At least twice a year people take a look at their life and assess what is/isn’t happening for them - their birthday and New Years Eve.  What are these questions that we ask ourselves, the questions that ask us to take a self-inventory of where we are in our lives and where we want to be? 



1.   Where am I in my life?  Is this where I want to be?

This is a big question.  What is happening in my life and am I happy?  Am I enjoying myself?  Do I feel fulfilled?  Am I going through the motions? Whatever the question is running through your mind, what are you doing about it?  Are you setting up new goals to achieve or resolutions to create?  And then, are you sticking to them.




2.  Who am I?  Does my life reflect this vision I hold of myself?

To know where you want to be in my life you must know what it is you want, who you are, or who you want to be. This is a very real decision that you get to make. How do you want to be seen in the world? How do you want to be seen in your day to day? Does your character and persona, even without speaking, convey a message of who you are? Do you even know what it looks like or what that means? 




3.   What do I want?

Gaining clarity of what you want is a powerful insight, yet in the beginning can be a difficult question.  While we have obligations in our lives, these can/may shift when we begin to clarify what we want.  It is not selfish to desire things in life.  Selfish is when we put our own interest ahead of others REGARDLESS of the implication it makes on their lives.  While a parent, for example, will make many decisions in life based on the well being of their children, it is not wrong to know that they can also make decisions that allow them to thrive and live expressing fully their life. And the more you ask yourself “What do I want?” the easier it is to identify the answer and start putting it into place.




4.   Am I willing to take the steps necessary to get what I                 want? Despite the perceived risk?

Now comes the challenge.  Are you willing to begin moving in the direction of your desire? What is the story you are telling yourself that either says “Yes, I am willing to begin” or “No, it is too much of a risk at this time”? What are the perceived risks to taking any steps - perceived because they may never occur yet our minds can jump to the worst-case scenario if we let them. 





5.  What, if anything, is keeping me from doing or living what      or how I want?

And finally, what is keeping you from starting today?  Is it a thought, a fear of the unknown, a lack of clarity of how or where to begin? Are you wondering if you are worthy enough to deserve such a life or if you have don enough to prove your worth?

Relaxing protects your heart, reduces your risk of catching a cold, boosts your memory, lowers stroke risk, may help ward off depression, help one make better  decisions, help keep you slim, eases acne, will help keep you “in the mood,” and could slow breast cancer. Chronic stress lasting over a month but under six months doubled a person’s chance of getting a cold. It appears stress decreases the body’s ability to fight inflammation. Stress can also impair the centers of the brain involved in memory and learning. The article also suggested that prolonged exposure to the stress hormone cortisol can reduce levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are linked to depression. Stress is also likely to exacerbate mood problems in individual’s with a history of depression and could trigger a relapse. Stress can change how one views risks and rewards and can cloud judgment when making a decision. Stressed individuals tend to focus on the positive and not take into proper consideration the cons of his or her decision. Cortisol, the stress hormone, increases appetite, and may even specifically encourage junk food cravings. Stress can make individuals crave comfort foods while also making it harder to resist those cravings. Stress increases the amount of oil produced by the skin and can decrease libido. Relaxing may aid in slowing the progression of breast cancer and may also speed recovery.    Read Article

Chronic stress can negatively impact our ability to make decisions and think clearly, lead to depression, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s symptoms. Under constant stress the body is not able to reset. “High adren­a­line and cor­ti­sol lev­els per­sist, poten­tially caus­ing blood sugar imbal­ances and blood pres­sure prob­lems, and whit­tling away at mus­cle tis­sue, bone den­sity, immu­nity and inflam­ma­tory responses. These events block the for­ma­tion of new neural con­nec­tions in the hip­pocam­pus, the part of the brain respon­si­ble for encod­ing new mem­o­ries. When these new con­nec­tions are blocked, the hip­pocam­pus can actu­ally shrink in size, hin­der­ing memory.” Six tips include: Engage in aerobic exercise, relaxation, socialization, feel empowered and in control, laugh, and think positively.
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“Self-care is fundamental for everyone. It is part of self-regulation, the physical and mental processes through which we create inner and outer balance. If we cannot self-regulate, we are prone to overwork, overplay, burn-out, and unhealthy living. As small children, we must learn to regulate our feelings and behaviors (e.g., find better ways than throwing tantrums to get needs met). We need to maintain these skills across a lifetime so that we recognize our feelings (sadness, worry, fear, happiness) and our physical needs (for rest, healthy food, play, pleasant environments) and respond accordingly. The lesson we learn to live by is that we must take care of ourselves before we can take care of anyone else.”
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Article offers tips to increase brain health: Do not engage in behaviors that damage the brain: illegal drugs, smok­ing, stress, sleep depri­va­tion, soft drinks, seden­tary lifestyles, exces­sive alco­hol, junk food, high blood pres­sure, high cho­les­terol lev­els, obe­sity, lone­li­ness, pes­simism and neg­a­tive self-talk. Put yourself in mentally, physically, and socially stimulating environments. Make good dietary choices. Maintain a healthy weight. Exercise. Engage in lifelong active learning. Do things differently/change routines. Engage in learning new skills on a daily basis. It is possible to train and regain lost brain functioning. Get enough sleep and calm the mind. Engage in lifelong social interaction and meaningful connection with others. “The brain is a tele­o­log­i­cal device—it is fed by hav­ing goals to strive for and aspi­ra­tions to work towards. The clearer we are about where we want to go and what we want to achieve, the more effec­tive the brain is in accom­plish­ing the required tasks.” Direct self-talk to support goals. Be thankful and grateful. Engage in mental practice to help with tasks. Be passionate, excited, and enthusiastic. 
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Science provides evidence that the brain is malleable and changes based upon your lifestyle, environment, and physiology. As once was previously thought, the brain is not static. “There are two types of brain plasticity—functional plasticity (your brain's ability to move functions from a damaged area to undamaged areas) and structural plasticity (its ability to actually change its physical structure as a result of learning).” When one practices a new skill, new neural pathways form and s/he become better at the skill. The brain also undergoes “synaptic pruning,” which is the elimination of pathways that are no longer needed. Neuroplasticity can also work on emotional states, such as anxiety.  Your brain’s plasticity is also influenced by your diet, sleep patterns, emotional states, exercise, and stress levels. Article stresses that you need physical and mental exercise for brain health. Exercise can promote growth of new brain cells, prevent brain deterioration as you age, improve IQ scores, and enlarge your memory center. “According to brain plasticity expert Dr. Michael Merzenich, engaging in challenging new activities throughout your life, staying socially active, and practicing “mindfulness” are other ways to boost your brain function. He also stresses the importance of having a genuine interest in your chosen activities. Just going through the motions is not enough to build these neural pathways—you have to really care about what you’re learning.” The article suggests engaging in wise lifestyle choices such as: exercise (especially high intensity interval training), reducing overall calorie consumption, reducing overall carbohydrate consumption (especially grains and sugars), eating enough fatty consumption to eliminate insulin destruction, and eat enough high-quality omega-3 fats and eliminating damaged omega-6 fats (processed vegetable oils). Vitamin D, gut health, and choline are also important for brain health as is stress reduction. Stress can actually result in a reduction in brain volume which in turn results in emotional and cognitive impairment. The article recommends an Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to help with stress.
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Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and heal itself in response to mental experience. The brain can create new neural pathways to adapt to its needs.  One can use movement and exercise to change the brain. The article also discussed how the neuroplasticity of the brain was used to heal chronic pain. There were also video clips embedded in the article.
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