Personal Responsibility Archives - Page 6 of 8

Revisiting Adrenal Fatigue

If you’re new to the blog, welcome! This is a space where I freely share articles, tips, and words of inspiration related to up-leveling our lives from stuck patterns and old behaviors that don’t necessarily serve us anymore. As an Integrative Life Coach I use mental meta-models to change habituated patterns that no longer serve. In today’s blog post, we re-visit a debilitating illness that is a growing issue among many stressed out individuals – adrenal fatigue. As someone who’s experienced deep adrenal fatigue here are my best tips for a healthy recovery.

What is Adrenal Fatigue and Tips to Manage It

Do you ever find yourself so exhausted you are unable to follow through on your daily activities with the same energy you used to have? Or perhaps you find yourself feeling blue, anxious, and unable to sleep for long periods of time. Maybe you’re reaching for another cup of coffee when really, historically you only needed one? And worse yet, you notice yourself gaining a bit of weight but sugary sweets or salty foods are the only thing that give you a boost?

Depending on the prolonged presence of these symptoms in your life, they could be early warning signs of adrenal fatigue. (Note: while there can be many other auto-immune illnesses that can cause these symptoms please follow up with your primary doctor if symptoms persist to identify the root cause and a path to recovery)

In a nutshell, adrenal fatigue, or what few are now starting to call HPA Axis Dysregulation, is the inability to adapt to the chronic stressor appropriately, which then has a cascading effect of dysregulating other hormones in the body such as DHEA (a parent hormone). Adrenal fatigue can either make you extremely lethargic due to low energy or extremely “wired but tired”. Other symptoms include:

Weight gain or loss
Depression
Anxiety
PTSD symptoms
Insomnia
Brain fog
Inability to find words quickly
Hypoglycemia
Hair loss
Digestion issues
And more.

So what does cause this hormonal dysregulation? One word: STRESS.

Believe it or not, the body doesn’t know the difference between emotional, mental, or physical stress. Dutifully, the body receives a signal and starts to produce cortisol under any circumstance that requires it. Got a work deadline? Produce cortisol. Working out too much and not fueling properly? Produce cortisol. Going through a major life transition? Produce cortisol. Traveling too much and not giving your body enough rest? Produce cortisol.

What can worsen adrenal fatigue is, depending on how many stressors and how long major stress has been prevalent in your life, in order to produce the necessary hormones to actually DO the job, your brilliant body will often take from other hormones such as DHEA, pregnenalone, testosterone, etc. in order to survive, often leaving you imbalanced even further.

It’s no wonder our bodies are so tired. It can’t seem to keep up! What’s likely made it even worse in this day and age is how we are continuously bombarded by a never ending barrage of notifications from our phones. We are on constant alert.

Which is why we must take care of our body, mind, and heart all the more. If you’ve noticed yourself feeling any of the above symptoms for a prolonged period of time, adrenal fatigue or not, here are some all-around key tips in preventing and/or managing YOUR health and body.

Find good practitioners who can champion for your health
- Depending on the area of focus you need in your life, it’s always a great idea to be surrounded by a holistic set of practitioners in various fields who can help manage your recovery. Whether it’s:
  - Naturopathic care
  - Nutritionist
  - Acupuncture
  - Body work
  - Therapist/Coach

Get deep
- Find ways to get deep. This can be any way in which you find time for yourself and have time for introspection. Most of our day is spent planning mode, preventing mode, or taking care of others. Spending some time to take care of your physical and mental health is the best investment you can make. Here are some ways you can start making an investment:
  - Yoga – Most of you reading this blog post understand very well how yoga’s ancient practice and philosophy help to calm the central nervous system by way of asana, discipline of the mind, and meditation to name a few.
  - Meditation – Taking time to notice without judgement the thought, patterns of thought, and the voices in our head is a great way to better understand how your inner world operates. Meditation provides a way to understand and transform our mind.
  - Read good books – There’s nothing better than winding down from a hard day’s work to a good book that instills deep wisdom and truths. Not only do you benefit from the golden nuggets within each page, you give your body and mind a way to relax the central nervous system and prime yourself for bed.

