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Category: Health and Wellness

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

Top Tips to Reducing Stress

Stress, whether caused by a major crisis or something minor, is something most of us have experienced at some point in our lives. While for some it’s not often, for others it’s a daily occurrence. Since it’s something most of us go through, we need to learn how to effectively manage stress.

Even the happiest people on the planet experience some amount of stress. It’s not the stress that’s necessarily the problem, it’s how they move through it.

The body is beautifully designed to manage acute stress (for example, jumping out of harm’s way if a car is coming towards you). When stress is chronic and prolonged however, that’s when it becomes toxic and burdens the body. So since there will always be some amount of stress in your life, how can you manage it more effectively?

Try these tips:

     1. Do some physical exercise. (Check with your doctor first). While it might seem contradictory to combat stress with physical exercise, exerting your body appropriately can help you manage stress.

  • Whether it’s the rhythmic movement of a walk to allow you to decompress, or hitting a punching bag to release the pent-up emotions, exercise is a powerful way to reduce stress while elevating your mood as well.
  • Exercise can relieve brain fog, relieve stress, and help you feel more in control of your emotions. A good exercise routine can also support quality sleep, which is important for stress management.
  • To begin exercising, you might try taking a walk, doing some yoga poses, lifting weights, or taking a class. Once you find something you like, make it a regular part of your routine.
  • You’ll find that the positive effects on your health, mind, and mood will make exercising a stress-relieving activity you look forward to.

     2. Focus on your breathing. A simple task like focusing on your breathing can quickly calm you down and help rebalance the nervous system. Focus on breathing in and out. Count how many seconds it takes for one inhalation and exhalation.

  • At first, this might sound like an easy goal. But you may be surprised that it can be challenging to concentrate on your breathing. Like anything else, it gets easier the more you practice.
  • The best thing about breathing is that you can do it anywhere and at any time. I mean, you’re breathing anyway, right? It won’t make you feel uncomfortable if people are around because no one will know what you’re doing.

3. Limit caffeine. Caffeinated drinks are causes of stress for many people. Caffeine has a stimulant effect that creates anxiety for some and causes them to feel jittery.

  • Instead of drinking coffee, try drinking decaffeinated tea in the morning or herbal tea at night. The herbs in tea have calming properties, helping you relax and fall asleep.
  • And although you may feel tempted to drink several cups of coffee during the day, best to stop drinking anything caffeinated by noon to ensure it won’t disrupt your sleep.

Top Tips to Reducing Stress

4. Spend time with those you love. Your social support system can have a major positive effect, helping you deal with your stress. If you don’t currently surround yourself with loving and supportive people, reach out and build stronger connections.

  • Closeness and connection releases oxytocin, a hormone that promotes feelings of calm and relaxation.
  • Spending time with those you love also allows for time for love and laughter. Laughing is great to combat stress and a good belly laugh will work your abs too!

5. Supplement appropriately. Toxic, unmanaged stress creates a continual demand for your adrenals to output cortisol-the stress hormone. Over time, this creates symptoms, illnesses, and conditions. Rebalance your adrenals and create a sense of calm by supplementing appropriately.

Managing stress is about finding healthy ways to handle an appropriate amount of stress while finding other ways to reduce, eliminate and/or delegate whatever is creating a sense of overload. Only you know what’s important for you to handle and what you may be better off letting go of. And, while it may be hard to seek support when stress levels get too high, it’s important for your health, well-being, and sanity.

Dr. Debi

Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

The Power of Consistency

While many believe that knowledge is power, knowledge is only powerful when it’s consistently applied. Consistency may be the most important component of success. Seeing the results of that consistency may be easy to see with areas like finances and health, but they’re also adding up when it comes to changes in your thinking that leads to healing a betrayal and shattered trust. A small step forward each day adds up to a lot of mileage over time.

Are the little things you do each day in regards to your actions, habits, and behaviors adding up to something positive? Or have you noticed that not only is there no forward movement, but there’s been a slow and progressive slipping backwards?

