One of the most fascinating aspects of learning about kinesiology was the connection between our physiological, psychological and emotional states, the Triad of Health.
I guess that's one of the things I like the most about the benefits of alternative medicine - it's holistic and takes into account the various factors of your life at that exact point in time.
Sure, you might be 100% resilient when your body is working at capacity, you are pain-free, you are eating the right mix of vitamins, minerals and are fully hydrated. You wake up a little earlier than usual, you get the pool and enjoy your morning laps, which in turn floods your body with endorphins and lowers cortisol levels in your system. Because your organised that week, you have your water bottle handy and stay hydrated on your busy shift. While you aren't in a state of relaxation, your body is fine so your thought process is most likely to be pretty good too.
Right now your basic needs are being met so your brain can function at capacity. While you are still likely to feel stress when things get intense, tough or draining, your physical body is pre-prepared to deal with it, and will return to balance more quickly.
But what happens if you started your week exhausted, you couldn't get to the shops in time, you didn't make your usual healthy meals for nightshift, and ducked into Macdonalds on the way home, even though you know that it makes you feel like sh%t. Your body is running on sugar and carbs so you go to sleep with a partially satisfied appetite, and wake up groggy in the morning. You can't be bothered exercising, or doing anything for that matter before you start your day flustered, again. The day doesn't get any better. You might have 5 nights like this in a row. and your thought processes get messed up. Your natural chirpy demeanour is much harder than usual and you know you aren't on the ball as you could be. You wind up having a drink or two or three to help you sleep, and the cycle continues...Fast track a month or two down the line, you've put on extra kgs much quicker than you thought, your old habits are a thing of the past.
In this situation your brain function and stress levels which were initially triggered by a simple sugar hit. Your symptoms are then exacerbated by day-to-day stress therefore making it harder to function even in the same conditions. Thoughts pop into your mind about what you should be doing, you start doubting yourself and you see the negative more easily than the positive.
Don't get me wrong we all get days like this, but the trick is to catch them so the cycle only lasts a day or two, not a week or a month. The trick is to pull out all the stops and get back on the bandwagon as soon as you realise you are off it.
I've found that having people on your team who can also see and recognise the very start of the spiral is one of the best motivators to get back on the self-care bandwagon. I dedicate one week of my course to the importance of having the right people on your team. To find out more, check out all the details here.
Also I'm going to be launching a completely online course in mid-March so if you'd like to stay tuned for all updates and early release, stay in touch by signing up to my weekly blog on the right here.
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