Kathy Kaehler: Taking the Rut Out of Your Routine

Kathy Kaehler: Taking the Rut Out of Your Routine

Lately, I have been receiving more and more comments on my website about what to do when one is in a rut. I thought about it and wondered if I have ever been in a rut. What is a rut? Defined on my Apple dictionary, a rut is a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change. So the answer for me was no, because I have to be productive every day. Training celebrity clients, creating new recipes, filming in celebrities' kitchens for my Sunday Set-Up™ program, teaching step classes, being a mom to three boys, writing for The Huffington Post, worrying and taking care of my aging parents, taking my vitamins... Wait a minute!

I know I am productive and not one day goes by that is dull, however, I have to admit at times it feels robotic, as if I am on a treadmill and can't get off.

Take a workout, for example. We start something with lots of enthusiasm and hope. We have boundless energy and excitement to do it. We love it, and it feels great. Then week after week of doing the same thing over and over again, the newness starts to wear off and we get bored. Enter the rut.

The pattern is pretty recognizable in just about everything. How you eat, what you eat and where you eat. What you wear, what you do on Saturday night, what you watch on TV or who you hang out with. Relationships are a prime example of where ruts can start, from how you communicate, to expressing your emotions and to the simplest act saying hello. Do you still greet your mate like you did when you first met? Falling into a rut is a habit you create by doing the same thing repetitiously. Not to say that there are some things that we do over and over again that won't change, like brushing your teeth or bathing. It is not just the act of what we are doing, it is how we are doing it, what we are getting out of it and how it's making us feel.

Back to the treadmill. For a while I have been just going through the motions. Not feeling anything, yet getting everything done. Going to sleep on a Monday night and suddenly it is Friday. Or, the best one yet is finally get upstairs to get ready for bed just to take off my clothes and throw them in the same pile that I picked them up from. Then I grab the flannels and T-shirt that are in their own little pile just where I left them 12 hours ago. Day in and day out...

Of course there are reasons for some ruts, such as going through menopause, the economy, divorce, death, jobs, illness, depression or other issues that can get you a ticket to go and visit
"rut-ville."

What to do, what to do. I have always been one to change things up and try something new! I suggest trying a new hairstyle, or adding a new accessory or piece of clothing to your wardrobe that's different from your usual style, or just move your furniture around. My kids aren't joking when they tell their friends they are not sure what the house will look like when they come home from school. Change can be as simple as planting new plants or putting something on your wall that inspires you. Read a new book or start a hobby! Little changes like this can make you feel fresh and get you moving again. You get back from your effort, and for me it is energy.

Getting stuck is a common enough feeling that many of us can relate to. The first step of getting out of a rut is acknowledging that you are, in fact, in one. Try identifying what the cause of the problem is. If it's a relationship issue and you feel like the relationship isn't going well, attempt to figure out what the problem is. So start with something simple. When you leave or arrive home, greet those around you. Say hello, give a hug or kiss your spouse on the lips. If you live alone greet your pets or your plants. Greetings are very important, as they are the gateway to communication.

Has your get-up-and-go gone up and went? It's impossible to have or maintain any motivation when you're tired, and we all seem to have sleep deprivation which is now a chronic problem. You can get an energy boost and clear your mind with a power nap. Sleeping for only 10 to 20 minutes can refresh and energize you for the rest of the day. For years, I trained many celebrities in one day. Driving from home to home, working out. I relished the times that I got to one of my clients early so I could recline my car seat and catch a quick snooze. It really works.

Sometimes we just need an incentive, creativity, inspiration, imagination to get us up and shake things up. Make the extra effort that will break you out of that rut. If you made a list, what would be the first thing you want to do? Take the afternoon off and get a massage. Rearrange your closet. Take a friend and drive to a near by city and visit a museum. Take a long soak in a bath. Start a collection or learn a new craft. Take a class or start a club. Take a walk. Go to church or volunteer. Laugh... a lot!

Also, moderating what you eat is important to your mental and emotional wellbeing. Certain foods really affect your mood swings. Too much processed food, salt, sugar and alcohol can wreak havoc on your body and how you feel. Eating healthier foods will give you more energy and keep you balanced.

We all fall into a rut now and then, losing our motivation and grinding to a stop. But we don't have to stay there. Figure out why you're feeling disenchanted, and then try one or more of the techniques above to get energized again.

Try small steps to regain your health back and make it fun while doing so.

As my treadmill starts to slow down, I realize that the age-old sayings that I heard my grandparents say are true. Take them to heart, I am reminding myself to do the same.

• Make each day like your last.
• Everyday is a new day.
• Be grateful for what you have.
• Life is short.
• Don't sweat the small stuff.
• Laugh every day.

For more by Kathy Kaehler, click here.

For more on emotional wellness, click here.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

What Role Did Accused Soldier's Brain Injury Play In Afghan Massacre?

What Role Did Accused Soldier's Brain Injury Play In Afghan Massacre?