With consistent action over the next 10 or 20 years, what could you accomplish? Five workouts each week/ 5 days per week equals 1300 workouts in 1 year! Five minutes of meditation each day over the course of a few years can add up to… a lot of meditation. You get the idea.

Are your consistent behaviors helping or harming?

Use the power of consistency to enhance your success:

  1. If you re-lived today for the next 10 years, where would you end up? If you saved just a small amount of money each day, you’d have many thousands of dollars if not more saved within a few years. If you overeat slightly each day, you’d eventually be many sizes larger than you are now.
  • An effective way to predict your success is to examine your average day and project the likely outcome into the future. An hour each night spent practicing the piano would give different results versus spending an extra hour watching TV.
  • Your teeth aren’t clean because you brushed them for an hour straight. They’re clean because you brushed them for 3 minutes for 3,000 days straight.
  • Consider where your daily habits and behaviors are leading you financially, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and physically. Where are your habits leading you?
  1. Realize that many changes in life come slowly. While some people advocate taking massive action to see massive results, that strategy can be difficult to apply and maintain.
  • Consider something like weight loss for example. You can’t lose 25 pounds in a day. Small changes occur to your weight each day. Those small, regular changes to your habits, beliefs, and behavior about food and eating add up to impressive results.
  • Building a great company, the perfect body, or a great relationship all take time and consistency.
  1. Consistency requires habits and discipline. Use your discipline to develop useful habits. Use that discipline to get to the root of your beliefs and changing them because changing your beliefs will result in changing your habits.
  2. Learn to act in the moment. The greatest barrier to consistency is the belief that you can postpone an action to another day. Each day has the power to bring you closer to your goals. Each day lost is lost forever. You’ve probably heard that “someday” isn’t a day on the calendar.
  • The only real discipline required is the discipline to act right now.
  1. Have reasonable expectations. When your time horizon is unrealistic, it’s not easy to be consistent. When you ask too much of yourself too soon, it’s just as challenging. Be positive and enthusiastic, but be reasonable. Put your focus on regular and consistent improvement. Perfection isn’t required. I’ve also heard that we overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in 3 years so set an expectation factoring in those 2 ideas.
  2. Use reminders or triggers in your environment to encourage consistency. Think about the things that you do every day that could serve as reminders. Getting dressed, starting your car, and turning out the light each night are a few examples.
  • Each night you turn out the light, you could visualize your goals. After getting dressed, you could grab your gratitude journal for a few minutes of journaling and getting centered.

The Power of Consistency

What you do once in a while doesn’t impact your life significantly. Rather, it’s what you do consistently. Consistency is a major predictor of success in any endeavor whether it’s in the realm of health, work, relationships and more. Develop habits and routines that guarantee success by changing them at the level of belief. Consistent behaviors determine your outcomes, so choose behaviors that drive you towards exactly what you want.

 

Dr. Debi
Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

Categories
Culture Growth Health and Wellness Human Resources Leadership

Ask Katherine: My kids won’t stand up for themselves

Dear Katherine,

My children are the targets of bullying on social media. These bullies make up rumors and spread lies about my kids, and I can see the effects of this cruelty weighing on them.

I have ideas for confronting the bullies, but my kids don’t want to talk about the situation at all.
I want to get through to them and offer guidance, but I’ve hit a real roadblock.
What can I do?

Sincerely,
On Their Side

Hey there, On Their Side.

My heart goes out to you–dealing with bullying is hard for kids and parents alike. I’m reading two primary concerns in your message: that you want your children to open up to you more and that they’re not standing up for themselves.

Let’s address each one:

  1. Getting your children to open up to you

First and foremost, you need to find a way to get through to your kids and address the bullying. The best way is to employ your active listening skills. If they’re still resisting your attempts to communicate, show them that you empathize with what they’re going through.

Acknowledge how hard these conversations are for them and that they’re in a crummy situation. Assure your kids that you understand their side — including their hesitancy to stand up for themselves.

