Wellness – Live&Work 4healthyu

“Hon, have you found your place?”

Featured by ETWellness, posted in Finding My Place in Health & Wellness, Uncategorized

If you close your eyes, I bet you can think of many places you once thought were heaven! You arrived there and found beauty, contentment, inspiration, peace, and more. For example, I visited an enchanting, rural, sun-kissed retreat in the southeast a few years ago. It still is magnificent. But today, I realize my sense of the perfect place has changed, and I see people, places, and things differently.

The perfect place is more than just a fantastic beach, lake, or national park. Your place could be a favorite city, town, or country. Your place is a long-desired job, an industry, business, or profession that allows you to be your best or earn a living. Perhaps your place is a church, gym, home, school, or any location that captures your mind, body, and spirit. I discovered my happy place after moving from a cold state to a more temperate climate, and now I love winters at home!

Perhaps your place is with people. You feel like you’re in the right place with great friends, family, a loving partner or spouse, or whomever you call your people. Once again, the list could be long here. In your mind and heart, you know when the right folks surround you!

Beyond places and people, we find joy in things. My perfect list included a summer night baseball game with fireworks, a championship basketball game, concerts, and fun 5K and 10K races. My perfect things included roller skating, movies, and great art at local museums. And finally, my happy place had good books, writing, and blogs, all things I could lose myself in.

A friend once suggested I stop searching for a perfect place in life and focus on the here and now! He thought I was missing something, not fully appreciating the moment, and always looking for something else. My feelings about my happy place have evolved as I’ve gotten older. Indeed, I must give myself the time, patience, and grace to enjoy the many experiences before me that confirm – I’ve found my place!

OMG, give me a break!

Featured by ETWellness, posted in Uncategorized

In this country, we treat vacations like one big buffet! We’re ravenous and must devour everything to get our money’s worth! Admittedly, I’m greedy too, but I understand what feeds our collective hunger!

Many of us need more time for travel! When you’ve only a few weeks of vacation time, personal time off (PTO), or, sadly, no paid leave in this country, you feel pressured to maximize the experience. So you rush to your destination and try to see and do as much as possible! Add the misery of traveling today(air, train, and road traffic), and we’re all more stressed.

Travel is wicked expensive! Lodging, transportation, meals, and entertainment can break the bank! Still, we often seek to squeeze in as much as we can. Have you ever splurged on an over-the-top vacation experience? On the other hand, have you ever stayed with family and friends to reduce expenses? Your overspending or thriftiness reflects your response to the cost of travel.

We desperately seek diversions from our daily lives! On the one hand, our minds and bodies beg for variety, stimulation & excitement; on the other, we need rest and a break. When we go on vacation, we feel like the moment is fleeting! So, we rush to get all that we can!

I recently planned a long weekend in the nation’s capital. I had ten things on my list (including museums, monuments, restaurants, etc.). But then, it suddenly hit me that I need R&R too! So, I crossed off most of my list and focused on a few good memories rather than demanding more!

Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi on Pexels.com

Feeling good from head to toe!

Featured by ETWellness, posted in Finding My Place in Health & Wellness, Fitness, I Feel Good!, Lifestyles, Physical Therapy

I just “graduated” from physical therapy! Today, I’m feeling like a million bucks relative to the PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, and SPIRITUAL dimensions of wellness!

As I worked on the health challenge that brought me to physical therapy, I realized how much I missed the gym! Honestly, my exercise routine suffered a lot since Corvid. I didn’t feel comfortable in the health club and avoided mine for the last two-plus years.

Physical Therapy or “PT” helped reignite my excitement about exercising! It took me back to cardio (loving a great sweat!), stretching, and strength training. Suddenly, I could hear Patti Labelle in my ears, singing about my “New Attitude!” and that “I know where I’m going and I know what to do!” I’m now excited about smartly working out, and feeling that special “high” I missed. Oddly enough, I feel freer now and yet more grounded.

I normally go in a different direction with each post. For example, I recently completed one about how much I dreaded returning to physical therapy! So, this moment is about remembering the pure joy of exercise! But it’s also about having a deeper understanding of my experience, and response to the Pandemic. I know I’m not alone.

My graduation day didn’t include speeches, beautiful flowers, family gatherings, and gift cards! But I have to tell you that I loved my t-shirt (a parting gift!). Finally, I’m grateful for a more positive outlook on life, thankful for fabulous professional support, and I look forward to the future!

**Graduation T-Shirt From Physical Therapy**

Two Boys and a Bird

June 8, 2022 by ETWellness, posted in Uncategorized

I walked past a Two Men and a Truck and thought about summertime, the frenzy of people moving, and kids running and playing. This simple concept stuck with me. Oddly enough, this title is still appropriate and reflects what I observed and learned.

As I enjoyed a quick walk, Boy #1 suddenly appeared alongside me on his bike. I smiled and said hello to the little stranger, and he mentioned that another boy was in trouble! What kind of trouble, I asked? He said the boy had a bird and wouldn’t let it go! He said he told him to leave it alone, but he, Boy #2, wouldn’t listen. I assured him he’d done his best. Then, thinking about something on my stove, I said goodbye.

