The flu season is here and it seems like everybody around is getting sick. I’m in Sweden and being called at the healthcare center so they can gather all the help they need because hospitals are getting full.
I just talked to someone from the USA, and someone from the Philippines and they’re experiencing the same!
What can you do to minimize the risk of getting sick? Aside from sleeping right, eating healthy meals, and drinking up your vitamins, you also need to lessen your stress! ✔️
Curious as to how they’re all connected? 🤔
STRESS ITSELF IS BAD FOR YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Stress itself is bad for your immune system, and it becomes a vicious circle.
Stress hormones disturb our immune system by releasing lots of cortisol, which then suppresses our immune system’s effectiveness in fighting off invaders by lowering the number of lymphocytes present in the blood and interfering with normal white blood cell communication.
WHAT TO DO TO AVOID GETTING THE FLU
With the flu season everywhere and hospitals getting cramped up with patients having Covid, Influenza, and RSV – nobody likes to be included on the list of patients!
So what do we do to avoid being one of the flu victims? Strengthen up our immune system!! As a healthcare Doctor, I’ve listed below the ways you can boost your immune system and help it fight off these nasty bacteria and viruses. They’re too easy to do, so don’t find reasons NOT to do them!
1. GET 7-8 HOURS OF SLEEP
Need I say more? Our body needs the right amount of rest it needs, not getting enough lowers its protection barriers! When you’re sleep deprived, your immune system is down already, and when you’re sleep deprived – you’re cranky and get more stressed easily, which then decreases the strength of your immune system!
So as you’re reading this I want to ask you, have you slept enough last night? If not then go get some if you can – this article won’t go anywhere!
2. EAT HEALTHY FOOD
I believe this as well doesn’t need explaining – food is a vital source of life, energy, and nutrition!!! So go grab some healthier snacks.
3. MOVE AROUND
Exercising helps! A 2019 research review concludes that moderate-intensity exercise can stimulate cellular immunity by increasing the circulation of immune cells in your body!
Oh yes – I know how it makes us too lazy to move when the weather is too cold – but we have to! Fight that laziness and get your exercise doze, even if that’s just a few minutes a day.
4. FREQUENT HAND WASHING
Can’t stress this enough. This is easy to do, and yet I’m still seeing too many people who just don’t do it!
Bacterias are quick, and get easily transferred! So wash your hands often, and carry a sanitizer with you!
5. DO NOT FORGET THY MASKS
You do not know when you’re going to enter crowded places, or indoor ones, right? So it’s better to have this in your pockets at all times! Remember, prevention is better than cure…
And viruses and bacterias are everywhere!
6. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
It’s very vital to keep yourself hydrated. Carry a tumbler with you! Water and fluids support immunity by maintaining our mucous membranes’ health! Know how our skin protects us? That’s how they act too.
7. KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY
Be kind to yourself – and be kind to others! Seeing kindness flow will make your heart happy and with your heart feeling happy, it won’t be too easy to stress you out.
Be kind to others as well because people receiving kindness will also make their hearts happy, so help yourself but help not just yourself but others as well. 🙂
MOST IMPORTANTLY…
If you are not feeling well or know that you already have the virus with you… STAY AT HOME and DO NOT BE THE CAUSE OF MORE OUTBREAK.
GET HELP IF YOU NEED
If it feels hard to decide what you want to do on your own – get a mentor. Reach out if you need help. It is always important and there will always be things that you can support.
Check HERE to see if you feel like we’re a good fit.
Do you always keep seeing online too or keep hearing from some people how they say it’s all about mindset?
Mindset, mindset, mindset…
Some people find this line already too used, or they even link it at times to toxic positivity. But let’s face it! If it’s not about that, then what?
Let’s first take a deeper look at what it really means.
YOUR MINDSET
One’s mindset is how one sets his/her established set of attitudes, philosophy, and values… or how one conditions their mind to react in certain situations.
HOW MINDSET IS APPLIED IN EVERYTHING
Let’s say you want a nice body but you don’t want to exert an effort into it because you do not see that the effort would be worth it – the focus of your mindset is “it’s not gonna be worth it”, you’ve sent your mind into that belief so you’re not willing to do anything to achieve your dream body.
On the other hand, let’s say you want that body really bad, and your mind is set on “getting that dream body, no matter how hard” – that’s still your mindset!
See the difference?
EVERY ACTION YOU DO IS BASED ON YOUR MINDSET
Every action you do – or in the example above – not do, is based on how you shift your mindset.
How you react to challenges and situations, is also based on your mindset. Hence, no matter what some people say about how used this line is already, or how they link it to toxic positivity…
At the end of the day – still – it’s all about the mindset.
