anxiety

Do You Collapse In A Crisis?

February 9, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Most of us would probably like to say that we were pretty good in any kind of crisis situation. After all, the idea of being the one person who’s able to keep their head when everyone else is losing there’s is a pretty nice idea. However, it’s fair to say that most of us are probably not quite as composed under pressure as we would like to think. Which raises the question, if you are normally the kind of person who totally crumbles when they’re in a crisis, what can you do in order to deal with those kinds of things more effectively? With that in mind, here are some things that you can do in order to stop yourself from collapsing when everything goes wrong.

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Think in Practical Terms

One of the best things that you can possibly do when it comes to taking a lot of stress and panic out of any kind of crisis is to stop thinking about it in terms of emotions entirely. Instead, think about it in purely practical terms where possible. Think of any kind of crisis as a problem with a solution, rather than something awful happening to you. If you’re in an accident, then think about things like insurance claims, hiring attorneys, and getting justice instead of focusing on how unfair it was that this happened to you. The same applies to everything from getting fired to getting sick. If you can think about the practical stuff and deal with that first, you’ll have a whole lot less emotional fallout to worry about.

Take Your Time

One of the most common instincts, when things go wrong, is to run around trying to fix it as quickly as possible. Now, dealing with things right away is a good thing, but if you’re getting to the point where you’re running around trying to put out all of the fires at once, you’re just going to end up causing yourself far more stress and upset that is unnecessary. Take your time and think things through before you dive in.

Ask for Help

As much as it would be nice to say that you’re the kind of person who can deal with any problem on their own, you really don’t need to. The truth is that there are always going to be people out there who are willing to lend you a hand when you need it most. From friends and family, to trained professionals, there really is no need for you to try and take everything onto your own shoulders.

The truth is that there will always be times when something will come out of nowhere and send you reeling, that’s just the nature of the world that we live in. However, if you can understand the right ways to deal with emergencies and crises, then you’re going to be far less likely to end up panicked and confused when things go wrong. Just remember that for every problem, there is a solution. You just have to be able to find it.

Thank you for reading!

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Health

The Strange Reasons Why You Should Chill The Heck Out

January 28, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

Stress and anxiety have been a part of the human struggle since time began. Both are evolutionary responses to circumstances in our environment, and adaptation allowed for them because they help us survive. It’s better to be anxious and stressed in the face of certain doom than it is to be calm and relaxed, because people who were stressed were more likely to take action to survive.

But in the modern world, we rarely face threats to our lives. Rather we experience a kind of chronic activation of our stress-response system, which is unhelpful.

The problem with stress, though, is that it’s not just something in our heads: it has a direct effect on the body, too. And while many of us know about the visible signs of stress, like heart palpitations and sweating, few of us are aware of the stranger, less common side effects.

Stress Undermines Your Immune System

Blood Cells Virus Helper Cell Defense Immune System

Max Pixel

Your immune system is in a constant state of war against pathogens trying to overwhelm your defenses. Healthy people can repel the majority of attacks, but when the body is under stress, it can actually produce fewer immune cells. You often see this in people who do a lot of strenuous exercise – the number of white blood cells in their body goes down by about 50 percent – but it’s also common among the chronically stressed.

I can attest to this. This past December, I was so incredibly stressed, more than I’d ever been before, that I became physically ill. I was nauseous every day and night, I found myself throwing up at work, and I couldn’t eat or sleep. Stress is very, very real.

Stress Makes You Constipated

Stress is a response to danger – or at least that’s what it was in our evolutionary history. And so when our bodies get stressed, they tend to shut down other vital systems not required for immediate survival, like digestion. Most westerners are constipated anyway because of a lack of fiber in the diet, but stress can lead to a cessation in bowel motility, meaning that the bowel no longer transports waste products from one end to the other. Sure, that’s a good thing when you’re running away from a bear, but not so good when you’re sitting at your office desk, fighting a deluge of emails.

