Physician: heal thyself

holistically: holistic :)

I'm sure you've heard the saying in the title before. What do physicians do? Heal others. What do they need to do before they heal others? Heal themselves. 

The same goes for any helping professionals. Doctors, social workers (ahem!), counsellors, front-line workers, help desk employees, customer service, etc. etc. etc.: you're all in need of helping yourself first. There's another saying I'd like to throw into the mix: "an empty cup cannot fill another." It certainly goes along the same vein in that you cannot help other before you have helped yourself. If you are exhausted, drained, feeling like absolute crap, you may not be able to help someone who's rowing in the same boat.

Here's the thing: I'm exhausted. In regard to writing, I'm facing this paradox of having tonnes of content in my head but not wanting to write a word. I'd be a hypocrite if I forced myself to write when I'm really not feeling like it. After much thought, the desire built up to put words to.. screen.

I know some incredible people in my life, and they inspired me to write this. I'm no expert, but I want to lend some support and advice to those who are open to it. I know what it feels like to be on empty yet to feel pressure to perform and help others because it's "what you do." It's a nasty cycle to be in, and if you find yourself in that cycle, I hope this helps.

You may find yourself able to relate to the following situations. So, for any of you reading this, whether you're in one of the situations or not, CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK. Take a break. You may not have time to take a full-on vacation or something, but take a small mental break, and take it as often as you can. Life won't stop for you but you can stop the spiraling downward motion of hamster-wheeling it without taking any time/space for yourself.

So here's to:
-Parents: of children and/or expecting children
-People unhappy in their jobs
-People stressed out about their jobs (whether they like the jobs or not)
-People unsure of their life purpose/path
-People who are grieving
-People who have given up something huge or made a big change
-People living life (i.e. life is simply stressful sometimes)

Most of us do care for others, whether or not in a professional capacity. No matter how you care for others, you do need to take care of yourself. There's no weakness in that nor is it selfish. If you burn yourself out, you will be unable to do a damn thing for yourself, let alone for others in your life.

What kinds of mental breaks can you take?
1) A short walk -- nature helps calm everything down... unless it's hailing or tornado-ing... stay inside in those cases
2) A few belly breaths
3) A quick meditation (guided or not), through apps like Headspace or Calm -- these are available on Android devices and Apple, I believe
4) Talk to a friend or family member (most of us are lucky to have someone we can tell anything to--if you don't, consider talking to a counsellor....it's not scary, I promise...even if you're a counsellor yourself :))
5) Play a video game
6) Play a mental health game masked as a regular video game called Superbetter
7) Make some tea, have some coconut water, make some hot chocolate, or eat something delicious (Nutellaaaaaaaaaa)
8) Do a body scan (start with sitting comfortably, and bring awareness to each part of your body...you may feel silly at first but this is a deceptively effective technique to help you relax)
9) SAY NO: I have trouble with this one, but you're going to disappoint people in your life, so get used to it. Say no to things you don't want to do. Most of the time, you'll feel better. I promise.
10) Hug a furbaby. Or a stuffed animal. or a tree, or a reptile if you prefer reptiles.

HUGS EVERYONE.

Zee's, Zed's--however you say it, it's one of my favourite things!

holistically: physical

"What the heck is she talking about?!" (I assume you're asking yourself.)

Glad you asked! I'm talking about sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep (or "sleep," as it's better known).

Before he passed, my dad used to say that being tired makes everything feel worse. As a kid, I didn't really understand it, nor did I think being tired applied to anything worthwhile in life. I pretty much thought that I could eat, sleep, play, sing, dance, pull heads off of Barbies (not my proudest moments) when I felt like it. Nap time? Who wants that as a child?!

Now, as an adult, I can recall many times when my mom told me that very same thing and how true it has felt over the years. Being tired sucks (for lack of a better term)! I crave naps, or simply a good, hearty sleep for more than 5 hours.

