GUEST BLOG: Six Questions To Improve Your Health & Wellness

I’ve been reflecting on the importance of self check-ins. Basically a slightly extended version of asking yourself, “How am I doing?”. If we get into the habit of regular self evaluation we can notice positive changes and we can hopefully catch many of the small problems before they become the big problems. I’ve written before about the importance of contemplation - how it is crucial for us all to find ways to not just be productive but to also make sure we spend time with ourselves and slow down. This builds helps you build a relationship with you. Consider this daily practice of self check-in to be one of the tools of wellness. 

I’ve been compiling thoughts on what questions pack the biggest bang for the buck. If I was to ask myself five to six questions every day, which questions would help me really see how I’m doing? Which questions would help me see my progress and successes? Which questions would help me see changes that I need to address and attend to before those changes start building up into big problems? Many of these questions are research driven, highlighting important self-care behaviors that facilitate health  - physical, emotional, and relationship health. 

So here is the invitation - try my six questions each day for at least a week. Find 5 minutes at a regularly scheduled time - anytime that works for you, but keep it consistent. Write them down in a journal or somewhere on your phone or computer. Keep track of the scores to notice any changes - no change, healthy change, unhealthy change, big change, small change. Address changes as needed. Repeat, and repeat. If you have any feedback on the questions please send it my way! I’m all ears. 

Answer each question with a number between 0 and 10. There are a few bonus questions that you can ponder and write down thoughts if the questions feel relevant and helpful. 

1) How safe am I feeling? (0-10)

0 = constant sense of stress, threat, and/or danger

10 = secure, confident, protected

*Bonus - If you can identify the threat(s) - name it here:

2) What is my energy level? (0-10)

0 = complete fatigue and/or burned out 

10 = rested and/or energetic

3) How is my mental focus? (0-10)

0 = distracted all the time, difficulties concentrating

10 = able to manage thoughts and attention in meaningful ways

*Bonus - If score is low - what has been on my mind:

4) How clear is my sense of purpose? (0-10)

0 = I feel aimless and without much purpose

10 = I’m confident about what I'm doing. I have a clear sense of purpose

*Bonus: - What key personal values do I want to be focused on?

5) How are my relationships and sense of connection to others? Have I had positive interactions with others? (0-10)

0 = I am feeling disconnected or isolated. I am not getting enough positive support from others.

10 = I feel understood by others and good social support

6) Have I made time for play, fun, and/or creativity? (0-10)

0 = No - it all feels like work and busy-time, or I haven’t been doing anything fun

10 = Yes - I have a good feeling of balance between my productive time and my play time. I am able to be creative in ways that are important to me.

-Dr. Trevor Davis, PsyD, ABPP

How To Reduce Back Pain At Your Desk Job

It is well known that Seattle is a growing hub within the tech industry, being home to companies such as Amazon and Microsoft. With this brings hoards of individuals working extensive desk jobs, sitting at a computer for the majority of each day. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developers spent an average of 90% of their workday sitting in 2016. All of this sitting can lead to aches and pains, the result of a stiff spine or tight muscles related to hours of inactivity. More often than not, desk jobs can result in stiffness in the thoracic spine, along with tightness in the hamstrings and hip flexors, all of which can contribute to back pain. So what can be done to combat this? Here are some helpful exercises that can be performed in the workplace:

• Workplace Exercise Series

A helpful recommendation is to set a timer on your cell phone prompting you to take a break and stand every 30 minutes, performing one or two of the individual exercises each bout. All exercises should be pain-free and performed in a safe, open space. With a sedentary workday, the importance of getting regular physical activity outside of the workplace grows, so setting a goal of 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week is crucial. It is reported that up to half of adults in the United States do not meet this physical activity recommendation, contributing to many chronic health issues. While 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week may seem intimidating, this does not mean you have to start running if you are not a runner or going to CrossFit workouts. Rather, common exercises that fall into the “moderate-intensity” category are walking, yoga, or hiking. Running or CrossFit would fall in to the “high-intensity” category, which only requires 75 minutes per week to meet the physical activity recommendations.