Stress Can Result In Heart And Lung Problems

Flickr by mararie

One of the reasons you might want to take advantage of a cheap vaping deal (opposed to smoking cigarettes, or quit altogether!) is the effect that stress has on the heart and lungs. Stress causes the HPA (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal) axis to go into overdrive. Cortisol, a stress-related hormone, gets released, causing elevations in breathing and heart rate. While cortisol is safe over short periods, it’s the chronically elevated levels that start to lead to problems. People with higher circulating cortisol suffer a faster heart rate, which has been shown to be correlated with shorter life span, high blood pressure (a leading killer worldwide), and increases in asthma attacks.

Stress Can Hurt Your Jaw

One of the problems that people with stress have is bruxism – or the unconscious grinding of their teeth. Bruxism usually occurs during the night while sleeping, leading to jaw ache and damage to the teeth. The tension can then spread from the jaw area to the surrounding tissue and muscles in the face and neck. It may also be a contributing factor to TMJ. I have TMJ and it is incredibly painful.

I’m not a stress expert, and I’m not a doctor, of course. These were just a few things I wanted to share about!

*This post was a collaboration.

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Ambassador Fitness Nutrition

I Am A #SweatPink Ambassador!

May 10, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 9 Comments

A few weeks ago, I was accepted as a brand new #sweatpink ambassador with Fit Approach! It has been an amazing few weeks already!

This is the Fit Approach mission (borrowed from the Fit Approach website):

We believe that kicking ass is best done in pretty shoes. We’ve learned that real women sweat, and sweat hard. We know that assertiveness, strength, and ambition are the ultimate feminine qualities. We concede that sometimes it takes hours to get ready, but we’re also no strangers to just rolling out of bed and going. We’re convinced that we run faster in pink shoelaces. We believe in pushing ourselves, and we believe in giving ourselves a break, too. We’re all about the rush of endorphins and the thrill of the challenge. We’re all for looking great and feeling even better. We’re committed to finding our best fit, and making it stick.

How awesome is that?! The mission is what attracted me to Fit Approach in the first place. Pink is my favorite color, so this was a no brainer! I am all about pink shoelaces. As a welcome, I was sent a #sweatpink tank and some pink shoelaces:

Everyone in the #sweatpink community is SO welcoming! I love the feeling of being a part of a community of like-minded people, and knowing that I can go to any of them even though I don’t physically know them! I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity. <3

If you’re interested in becoming a #sweatpink ambassador, apply here! 🙂

Check out Fit Approach on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Bipolar Disorder Nutrition Personal

My Current Nutrition Plan, & Why It Has Nothing To Do With Anyone But Myself

April 26, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 13 Comments

There are two main reasons for this post.

To hold me accountable and to document my progress with my new nutrition plan
To clear up any confusion as to WHY I am doing this nutrition plan

Let’s start with what the plan is. It’s called the GAPS diet. GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome and was developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. Basically, my digestive system is in poor health. When I am stressed, I eat a lot of sugar and refined carbs. Read my previous post about my sugar addiction for a little bit of a background. In addition to this, I have bipolar disorder. I don’t want to take medication for the rest of my life, and I am very aware that good nutrition and regular fitness are very important for both physical and mental health. I decided to take a mental health coaching program from a holistic wellness coach who has bipolar disorder, and has successfully managed her bipolar without medication for one year.

I started the program with her almost two weeks ago, and officially started the GAPS diet this past Wednesday. My coach, Nellie, recommended this nutrition plan for me because I need to get my digestion under control. Every symptom I’ve been having is directly related to an unhealthy gut. I have candida, which is a fungus that overgrows when we consume too much sugar and refined carbs. I have almost every single symptom of it (and now it all makes sense!):

chronic fatigue
digestive issues
difficulty concentrating/foggy brain
irritability, mood swings, depression, anxiety
seasonal allergies and itchy ears (I’ve never had itchy ears before- so weird)
strong sugar and refined carb cravings (oh my gosh, it’s awful)
skin rashes — I have had hives 3 times in the past 4 weeks. A couple nights ago, I woke up at 4:30 am with severe hives on both my arms. Here’s a picture (it was not pleasant and rather scary, actually):

It’s not only physical, but also mental. The GAPS diet is used for people with various mental health conditions, like depression, ADHD, schizophrenia, and so on. Having bipolar disorder, the GAPS diet is perfect. I told Nellie that I would be completely open and be the client (I’m used to being the health coach), and try out what she recommended for me. It has worked for her (and countless others), and I am really excited to see how it helps my mental stability! And of course the healthy body and weight loss will be great. 🙂

It really is a different feeling when you’re eating for health as opposed to eating for weight loss. It’s so much easier. Don’t get me wrong though, it is by no means EASY. It’s been four days and I am struggling. Sugar addiction is no joke. I crave it and I get really moody when I don’t have it. But I am finding alternatives, and today has been a really great nutrition day! So I feel optimistic about it.

