Ever heard of the island town that wants to get rid of time?
 
They have constant daylight from May 18th to July 26th every summer.
 
Imagine boating at 3am or gardening at 4am.
 
The 300 residents of Sommaroy, Norway proposed this idea of breaking free from the “global clock” and having a time-free zone in 2019.

Visitors play along by leaving their watches on the bridge.
 
Some say it’s just a marketing strategy to attract summer tourists.
 
Can you imagine all of the logistical issues? 
 
When do you check out of a hotel or how do you know when a store or restaurant is open? 
 
You can take away time but at some point, you’ll need to decide when you’re going to sleep and eat regularly to function on a basic level.
 
YOUR BRAIN CRAVES A DAILY ROUTINE.
 
The more structure you give it, the better it'll perform.

Ever tried to make some healthy habit changes like going to the gym regularly and notice resistance popping up?
 
That’s partly your brain trying to keep you safe.
 
It doesn’t know that going to the gym is going to help you get stronger and healthier.
 
It just knows it’s a change in your routine.
 
Do you need to clean up any of your Daily Routines right now?
 
If you’re not sure, ask yourself:
 
Are you waking up well-rested, accomplishing the most important tasks each day, and feeling hopeful & happy overall?
 
On a more basic level (just like we monitor with babies)… are you eating, sleeping and pooping?
 
If not, you may need to make some tweaks to your routine and how you support your brain & body by prepping & planning better for your daily activities & rest.
 
Let’s review some ways to structure your day to be your most productive, energetic, creative self.
 
You can use them to help you get back on track or stay on track.
 
To begin, look at how you are scheduling your waking, eating, and sleeping times. Trying to keep consistent times in these 3 areas will do a lot for your overall performance.
 
You can also use the 8+8+8 rule to keep it simple. You’ve got 8 hours each day for:

• Sleep
• Hard work
• Play (hobbies, exercise, relaxation, socializing, creative & soul fulfilling activities)

 
DAILY ROUTINE CHECK IN:

Do a Daily Routine Check In to see what you might want to tweak.
 
*Remember when you want to make changes to your routine or add new healthy habits, always ease into them and try to tie it to something you're already doing. Example: breath work while you drink your morning coffee or tea; exercise after you walk the dog.

Need help narrowing it down to your One Thing? Check out this FIT Blog.
 
BASIC MOVES:

• How do you START your day? Think about the fuel, hydration, movement, and/or meditation you need to TURN ON your brain & body for the day.
• How do you PACE yourself throughout the day, so you maintain a good energy level? Think about the meal, rest, or movement breaks you need to SUPPORT your brain & body. 
• How do you END your day? Think about what activities you need to help CALM your brain & body to prep for sleep: journaling, reading, stretching, showering, breathing exercises, or making your schedule for the next day.

 
PRO MOVES:

• Plan and protect your “DEEP WORK” blocks so you can be your most creative, focused self on the most important projects. Figure out the time of day you can focus best and block that off as much as possible.
• Schedule in regular PLAY breaks for recreation, leisure, relaxation, creativity, exploring, and/or socializing. Do you need to add any of these to help you transition between work and home life?
• Tighten up your routine to get enough REST & RECOVERY time in especially if you’re recovering from injuries, illness, or grieving.
• If you’re struggling to have enough energy for EXERCISE, check in on your hydration, protein intake, rest breaks, and peak exercise time (figure out if you're a lark or night owl).

OVER TO YOU:
 
Decide if you do best with set times for each daily activity or if you work best with a priority checklist and chunking your time.
 
You don’t want your routine to cause more stress so figure out what works best for you. 
 
I prefer to work from a weekly checklist of priorities and chunk my activities as much as possible.
 
If I get too specific about what I’m going to do at each hour of the day, then it overwhelms me if I get behind that schedule.

You may need a strict schedule of what to do every 30 minutes of the day to stay focused.
 
Listen to your body, it’ll help you figure it out.
 
Start by creating more structure to your daily routine but consider regular check ins for what you may need to tweak in your week, month, quarter, or yearly routines so you can have more energy, ease, & flow.
 
Next up, I’ll share the tweak I made to my schedule that has made the most impact on my energy & health this past year. It created structure to my day that I didn’t realize I was missing.

Do you know what activity will help your brain stay younger?
 
Nope it’s not sleep, exercise, or what you eat.
 