A NEGATIVE MINDSET IS STILL A MINDSET
We are just humans, and it’s very mundane for us to sometimes dwell on our negative thoughts instead of the positive ones, and that’s okay! Our thoughts are not rational so we can sometimes get eaten with our negative thoughts…
And this is when we must learn to channel our self-control. It can be started with a short meditation, or by just having a quiet time where we discuss our thoughts with ourselves and try our best to see them from a third-party angle – which means, if there are no emotions attached – how would we view the situation?
That is how we try to rationalize our thoughts. And yes, it requires willpower and consistent practice.
EMOTIONS ARE CONTAGIOUS
We, humans, have this mirror neuron system that mirrors the actions and behavior of others.
So, in case you find it hard to find the willpower within you, try to be with people who you know have practiced that area so that you can slowly learn from them and unconsciously adapt their positive mindset.
WHY HAVING A POSITIVE MINDSET IS IMPORTANT
I’ve always seen people calling a positive mindset a toxic trait of someone because of how they fail to acknowledge the emotions of others or have the tendency to turn a blind eye to their surroundings.
I see this as something very interesting…
HAVING A POSITIVE MINDSET DOESN’T MEAN NOT CARING.
When someone has this positive mindset, it doesn’t mean that they invalidate everything around them – such as the problems, emotions, or crises we’re all facing.
It just simply means that they know how to separate emotions from reality.
I myself, before I react to certain situations, ask myself this question:
“Is it within my control, or is there anything I can do at all to change it to make it better?”
If there’s none and nothing at all, I wouldn’t waste my energy and emotions on it – instead – find other areas where I can contribute.
And that’s being positive. For me, that is just rational, as it helps me remove the trivial things and contribute more to the things where I really have something to add, instead of just complaining about things out of my control.
That may be toxic positivity for some – but that is “my” mindset.
HAVING THE RIGHT MINDSET CAN BE THE KEY TO LONGEVITY
When your mind is set properly on the right things, you’ll be motivated to have the discipline to do the things necessary to achieve the things you’ve set your mind to.
So when you have set your mind to living as long as you can, you’d do anything to get that: eating healthy foods, getting the right amount of exercise, living a life with less stress, and more.
You’ll even see old people literally more fit than some younger ones, and it’s because of how they lived their lives when they were younger, as they probably have already set their minds to living a long and happy life.
So, with the right mindset, you can develop the discipline to do the things necessary to achieve what you want.
GET HELP IF YOU NEED
If it feels hard to decide what you want to do on your own – get a mentor. Reach out if you need help. It is always important and there will always be things that you can support.
Check HERE to see if you feel like we’re a good fit.
Are you also one of the majority who always feels like they’re hostages of procrastination?
Procrastination, by definition, is having trouble persuading yourself to do the things that you must do when needed – and instead, delay it at the very last minute because instead of doing them as necessary, you get occupied with too many trivial activities…
As a result, you put things off habitually.
Sounds like you? Then you need to listen.
PROCRASTINATION IS A PROBLEM
Yes, you read that right. Procrastination is a problem, and procrastination causes more problems than you can imagine.
You could be wondering or thinking of some defense like: “Why? What’s important is I get things done – regardless of whether I procrastinate or not.”
I hear you…
But how did you feel doing the tasks you’re doing when you’re actually procrastinating? Were you relaxed or were you tense with the time pressure?
And what if…
Things don’t go as expected – would you have extra time to find solutions or fixes?
SAVE FUTURE PROBLEMS BY AVOIDING PROCRASTINATION
Not everything is within our control, and doing things NOT at the last minute saves the possibility of encountering problems like last-minute revision, delivering something of poor quality due to time constraints, stress, and even the anxiety procrastination brings.
“ PROCRASTINATING CAN MAKE YOU ANXIOUS,
PROCRASTINATING CAN GIVE YOU STRESS. ”
When you have a habit of putting things off until they’re close to the day you can’t avoid – the day when they’re already REALLY needed, it becomes your routine until you realize that you don’t just apply it to tiny tasks… but general.
HABITUAL PROCRASTINATION CAN KILL
Imagine tending to something that’s important in your family and personal life, you won’t notice you’re also starting to procrastinate in that area.
What about your health? Feeling something but not too big to call your attention? You also put it off!!! Until it becomes HUGE it literally calls your – and everybody’s attention!
Bet nobody likes that. Right?
So…
HOW DO WE AVOID PROCRASTINATION AND KILL THE HABIT INSTEAD?
1. Brainstorm on tasks – ORGANIZE
One of the reasons why procrastinators procrastinate is because they do not know where or how to start. The beginning is always the hardest part, but once you begin, you’ll suddenly see huge progress and before you realize it you’re actually done!
