Month: December 2016

What is your “therapy”?

In our world, I assume most of us experience a good amount of stress.  There is work, family, relationships, health, and the list goes on and on.  How do we manage it all?  How do we keep from drowning in our responsibilities?

Some people would suggest when stress gets too overwhelming therapy is the answer.  I would bet that when most people hear the word therapy they envision going to a psychologist or counselor, sitting on a couch, and talking about their lives.  And, while the traditional view still has a place and may be valuable for certain individuals, I think we need to broaden the definition of therapy.

So, when life gets stressful, or even when you are working on preventing overwhelming stress, what is your therapy?

There are so many options here – there is music, physical activity, reading, creating – the activities are endless.  Of course, I have to emphasize thinking about the healthy types of therapy.  I am not an expert, but using food, drugs, an addiction, etc. are NOT the types of therapy I am referring to.  I am asking you to think about the things you can do that are good for you and make you feel good too.

 

For me, therapy can include listening to music, reading, writing, playing with my son, dancing, traveling, and volunteering.  What types of “therapy” sound good to you?

A disclaimer here – I am not suggesting you avoid getting traditional therapy if you need it.  There are definitely times when professional help is indicated, and if you aren’t sure, check with a professional first.  However, if you are looking for an alternative way to manage stress, think about what you really enjoy doing – that can be a step to mitigating some of the stress in your life.

I hope you take a positive step in deciding what “therapy” you might need, because no matter what form it takes (assuming it is a healthy activity), you are doing something good for you.

The Gift of Meditation

It seems that no matter where I am in life, it is always busy.  I don’t know how many times I have said, “Next week will be less busy”, but of course that doesn’t seem to happen.

Deep down, I know I should slow down and live more in the moment, but this is definitely a work in progress.  I have heard about and I am very interested in the “slow movement” that others have embraced, but I am just not there yet.  Besides, I am pretty sure that being intentional in this area would take constant maintenance.  Slowing down is a journey, not a destination.

That being said, what can I do on my very slow journey to slowing down?  Meditation is my current answer.

For some people, meditation accompanies a certain stereotype – someone sitting cross-legged on a mat and saying “om” a lot.  But, meditation encompasses a whole lot more – actually, it can be whatever you want it to be.  For some people, it can involve walking.  For others, it might be praying.  Whatever it is for you, it is about connecting with the present and simply just “being” – at least that is how I think of it.

What do I do?  I spend 5 to 15 minutes daily just visualizing something (such as a beautiful field of flowers) and focusing on it, acknowledging but then letting go of any other thoughts that pop up during that time.

Of course, there are tons of resources available on meditation, and I don’t have a strong preference for any of them.  What I do find appealing, though, is there is evidence out there that meditation has many benefits, and a lot of people claim it positively contributes to several aspects of their health.  I agree with that sentiment, and I can also notice a difference in my day when I meditate vs. when I don’t.  Overall, I feel that meditation makes my life just a little less busy, regardless of any other efforts I make to slow down.

The Case for Functional Medicine

For the last several years, I have taken more of an interest in my overall health.  As part of this, I have started to question how chronic diseases can be prevented in the first place.  After all, why worry about treatment and symptom management when you can avoid it entirely?

The problem is, that is not how our traditional “Western medicine” works.  In general, in the United States we are more about reacting to health situations rather than preventing them.  This is great for acute care, where an accident, trauma, or sudden ailment can be resolved quickly.  However, I would argue that health care in the United States does not do a good job in trying to prevent long term diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.  What is even worse, in my opinion, is that there is a lot of us making money on those with chronic conditions.

Unfortunately, as a pharmacist, I am one of those people.  But, I am trying to find a different way.  That is where functional medicine comes in.

I am not going to give a formal definition of functional medicine here, but in a nutshell, functional medicine is all about finding the underlying causes of diseases and well as focusing on prevention.  Instead of just treating symptoms and throwing drugs at everything (which happens a lot in the United States), functional medicine digs deeper.  The thought is that if you can get to the root cause, you can then deal with the root cause and not always have to live with a chronic condition.  I love the concept, and there is more and more people that are jumping into this area.  Check out the Institute of Functional Medicine website (easily found with an internet search) for more information if you are interested.