Several more involved therapeutic exercises can be performed after work, in the comfort of your own home, most of which target the thoracic spine and hip joints. Here are a few for your to try:

• Lower Extremity Stretching Routine

• Foam Rolling Of The Thoracic Spine

• Open Book Stretch

• Foam Roll Chest Opener

While many jobs require periods of sitting, there is always the opportunity to sneak small bouts of movement/exercise into your work day. Start small and reward yourself for hitting your daily movement goals. Even little bits can add up over time.

It’s time to get moving!

-Grant Hennington, DPT

How To Set Fitness Goals

Getting fit can be a very good thing, often helping us feel better both physically and mentally. For those of you who want to get fit, do you have a goal in mind? Setting a goal is an important first step in improving your overall fitness. However, setting fitness goals can often feel daunting, as well as a bit trivial. Frequently, clients will tell me they have a goal of getting in better shape. My response: How are you measuring that? Getting in better shape can come in a variety of forms: losing weight, building strength, improving flexibility, running faster, and so on and so forth. All are great things to strive for, but in order for a goal to be effective, it must follow some guidelines. Thankfully, there is an acronym for that (surprise, surprise). It is recommended to set SMART goals when attempting to improve fitness. Here is what that means:

S: Specific

• Any fitness goal you set should be specific. “I want to get in better shape” is not very specific. Rather, “I want to finish a marathon” is more specific. Specific goals help us come up with a more robust plan to achieve said goal.

M: Measureable

• Having a measurable goal will help ensure you know when you have actually achieved the goal. “I want to run a fast marathon” is not all that measurable. How are you defining fast? What is the cut point for fast versus slow? “I want to run a marathon in under 4 hours” is both a specific and measurable goal, allowing me clear metrics to analyze whether or not I achieved this goal.

A: Achievable

• While it is alright to dream big and set lofty goals for yourself, it is important that you set a goal you can actually accomplish. Setting a goal of running a marathon in 20 minutes is not an achievable goal, as the fastest any runner has ever covered 26.2 miles is 1:59:40. However, many individuals have run marathons under 4 hours and there are numerous training programs out there geared at breaking the 4 hour barrier. If you are brand new to running, this might be a lofty goal, but not necessarily unachievable. The achievability of a goal depends a lot on your level of experience surrounding the activity associated with your goal.

R: Relevant

• Selecting a goal that is meaningful and consistent with your current state of being is critical before moving forward. What would finishing a marathon mean to you? Would achieving a different goal mean more to you? This is very much a values-based criteria geared at helping you figure out the “why” behind the goal you have set your sights on.

T: Timely

• Any goal we set for ourselves should carry with it a deadline in order to help keep us on track. The example of running a marathon tends to be fairly simple, as our deadline is the date of the race. If I have set a weight loss fitness goal, it would be beneficial to set a timetable that is consistent with a healthy rate of weight loss, which tends to be 1-2 pounds per week. Therefore, a safe and timely goal could be “I want to lose 10 pounds in 2 months”.

With any fitness goal you set, make sure to reward yourself along the way, as well as once you achieve your overall target. Setting short-term goals can make loftier long-term goals seem more attainable. It is also recommended to have a contingency plan if you get off track or if a major life event postpones your efforts. In this event, don’t beat yourself up, rather use any disappointment as motivation to set and achieve a new goal that will lead to you achieving your original goal. Fitness goals can be set and achieved at any point in the life cycle so it is never too late to work towards getting fit. Just make sure to keep them SMART.

-Grant Hennington, DPT

Guest Blog: Pain, Stress, & Wildfire

Imagine you are driving through the mountains and spot a small fire in the woods. Your level of concern would probably depend on what you see around you and what is happening around the fire. Is the fire in a fire ring or at a campground? Is it small and contained or is it growing fast and taking over the land? Is it hot and dry out or is the weather cool and damp? How a fire behaves depends on many factors.