We sometimes think it saves us the pressure and stress, but it just makes it bigger later.
“Do it now. Sometimes later becomes never.”
— Unknown
2. Use POMODORO
Ever heard of the Pomodoro Technique? It’s a time management tactic. Pomodoro is an Italian word and it literally means “tomato”.
Why tomatoes? They are shaped like clocks -> clocks -> timer!
Doing the Pomodoro technique means using a timer to divide the things you need to do into time intervals. Sounds fun and challenging, right?!
3. Remember that the CLOCK IS TICKING
In everything that you’re going to do, and in everything that you need to do… you just have to remember one thing: THE CLOCK IS TICKING.
This literally means, you’re only delaying the things you’re gonna work on, but NEVER THE TIME! So eventually, you’re still gonna work on them, but with added time pressure and stress!
What would you choose?
4. CHOOSE THE TASKS
What do I mean by these? Choose the tasks wisely. Check your list. Are the tasks listed essential?
Differentiate the essential ones and the trivial ones. Skip the trivial ones! They’re called trivial because they most likely won’t take you anywhere, so try to focus on the essential ones – the ones where you can actually make the most contribution.
If the trivial ones for some reason cannot be skipped… they’re the ones you must leave for later – not the essentials.
These things combined but most importantly never forget to…
ADD LOVE INTO IT, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO
When you add love to the things you do, you’ll enjoy the process and the outcome will always turn out beautifully. Just like in cooking, if you cook in a sour or bitter mood… your food will most likely end up tasting sour or bitter too.
But when you cook with love, the food ends up with a magnificent taste. Add love to everything, and things will work out. And in case it doesn’t because not everything is in our control – at least we know how we enjoyed doing the things we did. 🙂
GET HELP IF YOU NEED
If it feels hard to decide what you want to do on your own – get a mentor. Reach out if you need help. It is always important and there will always be things that you can support.
Check HERE to see if you feel like we’re a good fit.
Calmness – the state of being free from agitation or stress, or the state of being at peace with one’s mind… But how does one reach such a state?
CALMNESS IS RIGHT HERE
You do not need to go anywhere, or to look for it somewhere far… it’s within you – within your mind’s reach. Yes, our minds are fantastic like that.
OUR MINDS HARBOR THOUGHTS AS MUCH AS THEY CAN
Our minds harbor all types of thoughts it can, like a never-ending slot machine! And sometimes, it just makes us feel powerless because we feel like we’re losing control.
And yes we are, it’s normal that we do – it ain’t easy to fight with our subconscious, right? One minute we’re extra happy then just a single thought we do not like we spiral down into a negative mood.
MY STORY
Before all this, I’m a full-time family doctor and around 15 years ago, I was sooo close to hitting depression because of too much stress, but I had to fight it because aside from being a doctor full-time, I have three kids at home! I have no right to be depressed at all at that moment if you know what I mean.
So I acted on it.
I took this course on Stress Management before I get completely eaten up by my stressors, and even got judged for it because they didn’t see it as something right. Yes, I am a Doctor, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t be doing that, right? And it was honestly the best thing that I did!
THE WAY I ACTED OPENED NEW OPPORTUNITIES
When I took action, it made me realize something – a new fire burning inside of me back then – the passion to help people ditch spiraling down!
And so, the birth of my business.
THE LESSON
We do not know what opportunities could open, or what things could happen if we stay calm vs. if we let stress control us and eat us down.
But I also know how achieving the state of being calm is not easy for the majority, so here are tips & tricks to practice to achieve it!
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES TO ACHIEVE CALMNESS
1. Train Your Mind
Meditate, meditate, meditate! It doesn’t have to be a full-blown meditation immediately. Start with 5 mins, then 7, 10… you’ll get used to it and you’ll be surprised how it immediately helps in calming your thoughts.
2. Be Present, Feel Present
What does this mean? It means you need to PAUSE, RELAX, and just BREATHE. When things are hard to absorb at the moment because of too many emotions, remember that you are just human and the easiest thing you could do to calm down is to breathe and relax, and just make sense of the moment – knowing that you are alive, which means you can think of solutions to stressful situations.
3. Reset and Recharge
Incorporate play into your life. When we say play it could mean anything you’d want to do for the sake of pleasure. This is how you will feel refreshed and recharged ready to take on new life challenges!
4. Turn Off Your Phone
Technology is great when used wisely. Do not waste too much time scrolling on nonsense things, the internet can be full of things that can’t help you reach calmness. You’ll see a lot of annoying things you don’t even have to see or know about. Use it wisely, and when you dedicate time to calm down and just meditate, DO NOT USE IT.
