Fitness is definitely far more than just what you do for food and exercise. The whole way you take care of yourself inside and out is essential to defining your health and well-being.
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“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African proverb
The Whiteboarding. The coffee machine hissing. The Bright lights. The Big monitors. The hum of the printer and the sound of people chatter mixing with the clacks of the keyboard for an ambient tone (in fact, you can actually download it if you want.)
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Traveling is almost unbearably stressful – even if it is for vacation. Especially if it is for work and you have to be places on time. Ironically not traveling during the pandemic was taking a serious toll on our mental health. But now, traveling again is affecting our mental health in new and different ways.
Sleep deprivation, time pressure, lack of a regular food and exercise routines, and unavoidable delays are hallmarks of travel, even pre-pandemic. But now, there is definitely a more palpable pressure and it seems to boil over when you get to the airport. Even if you have your boarding pass prior, you have to figure out what to do with your checked luggage, where to go to verify your documentation, and then deal with security, having your bags taken aside for screening, and long, crazy lines. That is, if random storms and airline strikes do not cause your flight to cancel altogether. Airlines are making things a little bit easier by allowing you to upload test results and attestation forms beforehand, but it still is a big to-do to even get through airport security. And, if your last journey was like mine, you will sit on the tarmac for 3 hours because of some “missing paperwork.” Why is paperwork always such an issue – is that code for something else? Seems like an almost anachronistic reference, like isn’t everything in the cloud? Regardless, these delays can cause you stress especially if you have a connecting flight.
This current situation has turned up the travel stress to about 1000. But we need to keep on going – especially for business travel. So how do we deal with the stomach-gnawing anxiety and uphold our mental health? My tips follow – and they are the best ones, because I just tried them out on myself in real time.
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Are you jetsetting again for work? Have an upcoming trip for a graduation, wedding, or getaway. These are the top 10 do’s and don’ts you need to know from packing to arriving to departing.
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May is mental health awareness month – whichhich is why I am excited to blog about what I learned from one of my favorite books, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, by Amy Morin. Amy Morin is an acclaimed psychotherapist who lost her mother and husband in her twenties. Amy’s emotional challenges motivated her to engage in a deep study of mental resilience and culminated in four widely successful self-improvement books.
What I learned from this book is the importance of grit and perseverance. Of not running away and facing the hard things. It’s a case for mental toughness.
Mental toughness is our ability to perform consistently under stress and pressure and increasing our resilience to bounce back when things don’t go our way. That work is no different than work done in a physical gym – all of the practices in the book are like physical exercises that you can do to get stronger mentally.
Here is my summary of the 13 Things and how they can help you whenever you confront challenges and disappointments, on a smaller or grander scale. I would like to extend a warm thanks to my very good friend Ryan Trombley for his assistance in writing this article.
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Hust how do you manage your day in the age of the “always available” culture? Read on to find out how to avoid burning unnecessary energy and taking more control of your fitness inside the workday.
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When I first heard of intuitive eating, I dismissed it as some hippie-dippie excuse to indulge a lack of willpower. When I bypassed my inner judge and listened to what dietitians had to say, I have gotten more curious. The more I see, the more I think that this could be a new chapter in my fitness journey.
This post will explain what is “intuitive eating” and the resources you can access to explore it on your own.
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In this post, I want to address is the question of consulting with a dietitian or nutritionist in your fitness journey. We will talk about the difference between the two and why it matters. But first, what are the benefits of having professional nutrition advice? What are the considerations in…
The Paleo diet is the “sexy diet.” Definitely would be Samantha, if it were a Sex and the City character. The Paleo diet evokes images of ravenously devouring meat – sexy, right? I have been to Paleo-land and will definitely visit again. Here is what you need to know.
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Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard of the "Keto" (short for ketogenic) diet. Just what is it, and does it work? What are the upsides, and the downsides? And where can you find all the resources in one place? HERE, in this executive summary. I…
The “DAO” of being a “fit professioanl is a three-part framework that gives professional women a customizable plan of action for fitness success while balancing their career and relationships.
Do you want to get fit, but don’t have time to figure it out? My personal blog, DAOFitlife, and the upcoming book, is here for busy professionals who don’t have time to figure it out. I give you my insights on making fitness – physical AND spirtal – a sustainable part of your life.
If you are like me, you DON’T HAVE TIME to waste on spending hours in the gym OR to cook elaborate meals with obscure ingredients. Through years of my passion for fitness, I have accrued knowledge of what works – and more importantly, what is a waste of time. I can show you how you can revolve fitness around your life, instead of trying to do it the other way around.
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Do you want to get fit? Are you discouraged because you don’t have the time, or don’t know where to start? This isn't just about getting fit - it's about transforming yourself and changing your life. Because that is what will happen, if you commit to going down the path…