Yes, they're all healthy brain habits but PLAY has been shown to decrease your brain’s biological age by 6 years!
 
What kind of PLAY?
 
This research study involved doing or learning a creative, skilled based activity.
 
Dancing the Tango, singing or playing an instrument, drawing, or playing real time strategy video games specifically were types of play studied that showed they helped your brain stay younger by improving your overall cognitive function.
 
PLAY taps into your superpower- Neuroplasticity or your brains ability to create new pathways for better movement, focus, mood, and creativity.

It helps you regulate your nervous system and can move you into a flow state- fully present, focused, at ease, and in your creative zone. Where time seems to slow down. 
 
Movement, Meditation, Exploring, Journaling, Music, or creating Art can all help you get in flow and tap into your Peaceful, Playful, Powerful Body.
 
Unfortunately, we all typically play less as we age.
 
Even dogs stop playing as much as they get older.
 
We have to be more intentional about adding creative PLAY time into our days if we aren’t professional musicians or artists. 
 
The busier you are, the more you’ll have to block off some PLAY time each week.
 
OVER TO YOU:
 
Do you need to add more PLAY into your life?
 
If so, what sounds fun to start in January?
 
Ready to sign up for some Tango classes? 
 
Always wanted to learn the Banjo?

Do it.

It's time.
 
I want to start playing piano again and I'm working on getting a keyboard.
 
For now, I’m going to bust open this animal watercolor book and pens I got recently.
 
Pick one PLAY Move to do and see how your Body & Brain respond.
 
At a minimum you’ll feel more energy, ease, and flow but overtime your helping your brain become younger & healthier.

P.S. Ready to Boost your ENERGY, Strengthen your JOY Muscles, & Bring out the BLISS?

Use the 12 Days of Bliss Challenge- ONE simple REST Move in just 5-10 minutes a day to help you Recharge & anytime you need a Reset. Download the FREE Challenge here.

You probably know someone that has had a concussion at some point in their life, but did you know it’s considered a mild brain injury?
 
In honor of National Concussion Awareness Day, I’ve got some prevention & recovery tips to share with you.

Can you guess the #1 cause of brain injuries?
 
It’s not sports or motor vehicle accidents.
 
It’s FALLS especially in our youngest (0-4 years old) and oldest (over 65 years old).
 
What do both age groups have in common?
 
Balance issues!

75% of brain injuries fall into the mild category each year.
 
Males are higher risk for brain injuries due to sports and higher risk-taking behaviors.
 
Brain injuries related to motor vehicle accidents are highest in ages 20-24.
 
67% of females have symptoms of traumatic brain injuries due to domestic violence.
 
Concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries are caused by a jolt or blow to the head causing the brain to bounce around inside the skull.  This stretches and damages brain cells and is sometimes referred to as shearing. 

It’s not going to necessarily show up on CT scans or MRI's because it can be microscopic tears.  
 
90% won’t lose consciousness.  It can take 3-5 days to show signs.  
 
The brain is not a muscle, but it bruises somewhat like a muscle does when injured.  
 
Sprain your ankle and it bruises, swells, hurts.   You can’t put weight on it, so you don’t walk.  You slowly put more weight on it as it heals.  
 
What bruising looks like in the brain is headache, dizziness, nausea, difficulty reading, irritability in noisy environments, light sensitivity, memory issues, confusion etc.    
 
While it’s healing, the brain needs to avoid taking another hit.  It needs time to recover. 

REST is key.  
 
Unlike a sprained ankle, you can’t see it so it’s hard to decide when it’s safe to go back to normal activities.
 
Headaches with exertion are the main reason people go to the doctor after a concussion.
 
<<BTW always go to ER if you have a headache after a brain injury>>
 
Most concussions resolve within 1-2 weeks but 10-15% of people will have symptoms for longer.
 
After a concussion, you can have physical, cognitive, behavioral or emotional issues. You might see changes in personality, behaviors, mood, and routines.
 
PPCS or Persistent Post Concussive Symptoms refers to symptoms lasting > 4 weeks.
 
In my Rehab Work, these patients have difficulty returning to work or school due to ongoing issues typically with dizziness, brain fog, decreased concentration, fatigue, anxiety, vision issues, and/or headaches.
 