After you’ve demonstrated that you’re an understanding parent, move on to a protective use of force. Your kids’ well-being and reputation are at stake, and they shouldn’t allow this problem to go on without trying to handle it. You can assert yourself without coming off as angry or demanding. Try saying something like. . .

“I can tell this situation is really hard for you because you don’t even want to talk to me about it. But I can’t just leave it alone because your reputation and well-being are on the line. I love you too much to allow you to forsake those things because you want to avoid a difficult conversation.”

  1. Encouraging your children to be more assertive

Now we can move on to your next concern: How can you help your kids be more assertive? The answer is simple: Model the behavior you wish to see.

Young children can’t practice what they don’t observe. If your kids witness you standing up for yourself, they’ll be able to replicate that behavior.

Ask Katherine: My kids won’t stand up for themselves

Parent-child communication helps here, too. Talk to your children about the difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness. Explain that being assertive means using I-statements, like “I feel” and “I need.” In contrast, aggressive behavior is associated with you-statements, like “You’re mean.”

I wish you the best as you navigate this challenging time in your kids’ lives. You sound like a genuinely supportive parent. With your help, your children will be able to confront this issue and eventually overcome it.

Love and Blessings,

Katherine

 

 

Categories
Culture Growth Health and Wellness Human Resources Leadership

Practical Advice for Any Parenting Challenge

Parenting is a constant learning curve. Just when you’ve finally resolved one issue, your kids grow up! And another challenge arises.

No matter where you are in your parenting journey, we’re here to support you. To make things easy, we curated some of our most popular blog posts to help you through any difficult situation. 

Sit back, relax, and choose a topic that speaks to you to start creating a happier and healthier relationship with your kids.

 

Best of Pandemic Parenting

5 Reasons Your Family Needs a Daily Routine

5 Tips to Handle School From Home This Spring

How to Help Your Child Navigate a Not So Normal Holiday Season

”Boo!” Said a Ghost From 6 Feet Away

7 Ways to Help Your Child Through the Pandemic

Best of Conflict Resolution

Dear Katherine: My Two Girls Are in Competition Over Everything

What’s Fair About a Chocolate Bar?

Dear Katherine: My Son and His Stepfather Are No Longer Speaking

3 Steps to Defuse Any Fight With Your Kid

The Real Reason Your Child Doesn’t Listen to You 

 

Best of Monitoring Screen Time

How to Keep Your Kid’s Screen Time (and Your Sanity!) from Spiralling Out of Control

Worried About Your Child’s Video Game Habits?

 

Best of Parenting Myth Busters

Busting the “Bad Kid” Myth Once and For All

Are You Raising a Spoiled Child?

 

Best of Co-Parenting

Should Parents Always Present a United Front?

How to Become an Awesome Parenting Partner

 

Best of Stress Release

Are You Stressed? Your Kids Are Probably Feeling It Too

Feeling Anxious? This Can Help

 

If you need additional support, you’ve come to the right place. Join the Conscious Parenting Revolution private Facebook group for even more community!  And you can join Tuesday Tips for Parents every week on Tuesday at 6:10 pm Pacific time when Katherine, Lauren, and Nam stream into the private Facebook group live and offer Tuesday Tips for Parents.  Come and join us!  Ask your questions in the comments box and we will address them.

Categories
Culture Growth Health and Wellness

Ask Katherine: What If I’m Not Perfect?

Dear Katherine,

My husband and I are working on our parenting and have realized that many of the changes that need to occur in our family start with us. 

We have much to learn about our own needs and behaviors, but as we put in the work, how realistic is it for us to expect our children to manage their own emotions and needs?

Is it possible to raise children to stop the behaviors we don’t like, even if we sometimes exhibit them ourselves? 

Sincerely,

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Hi there, Do As I Say, Not As I Do, Great question! On some level, I believe every parent hopes that their children will be better versions of themselves.

Unfortunately, the reality is that children—especially young ones—can’t be what they don’t see. They have no frame of reference for it.