The stress we all feel in our lives can act a lot like this fire. On the one hand, stress can be like a good fire. A campfire can keep you warm and can be fun to watch. Even some forest fires are healthy for the environment. Similarly, not all stress is bad. Some stress is actually good for us. It can be motivating, keeps us moving and acting on what is important. But, on the other hand, stress can also be like a bad fire. It can rage out of control, burning faster and hotter than you want.

The environment around a fire matters for how the fire acts. When there is containment and when the weather is cool and humid, the fire stays put. It doesn’t grow fast and, in fact, it might be a little hard to get things to burn. But when things are hot, dry, and windy, the fire can burn out of control.

Consider how the environment of your life impacts your stress. Here are some “environmental factors” that can increase your stress:

• Poor sleep

• Limited social support or isolation

• Few opportunities to feel productive

• Poor self-regard

• Catastrophic or other types of anxious thoughts

To help keep the stress fire contained try to enhance some of these helpful environmental factors in your life:

• Prioritize rest and sleep (7-9 hours each 24 hours).

• Spend time with others who are supportive and enjoyable to be around

• Seek out ways to accomplish something specific each day. Pay attention to your accomplishments, no matter how big or small they are.

• Build your positive self-regard and self-compassion. Evaluate negative thoughts you have about yourself and work to build a supportive relationship with yourself.

• Practice awareness of your thoughts and how those are impacting your reactions and emotions.

-Trevor Davis, Psy.D., ABPP

Getting Back To The Basics For Health & Wellness

Raise your hand if you think you get enough exercise per week. Now raise your other hand if you think you get enough sleep per night. Are both your hands up? If yes, kudos to you, as statistically you are in the minority among adults in the United States. If no, where do you think you are lacking? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week and at least 7 hours of sleep per night. For those of you with both hands up, are you meeting these recommendations or do you need to put a hand down? The health benefits of regular physical activity are numerous and well documented, with exercise being linked with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and several types of cancer. And we also know insufficient sleep has been linked with many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression. Getting the picture? If you were to think of exercise and sleep as prescription drugs, they would be some of the most safe, effective, and affordable drugs in history, without the significant side effects of common pharmaceuticals. Exercise and sleep also appear to be equal opportunity interventions, as the health benefits apply to both men and women of all ages, races, and ethnicities, according to the CDC. Unfortunately, approximately one-half of adults in the United States do not get enough exercise per week and one-third of adults do not get enough sleep per night. This could partially explain why nearly two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.

So why do we have such an inactive and sleep deprived population? Most of us could carve out 30 minutes per day for 5 days each week and tuck ourselves in 30-60 minutes earlier each night. So what’s the hold up? For one, starting to exercise regularly and sleep more requires behavior change, which can be difficult to initiate and stick with. Beginning an exercise program is often uncomfortable and unpleasant, especially if you are typically sedentary. The good news is there are several gentle forms of physical activity that fall in to the “moderate-intensity” category, according to the CDC:

• Walking

• Swimming

• Going for a bike ride

• Yoga

• Dancing

• Yard work

• Water aerobics

As you can see, there is no need to take up running or team sports if you want to get fit. It should also be noted that each form of exercise does not need to be performed all at once, as three separate bouts of walking for 10 minutes per day would count for 30 minutes and carries with it similar health benefits. An added perk is that regular physical activity has been linked with improved quality of sleep so you can be working on both aspects of health and wellness with one deed. What a deal!

So, if you find yourself not feeling well as of late, check in to see if you are meeting your basic physical activity and sleep recommendations first and foremost. If you are not, try to work up to it and see if it helps before turning to sophisticated and expensive tests, treatments, and/or procedures. If you are getting 150 minutes of exercise per week and sleeping 7+ hours per night, but are still not feeling well, then it may be appropriate to seek out an evaluation by a medical professional.

For more information regarding physical activity and sleep from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click on the following links:

CDC Physical Activity Basics

CDC Basics About Sleep

-Grant Hennington, DPT