Tone down technology
- Circadian rythm – Learning to rise and set with the true nature of your own body’s rythm is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Our bodies are hard wired to be in tune with mother nature. What does that mean? That means when the sun rises so should we, and when the sun sets so should we. But how does this work when our bodies aren’t able to due to cortisol disregulation? One day at a time… each morning when you wake up step outside your house or open a window and allow your skin to soak up the sun’s rays for at least 5-10 minutes. This will help your body to become more in sync with the natural rythms of nature. And with that said…
- Dim the lights – When it comes to winding down at night try not to have all your electronics on in the evening. Rather, turn everything off and light a candle or turn on a small lamp. Again, this will help send a signal to your body that it’s time to wind down.
- Get off the socials – Ever had that moment in the car where you were cruising along the highway and suddenly the person next to you turns off the radio and it’s eerily quiet? And the funny thing is you never realized the radio was on in the first place? That’s how it feels when you go on a social media fast. Suddenly you realize just how much space you have to just be. Take a time out an hour before bed and give yourself the gift of spending time with your own mind.
- Put your phone on airplane mode – You know that saying, “nothing good ever happens after midnight?” Well, let’s adjust that to 9pm. Each night at around 9pm put your phone on airplane mode. This will help ease the anxiety of constantly looking out for notifications and will allow you to truly focus on any night time rituals you might have such as meditation, taking a bath, or reading.
Have fun!
- Spend time in nature – As humans on this earth we are primal beings and nothing can bring us quite to our senses the way nature can. Get out to a park, touch a tree, say hello to the flowers, and don’t be afraid of the bees! Feel the earth energy and if possible, put your bare feet in the rich soil of this earth. There is a deep exchange of energy here that is incredibly healing.
- Connect with your family and friends – Having adrenal fatigue was brought to you by stress and unfortunately trying to recover can be stressful in itself which actually won’t help you to recover – go figure. Instead, focus on your family and friends. Take advantage of this slowness and build deeper relationships with those around you. Get in tune with building a deep and rich community around you. Sometimes, taking the focus off of you and pouring the love into others can be the perfect remedy.
- Let go of the fact that you are “recovering” – Often times our best intention to speed up recovery can be a stressor in itself, and when we focus on “recovery” we end up reinforcing a belief that we’re not OK as is. Acknowledge and accept, apply compassion, and be kind to yourself.
- Deploy gratitude and kindess – While being in any hard situation isn’t easy, we always have gratitude to turn toward. Focus on turning your energy toward everything that is going right for you in this moment. Shower someone with gratitude, buy the person behind you coffee, find a meaningful place to volunteer, or simply give someone a compliment and watch them smile! You have many gifts and ways to make an impact in the world – deploy gratitude and kindess.
Manage your thoughts
- Once you have the basics down and have a pretty good handle on your new routine, now is a great time to move toward one of the biggest root causes of adrenal fatigue – thoughts.
- Why is it that one person can excited about public speaking while another gets incredibly anxious? After all, it’s the same adrenaline pumping through our body, right? Well, it all comes down to the thought; two different thoughts causing two different experiences. Go figure!
- How we think about something (or someone) and how we choose to give meaning to a thought is everything.
- We grow up with certain beliefs that drive our everyday actions, but what is a belief? A belief is just a thought we repeat over and over again until we believe it.
- What beliefs do you have that have brought you to where you are today?
- Doing the thought work to truly understand the driver behind your actions, goals, or even inaction is the best gift you can give yourself. Because once you understand what core beliefs (or limiting beliefs) are, you get to decide whether or not it’s working for YOU.
- Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help get started:
  - What goals do I have but can’t seem to make any progress on? Why?
  - What are some thoughts I have but don’t necessarily like? Why do I choose to believe them?
  - What beliefs help to center me? Motivate me? Give truth to me?