5. Have a Routine
Having a routine is important. While our day-to-day life is sometimes out of our control, it helps to minimize the unexpected as it minimizes the chances of us getting shocked or stressed to think and plan something new.
The moment you wake up and before you start with your day, it helps to write down your checklist for the day so you know exactly what to expect, and you’ll have a routine to follow.
6. Accept & Let Go
The moment your mind gets disorganized, always ask yourself these questions: “Is there something I can do to change the situation I don’t like? Is it within my control?”
If your answer is no, then just let go. If there’s nothing you can do about it, you need to accept that fact and let go – or else your time and energy will be wasted on something you have no control of, resulting in you getting into a negative mood.
7. Move!
Moving your body or exercising, no matter how long or short, intense or mild – releases endorphins which reduce your stress level and help you increase your sense of well-being. The more sense you make in your own well-being, the easier it is for you to achieve a state of calm.
GET HELP IF YOU NEED
If it feels hard to decide what you want to do on your own – get a mentor. Reach out if you need help. It is always important and there will always be things that you can support.
Check HERE to see if you feel like we’re a good fit.
Seasonal Depression… sometimes known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. What really is it and why do people get it? What’s with the “season” causing it?
A STORY TO SHARE
Right, you’re already probably getting the hint at this moment. I had this for many years. The moment it hits November when the night’s longer in Sweden… for some reason I always end up feeling so low.
I could even remember a time that it went worse when I was in Minneapolis – and it was very tough!
And while I’m fully aware that there’s this controversial “Seasonal Depression” existing, I was a bit in denial that I’m one of the people who’s experiencing it.
Anyhoo, I first would like to hop on its signs, so you won’t be like me who was blindsided at that time – thinking that it’s just all coincidence or just all in my mind.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF SEASONAL DEPRESSION
How do you know if you have this so-called seasonal depression? What are the signs and how to spot them?!
First, know that for the diagnosis… You need to have at least two or more of these symptoms, depending on which level of depression you are in:
Low self-esteem;
Loss of joy or interest in doing things (and no you’re not supposed to have manic episodes, that could be different);
Loss of energy;
Cognitive effects such as concentration problems;
Reduced level of alertness which results in slower response;
Feeling of being agitated;
Sleep and appetite disorder (eating an awful lot or very little);
Very visible weight gain or weight loss; &
Hallucinations, if you have continuous severe depression.
THEY ARE WORSE IN THE MORNING
These signs and symptoms of seasonal depression are usually worse in the morning. You’ll have a hard time getting up from bed, you’ll have morning anxiety, and you’ll have too many thoughts simultaneously!
HOW DO WE AVOID GETTING SEASONAL DEPRESSION?
While the cause is usually unknown, but mostly related to the hormone changes caused by the season change as well (hence, most of the time getting called “winter blues”), this still can be prevented by doing the usual things one would do to avoid falling into a regular depression.
Things such as maintaining a healthy routine and lifestyle, engaging consistently in physical activities, finding the right people to talk to, and doing all known preventive measures for depression.
LET PEOPLE KNOW
It helps to always have a strong support system who will pull you up when you feel like falling down – so while most think it’s not a good idea to let people know, IT ACTUALLY IS!
Just find the right people to talk to… people you trust, people you love, and people who care about you. And if all these things aren’t enough, remember the professionals trained to help us in times like these!
Thing is, we won’t run out of options. We just have to find the tiniest energy to fight.
SEASONAL DEPRESSION IS NOT JUST WINTER BLUES
Confusing, as I have mentioned most people refer to them as “winter blues”, right? That’s because that’s the most common.
But hold up… there’s this rare form – Summer Depression, beginning in the late spring!
STATISTICS SAY…
That Summer Depression is diagnosed in around 11 million people in the US each year, while around 25 million more are suffering from Winter Depression.
MORNING SUN IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!
Doctors recommend that people who suffer from Seasonal Depression get out early in the morning to get more natural light. But that could be impossible during winter because it’s dark, right?
That’s why some consider light therapy and guess what… Some people recover only within days! While of course there are still others who take much longer, and if symptoms don’t go away, just like in medicine dosage, the sessions are increased.
JUST REMEMBER THE BASICS
If things get hard for you and you’re already at the stage where you can’t think clearly enough… The simplest way is to remember the basics of life: (a) the right amount of sleep, (b) healthy food, & (c) the right amount of exercise.
These 3 have more benefits than you could imagine, and can’t actually just save you from falling into depression, but also literally save a life.
BUT IF THINGS STILL ARE HARD AND YOU DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO START…
GET HELP IF YOU NEED
If it feels hard to decide what you want to do on your own – get a mentor. Reach out if you need help. It is always important and there will always be things that you can support.
Check HERE to see if you feel like we’re a good fit.
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