Learn to Love (Yourself)

Do you ever have a conversation with someone and leave it going "I should've said this instead" or "I'm so stupid, why did I say that?" I know that I definitely have moments when I think back on something and about all of the things I did wrong in that situation.

But why do we do this?

Why is it that no matter how many things we've done well, we focus on the one thing that we did badly?

The answer is slightly different for everyone, but at the root of it, I think that it's human nature.

Instead of focusing on delving into our pasts to discover why we are so hard on ourselves, I'd like to focus on what we can do to be nicer to ourselves.

One of the 1st things we need to do is acknowledge the negative thoughts when they come. I think one of the mistakes that many people make is trying to push the thoughts aside and pretend that they don't exist. The problem with this is that it gives those thoughts power and it takes even longer for them to go away. In yoga, when you're meditating they tell you that if another thought enters your mind, acknowledge it and then let it go. By confronting it, we're taking away its power.

An important thing to do when we're acknowledging the negative thought is to label it. Criticize the criticism. For example, let's say that you think that you're a failure because you failed a test. Label this thought as "Not True" because it isn't, by any definition of the word "failure". Reinforce this opposing side by remembering all of the things that you have done well. Not only will it take away the power from the negative thought, but it will allow you to think back on some happy memories in your life.

Also ask yourself if this is how you'd treat your friend or someone you cared about. If your friend were in your shoes, would you call her "fat" "ugly" or a "failure"? No? Then why on earth would you say those things about yourself? 

Stop hurting yourself.

Stand in front of the mirror and say "I'm beautiful" "I'm brave" "I matter." Before long, you might start to believe yourself.

Take some time to take care of yourself, and that love for yourself will grow. Long week? Take a long bath at the end of the day, because you deserve it. Do you keep putting yourself down? Take a mental break. Start that new season on Netflix that you'd been thinking about watching eventually. Go journal-writing does wonders. Or maybe slip into bed with a cup of tea and a good book. Do little things to remind yourself that you are wonderful and deserve to be treated as such.

By doing these kind gestures for yourself, you'll start to love yourself along the way.

Remember to be kind.

Remember to Breathe.

 

Green Tea for Weight Loss?

Another day, another fad diet. Most of us that have been on a restrictive diet have learned 2 things:

1. Those diets don't work

2. You may lose weight, but you'll gain it all back (and then some)

But what if there were something you could take to lose weight without going on a diet? Many people on youtube and weight loss forums have claimed that they lost weight by drinking green tea! 

Green tea aided weight loss even with

MINIMAL exercise

&

MINIMAL diet changes

The research studies to explain this have been mixed, with some saying that you'd have to drink an incredible amount of it to see any change. But just go on youtube and you'll see people talking about how they were able to get results when drinking it just 3 times a day: first thing in the morning, before lunch, and before bed. 

What we do know is that green tea boosts your metabolism and increases the amount of fat you burn-especially during exercise. Green tea is especially effective in reducing belly fat. And while there isn't any research to support its role in appetite suppression yet, many people say that green tea reduces their appetite, making it a great addition to your diet if you tend to be someone who overeats. 

To get faster results with the tea, I'd suggest exercising at least 3 times a week and getting rid of any processed food from your pantry. You don't really need those chips and the soda that you have stashed in there. Snack on an apple, swap the soda for tea and water. You could start seeing results in as little as a week.

This small addition to your diet should help improve your overall health. 

Remember to take care of yourself

&

Remember to Breathe

For more on Green Tea:https://authoritynutrition.com/green-tea-and-weight-loss/

5 Reasons Why You're Miserable(And How Not to Be)

A lot of times, we know we're unhappy, but we don't know why. So we go about our lives, the unhappiness following us wherever we go, but we're unable to shake it. After awhile, we attribute it to something; a fight with a friend or a job we can't stand. But I'd urge you all to dig a little deeper, because once you discover what exactly is making you so unhappy, you can start using strategies to change it. Here are 5 common reasons why we're miserable.

1. You're in a toxic relationship

Have you been feeling more upset lately? Examine the people in your life and look for any new additions. That new "friend" of yours may be the reason why you're feeling down about yourself. People that have nothing but bad things to say about you or the things that give you pleasure should have no place in your life.

2. You're Starting Your Day Wrong

Is this your 5th time putting your alarm on snooze? Stop that! When you finally get up, you'll end up feeling more tired and confused than if you'd just woken up the first time. I know that this is hard to do, but it's really just a matter of willpower. If you tell yourself that you have to get up now, then you will. You may even realize after a few minutes awake that you're not tired after all.

3. You're Not Doing What You Love

This is probably the most common reason why people float around day to day with no drive, constantly hating the job that they're in. Nothing is inherently wrong with your job, in fact, there are some people that would love to have your job! But if your job isn't one that you enjoy, one that you're truly passionate about, then it may not be the right job for you.

4. You Don't Know How to Be Happy

Does it seem like no matter what you do, your mood stays at a constant low? It might be time to seek professional help. If you are suffering from depression, seeing a therapist may make a world of a difference. It might be helpful, though, to first see a doctor to rule out any underlying health conditions that may cause the symptoms of depression.

