Practicing Thankfulness

Our snowblower stopped working today.

I chose to be thankful.

I'm not a gym membership-treadmill type of person. If I'm going to exert effort, I want to see something result from it. 

In the summer, I do yardwork. Now it's January. I chose to be thankful for the opportunity to work and to have a visible result from my effort. 

And I met my step goal!!!!

And then, Iko somehow came untied from the tree, and ran off to the neighbors. I was afraid for the lives of their free-range ducks. In panic, I chased her, and caught her knocking on their door, seeing if her friend Lily could play. 

When we were safely home, I starting looking for things to stress eat. BUT, I used mindfulness, noticed what I was doing, and got my water bottle instead. 

I think that it's the tiny decisions like this that will form habits and become a healthy lifestyle change.

Iko and and her friend Lily, on a warmer day.

Taking steps

Finding places to walk in a Michigan January takes some creativity.

Today, we made use of the Homeschool Building during my daughter's auditions. 

We also got in some training time for Keiko.

developing healthy habits

I'm finding that the easiest way for me to make tiny lifestyle changes is to add habits to the ones I've already established.

I already have the habit of having my morning coffee in my recliner. Keiko added herself to my routine--she knows I need puppy snuggles (and now that she's shedding, Shiba Inu hairs in my coffee).

I added my light box to my routine by setting it up in my spot. It's also where I keep my journal, so that reminds me to write.

Today's healthy lifestyle change is taking vitamin D every day, and I'm going to take it with my coffee so I remember to do it. 

My chair faces my garden, so I can remember all the tulip and daffodil bulbs I planted this fall, and I can look forward to seeing sunshine and flowers in the spring.

And here is a picture of Keiko on my lap, with my new fuzzy blanket from my daughter. Keiko doesn't mind the light box. Do dogs need sunshine too?

Cortisol

Because I'm practicing mindfulness with eating, it's becoming even more clear to me that I make bad food choices when I'm tired or when I'm stressed.

So, how can I reduce stress? What small lifestyle change can I implement today, that I can continue, that will help me reduce stress?

A quick search of "Vagus nerve and Cortisol" led me to this article which talks about the Vagus nerve:

 IT INITIATES YOUR BODY'S RELAXATION RESPONSE.
When your ever-vigilant sympathetic nervous system revs up the fight or flight responses—pouring the stress hormone cortisol and adrenaline into your body—the vagus nerve tells your body to chill out by releasing acetylcholine. The vagus nerve’s tendrils extend to many organs, acting like fiber-optic cables that send instructions to release enzymes and proteins like prolactin, vasopressin, and oxytocin, which calm you down. People with a stronger vagus response may be more likely to recover more quickly after stress, injury, or illness. 

I know that the breathing exercises help reduce my overall life stress, but how can I reduce the stress in the moment?

This articles give 6 ways, but I don't want to wash my face in cold water so I'm going to choose Humming.

My Level Up goal of the day is to hum one song after 4:00 pm, because that's when I start feeling stressed and tired. I'm also going to snuggle my dogs, because hugging a dog always brings me peace.

Everybody Move...(to quote the giant in the Princess Bride)

I got a really nifty Fitbit for Christmas. It has a little vibration that goes off 10 minutes before each hour if I haven't walked 250 steps that hour.

Since Christmas, some days I've achieved 8 or 9 active hours, other days 3 or 4.

In the past, I would set a goal of achieving 10 active hours per day, then after a week or two, I would not be able to do it, then I would just quit all together.

I'm doing things differently now. How can I break a movement goal into a tiny, achievable step, so I can Level Up my movement?

I'm going to choose the number 5. It's a little above my lowest days, but still possible to do. My Mom taught me yesterday to put on an active song and move during that song. It gets me enough steps, and jamming to Footloose and What Does the Fox Say with my Mom was really fun! And it gave us a break from our costume sewing and painting.

It's more difficult for me to be active on days when my creativity is flowing and I'm working on projects. It's easier to be active when my focus is on dog training. Because I'm always inventing ways to incorporate dog training lessons into life, I'm going to play the Magic Circle Game with my dogs during some of my active times. (It's in K9 Level Up, Level 2: Loose Leash)

Happy New Year!

What tiny, little, painless change can I make today, that will yield big results if I make it a habit?

My change is to think about why I'm eating before I eat--or even after....
Mindfulness.

Why did I eat three popcorn balls last night?
Was it to provide nutrition for my body? No.
Was it because I was too tired to make healthy choices? Yes.
Was it because I was feeling stressed? Yes.
Was it because I was afraid that I wouldn't get any more popcorn balls until my Dad makes them again next year? Yes.

Why didn't I eat any today?
Because of 1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears in not made perfect in love.

As a force-free, fear-free dog trainer, I teach my dogs using positive reinforcement, not fear. Can I learn to live my own life based in Love and not in Fear?

I hope so.