As for me, I am both a patient of functional medicine as well as working to become at least an advocate for it.  Ideally, as a pharmacist, I would also like to take patients off as many medicines as possible.  Am I totally shunning our traditional Western medicine?  No way.  If a loved one or me had a major accident, trauma, or infection (to name just a few acute problems), I would be going to an ER or urgent care right away.  Instead, I think there is a place for both functional medicine and what most of us are used to.  In fact, there may be instances in which they could overlap.

Perhaps embracing functional medicine would allow us to have the best of both worlds – and I encourage everyone to check it out.

Stuck in the Past?

Right now, I am listening to the Top 40 countdown from this week in 1984 on SiriusXM’s 80s on 8.  And I love it.  In fact, if you know me well enough, you know that it doesn’t get too much better than this for me.  There are several reasons I think contribute to my love for 80s music, and 80s nostalgia in general:

  • I was born in 1981, so to me the 80s represent a time of innocence, fun, and being carefree
  • My parents listened to popular music at that time, so 80s music became the soundtrack to my early life
  • I started revisiting 80s music and pop culture when I was in high school in the late 90s, and its mostly optimistic and upbeat attitude keep me coming back again and again

Of course, we know it is now 2016 as I write this, and the 80s are long gone.  Am I stuck in the past with my obsession with all things 80s?  I know that “living in the past” is typically frowned upon, but is loving the 80s considered to be “living in the past”?

My answer to that question is no.  I am a big believer in living in the present, even though my execution of that philosophy is poor.  I am a big fan of meditation and yoga, but again, I struggle to really just be in the moment.  It is something I strive for and continue to develop.  In the meantime, I can be found on both sides of the present, remembering my past as well as planning my future.  In fact, planning ahead might take up more of my time than singing along to 80s music, although I will do both frequently at the same time.

So, in my mind, my 80s devotion is more like a hobby to me.  And, it brings me joy.  What could be so bad about living the present with something that brings me joy?

And with that in mind, I will continue to enjoy my present by listening to the 1984 Top 40 countdown.

Can You Really “Do It All”?

As a newer mom, I have been bombarded by the question, “Can I really have it all?”  Or, “can I really DO it all”?  While in my opinion this can apply to both men and women, it seems that you hear about this more with women.  Career, household, parenting, relationships, and individual pursuits…how can one possibly do it all, let alone do it well?

Of course, as with a lot of things in the media, the question seems to have two opposing answers: the first is that you can’t do it all, so you should decide what you want to focus on and ditch the rest.  The other side is that you can do it all, but you must possess some kind of magical power to do so and do it fabulously.  Well, that is my perspective anyway. (Disclaimer: this probably will not come as a surprise, but everything on my blog is solely my opinion and perspective – I also do not make any medical claims, so any advice I give on any topic you should decide to follow based on your own research and consultations.)

As the years go on, I realize that many things in life are not black and white.  Most things lie on a continuum with a lot of gray in between the black and white.  I think a woman’s question of being able to “do it all” includes a lot of gray as well.  There are many ways to tackle this question, with no right or wrong answers.

So, ladies, and gentlemen, don’t struggle with this question.  You will find a way to do what is important to you, even if it may not receive 100% of your effort.  While this is not comforting for a lot of people, there is a peace that comes from accepting that there are only so many hours in a day and only so much can be done.

As you know, I am a pharmacist, which usually comes with a drive for perfection.  I definitely fit that mold.  It’s taken a baby to completely change my world, and it’s amazing how much more the phrase “good enough” has come into my thought process.  Even before the baby, I was not very domestic, so realistically I wasn’t “doing it all” that well anyway.

However, I think I can “do it all”, but it becomes a matter of imperfection.  I am making the choice to “do it all” because I want the variety and have an interest in all of these areas of life.  But, I am accepting the fact that I probably won’t be a rockstar at any of it.  I can be a “good enough” mother, a “good enough” employee, and a “good enough” wife.  Taken altogether, I am a “good enough” woman with a rich life.

And, although I am sure I will have setbacks and struggles, I feel good about accepting my version of “doing it all”.  It may not be pretty, it may not be perfect, but it gives me the chance to realize my life and my potential.  I can look back on each day and know that I have done everything that I can and that I have actually lived a life.  And there is no better feeling at the end of the day.