Welcome back to Rachel’s Corner! Each month, I will share some of the things that inspire me to aim for living my best life. Some things I’m choosing to fill my mind and my time:
Something I’m practicing: If you’ve been reading Rachel’s Corner, you may recall I’ve referenced The Huberman Lab Podcast hosted by Dr. Andrew Huberman. Nerd alert: this gets really “sciencey”… which I like! A little tidbit about me – I don’t consider myself to have a great memory and I’m always on the hunt for tips and tricks to get better at remembering. So, I was quite keen to listen to Dr. Huberman’s latest podcast Understand & Improve Memory Using Science-Based Tools. My take-away: there’s research to show that meditating for just 13 minutes a day over eight weeks can improve your memory. Check out the study: brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Now, a key criterion to actually experience improvements is that you stick with this for 8 weeks (and, of course, continue to do so as long as you want to reap the benefits). It feels like a long time but, you know what they say… good things come to those who wait… or in this case, practice daily for at least 8 weeks!
Something I’m doing: Ok, please bear with me as I take a moment to brag: exercise (or movement or play… whatever you’d like to call it) has now become part of my day – not something I dread or want to put off until tomorrow, but something I want to do because it’s good for my body, my posture and my overall health. I hope this continues to be a daily practice for me but I’m also well aware that “life happens” and sometimes we veer off course. So, I’m practicing a little mind trick to help me stick with this good habit. I tell myself how much I’m looking forward to my daily physical activity, and once I’ve completed the activity, I sit with this thought for a moment “that movement was so good for my body and I feel great.”
Today, I choose to surround myself with love and acceptance, immerse myself in meaningful activities and nurture healthy relationships. This wasn’t the case a few years ago. My life was crashing in nearly every way – at least that’s how I felt. With some introspection, support and a dose of curiosity, I recognized it wasn’t my weight that was out of control, it was my thoughts, my mindset and my ways of being. Today, I choose to surround myself with love and acceptance, immerse myself in meaningful activities and nurture healthy relationships. The choices we make each day set our strategy for how we live our lives. What choices are you making?
Until next time my friend,
Rachel
Rachel is the Vice-Chair of the Board & Director of Strategy with Obesity Matters. Join our Facebook community to share your tips on how to live our best lives. And, tell us, what are you choosing? #OMwhatareyouchoosing