After I arrived home, I thought about Boy #1 and decided to check on Boy #2. So, I went in search of the boys. I soon discovered Boy #2 in the middle of the parking lot with his bike abandoned nearby. He held a tiny bird in the palms of his small hands, studying it intensely. He found the baby bird on the ground and believed it was still alive. I told him I doubted the bird would survive and suggested he move him out of the hot sun and place him on the grass. He did so and volunteered that help was on the way! I asked him to promise me he’d thoroughly wash his hands when he arrived home.

Help soon arrived in the form of a young mother and baby in a stroller. The mother picked up the bird in a paper towel and gingerly carried it over to a tree. She then supervised the burial of the bird in the leaves. Boy #1 continued to ride in small circles, watching everything.

I couldn’t help but think about both boys. Their reactions reflected their parent’s teachings. One boy was cautious, concerned, and kept a safe distance, and the other boy was fearless, curious, and focused on the bird. Yet, they both sought help from adults at this moment. The boys reminded me of how I grew up, cared about others, and learned to take risks.

Finding a new “Dr. Welby!”

April 16, 2022 by ETWellness, posted in Uncategorized

We love our creature comforts, including favorite foods, clothes, furniture, or whatever you hold dear. Dare I say it? One of my creature comforts included my long-time primary care doctor! Creature comforts make us feel good and comfortable, but have you ever considered welcoming a new physician (PCP)?

I believe excellent primary care is critical and the center of all things in my wellness journey. I’ve been fortunate to have doctors who are easy to talk to and available. But as my insurance changed, I had to change doctors twice in the last few years. These adjustments were stressful, considering my previous physician was mine for more than ten years. Unfortunately, the Pandemic didn’t help me cope with change.

But I’ve noticed a few surprising things about changing doctors. First, our country has many excellent doctors with diverse backgrounds, interests, and specialties. The last two doctors brought fresh, new insight into my health care. They made me think (and rethink) what medications I use and how well exercise and nutrition support my wellness journey. They ordered new and different lab work and testing. We talked, and they challenged me with probing questions and offered other therapies, not clinging to old diagnoses and treatments.

My old primary doctor was a terrific physician, but the change was good for me. I feel comfortable and safe with new doctors. If you aren’t familiar, “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” was a beloved, popular classic tv family doctor with a great bedside manner. He was the old standard for a “good” doctor. But hey, I’m good without him. How about you? Are you ready for a new doctor?

Grief

Featured by ETWellness, posted in Uncategorized

We all have a personal story about grief. We have lost people we loved or will in time. That was the premise of one speaker at a recent Toastmasters event.

She spoke about the pain of loss, shared a profile of loved ones, and the motivation behind many new activities in her life now. These helped fill some of the space. Grief is not easy to discuss, and my friend drew us in with light humor.

As she spoke, I couldn’t help but think about the family and friends I had lost recently and even decades ago! Yet, there is still space in my heart and vivid memory of smiles, laughter, and many large and small idiosyncrasies! A good example is my dad, who died thirty years ago. I remember his voice, tall stature, and many funny and wise sayings.

Today’s grown-up lesson is that grief is real and shared, and everyone we love leaves something precious behind! Just stop and think about a relay race and the passing of the baton. Our loved ones ran hard, lived as long and fully as possible, but ultimately stopped and passed on the baton.

I’m suddenly smiling, thinking about the “gifts” of so many. I feel I can go on and live my life, empowered, having known and loved many beautiful people who graced my life.

Tackling Diversity and Wellness

August 10, 2021November 16, 2021 by ETWellness, posted in Uncategorized

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) offered a masterful class on a subject that has gotten much attention this past year, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI). Nicola Finley, MD, was the featured speaker in a virtual program, The Doctor is Inclusive. Tonia Callender, a GWI research fellow, also shared her experience with race and Wellness.

A friend of mine had worked in the DEI space for years at a large insurance company long before it became part of the public discourse. We’ve had many conversations about her work and her company’s interest in managing a large dynamic, global workforce. I learned diversity covers many people and just about anyone if you go beyond the surface. It can include race, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, age, and more.

We can all find Wellness in many places, and oddly enough, there are real challenges to access and inclusion for people of color. We can enjoy a luxurious, expensive destination spa vacation. We can find Wellness in a Yoga class and even in a knitting circle in a local yarn store. Like everyone else, we seek to find ourselves in nature, in a great massage, and while swimming. Many enjoy hikes and exercise classes. Some people embrace it while managing businesses. Race shouldn’t be a deterrent or obstacle in our path to Wellness, but it can be. We heard many heartfelt, poignant stories from people of color trying to traverse life and many challenges to just be well.

I’m happy the GWI had the foresight to start a conversation about DEI and Wellness. In this new series, a wonderful and necessary conversation has begun among wellness professionals.

The GWI has generously shared this August 3, 2021 link to the recording of the session.