While on the GAPS diet (however long I decide to be on it- at least five weeks), I cannot have grains/gluten, dairy, sugar, anything processed, and soy.

This leads me to the second point of this post.

I have been a health coach with Herbalife for exactly one and a half years in May. Herbalife has completely changed my life, and I am forever grateful for the company, the products, and the people who have helped me lose weight and go after my dreams! However, Herbalife meal replacement shakes contain soy. It was never a problem for me (like I said, it helped me to lose weight and feel amazing!), but I told Nellie I would be completely open, so that means stopping Herbalife for the five weeks or so that I am her client. I was hesitant about it at first, but not only am I paying my coach for the mental health coaching, I am committed to finding ways to treat my bipolar disorder holistically. Why would I do this program, and spend the entire however many weeks/months not doing what my coach asked me to do? As a coach, I know how frustrating that is! Having clients who you spend time on and give your all to, but they just won’t do what you ask them to do. I would be a hypocrite. It’s like what Seth Godin (my favorite blogger) said,

“If you don’t have the time to do it right the first time, then you don’t have the time to do it over.”

Because I am doing a nutrition plan that does not allow soy (which therefore does not allow Herbalife meal replacement shakes, except allergen-free, which is totally fine), I do not feel authentic when talking about it at this time. I get that some people will not understand this. That since I have been with Herbalife (and I am successful with it), I should only promote Herbalife, no matter what. And okay, I do get that for some people. But it doesn’t feel right in my heart promoting something that I am not currently doing. It is not authentic. It denies me integrity.

I will eventually introduce certain foods back into my diet, like my Herbalife shakes (trust me, I miss them!). I still love the products, I can still share about my experiences with them, and I still love the company. My current nutrition has nothing to do with Herbalife as a company or even a product. My current nutrition/situation has nothing to do with anyone or anything BUT ME.

I am still coaching clients. I am still building a team in Ohio. I feel good about the decision I’ve made, and I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. I just figured I’d clear a few things up. 🙂

I will be posting updates about my mental health coaching and GAPS diet weekly!

Bipolar Disorder Fitness Nutrition Personal

Health Coaches Need Coaching, Too; My Struggle With Sugar Addiction

April 14, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 28 Comments

As most of you are already aware, I am a health & fitness coach, and I also live with bipolar disorder. A couple weeks ago, I was talking with my psychiatrist, and he said to me,

“Lyndsay, you are always taking care of your clients and inspiring them. You’re taking care of the kids you babysit and the dogs you care for. It’s great, but let me ask you, who inspires you?“

A simple question, but it hit me hard. In that moment, I wanted to break down and cry. I absolutely LOVE what I do as a coach. The progress my clients make, the breakthroughs, helping others to live longer.. it’s absolutely amazing! I am in awe every day of how wonderful my clients and friends are. I love the feeling of being needed. I’m sure there is a specific reason behind that, but like Miss Maudie said in To Kill A Mockingbird, “All anyone wants is to feel needed.” My career brings me satisfaction, happiness, and hope.

But at the same time, I am giving all my energy to my clients, and completely neglecting myself. How can I be a good coach/mentor if I am not taking care of my mind and body? Who can I go to when I am not feeling strong? When I need inspiration, motivation, and help with my nutrition? Yes, I know a good amount about health, nutrition, and fitness, but I don’t know it all.

As much as I don’t want to admit this, I am going to, because honesty is incredibly important. Not only for the people you’re talking to, but also for yourself. I have a sugar addiction. Like a hardcore, legit, anxiety-fueled addiction to sugar. I have dealt with this on and off throughout most of my life, but when I get incredibly stressed, I lose control completely.