And there you have it. If you made it this far, congratulations! You now have a few more tips to help optimize your mind and body. Adrenal fatigue, general fatigue, illness… whatever the case may be, know that you are more than the circumstance – always.

In wellness,

Susan

Please note, this blog post is meant to be for informational purposes only. The evolving nature of science and medicine point to the over treatment of the adrenals itself and not the cause of the “fight or flight” activities that result in overstimulation in the first place. Finding a good practitioner who can champion for your mental & physical health will be a key contributor in your recovery.

Susan is a Life Coach based in Seattle, WA. Her main focus is to coach people build a strong emotional container so that we can experience the fullness of life coming from a place of deep confidence. Susan also coaches clients looking to heal adrenal fatigue by using a mental meta-model aimed at breaking down old mental patterns and behaviors so that we can finally tap into our own personal power.

Photo by elizabeth lies on Unsplash

What We All Have In Common

I know some pretty amazing successful people, the kind of people that drive fancy cars, own big businesses and seem to have it all. And I also know people that are, well, regular people.

But you know what we all have in common? Doubt.

We all have those mornings where we wake up wondering what the heck we are doing.

We wake up wondering am I on the right path.

We wake up fearing what we are going to do that day because we know it’s beyond our Edge.

We wake up depressed wondering why we are feeling the way that we do.

And I’m here to tell you that you are not the only one feeling these feelings.

These are experiences that we have because we are human. As long as we’re here on Earth we’re going to feel all the feels. And it’s up to you on how you want to transform this feeling, because it’s going to come back, and it’s how you think about what it means that is going to make or break you.

You’re not special for having these feelings, because everybody is special and has these feelings. You’re not the only one, nor are you weird for feeling these feelings.

There is nothing wrong with you there is everything right about you. So don’t let something like a feeling be in your way. Go out there and be big.

In wellness,

Susan

Susan Choi is an Integrative Life Coach and helps people experiencing deep adrenal fatigue and other auto-immune illness manage their recovery by focusing on optimizing their mental state. Learn a mental meta-model aimed at breaking down old mental patterns and behaviors so that you can finally tap into your own personal power.

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Change Starts With You

No matter how much knowledge we have accumulated there will never be a “right” time than now. Start stepping toward your dream life now.

Do the change. No one else will do it for you.

Because who better to do it than you?

In wellness,

Susan

Perceptual Intelligence

“Why bother keeping that potentially incorrect perception of the event when you can make something good come of it?”

~Brian Boxer Wachler, MD

Most of what I do is to build better Thought Management for clients so that they can begin to see their realities are nothing but what they perceive them to be. And THAT is power; to know that YOU are the one in control and not any one or any thing else.

Let me put this into context for you.

If you went on a 5 day trek in the jungle and had to drink water out of a small, dirty tank, and ration your water “just in case”, how might you perceive water when you return to your home where fresh, clean water is available 24/7?

Here’s one that you’ll get right away, how is it that when you don’t think you can do anymore of your workout, when the right song or when someone cute passes by you suddenly have a bolt of energy?

You decided to change your perception. And guess what? YOU ARE THE PERCEIVER which means you are the DIRECTOR of your own thoughts!

Doesn’t that offer so much power to you right away? To know it is your right to think whatever you wish and that the feelings and actions that follow are a direct result of what you think?

I get a spark of inspiration every time I realize this truth because it shows me just how in control I am of everything that happens.

Think of something you’re unsatisfied with and take yourself to the thought that preceded the feeling. What did you say to yourself that made you upset, anxious, or worried? What better thought or question can you ask yourself to get you a better feeling?