5. You're Lonely

Even introverts need to be around people sometimes. Humans are not meant to thrive on their own. If you're feeling lonely at school, work or even in your home life, consider becoming a larger part of your community. Join a club, go to church, just become a part of something with a group of people. You may discover a fun new activity or develop a new interest. Most importantly, you'll be meeting new people and helping your social life.

Could you relate to any of these 5 reasons? Follow me on Google Plus to connect-I can give you personalized strategies and solutions to problems like these and other areas in your life.

For those skeptical about the snooze button:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/01/why-hitting-snooze-is-bad-for-health_n_5630707.html

Remember to Breathe.

How to Make a Bad Situation Better (Video)

How to Make a Bad Situation Better

Today I've launched my new youtube channel! There I will discuss strategies and give advice for everyday life.

I thought this was a good video to start with because often times we feel like we have no control over our lives-but that doesn't have to be true! In this video, I discuss how important your mindset can be in determining an outcome, rather than the situation itself. 

Often times we forget that we are in charge of the period. Instead of saying "This is awful." We should say "This is awful, I wonder what I can do to make it better." We are in charge of where the period goes. You can say "I am a failure." Or you can say "I have failed, but I am going to do better next time."

How would your life change if you remembered that you controlled where the period went?

                                    Think about it. Try it.And when all else fails:

                                                     Remember to Breathe.

Good Food, Good Mood

So in my last post I told you a little about myself and about what I intend this blog to be about-wellness in its entirety. Usually when we think of wellness, we think of health; mental health and being physically healthy. But I think that wellness should be viewed in a broad sense as all of the different aspects of our lives that enable us to perform optimally.

Thus, wellness can be broken down into:

Physical

Financial

Nutritional

Medical & Dental

Psychological & Emotional

Behavioral and Intellectual

Environmental

Occupational

Spiritual

Social

My focus today will be on nutritional wellness because this was one of the first things that I had to work on in order for my health and overall well-being to improve. 

This topic will definitely be one that I will revisit because there is so much that encompasses nutrition and there is no way that one post will be able to go that much in depth(without boring you guys!).

Today, I'm going to mainly focus on some nutrition basics and make a pitch for cooking some of your meals instead of going to restaurants or drive thrus consistently. 

First, here's some basic terminology.

macronutrients or "macros"-nutrients we need in large amounts for energy

When people talk about them, they're referring to carbs, protein, and fat.

clean eating-avoiding processed food in favor of "real" food like fruits and vegetables

Basically, you want to stay away from food made in a laboratory. 

saturated vs. unsaturated fat- the names are based on the chemistry behind it, but health-wise, it's better to have more unsaturated fats like olive oil vs saturated fats like butter because of their effects on cholesterol

trans fat-this name also describes its chemistry, but basically this is the no-no in the health world. You can find it in a lot of fast food and it's bad because it is an artery clogger!

That's it for now, I can always introduce more health terms as time goes on. I don't want to just spew vocabulary at you, but I do think that it's important to understand some food basics and hopefully this will save you from seeming clueless if someone mentions one of these words! 

      Eating better has made a huge difference in my energy level in addition to physical perks such as clearer skin. I'll make a post later about how I was able to incorporate eating better into my daily life. One of the main things that I changed, though, was eating more meals from home. In med school,everything was centered around studying for me, so I would often resort to quick foods like microwavable meals, snacks, and Starbucks. In less than a year, I put on 10 pounds! This was really surprising because I was eating a lot less and a lot less frequently, so if anything, I would've expected to lose weight. But the real issue was that I was eating really high calorie foods without even realizing it. When I would get that coffee from Starbucks or eat that frozen dinner, I wasn't thinking about how many calories they contained! Now that I am cooking and paying more attention to the food that I eat when I go out, my body is thanking me both mentally and physically! I know that it's really hard to set aside time to cook (and even to learn to cook). But I promise that it's worth it, even a few times a week. I will address strategies to incorporate healthy eating in your diet in a later post.

Till then, 

Don't stress.

Remember to Breathe

This is my first post, so I think it's best to start with an introduction and explanation. First off, my name is Michelle and I have a deep interest in people; how we think, why we behave the way we do, and how we can change. Needless to say, my bachelor's is in psychology. I love helping people, which explains why I was pre-med and why I entered medical school. But it was only once I became sick in medical school and had to take a step back that I realized how important overall wellness can be.

While I was in school I lost my sense of balance-and that's the most important thing to retain! I spent so much time with my head in the books, that I didn't focus on much else. Thus, while my mind was being nurtured, my body and soul suffered greatly. It's only now through research and introspection that I have regained what I had lost. I hope that you'll find my posts helpful, because I think I have a lot of advice that could only come through what I learned from failure, sadness and struggles. I've learned more from these than from all of my successes, though I will discuss how I attained those too!

Now for the explanation. Why is my blog called "remembertobreathewellness"? This is because I think that we often forget to take a breath. In fact, when my father died, it wasn't until someone told me to breathe that I realized that I had been holding my breath. Maybe subconsciously holding my breath was a way of holding myself together. So the question that I'll leave you with for today is "what would happen if we remembered to take a breath"? If we remembered to take a breath before telling someone just what was on our mind or before being vulnerable with someone or even before making a really hard decision. How would this change the outcome?
Remember to breathe.
-Michelle