Pexels Mikhail Nilov 6964102

You’re right to recognize that much of the work of conscious parenting is more about parents than children. You need to do the work of untangling your ingrained beliefs around approaching conflict, dealing with emotions, and understanding trauma, so you can help your children do the same.

This work can—and should—take place concurrently. You don’t have to be a perfect parent to have a wonderful relationship with your kids!

When you acknowledge that you’re exhibiting the same behaviors you’re guiding your kids away from, be honest with them about it and have a moment of reflection together. Try saying something like. . .

Pexels August De Richelieu 4262424 1

“I’m so sorry that you have to see me behaving like this. Sometimes despite my best efforts, I mess up. You’re allowed to mess up, too. But let’s talk about why it happened so we can both move on.”

Kids need you to be the best version of yourself to become the best version of themselves—and that process involves communication and accountability.

It’s a lot of pressure, but the good news is that you can get there as a family. Take the time you need to work on yourself. If it means carving out time just for you, that’s alright. Becoming a part of the Conscious Parenting Revolution is a phenomenal start.

I believe in your capacity to lead by example for your kids. Confident parenting is within your reach!

Love and Blessings,

Katherine

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness Leadership

Our Corporate Drinking Culture: Where the Boardroom and Social Meet

Corporate culture is so much more than parties and snacks, but it is also that too. Maybe it’s time to rethink how, as leaders, we lead the way for our corporate social culture. After all, what happens in the office party does spill into the boardroom and overflows into the rest of the corporate culture – it is inevitable. There is no invisible wall between the two, any more than there is between the silos in our departments that we try to break down.

Every day I speak to busy stressed executives. They are concerned about how much they drink. They try to moderate the amount of alcohol they consume, and often struggle to do so effectively. When it comes to corporate social events, their concerns are multiplied.

Much of our society revolves unquestioningly around alcohol, and it’s time that we ask ourselves whether our corporate social culture does as well. At the very least we should make an intelligent and informed decision about the role that alcohol plays in our corporate culture. Perhaps we should also question the relationship we have with addictive substances and behaviors generally.

There are two worlds when it comes to alcohol, and they couldn’t be more different. There is the bravado of the social elixir which few stop to question, and then there are the hushed tones as some gather at a coffee machine zoom to ask whether senior executive A, or vice president B has a problem ‘handling their drink’ or are ‘overdoing it’.

We have a blind spot. It’s no one’s fault. And the blind spot lies right between the bravado and the hushed tones.

As a leader and strategic thinker, it’s my job to expose those blind spots, shine a torch, offer some focus, and open up the discussion, so that both sides of the alcohol world meet in the middle where the truth resides.

The Alcohol Blind Spot

The blind spot is that over 12% of all of the executives have a problem with alcohol and the percentage is higher when we add in other addictive drugs and substances. In a report in Global Advances in Health and Medicine, over 98% of executives surveyed suffered from stress, and over 50% of executives reported having a high-stress level.

There is a direct link between addictive behavior, stress, and being a highly motivated individual. The truth is that highly motivated people become highly motivated drinkers, albeit it that they are high functioning and problems may be well hidden. That is the way the science of our biology works. Addiction cannot exist without motivation. The cycle of stress and feelings of lack motivate us to try to fill the void, and alcohol and nicotine, for example, hijack our natural motivational biology.

The end result is a taboo issue that leads to guilt, shame, and internal struggles. It leads to a loss of self-esteem and more stress.

People get addicted to addictive substances, and that is inevitable. It is certainly not the fault of the individuals who seek to relieve stress or feel better at the end of the day. It is, however, the responsibility of those same individuals to open their eyes to the problem and to seek change. It is also the responsibility of corporate leaders to shape the corporate culture.

The Addictive Drug of Choice

Alcohol is a highly toxic, highly addictive, psychoactive drug. A study published by the World
Heart Federation in January 2022 clearly states this as does WebMD in the same month as it summarizes findings.