I have felt myself slowly spiraling out of control over the past two months. Poor nutrition, poor fitness, poor mental health. It is a vicious cycle. I feel sad/stressed, so I want to eat something that will release dopamine and endorphins, so I eat sugar (it’s comforting). But the comedown from that sugar causes me to feel depressed/anxious/stressed… and the cycle continues.

This photo represents the cycle of addiction. Any addiction. Did you know sugar addiction is similar to heroin addiction? It is very, very real.

This is specifically what happens in your body when you consume sugar. Endless, awful cycle.

You know how they say that people come into your life for a reason, and at the perfect time? It’s amazing! I was searching through blogs and stumbled upon Lifelong Wellness Coaching with Nellie Russell. I originally found her through her blog, Bipolar Out Loud, and saw that she offers mental health coaching. It’s something I’ve never considered, but something I definitely wanted to try. It’s similar to therapy, but I also get a meal plan catered to me and my physical/mental health issues.. plus Nellie has bipolar disorder as well, so she totally gets me. It’s a little different getting life coaching from someone who lives with what you live with, as opposed to someone who only studied it. Totally not discounting what therapists do, but it’s just a different experience.

My first session was tonight, and oh my gosh, I already feel like a new person. I have hope again. I don’t feel stressed (and I’ve been stressed ALL day.. hellooo taxes). It feels so good to allow myself to be the client, and to go into a coaching program with an open mind. I get so caught up in helping other people transform their lives (which again, I LOVE), that I forget to transform my own life. I am excited for what these sessions bring, and I am excited to improve my life. Physical and mental health go hand-in-hand, and it is time for me take full control of them both!

Have you ever dealt with any type of food addiction? If so, how did you get through it?
If you are a coach (or in any profession like it), how do you stay inspired? Who helps you?

Bipolar Disorder Personal

Being Just Crazy Enough

April 9, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

“Maybe, ya know, there’s no such thing as crazy. And being diagnosed with a mental illness doesn’t mean you’re crazy. But maybe it means you’re just more sensitive to what most people can’t see or feel. Maybe, no one’s really crazy, everyone is just a little bit mad. How much depends on where you fall on the spectrum. How much depends on how lucky you are.”

My wonderful boyfriend sent this video to me this morning, and kept telling me to watch it because he knew I would like it. He sends me videos ALL the time, and often times, they’re pretty boring (sorry babe!). But this one.. this one still has me smiling so big.

I’ve told people that having bipolar disorder makes me a more sensitive person, but in a good way. I am more sensitive to someone’s thoughts and feelings, and can relate to them much more than your average person. I may have a little bit of “crazy” in me, but that’s what makes me, ME. My passion, my intensity, my drive, my emotions… those all make up Lyndsay. I think without bipolar, I’d be boring. I’d much rather be intense than boring. 😉

What do you think about what Joshua Walters shared on this video?

Bipolar Disorder Personal

Trying to Improve Myself While Still Accepting Who I Am

March 17, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

Photo Credit: tinybuddha.com

I’m not sure if the title makes sense, because in my head, this topic is still fuzzy. My intention is that by writing it out, it will help me to sort it out.

I’m trying to find a happy balance. Between improving myself as a person, and accepting who I currently am. I love Eric Thomas’ quote, “Be obsessed with improvement.” It’s simple and straightforward. I feel like every day, we should get better in some aspect. Whether it’s not eating a cheeseburger, or trying a new workout, or not lashing out when you’re mad, whatever. It’s important to get a little bit better each day.

But at the same time, it’s so important that we accept ourselves for who we are now. This is where I falter. Part of me feels that if I accept who/what I am, then I won’t want to improve. I will be complacent. I don’t want complacency, I want self-acceptance. I feel that only by loving and accepting myself, I will be able to improve as a person. Does that make sense?

I have accepted that I have a mental health condition and I have triggers I need to avoid. I have accepted that I have to work a lot to support my family right now. I have accepted that I have a sudden love for chocolate (seriously though, I used to hate it!). So how do I make daily progress without putting myself down, whether it’s intentional or unintentional?

