Due to an oil spill in our house last year, my husband and I were evacuated to a hotel for 35 days. With our dog.  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  One thing I'll never forget is having such a limited wardrobe to pick from.  All of our clothes were sent to the cleaners to remove the odor of oil.

I had 3 pairs of pants, 6 tops, a pair of sneakers, one pair of black shoes and one pair of brown. I'm a bit of a pack rat when it comes to clothes, so I thought it was going to be a nightmare having so little to choose from. It turned out to be quite liberating. It saved a lot of time too. I didn't have to stand in front of the closet wasting precious minutes wondering what to wear. 

When we moved back into the house and the cleaner returned our clothes, the first thing I did was determine whether or not I really needed each item.  I say "needed" and not wanted because the two are very different things.  

Cleaning up your surroundings, whether it's your cache of clothes or your kitchen table (hope my husband isn't reading this because that's his pet peeve), is a huge stress buster.  Whenever we see clutter, it causes us to feel anxious and stressed out.  Our natural instincts want us to live in a harmonious, healthy environment.  Spring cleaning clears out not only your physical environment, but your emotional one as well.  So the next time your stuff starts piling up, call your local charitable pick up service and donate the things you don't need to someone who does.

February is heart health month.  Did you know acupressure and massage
decrease your heart rate while increasing circulation? As blood is pushed through your circulatory system, your heart is able to slow down and pump more efficiently. Both acupressure and massage induce the “Relaxation Response,” which lowers your heart rate, your respiratory rate and blood pressure.  It also boosts your immune system and generally decreases the physical effects of stress.  And since stress is the precursor to illness and disease, one of the best ways to combat it is taking the time for one of these hands on therapies.  Plus it just feels good!

Last month I conducted a confidential survey using Survey Monkey and asked three questions:

1) What problems do you have facing your health?
2) What are your top three goals for your health?
3) What's getting in the way of you reaching your goals?

Here's the top answers to what people had to say:

Question 1 - What problems do you have facing your health?
22% said weight as their number one problem
16% don't have enough time and need work/life balance
12% listed stress, anxiety and/or depression as a major health problem
7% said overeating, poor diet and cravings were their biggest challenge

Question 2 - What are your top three goals for health?
28% said exercise, toning, endurance and increased stamina
19% want to lose weight
17% want to eat better and/or learn to cook
10% want to incorporate meditation, prayer, yoga and stress reduction into their lives

Question 3 - What's getting in the way of reaching your goals?
31% are too busy, working and just don't have enough time to do what they want to do
22% said they know they're getting in their own way, are too lazy, lack ambition or self-sabotage
8% said they lacked the knowledge to help themselves
7% lacked support from family members or their spouse

Believe it or not, you hold the key to finding the answers to these questions.  Pick one area you want to work on and write it down.  Look for opportunities to make small, measurable changes.  Here's a few tips to get you started

Weight - dehydration is often masked by feelings of hunger.  Instead of snacking between meals, drink water, herbal tea (hot or iced) or anything that's not carbonated, caffeinated or artificially sweetened.  Keep a log of how much you drink to help inspire you.  The general rule of thumb is half your weight in ounces. 

Stress - Taking just 10 minutes to clear your head every day helps manage stress.  Think about how much time you spend thinking.  Do you have arguments in your head with your husband or your boss and they don't even know about it?  Then they wonder why you're in a bad mood.  Sound familiar.  Clear the air and the cobwebs.  Try using Dr. Herbert Benson's relaxation response at his website:
http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/

Overeating - Start with protein.  When you look at your plate, 2/3 to 3/4 of the plate should be filled with vegetables and a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, etc.).  If you have potatoes, make the portion 1/4 or less.  Generally, meat protein should be no bigger than your palm and no thicker.

Pick one thing and stick with it.  There's plenty of time to incorporate other goals. Master them one at a time for lasting results.

This is a comment I've been accused of on more than one occasion.  I think (here I go again) it's because when I can come to a logical conclusion about something I'm thinking about, then I'm able to move on.  This only becomes a problem when I'm trying to resolve a lot of things at the same time. 

Which leads to stress.  Thinking about things that we can't "fix" creates stress.  It's an age old problem that each of us has - some more than others.  We fixate on a problem and keep it alive by constantly focusing on it.  Did you know that 60-90 percent of all health related issues, illnesses and  diseases are stress related?  Sixty to 90 percent!  That means we create our own illnesses.  Think about it.  Most of us could experience near-perfect health if we stopped stressing out.

So I'll bet you're wondering - what can we do to stop stressing out?  Well, I actually have an answer for you.  Dr. Herbert Benson, founder of the Mind/Body Institute in Chestnut Hill, MA, has found a way to stop the mind chatter, reduce stress and reverse the aging process.  That's right - reverse the aging process too.  Dr. Benson suggests using a daily exercise of what he calls the Relaxation Response (RR).  He's been studying the Relaxation Response since the late 1960s.  RR is simple, doesn't cost anything and over time increases immunity and overall wellbeing.  The idea is to sit quietly for 10 minutes every day. 

Nothing worthwhile is ever completely easy so you will have to carve out 10 minutes of your time every day to experience the Relaxation Response.  Find someplace comfortable and quiet (if possible) to sit.  Close your eyes and focus on breathing in and breathing out.  When you breathe out, pick a word to say to help you stay focused.  It can be any word - peace, namaste, om, God - whatever resonates with you.  If your mind starts to wander, don't get frustrated.  It's natural for our minds to wander.  Just gently bring yourself back to your breath and your word.  Over time, the wandering will lessen.  Detailed instructions can be found at Dr. Benson's web page http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/

Studies performed by Dr. Benson show that just 10 short minutes each day can change the way you handle stressful situations.  RR can also be used by doing yoga, tai chi, meditation as well as many other mindfulness practices.

According to Dr. Benson, "The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress ... and the opposite of the fight or flight response. 

I've been practicing my version of the Relaxation Response almost every day.  I use a guided meditation that I downloaded for free (yes, there's an app for that!) called Relax with Andrew Johnson.  You can also get a free copy from his website at http://www.withandrewjohnson.com/recording/free/relax-free/

So now that you know peace of mind is only 10 minutes away any given day, are you willing to invest in your future?  I'd love to hear your feedback - feel free to leave comments or ask questions.