take it easy
adverse self-care habits. When I explain this to patients and encourage them to take time for self-forgiveness, it seems to really help them relax and get to a core state of healing ... from which meditation can be more rebalancing, relationships take on new life, making healthy choices improves and physical symptoms even start improving.” Beyond that, Jenni Grover, director of nutrition at Lifestyle Medical Center, says, “The central principle is to put aside a specific, non-negotiable amount of your life to look after you and your own needs first. [Create] space in your life for activities that are directly focused on you.” That protected time could be used for exercise or minding your diet, which can provide a measure of stress relief. “By eating … vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains,” Jenni says, “you can help your body to regulate hormones, relax your muscles and maintain your energy levels.” While it may seem like nothing really, penciling in time for yourself can be the “quick start” you need to begin making a positive change. It can be as simple as setting an alert on your phone so that three times a day, when it dings, you take a minute to breathe, relax, stretch. On a hectic day, use the minute to get some distance from the craziness. If it’s going well, Meg Poe, an integrative health coach and wellness consultant, encourages you to use the time to “truly savor the moment.” She admits that setting a reminder for herself was “awkward” at first, but “the power of pausing, breathing and noticing is invaluable.” If time isn’t a big stressor for you, perhaps space is. Coats, paperwork, toys everywhere? According to Katrina Holley, founder of home cleaning and organizing company My Helpful Friend, “visual clutter is stressful because it overstimulates, hinders and prevents us from being efficient in our personal and professional 36
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life.” She recommends taking stock of your environment and minimizing home distractions to provide “clarity and nurturing at home so that [you] can venture out into the world feeling prepared.”
E n l i s t A s s i s t a n c e
When helpful tips and tricks aren’t quite enough to make the changes you’d like, it may be time to consider enlisting a professional. Bull City Psychotherapy’s Dr. Sophia Caudle says that an effective therapist can not only help you identify underlying issues and prioritize what needs tending to, but can also help create “a list of strengths [you have],” which is “an empowering exercise to help [clients] feel confident, capable and safe.” This emphasis on strengths and giving clients hope is echoed by all of the professionals interviewed. The focus seems much more on illuminating a path rather than pointing a finger at what’s wrong. Kim Turk is a massage therapist at Duke Integrative Medicine. She says, “I hear everyday statements such as, ‘Oh, I thought I would have to live with that pain … forever. I was told nothing more could be done.’ The best thing I can do for my clients is to give them hope that someone deeply cares and will work hard with them, their doctor, personal trainer, psychologist, hospice coordinator [and/or] family, to ease their pain in some way.” Sophia notes that when things begin to improve, “people begin to feel a little better, natural motivation and momentum can take over, and positive change creates further positive change.”
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If anyone around Durham knows about big changes, it’s Dr. Jim Dykes. A graduate of Duke’s School of Medicine, he managed
december/january 2018
Minimize home distractions by taking stock of rooms or closets that are cluttered. Remember, less is more. Enlist help from professional organizers like Katrina Holley for large or overwhelming projects.