“The portrayal of alcohol as necessary for a vibrant social life has diverted attention from the harms of alcohol use, as have the frequent and widely publicized claims that moderate drinking, such as a glass of red wine a day, can offer protection against cardiovascular disease,” Monika Arora, member of the WHF advocacy committee and co-author of the brief, said in a news release.

“These claims are at best misinformed and at worst an attempt by the alcohol industry to mislead the public about the danger of their product,” Arora continued.

The content in red wine frequently reported as ‘good for you’ is resveratrol. This is also found in the skin of red grapes and blueberries, but without the addictive toxins that come with the main ingredient of alcohol, ethanol.

The Values of Corporate Culture

Corporate culture sets the tone for the embedded values, behaviors, and attitudes of everyone who looks forward to the organization’s future, ideally in synchronization, and inspired action.

Alcohol competes with Maslow’s hierarchy at the lowest levels. It occupied the time of those who reach for a stressed drink after work. Alcohol robs people of sleep, professional and personal effectiveness, happiness, and trusting close relationships. The worst of it is that it is diametrically opposed to the values of the individual who values authenticity, control, inner strength, and success. Alcohol wrecks lives. It wrecks businesses.

When we consider the corporate culture of our organizations, we cannot exclude the social corporate culture of our organizations. As leaders, we need to consider the foundations we set, and the values we uphold. This links directly to the authenticity with which we choose to lead our organizations and our lives.

Concerned executives, book your Calibration Call HERE

Women, join my Masterclass HERE

Collaborating colleagues, Let’s Connect

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

Why Your Body Needs to Rebalance

When you’re going through times of stress, trauma, and betrayal, your adrenals (which output cortisol) are going to have a visceral reaction. At first, your cortisol levels can go extremely high as you’re in stress mode and your body is looking to support that. There’s a demand and you’re using a tremendous amount of cortisol. It’s as if you’re running from a tiger and your body is adapting so you have the energy and stamina needed to run to safety.

Here’s what happens over time

Over time, through stress, that output is going to start to drop because the adrenal glands just can’t keep up with the demand anymore. It’s as if the tiger is no longer a threat but you’re still running because you’re sure you’re still being chased and at risk of being attacked.

The highs and lows

The high phase is going to feel like overdrive – you can’t ramp down. You probably notice this, especially at night. You want to wind down in order to have a restful night’s sleep but your mind just won’t stop racing.

The low phase is going to feel like burnout – you have no energy. This is the phase where everything feels like an effort. You feel like you’re pushing against a force that’s pushing you back as you’re trying to move forward. If you’re going up a staircase, instead of using the railing as support, you’re using it to pull you up each step. Everything feels twice as hard as it used to feel and the only thing you want to do is collapse on the couch and call it a day.

Giving the body the raw materials it needs is key and having the right combination of nutrients that can support your adrenals is crucial.

So what nutrients are needed and how do you help bring the body back into balance?

Talk to your doctor to see what’s right for you first. Here’s more about the key nutrients the body needs to help balance out the highs and lows to support your adrenals during stressful times:

Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng)– The ginseng family of herbs possesses a unique property of aiding in the regeneration and enhanced function of hypothalamic cortisol receptors, providing an amphoteric effect (can act as a base and an acid), which allows the body to better self-regulate cortisol levels. American ginseng may also improve energy levels, benefit brain function and boost the immune system. It can also help to lower blood sugar.

Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice root) – Licorice extends the serum life of cortisol, thereby lessening the demand on the adrenal cortex during stressful conditions. What does that mean and what can do for you? It helps to regulate and manage cortisol. It may also help with upper respiratory issues while reducing inflammation and digestive upset.

N-Acetyl-tyrosine–A critical building block of various neurotransmitters, thyroid hormones, and catecholamines (often depleted under chronic stress conditions). It can also act as a precursor for the important brain neurotransmitter dopamine, which impacts your energy and mood.

What are some other nutrients that are helpful to support your adrenals and the rebalance of your body, mind, and mood?

Vitamin C, pantothenic acid (B5), vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate), and vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin-5-Phosphate), all play critical roles as enzyme co-factors in the balanced production of stress hormones.