The power is in your hands always. Don’t let it go to waste.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Friday Focus – 6/22/18 {The One Word That Indicates You Have A Limiting Belief}

We’ve all been there before, limiting beliefs and all, because we’re only human, right? But you know what? Whether we like it or not, it’s in our evolution to break free from old patterns and continue to grow – it’s how we’re wired.

I get it, oftentimes it can be hard to separate truth from illusion. Sometimes we’re so deep in the thick of things it REALLY DOES seems as if we’re incapable of going after what we want.

I’m here to tell you it IS possible, but first, we need to identify when those limiting beliefs start to creep into our thoughts and penetrate our lives.

A very effective and easy way to identify a limiting belief is by catching one word:

BUT

Yeah…BUT

Do you already see the ways in which the words that follow “but” can seem so true, yet doesn’t serve you? Here are a few examples:

…but I’m just not wired that way
…but s/he was born with those gifts, I wasn’t
…yeah, but it won’t work for me
…but my body type won’t let me lose these last 5 pounds
…but I’m too old to start something new

Honestly, the list can go on and on!

The good news is you have a mindful way of catching yourself, and as you do, make sure you aren’t judging the thought or yourself. The point isn’t to replace the “but” thought with another negative, judgmental thought!

Words are strong, watch what you say in passing.

Now is the time more than ever to deeply inquire with curiosity and compassion at what the root of your limiting belief is. Notice how your limiting beliefs hold you back from what you truly want out of life.

Remember, thoughts create action but if you have a limiting thought you can’t rely on a miracle to get you what you truly desire.

If it’s too hard to go the 180 from a limiting belief to a positive belief, try going to a neutral belief.

For example, if your limiting belief is, “I can’t stand my body”, and your positive belief statement is, “I love my body”, but you don’t find yourself completely believing it, try focusing on, “I have a body”.

The more you practice the neutral, bridging the thought the more you create capacity in your brain for better, positive thoughts that actually get you the results you want.

We all have limiting beliefs but they are truly a gift in disguise, because they point us toward what we really want.

In wellness,

Susan

What Will You Choose Today?

In wellness,

Susan

3 Signs You’re A People Pleaser

We’ve all done it before whether we want to admit it or not – people pleasing. Likely it comes from a deep primitive yearning for survival; after all, if you weren’t seen as part of the pack, you didn’t belong to the community and that meant you needed to fend for yourself – food, shelter, love, and all.

However, when we cultivate our own intrinsic worth there’s no need to people please because we already know what we like, don’t like, and what our boundaries are. Suddenly agreeing to something you don’t want to do, or feeling the need to apologize all the time falls out the window.

So, what are the signs of people pleasing?

You spend a lot of time thinking about someone else
- How much you spend your time thinking about what to say, do, act, or even wear before meeting this person (or group of people) is an early warning sign of people pleasing. Ask yourself, what is the underlying need for all this attention toward someone else’s acceptance? What does this mean if I don’t get “it” right?
Your feelings are hurt when someone ignores you or doesn’t show affection toward you
- It’s impossible for everyone to like you because everyone is worried about their own selves! Ask yourself why you get hurt when people don’t respond or react the way you want them to. What would it mean if someone didn’t like you? Often there’s a deeper limiting belief behind the negative emotion.
You say yes to things you don’t want to do
- Unfortunately when you continue to say yes to the things that don’t align with who you are or your deeper values, you end up in a puddle of resentment. Ask yourself what it means every time you say yes. What would you gain by saying yes? What would it mean if you said no?

The bottom line is: it’s impossible for everyone to like you, so why not start with YOU?

Ask yourself the questions under each of the headers above and answer truthfully. You will find it all comes down to rejection, fear, and the need to feel accepted.

But what if you could give the very thing you need to yourself instead of looking for it outside of you?

Once you realize there’s a shorter, more pain free way to acceptance, you will begin to live a life full of freedom and choice. Oh, and a lot more time 😉

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Friday Focus – 6/15/18 {How To Get Perspective Immediately}

Now that you know how Thought Management works at a high level and you understand just how powerful our brains are, you need to put it all into practice. This means getting to know your inner world – A LOT.

