Most of us have dutifully made a list of resolutions and found to our dismay that 2 months later our habits haven’t changed at all. What can you do to really own your New Year’s Resolutions and make permanent changes?

Write down your resolutions - Write them down and take a good look at them. If you have a long list, pick just one. Pick the one that will make the biggest difference in your life and is the most do-able.

Make a plan - If your resolution is a bit general, break it down into easy-to-do action steps. Decide when you are going to start the first step. Today? Tomorrow? Monday? Put it into your schedule right now.

Tell someone else - No secrets! Tell at least one person who will hold you accountable. Tell them what you’re going to do and when. Have them ask you whether you’ve done it.

Visualization - Sit in a comfortable quiet place for at least 5 minutes. Imagine yourself doing the first action step of your resolution. How does it feel? Imagine that you continue doing this for the next month, six months, year from now… how will you feel then? How will your life be different?

Write down 5 positive outcomes that will come from successfully implementing your resolution. Post these somewhere visible such as on your refrigerator or by your desk as a Reminder.

This is the time of year for colds and flu… and amidst all the dire warnings out there this year I thought some basic tips for staying healthy would be helpful.

• Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer if you are unable to get to the sink.
• Avoid touching your face with your hands. One of the biggest ways that we infect ourselves is by transferring germs from our hands to our mouth, nose or eyes.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow instead of your hands to avoid spreading your germs to others.
• Use a neti pot or sinus irrigation tool to rinse your sinuses with warm salt water every day. Gargling with salt water is a good idea as well. Don’t give the germs a chance to stick!
• Get enough sleep! This varies by person, but generally 7-8 hours is recommended.
• Stay off the sugar! Sugar depresses your immune system.
• Supplements: Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, echinacea and zinc are all helpful for your immune system. Experiment to see what supplements work best for you to keep your immune system functioning optimally.

It’s easy when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed to forget the importance of taking care of yourself. When you take care of yourself first, you have more to give to others in your life - family, friends and co-workers. When you treat yourself well, you are naturally more productive, motivated and energetic and have more to give to the world. What are some easy ways to nurture yourself?

• Eat Breakfast and Lunch - Skipping breakfast and working through lunch is a recipe for afternoon slumps and late night binges.
• Get your Beauty Sleep - Whoa, dark circles! Sleep 7-8 hours a night to look and feel your best.
• Active Relaxation - Take 5-10 minutes every day to meditate, do yoga, stretch or just breathe.

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I hear a lot of people say that they don’t have time to go to the grocery store or cook food for themselves or their family. Many people’s grocery carts seem to be filled with packaged food that is conveniently ready for the freezer until it is time to pop in the microwave for dinner.

Time is an interesting thing. We each have 24 hours in the day, no matter how rich or poor, young or old we are. What do we choose to do with those 24 hours? What do we have time for and what do we value? Do we have time to work overtime? Do we have time to watch television? What are the things that keep us so busy that we don’t have time to cook for ourselves? (more…)

I just returned from an absolutely wonderful week in Costa Rica. I was in the town of Nosara, a surf town on the Pacific Coast. The water was amazing… a wonderful combination of great waves and warm tropical water. Morning and sunset were my favorite times to let the waves do their magic on my body and soul. It was inspiring to watch the surfers expertly ride the waves, especially after trying to surf myself!

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