Where can you find these quality nutrients in the right amounts to help support your adrenals?

Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) is a root that can be steamed, added to teas, stir frys, soups and water.

Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice root) can be found in licorice- no, this isn’t an excuse to head out to the candy aisle of your favorite supermarket or candy store!

N-Acetyl-tyrosine is found in protein such as fish and turkey. Also in dairy such as cheese, yogurt and milk (organic is best if using dairy at all). It can also be found in pumpkin and sesame seeds, avocados, and more.

You can also find it in Rebalance. Check out Rebalance here:

While our bodies are beautifully adapted to respond to a stressful situation, we overly tax our bodies when the message isn’t conveyed that it’s time to rebalance because the thread is over. Through breathing, meditation, journaling, adrenal support and other lifestyle changes, it’s time to let the body know that the threat is over and healing is underway.

Dr. Debi
Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

Embrace Serendipity – Opportunity Knocking

What do these things have in common?

You’re sitting next to someone on a plane who turns out to have a need for your services and becomes your next client or boss. Or having a spouse with a rare disease and running into a specialist at a friend’s party who happens to be the leading expert on that disease and winds up saving your partner’s life. Or buying a lottery ticket from a store that’s about to close and having a big win. Or it could be something on a smaller scale such as having a hummingbird hover right in front of you.

These are moments of serendipity when seemingly random events occur as if by chance in a way that benefits us or brings us joy and happiness unexpectedly.

Over the past few weeks I can think of at least three experiences I had that felt like serendipity in action:

Las Vegas

I was invited to attend and speak at an event in Las Vegas on The Future of Blockchain and Web 3.0 entitled The Takeover and hosted by Real Vision, a media company I had been unfamiliar with until then. It was a highly curated event of some of the most progressive, bright, forward-thinking entrepreneurs and leaders in the space.

I met a lot of interesting and amazing people during the course of the event. But one individual and I connected pretty deeply across multiple dimensions; he was truly a kindred spirit, and we bonded instantly.

Weird things kept happening to us as if we were in our own little orbit. We’d discuss something rather abstract or obtuse, and the next thing you know someone would join us out of nowhere and bring up the topic we had just been talking about. Or we’d say a strange uncommon word and someone would show up next to us and say it right after. It was noticeably odd and this phenomenon repeated itself time and again.

We experienced the bulk of the event together from then on, and have remained connected since. That depth of connection just doesn’t happen that often. I feel like I’ve met a great new colleague, friend, and possible collaborator. Serendipity in action.

Safe Travels

Then when all the chaos was going on during the holidays with thousands of flights being canceled, I just sailed out of my home airport with ease and my arrival at my destination couldn’t have been smoother. When it was time to reverse course, my flights were delayed heading home (from two different airports), and when I arrived at the second airport, the flight departing prior to the one I was booked on, (which was delayed by a couple of hours) happened to be boarding just as I arrived at the gate — and I was able to hop on and secure a preferred seat near the front. I felt like I was being looked after and treated with kid gloves. It was all so seamless.

An Old Friend Reunited

I was recently running an errand and was led to take a detour down a side street I never go down where a childhood friend lives that I’d been estranged from for 20 years. She happened to be outside in front of her house, which she never is, and recognized me as I was driving by. She yelled “is that you,” and I stopped. We spent three hours together catching up, which was deeply healing for us, and we are now back in each other’s lives. I’m thrilled.

Why does it seem like some people experience more serendipity than others? I guess the question is, can we prepare ourselves to find things we’re not looking for when they show up? Are these events purely random or can they be cultivated?