I have yet to find this balance, but I think I’m getting closer. How do you find balance?

Bipolar Disorder Nutrition

How to Handle Emotional Eating

March 13, 2014 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

The Daily Love (Mastin Kipp) posted a video today about how to to handle emotional eating. IT IS AMAZING!!! I receive Mastin’s emails every single day (to subscribe, go to thedailylove.com). This video is wonderful because SO many people I know are emotional eaters (myself included).

It’s okay! We just get to make sure we get the help that we need to get through it. Mastin says in the video that he works with a nutritionist, a therapist, etc. It is okay to ask for help.

Check out this short video, comment below on what your thoughts are and how you have handled your emotional eating, and subscribe to The Daily Love emails if you’d like!

Nutrition

Why It Is Important To Eat Every 2-3 Hours

March 12, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 4 Comments

In my 16 months of health & wellness coaching, I have found that the one thing my clients have the hardest time with is breaking out of the mold of 3 square meals a day.

I will admit, I felt this way at first too. I was raised to believe that we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.. Never after 7pm.. And so on. But that’s just not how it’s supposed to be! Our bodies are meant to be fed every 2-3 hours (so yes, 5-6 times a day or so). After about 4 hours, our body goes into fat storage mode. Which is what most of us don’t want.

Think of our metabolism as a fire. We must continually fuel that fire to keep it going, right? Same idea. We must continually fuel our metabolism to keep it going (and to speed it up).

For many people, it sounds like a lot of food and eating, and in their head, they tell themselves they’re eating too much. But you see, they’re smaller meals. 3 meals, 2-3 snacks. If you’re doing it correctly, you’re still staying within your caloric intake, but boosting your metabolism. We are not meant to feel starved! Even if you are not hungry, if it’s been 3 hours, eat something. I don’t care if it’s half a protein bar. NOT eating will actually hurt you more. Plus, by doing this, we don’t allow ourselves to become starving (and therefore eat everything in sight).

I eat 6-7 times a day, and I lost 55.6 lbs in 8 months. Before that, when I was 188, I was eating twice a day. That’s it. We just have to get out of the mindset of 3 big meals a day, and a lot of us will be much better off. 🙂

Bipolar Disorder

I Blog for Mental Health 2014 Because…

March 1, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 9 Comments

I Blog for Mental Health 2014 Because...

I pledge my commitment to the Blog for Mental Health 2014 Project. I will blog about mental health topics not only for myself, but for others. By displaying this badge, I show my pride, dedication, and acceptance for mental health. I use this to promote mental health education in the struggle to erase stigma.

I blog about mental health because of the impact it has had on my life. At the age of 20, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression. A few months later, I was diagnosed with ADHD. For the past 6 years, I have seen several psychiatrists, therapists, and holistic doctors to try and find the right treatment for me. I have been on almost every medication on the market for mental health conditions.

I have an extremely difficult time working a traditional 9-5 job, so I refuse to do so. I have been lucky enough to find a career in health and a couple odd jobs to pay the bills. Over the past 8 years, I have accumulated so much debt (shopping sprees when hypomanic and depressed) that I had to consolidate all of it (or it would have taken me 14-16 years to pay off). I am not able to keep a credit card (either my mom or my boyfriend has them).

My moods are extremely unpredictable, I rapid cycle, and I have a lot of mixed episodes (which are physically painful for me). I have a lot of acquaintances, but I’ve always had a very difficult time keeping close friends or being included. I’m socially awkward (even though my career is extremely social). When I am depressed (which is most of the time), I have no desire to participate in life. I’m actually a little surprised that I have made it to 26 years old.

Anyway, I blog for mental health to eradicate stigma. It’s difficult enough living with bipolar disorder, but the stigma behind it causes myself and others to feel shame. To be embarrassed, afraid, alone, quiet, judged, left out, and the list goes on. I am learning to love myself and accept myself, and take pride in who I am. But not all of us have the support to do that. I blog about mental health for those people.

Join the movement! Become a blogger for mental health 2014 by going to the original post here: http://acanvasoftheminds.com/2014/01/07/blog-for-mental-health-2014/