I am constantly humbled by my patients. I meet a lot of patients going through very difficult circumstances. Whether it be a woman facing a diagnosis of breast cancer or an adolescence facing struggling with mental health, many of them face their diagnosis with strength and resiliency.
I also meet many patients who are tired, frustrated and overwhelmed. On the surface, there are often a lot of physical complaints -fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain or joint pain. It doesn’t take long to figure out that they are also dealing with multiple stressors whether it be toxic relationships, financial pressures, unfulfilling jobs or a general lack of support.
I’ve spent countless hours counselling patients to eat better and move more, yet it is very difficult to make a lifestyle change. I began to wonder why?
It was only after becoming a patient myself and struggling with postpartum anxiety and depression that I realized what the missing link was – you must optimize the mind first
This has led me to come up with the Pyramid of Optimal Health:
It’s not rocket science
…and it’s definitely not a magic pill.
- Optimize the mind (and your relationships!) first
- Make Better Decisions about your health
- Find ways to positively Impact Others around you
FOUNDATION
Think better, connect deeply
Optimize. Understand where your mind is at. It doesn’t need to be perfect. By
recognizing WHAT you are feeling and identifying it you can create some much needed space between you and the emotional frenzy many of us get caught up in
In this module you will learn more about being in tune with your emotions, what we call “listening to your internal dialogue”. You will learn about the interaction between your thoughts, emotions and behaviours. You will understand common thinking traps or thought distortions that we all fall into, often multiple times a day and better yet, how to shift yourself into a more resourceful state
Here you will also find strategies you can use immediately when you feel flooded with emotions as well as lessons you can apply to decrease negative emotions in the long term
We will use this information to apply to your relationships as well, whether it be with your spouse, your children or even your parents. It isn’t surprising that the probability of you being able to achieve your goals is much stronger when you are surrounded by healthy relationships.
DECISIONS
Eat well, move more, rest smart.
Decide. The basis of your health is a reflection of the decisions you make on a daily basis. Make better decisions, lead a better life – it’s that simple
Whenever you are at the grocery store, the Starbucks line up or even the lounge at work you are constantly making decisions that will impact how you think and feel
Make better decisions, lead a more fulfilled life
It’s just that making the decisions is a constant tug of war between our mind and our emotions. Do the optimization module in terms of understanding your thinking patterns and emotions, the better chance you have of making better decisions in these 3 keys areas:
- Eat Well
- Move Move
- Rest Smart
IMPACT
Contribute Purpose
Impact. Finding ways to connect with others, even in the smallest way possible, will liberate you from being stuck inside your own head
I work with a lot of marginalized youth. One of my favourite questions to ask them is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” No matter the hardship or challenges they have endured, they will tell me they want to be a social worker, a lawyer, an engineer or even an astrophysicist
Want to instantly feel better? Do something for someone else
You can only be so happy with yourself until you want to share it with someone else
We all crave connection, it’s innate within us. Purposely putting more of this into your life will optimize your health – guaranteed.
