TIPS AND TOOLS FOR SUCCESS FOR THE LIVE WELL KITSAP TRANSFORMATION EVENT

WEEK 5. BRAIN HEALTH

PRO TIPS FROM THE LWK TEAM

 

RE: AN OVERVIEW OF BRAIN HEALTH:

Our brain is “command central”. The better functioning brain we have the better life we have and the fewer challenges we’ll likely have in work, learning, memory, relationships etc.

The Goal of this week is to help bring awareness of the brain habits you have- both the ones that may be hurting you and the ones that may be helping you.   The 7 daily Challenge Activities were chosen to bring awareness of small things you can do to help yourself take care of your brain and focus on cultivating helpful and healthy brain habits. 

 

RE: LEARNING NEW THINGS

Learning new things no matter how old we are is a great thing to do for our brain. Even changing up the way we do things- which hand we use to brush our teeth, or which way we drive to work or the store is good for our brain. Consider learning a new language, a musical instrument, or even reading a good book to help your brain function well. 

 

RE: USE OF SCREENS

Research is telling us that too many of us (and our children) are spending too much time on screens in general but especially on video games etc.  Our brain and eyes need time away from screens.  Use this weeks challenge to cultivate more time outside, playing games or interacting in ways that move the whole family off of screens. See if you might challenge yourself this week to only use your phone or computer for work or school purposes and replace screen time with something better for your brain.

RE: FOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN

Our brain needs good healthy food to function at its best. Use this week to focus on eating closer to nature and further from the factory. Our brain needs some sugar, but most of us feed our body and brain way more sugar than what is needed. To the degree possible use one or more days to consider replacing sugary or junk food snacks with veggies and good sources of protein like eggs, fish, beans, nuts or legumes. Nut butters like almond butter go great with crackers or apple slices for a healthy and tasty snack. A brain that is fed good nutritious food is a brain that will likely function better!

 

RE: YOUR THINKING/ THOUGHTS

Part of engaging in good brain healthy habits is to practice awareness of your thinking. This week see how many negative thoughts you might “catch” and then replace with thoughts that are more accurate and therefore more beneficial. Notice when your thoughts creep over into anxious or worrisome thoughts. Instead of letting them run amok, call a friend, journal, take a walk, pray or simply tell yourself another thought that is more accurate and beneficial. Consult help from a professional counselor, life coach or therapist if this is a pervasive problem and you believe you need some assistance in this area.

 

 

HOW TO USE THE TRANSFORMATION THIS WEEK- OPTIONS AND POSSIBILITIES:

 

Do the Transformation just how it is laid out- one challenge activity per day.

If that feels overwhelming, pick just one or two of the daily challenges and focus on doing them each day.

 

MAKE THE TRANSFORMATION WORK FOR YOU!  EACH DAY IS AN IDEA AND A SUGGESTION OF WHAT YOU MIGHT DO. MODIFY TO FIT YOUR NEEDS AND GOALS. 

 

By the end of the week, consider how one of the daily transformation activities if repeated and became habit might help you accomplish a health goal. Decide which activity and then put it in your calendar as a regular appointment/activity.  

 

Be sure to touch base with your A/E buddy regularly or as often as the two of you have agreed upon.

 

Find a small way to reward yourself for completing Week 5 of the Live Well Kitsap Transformation Event!

 

You may choose to track or journal your experiences from the week, and /or share with us in the Live Well Kitsap forum. Take some pics and share with us what you did this week!