3 Tips for Bringing More Serendipity into Your Life

  1. Stay alert and aware — I believe there’s a certain pattern recognition you can foster within yourself that allows you to be receptive to seeing connections and opportunities that others might miss.
  2. Be receptive — If you’re curious and open-minded, you’ll naturally be operating within the realm of possibility and that tends to foster and dare I say “encourage” (and even anticipate) more of these moments arising for you. It can help to assume you have special powers that allow you to perceive opportunities like antennas that may alert you to clues (and patterns as referenced above) where you may connect the dots more readily than others.
  3. Trust your intuition and follow it — We all have a built-in guidance system that some feel is tied to a higher power (myself included), which is geared to guide us to optimal outcomes if we just honor it when it arises. The three examples I provided above are just a few ‘chance’ encounters that happen for me more consistently than not, and intuition can work for you as well if you tune in and follow where you’re being led. The right people, opportunities, and circumstances can line up in your favor when you do so; it happens to me too often to be considered random.

Give some careful thought to all of this and resolve to pay better attention moving forward. Be better prepared when opportunity knocks. Then enjoy the moments that follow.

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

Why Your Body Needs to Rebalance

When you’re going through times of stress, trauma, and betrayal, your adrenals (which output cortisol) are going to have a visceral reaction. At first, your cortisol levels can go extremely high as you’re in stress mode and your body is looking to support that. There’s a demand and you’re using a tremendous amount of cortisol. It’s as if you’re running from a tiger and your body is adapting so you have the energy and stamina needed to run to safety.

Here’s what happens over time

Over time, through stress, that output is going to start to drop because the adrenal glands just can’t keep up with the demand anymore. It’s as if the tiger is no longer a threat but you’re still running because you’re sure you’re still being chased and at risk of being attacked.

The highs and lows

The high phase is going to feel like overdrive – you can’t ramp down. You probably notice this, especially at night. You want to wind down in order to have a restful night’s sleep but your mind just won’t stop racing.

The low phase is going to feel like burnout – you have no energy. This is the phase where everything feels like an effort. You feel like you’re pushing against a force that’s pushing you back as you’re trying to move forward. If you’re going up a staircase, instead of using the railing as support, you’re using it to pull you up each step. Everything feels twice as hard as it used to feel and the only thing you want to do is collapse on the couch and call it a day.

Giving the body the raw materials it needs is key and having the right combination of nutrients that can support your adrenals is crucial.

So what nutrients are needed and how do you help bring the body back into balance?

Talk to your doctor to see what’s right for you first. Here’s more about the key nutrients the body needs to help balance out the highs and lows to support your adrenals during stressful times:

Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng)– The ginseng family of herbs possesses a unique property of aiding in the regeneration and enhanced function of hypothalamic cortisol receptors, providing an amphoteric effect (can act as a base and an acid), which allows the body to better self-regulate cortisol levels. American ginseng may also improve energy levels, benefit brain function and boost the immune system. It can also help to lower blood sugar.

Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice root) – Licorice extends the serum life of cortisol, thereby lessening the demand on the adrenal cortex during stressful conditions. What does that mean and what can do for you? It helps to regulate and manage cortisol. It may also help with upper respiratory issues while reducing inflammation and digestive upset.

N-Acetyl-tyrosine–A critical building block of various neurotransmitters, thyroid hormones, and catecholamines (often depleted under chronic stress conditions). It can also act as a precursor for the important brain neurotransmitter dopamine, which impacts your energy and mood.

What are some other nutrients that are helpful to support your adrenals and the rebalance of your body, mind, and mood?

Vitamin C, pantothenic acid (B5), vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate), and vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin-5-Phosphate), all play critical roles as enzyme co-factors in the balanced production of stress hormones.

Where can you find these quality nutrients in the right amounts to help support your adrenals?

Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) is a root that can be steamed, added to teas, stir frys, soups and water.

Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice root) can be found in licorice- no, this isn’t an excuse to head out to the candy aisle of your favorite supermarket or candy store!

N-Acetyl-tyrosine is found in protein such as fish and turkey. Also in dairy such as cheese, yogurt and milk (organic is best if using dairy at all). It can also be found in pumpkin and sesame seeds, avocados, and more.

You can also find it in Rebalance. Check out Rebalance here:

While our bodies are beautifully adapted to respond to a stressful situation, we overly tax our bodies when the message isn’t conveyed that it’s time to rebalance because the thread is over. Through breathing, meditation, journaling, adrenal support and other lifestyle changes, it’s time to let the body know that the threat is over and healing is underway.

