Resilience: It's more than a buzzword.

If you look up "resilience" it comes with a wide range of applications related to an ability to withstand some kind of challenge. It has been a prized characteristic for someone who can endure, overcome, and thrive through adversity whether physically or emotionally challenging. The word became super popular in corporate programming and coaching about 15 years ago...but we called it grit. "Got Grit?" was on t-shirts. We knew it meant the person wearing it was clued into what it takes to kick ass in life...we assumed it meant that they, too, were resilient.

I am willing to wager that what they were not clued into back then (and maybe even now) is that resilience is a condition generated by the whole body with its interconnecting systems. Real and powerful resilience is developed through a kind of communication that happens between the gut, brain, muscles and tissues. Our ability to overcome something mentally or physically depends on how well the wheels are turning between these parts. The simplest way to assess how said wheels are moving with each other is to pay attention to the following:

1. Any aches, pains, or strains in your body.
2. Frequency of headaches, stomach aches, digestive issues, drowsiness/fatigue.
3. Regular brain fog, forgetfulness, or errors in your work that aren't from not knowing something.
4. Consistent bouts of sadness, nervousness, procrastination, lethargy, irritability.
5. Frequent sleep disturbances.

What do all of the above and resilience have in common? INFLAMMATION FACTORS. In fact, our ability to be resilient depends on how well we are managing inflammation throughout our system. Too often, people are diagnosed with depression or anxiety and a prescription is handed to them without anyone asking what the person is eating or exploring what they do to reduce inflammation. Why? Don't those writing the scripts know that the symptoms of depression and the symptoms of poor brain nutrition are IDENTICAL? Wouldn't it make sense to address nutritional intake either before or simultaneously with using medications?

Inflammation in the gut causes stomach aches, IBS, or more serious digestive complications. Inflammation the gut becomes inflammation in the brain. Inflammation in the brain causes a shift in brain chemistry that resembles anxiety often and depression sometimes. It causes brain fog always. Inflammation in the brain becomes inflammation in the connective tissue that runs through our entire body. This inflammation impacts muscles creating "tension" or those trigger points of pain. When our muscles are sore or stiff, our mobility is hindered. Of course, if you reverse this entire paragraph the impact of inflammation is still evident. When we injure ourselves (muscle tear, for example), inflammation happens and that inflammation then impacts our connective tissue that then reaches our brain.

Brain Optimization is about caring for our most precious asset: our brain. It is THE essential self-care that allows all other self-care practices to work the way they are meant to. My Brain Optimization program addresses wellness and performance from a whole system standpoint. Nutritional Psychology, Movement, Restoration, and Mindset practices are designed to reduce inflammation and promote optimal functioning cognitively, physically and emotionally.

How about doing a little experiment for one week? If that seems daunting, try it for one day:

1. Drink 12-24 oz of water when you first wake up before having your coffee. Notice how you feel mentally and physically.
2. Eat more green leafies, strawberries, melons, olive oil, avocados, and sweet potatoes than anything else. Have zero red meat, chicken, or turkey...only fish or vegetarian proteins.
3. Don't let anything enter your body that has a label loaded with chemicals.
4. When you wake up, don't just jump out of bed or (worse) pick up your phone to check emails, texts, or social media. Simply close your eyes again for a few minutes and think about what about you lets you feel great. Compassionate? Creativite? Reliable? Funny? Honest? Trustworthy? Sincere? etc...Decide how you are going to show up to your life today.
5. Every 90 minutes, get up and move for 2 minutes. Just for the sake of moving...do what we call, "Intentional Movement". I promise, unless you are performing surgery or a rescue effort, no one will miss you for 120 seconds.
6. Choose a decompression activity for 15 min or more near the time you want to fall asleep.

I trust that you will feel more resilient! Do let me know what you discover.