A month of working on my wellness. DAY Nine March 8, 2018

jodimullen2013 ♦ March 9, 2018 ♦ Leave a comment

This wellness thing is tough

I haven’t been at this wellness thing with this level of attention for very long. It’s only a little over a week. I do feel challenged. My biggest challenges are

1. Getting enough sleep
2. Fitting in time to meditate x2 per day
3. Negative self-talk

Cortisol

I don’t need the laboratory test to know my cortisol is high, and my guess is neither do you. In fact, when I reflect on my challenges at this time they all have link to maintaining a high cortisol cycle. Annoying. Dr. Sara Gottfried uses simple questions to assess your hormone status in her book The Hormone Cure. I score ridiculously high on the cortisol quiz. Although I am very proud of high scores on tests and quizzes historically, this is not one of those. Dr. Gottfried explains the science that links these seven health risks to high cortisol:

1. Abnormal blood sugar, diabetes, and prediabetes
2. Obesity, increased body fat, and metabolic syndrome in women
3. Mood and brain problems, including depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis
4. Delayed wound healing
5. Infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome
6. Worsening sleep
7. Bone loss in menopausal women

I am not interested in any of those health conditions. Will you join me on doing what we need to do to lower our cortisol? Here’s what I can commit to, no caffeine, better sleep hygiene (my goal is in bed by 10pm, most days I am up by 5am), meditate x2 per day, nap if I have a chance (It’s on my agenda for tomorrow), maintain no alcohol. Dr. Gottfried also makes these suggestions; eat dark chocolate (I can definitely do that), get a message at least once a month (I can do that!), chant daily (I could try that?), practice forgiveness (I want to do that), have an orgasm (that sounds reasonable), don’t worry be happy (I practice that, it’s not as easy as it sounds, you already knew that!), take vitamin B5 (done), take vitamin C (done). She also recommends the following supplements: Phosphatidylserine (PS), fish oil, L-theanine (it’s in green tea), L-lysine combined with L-arginine, L-tyrosine. There’s a lot we can do to reduce our cortisol level, good news. Because I really do love data, next doctor’s visit I am going to get my cortisol (among other things) tested.

Being mean to yourself

When my mental health counseling clients are being mean to themselves I challenge them in session. I frequently respond to their critical view of themselves by saying “You are being so mean to yourself.” I use this type of response to highlight that if they changed the way they spoke to themselves, if they were not so critical; that it would ease their anxiety, depression and allow them to navigate the world with different mindset that notices the positive. I really do try to practice what I preach. I really work hard at turning down the volume on my inner critic, and wowza she is critical! Finally, I work at cultivating my inner coach who is supportive and pushes me forward toward my goals and living my life fully. For whatever reason, I am sure there is one, my inner coach was seemingly unavailable the last few days. WAIT A MINUTE- I just figured it out, my inner coach needs sleep. I can see this so clearly right now. When I don’t get sleep I am not always tired, but you know who is tired, my inner coach! Happy dance, that makes so much sense to me.

Got to go, my inner coach needs to rest!

With Love & Gratitude~

Jodi