Understanding your bodily reactions to emotions
Fully feeling a feeling all the way through (approximately 90 seconds)
Noticing every thought
Restructuring non-serving thoughts

Warning: there will be those times when a situation seems extra sticky.

One way to gain perspective immediately when a certain situation is tough is to state out loud: “This thoughts is challenging”.

First, by speaking it out loud we aren’t creating a running loop in our minds. Secondly, when you label a thought as “challenging” you immediately create space between you and the thought – you become the observer.

If you want to up-level your thinking try watching the thought with compassion and curiosity. That’s when the real magic happens.

Thoughts are funny. They mean so much to us and yet they don’t need to mean anything at all. We decide to give one thought much more meaning than another (i.e., I’m not good enough vs. I love my effort), but who’s to really say the negative thought is true? The better question to ask is, “is this serving me?”.

Now I’m curious, what is one way you gain perspective when you need it the most? Share your most helpful tips. You never know who you might impact today 🙂

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Christian Fregnan on Unsplash

Regret

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did.”

~Mark Twain

Do it guys. Go for what scares you the most and never look back. The worst thing that can happen is you face your own emotions – good or bad. It’s never about what happens, it always about what you make it mean inside your own brain.

In wellness and love,

Susan

Photo by Morgan Sessions on Unsplash

Our Brains Are Creative Machines – Is It Working FOR You?

Did you know that everything we do is creative? That we are creative in nature and creation itself?

Our brains are constantly creating whether we know it or not. Whether it’s thinking, doing, or working physically to keep our bodies going.., we are in motion all the time.

Just as we are creative we were given the power of free will. We are in control 100% of the time and it all starts with a thought. What do you choose to believe?

In mindfulness practice we learn we are the observer of our thoughts and not the thoughts we are thinking. We also learn we are so good at creating stories we actually believe them.

When we start to get good at being the watcher we begin to create separation between self and thought, and when we do this, we begin to understand we are not our thoughts at all. Pause a minute because that’s HUGE.

It’s as if we were inside the movie this whole time and yet we didn’t realize we were the director of it all.

Our brains are smart. And it’s efficient. It will always be working on something, and because it’s efficient it will always work on what is easiest and safest. It’s what are primitive brains grew up knowing in order to survive.

But once we realize our thoughts and behaviors are mostly habituated patterns we can take back the power and start to reinstate new thoughts and behaviors that serve who we are today.

Just as it was easy for your brain to operate at a certain level, you need to put in the work and create a new neural pathway for your new level of operation. Think of it as a software upgrade for your computer, except this time, it’s for your brain.

The way in which we do this is actual practice. Thinking the new thought, following through on new actions, and committing to it all. After all, your commitment to think old thoughts and act in old ways is what got you the results you have today right?

Remember, our brains are creative machines and the power is in YOUR hands. Here’s to new ways of living.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

So what does cause this hormonal dysregulation? One word: STRESS.

Never miss an announcement!

And I’m here to tell you that you are not the only one feeling these feelings.

Never miss an announcement!

Never miss an announcement!

You decided to change your perception. And guess what? YOU ARE THE PERCEIVER which means you are the DIRECTOR of your own thoughts!

Never miss an announcement!

If it’s too hard to go the 180 from a limiting belief to a positive belief, try going to a neutral belief.

Never Miss an Announcement!

Never Miss an Announcement!

The bottom line is: it’s impossible for everyone to like you, so why not start with YOU?

Never Miss an Announcement!

One way to gain perspective immediately when a certain situation is tough is to state out loud: “This thoughts is challenging”.

Never Miss an Announcement!

Never Miss an Announcement!

It’s as if we were inside the movie this whole time and yet we didn’t realize we were the director of it all.

Never Miss an Announcement!