Dr. Debi
Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

Embrace Serendipity – Opportunity Knocking

What do these things have in common?

You’re sitting next to someone on a plane who turns out to have a need for your services and becomes your next client or boss. Or having a spouse with a rare disease and running into a specialist at a friend’s party who happens to be the leading expert on that disease and winds up saving your partner’s life. Or buying a lottery ticket from a store that’s about to close and having a big win. Or it could be something on a smaller scale such as having a hummingbird hover right in front of you.

These are moments of serendipity when seemingly random events occur as if by chance in a way that benefits us or brings us joy and happiness unexpectedly.

Over the past few weeks I can think of at least three experiences I had that felt like serendipity in action:

Las Vegas

I was invited to attend and speak at an event in Las Vegas on The Future of Blockchain and Web 3.0 entitled The Takeover and hosted by Real Vision, a media company I had been unfamiliar with until then. It was a highly curated event of some of the most progressive, bright, forward-thinking entrepreneurs and leaders in the space.

I met a lot of interesting and amazing people during the course of the event. But one individual and I connected pretty deeply across multiple dimensions; he was truly a kindred spirit, and we bonded instantly.

Weird things kept happening to us as if we were in our own little orbit. We’d discuss something rather abstract or obtuse, and the next thing you know someone would join us out of nowhere and bring up the topic we had just been talking about. Or we’d say a strange uncommon word and someone would show up next to us and say it right after. It was noticeably odd and this phenomenon repeated itself time and again.

We experienced the bulk of the event together from then on, and have remained connected since. That depth of connection just doesn’t happen that often. I feel like I’ve met a great new colleague, friend, and possible collaborator. Serendipity in action.

Safe Travels

Then when all the chaos was going on during the holidays with thousands of flights being canceled, I just sailed out of my home airport with ease and my arrival at my destination couldn’t have been smoother. When it was time to reverse course, my flights were delayed heading home (from two different airports), and when I arrived at the second airport, the flight departing prior to the one I was booked on, (which was delayed by a couple of hours) happened to be boarding just as I arrived at the gate — and I was able to hop on and secure a preferred seat near the front. I felt like I was being looked after and treated with kid gloves. It was all so seamless.

An Old Friend Reunited

I was recently running an errand and was led to take a detour down a side street I never go down where a childhood friend lives that I’d been estranged from for 20 years. She happened to be outside in front of her house, which she never is, and recognized me as I was driving by. She yelled “is that you,” and I stopped. We spent three hours together catching up, which was deeply healing for us, and we are now back in each other’s lives. I’m thrilled.

Why does it seem like some people experience more serendipity than others? I guess the question is, can we prepare ourselves to find things we’re not looking for when they show up? Are these events purely random or can they be cultivated?

3 Tips for Bringing More Serendipity into Your Life

  1. Stay alert and aware — I believe there’s a certain pattern recognition you can foster within yourself that allows you to be receptive to seeing connections and opportunities that others might miss.
  2. Be receptive — If you’re curious and open-minded, you’ll naturally be operating within the realm of possibility and that tends to foster and dare I say “encourage” (and even anticipate) more of these moments arising for you. It can help to assume you have special powers that allow you to perceive opportunities like antennas that may alert you to clues (and patterns as referenced above) where you may connect the dots more readily than others.
  3. Trust your intuition and follow it — We all have a built-in guidance system that some feel is tied to a higher power (myself included), which is geared to guide us to optimal outcomes if we just honor it when it arises. The three examples I provided above are just a few ‘chance’ encounters that happen for me more consistently than not, and intuition can work for you as well if you tune in and follow where you’re being led. The right people, opportunities, and circumstances can line up in your favor when you do so; it happens to me too often to be considered random.

Give some careful thought to all of this and resolve to pay better attention moving forward. Be better prepared when opportunity knocks. Then enjoy the moments that follow.