The Beauty of the Brain is its ability to rewire and heal (neuroplasticity) but it can heal in a chaotic way without the right guidance in place.
 
It’s important to get support from a neurologist or neuro trained therapists as early as possible in order to get strategies for managing the symptoms of PPCS.
 
You’re higher risk for PPCS if you’re:

• Over 40
• Female
• Traumatically injured
• Have a history of substance abuse
• Have a prior mental health diagnosis
• Lower socioeconomic status

 
I previously wrote a FIT Blog with tips for return to play (sports) after concussion that apply to anyone dealing with a mild brain injury or PPCS.
 
I would emphasize that Rest & Relaxation are KEY when recovering from a concussion (mild BI). 
 
You CANNOT get too much rest.
 
It takes time for the brain to heal.
 
So remember to get plenty of NAPS and pull out the APPS for Relaxation Exercises to help your brain recover.
 
Stress will SLOW and can even HALT brain healing after injury. 
 
Check out the blog post for 10 Things To Help Heal After A Concussion that’ll walk you through how to avoid stressing your brain & for tips to help support the healing process.

And since dealing with a brain injury is no fun, let’s talk PREVENTION for a second.
 
Although helmets and seatbelts are really important prevention tools, FALLS are #1 cause of brain injuries.
 
What can you do to prevent falls?
 
I’m so glad you asked.
 
You want to do regular MOBILITY & AGILITY exercises especially as you age.
 
That includes all the fascia body work, resistance band work, & balance work that I share regularly on FIT Blog, in my weekly newsletter, and in my online camps  to help build your REST & RECOVERY Toolbox.

In terms of fall prevention around your home, keep your paths well lit & clear of clutter. 
 
Also make sure you can handle the shoes you wear especially if they don’t have heel support (i.e. flip flops, slippers). 
 
And finally, be careful around little ones- pets & kids.
 
Staying active & agile as you age will help prevent falls & reduce your risk for all kinds of injuries including brain injuries. 
 
If you take a hit to the head, take it seriously.
 
Get support if you’re having symptoms or just don’t feel like yourself.
 
It’s in your head, literally.
 
Your brain needs support healing just like an injured muscle does.
 
Reach out if you’re stuck or check out some additional resources below.

It’s been heartbreaking to see how many lives have been impacted by the extreme flooding in the TX Hill Country this past weekend.

We're grateful for the fast emergency response to help victims & the heroic efforts of the young camp counselors who responded so bravely to a horrific situation in the middle of the night. 
 
July 4th weekend is THE busiest time of the year for Texans to head to our rivers for camping & tubing.

It’s just what Texans do for fun but also to survive the summer heat.

You really aren’t a true Texan unless you’ve floated along the Guadalupe River at some point in your life.

It’s hard to fully comprehend how much joy the rivers bring with how much devastation they're capable of.
 
If you’re connected to anyone that has been directly impacted, please know we’re sending you all so much love.
 
It’s times like these where your body needs extra loving care to support processing the emotions, stress, and trauma it’s experiencing.
 
It needs more Rest & Recovery to remind it to calm down even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time.
 
If you’re not sleeping or physically exhausted (i.e. heavy or burning sensation in your muscles, sloppy movements or poor posture, decreased balance or coordination, or feeling weak or stiff in your muscles) from the stress, your Rest Rx is to take NAP BREAKS.
 
3 Types of Naps:

1. Power Nap- a 10-20 minute midday nap; great for mood, attention, focus.
2. Nidra Nap- deep rest while you listen to a 15-45 minute Yoga Nidra relaxing meditation that helps work through physical, emotional/mental, and spiritual exhaustion. Here’s a 15 minute one for you: DEEP REST NIDRA.
3. The Big Nap- a 90-minute nap which is one full sleep cycle so do this one if you’re not getting a full 7+ hours of sleep at night.

 
If you’re sleeping OK but showing signs of stress (i.e. restlessness, anxiety, worry, heart or mind racing, rapid breathing, difficulty concentrating, numbness, or muscles tension in your neck/shoulders/hips), your Rest Rx is to take RELAXATION BREAKS.
 
6 Stress Cycle Busters (Relaxation Breaks):
 
When you’re stressed, your brain goes into protection mode.
 
It signals to turn on your sympathetic nervous system (i.e. fight, flight or freeze mode).
 
It’s the opposite of your healing mode. 
 
