at home.  To be stressed with a dog at your feet or a cat in your lap is almost impossible!

Here is an additional list of 52 other things that you can do to reduce everyday stress from prepping for rising the next day the evening before to doing preventative maintenance on your car, appliances, and relationships to avoid a major breakdown. These suggestions are provided by folks that should know, the National Headache Foundation.

Enjoy the process of discovering what helps reduce tension in your life and share your ideas with the rest of us!

Vacation, Staycation, Relaxation

When I went to Europe the first time, I was so wound up that it took me about two weeks before I felt that I was in sync with the Greek culture around me.  Most of us don’t have two weeks to unwind.  So how do you truly shift gears and enjoy your “get away” time whether it be in Europe or at home as a staycation* (a vacation at or near one’s home)?

Here are guidelines to consider:

1. What’s it all about? What are you going on the vacation for?  I can recall one rather painful experience when my then husband and I had not done enough talking about what we wanted to have the vacation be like before boarding the plane, and as a result we were at odds much more than usual when it came to enjoying various activities.
2. Plan ahead.  There is an inherent enjoyment in the choices around and planning for a vacation.  Do the exploration and planning in ways that reflect the intent of your vacation. 
3. Review your budget.  Be sure that your “dream vacation” and your budget match, otherwise you may experience more stress than fun. 
4. Plan downtime. Even with a plan and a desire to go to places and do things you really enjoy, there is still a lot of wear and tear if you are in new places and constantly adapting to new settings and routines.  So, give yourself time to unwind, catch-up on sleep and reflect.
5. Take a reminder that you are “home” wherever you are.  One friend always bought flowers when she settled into a space because it made her feel truly at home.  A simpler tool could be a picture of a loved one or a pet that you set on your nightstand or place your journal there.

As you can tell this is not being written by a twenty something, or a millennial, but an early boomer and for those in the second half values are even more important to consider.  So, look again: “What is truly important to you?”

If the theme for you is relaxation and  you are committed to a staycation*, consider attending Relax, Reconnect, Recapture…Your Natural Rhythm…a workshop PLUS Spa amenities!  You will learn lots of simple practices for shifting gears and taking very good care of yourself.  Save August 2, click here for further details.

Eat, Pray, Love, Plan Part I

While I was away for the holidays Michele Corey, a good friend, found out that she has breast cancer.  I have experienced all kinds of emotions since her diagnosis and, ironically, one of the strongest is gratitude. Gratitude for the fact that Michele is a strong woman; she is the type of woman who will best cancer.  I am also grateful because instead of isolating herself and withdrawing, she reached out to share her experience and to ask for support.  You, too, can read about her experience on her blog Knee Deep.

Michele is one of the two mentors that got me blogging. She is a skilled marketer and effective executive coach and she has cultivated, educated and entertained hundreds of clients, colleagues and friends with her blog.  She helped me set up my site.  Do share her site with others with breast cancer; they will receive lots of resources and a generous dose of humor!   And, if you choose, you can share your wisdom, caring and resources with her.

How does all this relate to Eat, Pray, Love, Plan? Well, like Elizabeth Gilbert through her book "Eat, Pray, Love"  Michele is creating her own path to health.  Michele reached out to her friends to share her upcoming biopsy and “lumpiness gone very badly,” and an amazing number of women jumped into action.  Show women a crisis and they apply the “circle and support” behavior.  Within about 48 hours two websites were created to provide encouragement and resources.

So, OK, the order was actually LOVE, PRAY, PLAN, EAT.  The EAT part did not come until later, and I wanted to get your attention!  About three weeks after the diagnosis, two friends hosted a party for a large circle of friends who want to help. Michele brought us all together to have a chance to see her and to meet one another. And, yes, we did EAT generously!

As Michele reflects in her blog, getting cancer was not in her plan for the year.  And, planning is what we humans can do that gives us a sense of purpose and direction even when the direction may change dramatically. 

If you are ready to deepen your clarity, gain a sense of purpose and illuminate your direction, join me for a workshop on January 26 Waking Up to the Second Half of Life, Awake, Aware and at Choice.  Or, if you would rather do your exploration and planning from the comfort of home join me for a 3-month synergy circle/group coaching to Embrace a New Pace starting in February.

Choosing – A Key to Enjoying the Holidays and the Second Half

With Happy Thanksgiving experiences receding from sight and the media buzz on “buy!” I can find myself leaning toward old beliefs about how the upcoming month with its special holidays will be experienced.  “Stress” seems to be the first “package” to arrive and it is a gift that keeps on giving unless I pause, take a deep breath or just plain sigh and CHOOSE how I want to experience the month ahead.

Fortunately I have been choosing to do the holidays in a more life giving way for several years, and I have experienced a recent success at shifting one of my old beliefs about this time of year.  After discovering the old belief (a key piece), I reflected on: “What do I really want?”  One of the things I really want for this year is to share the holiday with my family and that means flying to be with them.  In the past I have allowed “expenses” to deter me from going.  This year I simply decided “I want to spend Christmas with my family!” My excitement had me checking out ticket fares and committed to experiencing things differently. Wallah!  I received a gift that will allow me to visit relatives and pay-off the credit card expense for the trip immediately.  A big win!

So, what else do I want?  Well, I want a pace that I can enjoy and sustain - you know, that sustainability thing!  So, I will plan ahead and choose activities carefully.  If I notice my energy flagging, I will shift my perspective and/or activity.  Making the shift could involve any of the following: taking a few deep breathes and getting a cup of tea, putting on a favorite record or taking a walk.  What are your favorite energy shifters?  I go for something that will get me as close to joy as I can, I don’t save joy for special occasions anymore!

Getting Ahead of the Curve – For the Body & Sustainability

Thanksgiving is coming right up, and for me, Thanksgiving means reflecting on what I am grateful for, spending quality time with family and close friends, and enjoying preparing and eating comfort food.  I will call my relatives and friends again today to refresh our plans. 

As for the comfort food, I am not in charge of the menu since I will be a guest, and I do have a bias.  I want to eat healthfully and sustainably!  Sound like a tall order?  Perhaps, however, as with any change, small consistent steps are sustainable and can add up to big results.  So, as I plan what I will take to another friends Thanksgiving feast, I am thinking local foods, in my case, I will be take an apple pie, so local apples, wheat and dairy.  I invite you to join me in having at least one dish that is sourced locally whether it be apples, wine, potatoes, squash, you get the idea!  And, if you find some great recipes featuring local food*, share them and I will pass them on!

Taking this small step toward sustainability can also shift the conversation at the Thanksgiving table.  What are we grateful for?  How does nature contribute to our quality of living?  How do we return the favor and care for creation?  As a woman in the Second Half of My Life, I have a wonderful opportunity to serve as a mentor and the realm of caring for creation offers me lots of ways to walk my talk.

With Gratitude, Sandra Jones

*Cooking Light’s Culinary Postcards has several Seattle tips and recipes for local foods that will make your mouth water in anticipation!