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta fields questions from the media regarding the recent murder of civilians in Afghanistan during a flight to Kyrgyzstan on March 12, 2012 In Flight. This past weekend a U.S. soldier reportedly went on an early-morning rampage killing 16 civilians in Afghanistan. Most of those killed were children and women. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

It's incredibly difficult to surmise what might have pushed one American sergeant to allegedly massacre 16 Afghan civilians. But new details about the still-unnamed staff sergeant's background suggest that brain damage, wrought by a traumatic brain injury during an earlier deployment, might have been a contributing factor.

Read the whole story: Wired

Filed by Amanda L. Chan  | 

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Leigh Fortson: Cancer, a New View: Unexpected Heroes

Leigh Fortson: Cancer, a New View: Unexpected Heroes

"A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder; fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won. The hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man." -- Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Like most people who go on the bizarre and frightening trip of cancer, I needed a way to find comfort and hope. After my third diagnosis, I was filled with despair, not knowing where to turn. With the help of my therapist, I decided to write a book. If I could hear and write about the stories of people who were given a grim prognosis and still came through after conventional treatment failed them, maybe I could believe healing was possible for me, too.

During the months that I constructed the book, an amazing thing happened: I heard testimonies of the hero's journey. I didn't expect that; I merely thought I'd learn about exciting new alternative treatments and a miracle or two. What I gathered instead were complex stories about how these people worked with their physical and emotional bodies, state of mind and, if they had it, faith, to turn their cancers around and experience remarkable recoveries.

After each interview, I was energized, joyful and enthusiastic about life. These were normal people who had gotten cancer. Most had undergone conventional treatment (although a few chose to bypass them) and just like so many others, they were people for whom the standard treatments did not work. These were everyday folks who were told they would die or that there was nothing more modern medicine could provide for them.

This is when the hero's journey began. They were scared -- who wouldn't be? But something happened deep within them, and in their own ways, these typical people became extraordinary examples. They took full responsibility for their health and the path they would choose to get well -- if it was at all possible. They followed their paths even though there was little guidance or direction and often disapproval from loved ones. They forged their way knowing little more than the need to perceive the disease as more than a physical condition and embrace the whole experience that would lead to ultimate healing.

I found it especially enlightening that each one of them accepted that their emotional wellbeing was at least partly responsible for how they got the disease -- either because they gave their power away, forfeited a dream, allowed the stresses of their life to overwhelm them or were engaged in toxic dramas with others. Each one made profound changes in their lives to relieve themselves of the weight of those dynamics. And in the end, they all believed that changing their emotional tenor was a necessary part of becoming cancer-free or thriving.

These were not the only heroes I met as I wrote the book and carried out my own healing journey. I also encountered an inspirational and rare order of doctors and researchers -- practicing in both mainstream and alternative circles -- who are doing their best to bring innovative, holistic and nutritional information to the world of cancer treatment. Their menus also include honoring how the power of the mind plays into healing. This phenomenon is so significant that it challenges the very foundation of how we do health care in this country. Many life-changing books have been written about it, but those books aren't read in medical schools, nor, ironically, is the power of the mind given much thought among pharmaceutically-trained doctors.

After I finished writing my book, it was quickly picked up by a reputable publisher and, gratefully, it now has a life of its own. But I miss talking to people who surfaced from the underworld. I miss glimpses of how benevolent the universe really is. I miss the excitement of hearing how the impossible can become a matter of fact.

With my book complete, I started looking for heroes in the pages of my everyday life. I heard a radio interview about an unjustly accused prisoner who learned to forgive his prosecutors. I opened a magazine and read about a celebrity who has suffered severe health challenges and is now funding and operating a non-profit that helps others. I stumbled across a TV show that illuminated what an ex-gang member is now doing to help stop the cycle of violence in the inner city neighborhoods where she used to trigger it. The moment I began looking for heroes, they showed up, quietly, all around.

The other night I noticed five buds and a breathtakingly beautiful blossom appearing on the lone stem of an orchid I received almost a year ago. It was only by some great mystery that this plant was still on my table. I'm not good with plants, and I didn't know how often to water this one. Didn't know why it had such wiry roots punching through the small pot of soil. Didn't know why one of the three green leaves turned brown and why, for the longest time, it seemed stagnant and probably lifeless. I told myself the plant was finished, but I kept it around. Now, I'm in awe of the promise of the buds and the shape, color and luminosity of the flower -- despite being given a bad prognosis. It reminds me that there is something incomprehensible and just plain sturdy within every living thing. It can astonish us. Or change the course of our lives.

Leigh Fortson has been writing and editing books about health and nutrition for decades. She is the author of "Embrace, Release, Heal: An Empowering Guide to Talking About, Thinking About, and Treating Cancer" (Sounds True, 2011). To learn more, go to www.embracehealingcancer.com.

For more by Leigh Fortson, click here.

For more on cancer, click here.

Follow Leigh Fortson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/embracehealing

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com