You can help your body complete the stress cycle by giving it the cue that it’s safe to move back into relaxed mode & calm your nervous system by using any of these strategies as Relaxation Breaks:

1. Movement- #1 is physical activity of any kind for 20-60 minutes. It’s the most effective way to manage stress but you may not have the energy for it so turn to the other strategies.
2. Breath Work- find an App like Insight Timer and do some breathing exercises for 2-10 minutes. If you’re in the middle of a stressful situation, do a physiological sigh to help you reset (Inhale through your nose and take a second inhale at the end of it, then exhale slowly through your mouth- repeat 3 times). 
3. Laughing- find something that will trigger some deep belly laughs- the kind that make you laugh until you cry (i.e. Soul Laugh).
4. Crying- go ahead & sob- let it out; crying helps release stress chemicals/hormones trapped in your body.
5. Affection- connect with others through physical affection (i.e. a 6 second kiss, a 20 second hug) or petting your pet long enough to signal your body it’s safe to calm down.
6. Creative Self Expression- write, draw, pain, or sing to help calm your body.

 
You don’t have to do all of these to help your body recover & reset during stressful times. 
 
Start with one that sounds soothing & doable.
 
Check in with your body. It’ll tell you what it needs to calm down & feel better.

You'll know you've turned on your Relaxed Body when you feel a shift - sense of relief, yawning, goose bumps, a deep breath are all signs you've completed a stress cycle.
 
Be mindful of how much news & social media you’re taking in right now about this tragedy. It’s likely triggering a stress response in your brain & body. Definitely limit it a few hours before bed as it can disrupt your sleep.
 
If you want to do more for the areas impacted, World Central Kitchen is on the ground feeding Central Texans and the search & rescue crews. You can donate to support their efforts here.

Be extra kind to yourself right now!

I found comfort in this story about Hazel, the Camp La Junta dog, that scratched on the door of a cabin to alert the campers of rising water and waited with them until they were all safe (Texas Monthly shared about it). It's not a common dog name but it's my mother's name (who passed away in 2003).

Grieve the loss but always find the hope, love, & helpers out there as well (even if it's coming from our furry friends).

P.S. Ready to go from Stressed to your Relaxed Body? Download the Relaxed Body Toolkit & Daily Energy Planner here.

P.S. Need ideas on how to cherish yourself daily?  Take the 12 Days of Bliss Challenge- ONE simple REST Move in just 5-10 minutes a day to help you Recharge & Reset.  

​Let the Adventure to a Peaceful, Playful, Powerful Body Begin- Download the FREE Challenge here.

Did you use the 80/20 rule yet to identify the main activities that’ll give you the best results & maximize your time and energy?

You still have time to go through the 80/20 exercise but you can also flip it to help with setting your wellness or fitness goals.

It’ll help you take the pressure off when you’re trying to build new habits.

It’s important to get your mindset right as you set goals.

You’re not going for 100%. 

It’s about progress NOT perfection.

You want to aim for 80% success rate especially for diet or exercise goals.

It’s normal to get off track.

There may be weeks when you can meet your goals more than 80% of the time.

That’s awesome but not realistic ALL the time.

It has definitely taken my Physical Therapy brain awhile to buy into this approach to goal setting.

My neuro rehab work involves coordinating teams of therapists with different specialties. 

There is always a battle about what to expect with the patient’s performance of their home exercise programs.

The Physical Therapists, typically the most Type A personalities on the team, expect 100% performance of whatever they’ve prescribed for a patient to do outside of therapy NO MATTER WHAT is going on.

The Neuropsychologists, the behavior experts on the team, have to constantly remind the "team" (i.e. mostly the PT's) that 80% compliance for home programs is the goal NOT 100%.

Deep down I know this is true from my own life and from 30+ years of experience working with all kinds of patients.

Even if I give someone just 3 exercises to do.

Even if I have the most motivated patient.

Even if they’re in pain and get relief from the exercises.

Something will pull them off track or off focus from doing their home exercise program.

Knowing that’s normal human behavior and not beating yourself up about it is key to getting back on track fast so you can make gradual gains overtime.

I’ve finally made the shift in my mindset.

It’s your turn. 

Check in. 

What kind of expectations are you holding yourself to in regard to your wellness or fitness goals?

Take the pressure off.

Make the shift.

Aim for choosing healthy habits 80% of the time.