Spark Wellness Coaching

A reassuring message from Canadian Mental Health Services Saskatoon. It's ok to acknowledge both the good and the more difficult aspects of our lives these days.

Some days 15 minutes of pure positivity is just what I need. I'm really enjoying the CinemaWins channel on YouTube because it focuses on all the good things in popular (and even not-so-popular) movies. I've been encouraged to rewatch old favorites with new appreciation and give some movies a second chance. Inside Out was already a favorite (Pixar exploring emotional health - yes please!) but CinemaWins helped me appreciate it even more. https://youtu.be/MB3By_5VSw4

Hi! How are you doing? It's OK if you're not OK, it's also fine if you are OK :) You may be feeling like your life has been put in a blender, or you may be bored and anxious. All of this is to be expected. If you can, take a few minutes with a pen and paper to acknowledge what's going on in your life. How has your life changed? How are you feeling? What's working well? What's helping you?... This kind of a check-in can serve as a reset of sorts to help you manage in these uncertain times. Take care, be kind!

Are you a numbers person? There are frightening numbers everywhere we look these days and it can get overwhelming. May I suggest taking a short break from following the graphs and the reports? I'm setting aside Wednesday and Sunday as "tracking free" days, focusing on giving my brain other good things to chew on besides the numbers. How are you managing your mental health in these uncertain times? Take care friends :)

Good morning! The sun is shining here, and that makes me happy! Also, more daylight hours! I've been thinking about self-comfort vs self-care. Self-comfort is, I think, a natural response to stressful situations. And we're all in a stressful situation right now, to varying degrees.... But what if our self-comfort drags us down, and doesn't allow us to be our best selves? I've been struggling with this myself as my schedule and focus have changed over the past couple weeks. What if we focused on optimizing our self-care, instead of looking for things that make us feel better in the short-term, but worse overall? Would self-care help us manage stress and make the most of our days? I know for me, it does! So what does self-care look like? It's going to be slightly different for everyone, but there are some basics. 1) Sleep - ideally 7-8 hours in one stretch, but nap if you need to and have the opportunity 2) Nourish your body - prioritize protein, eat real food, avoid snacking but eat until full at each meal. 3) Reach out to friends and family - focusing on positive relationships 4) Move your body regularly throughout the day - short walks, a few bodyweight exercises, some stretching. 5) Be kind to yourself - today is a brand new day!

Changing what I eat has made a huge difference in my energy levels, how my brain works, and yes, I've lost some weight, but that's more of a side effect of being healthier than the main point. From Dr. Wahls, "Food is what nature intended. Food is how I got out of the wheelchair and began walking, hiking, and biking again. Food is what I stress in my clinics and in my clinical trials." https://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-i-eat-organ-meat-weekl/

I was listening to a podcast with Dr. Rob Cywes this morning, he was talking about how valuable exercise is for emotional management, and the messed up message we send our kids when we test them in phys Ed or make activities that should be enjoyable into competitions. "Don't make healthy activity into a math test." #carbaddictiondoc https://podcasts.google.com/

There IS hope that we can be healthier, both individually, and globally. http://kaylahunt.com/what-happened/

I bought the Kindle version of this awesome book over the weekend, it's on sale right now! What always strikes me when I read The Big Fat Surprise is how thoroughly we've been conditioned that saturated fat is bad. Despite humans preferentially eating fattened animals for millennia, we all of a sudden, mid 20th century, decided that this nourishing food was actually causing serious harm to our health and must be eliminated. The advice to "reduce saturated fat" is still parroted by government guidelines, news media, and many many nutrition 'experts'. What will it take to change this message? #saturatedfatiswhereitsat #bigfatsurprise #nourishing

The guys made a gym bench for our new workout room. (Thanks for the bedroom, Son). Used plans from the #buffdudes channel. Fancy fabric from my "I'll sew that someday" stash. #makingspaceforfitness #familyfitness

**Get Started with Keto and Intermittent Fasting** I have more energy and mental clarity at 47 than I had at 20! After a lifetime of either struggling to lose weight or just giving up I now feel in control. I know how to work WITH my body's physiology and eat to nourish and energize myself. If you're in or around Saskatoon and would like to learn how to lose weight and improve your health, without counting anything or feeling hungry, join me on Saturday! Please message me if you're planning to attend, or register at SparkWellnessCoaching.ca

Just another beautiful prairie sunset! Goodbye shortest day of the year #wintersolstice #solarpoweredhuman

No, this is not a To-Do list, these are opportunities to engage in a repetitive physical activity that allows your brain to wind down and process your day. I call it meditation in the mundane. A little music might work here, but try to avoid podcasts and screens. Let your brain coast a bit. Have you experienced this? What activity works best for you?