But how much sleep do we actually need as humans**? It's a topic that has been debated, refuted re-instated (as you'll see in the various sources below). Obviously, there is no "one size fits all" for humans. There are general guidelines, though, especially when Science is involved. Take ASAPScience, for example: these guys use Science to teach audience members/viewers about common-interest topics in a researched, valid way. They actually did a video on sleep, entitled "How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need?" (appropriate topic, non?).

Through research , they help viewers discover how much sleep is ideal for certain levels of functioning. Note that I did not say "how much sleep is needed by all....period." While simple, the research method used in the video helps us to understand that various amounts of sleep will have various effects on our brain, affect (mood), and basic functioning. This certainly sparked my interest and I do keep it in mind when I go to bedfordshire.

Being asleep is great and all, but what if you can't fall (or stay?!) asleep? Stress (along with other basic factors) affects sleep, falling asleep, and staying asleep. I believe that's a pretty well-known idea, but it's worth re-stating. It is easy to forget or to not think of simpler, "every-day" reasons for uncomfortable, annoying problems (like insomnia). Having trouble falling or staying asleep is potentially quite detrimental to your holistic health (mind, body, spirit). As stated above, insomnia, having trouble falling asleep, and/or staying asleep all affect your mind, body, and mood (and spirit). (For more information on insomnia and its effects, you may click here or here).

Have you ever had those nights where you are so tired so you lie down, fully expecting to fall asleep, and then stay awake for 30 minutes...1 hour...drift off for a bit then wake up again? How unpleasant. What the heck can you do if that's a frequent situation?

Well, for starters, go see a doctor if you have not done so in months. It's always wise to rule out any organic issues via blood tests, asking questions, and advocating for your own health. If everything returns "normal" but you're still having troubles sometimes, there are some simple tips that have worked for myself, and plenty of articles out there with recipes for falling asleep effectively.

Ashley's tips:

• DARKNESS: who can identify with noticing the subtle glow from their cellphone, the more glaring glow from an alarm clock, the unhealthy glow creeping in from the crack between the window and curtain while going to bed at night? I ended up buying an eye mask (from Amazon Canada) to help me sleep better. And it helps! I don't use the ear plus included, but that's up to you :) 
• MEDITATION: ok. I almost cringe when I see this listed anywhere, too, because it does sound like a buzzword these days. Please trust me that it does work! As stated in the previous post, using a quick, simple 10 minute guided meditation before bed works wonders. If I'm super stressed, doing 2 in a row is magical. I lie there, in the dark and breathe. The trick is that if your mind wanders at all, to simply notice those thoughts, say "thanks for that" to your thoughts, then focus back on your breathing. Again, my fave meditations to use are by Positive Magazine. 
• SOOTHING SOUNDS: crickets by the lake, waves, rain falling, waterfalls, white noise--whatever you find soothing, there's likely a Youtube video or an app for that! 
• BE DILIGENT but SUPER KIND TO YOURSELF: If you know you have to get up at 6am, aim (as best you can) to get to bed by 9:45ish to try to fall asleep for 10pm. This is if you know you do well with 8 hours. Try with 7 hours for a week first, if 8 hours is just not feasible. If you're a morning workout person, please be kind to yourself. You need energy in order to work out. You can harm yourself and actually set yourself back if you work out when you're exhausted. No, that doesn't mean skip your workouts or some form of exercise all week, but don't push yourself if you're already exhausted. Know thyself :) Forgive thyself. 
• AWESOME PILLOW: the fiancé and I bought memory foam pillows (example). We bought ours from Groupon, but I'm sure there are lots of choices out there. They claim to do backflips and miracles. We find them to be supportive on the neck, head, and help with improving back alignment. As someone who has low back issues, the pillow has been a great help. My previous pillow was much too soft and bothered my shoulders because of it. 

Other tips***:

• Shut off electronics 
• Make sure your room is a comfy temperature (not too hot, not too cold) 
• LAY OFF CAFFEINE....in the afternoon/evening, anyway 
• LAY OFF ALCOHOL....right before bed 
• Try not to smoke too close to bedtime, too (the nicotine can keep you from sleeping right away) 
• Do some puzzles or mental exercises (math, Su Doku, word searches) 
• Wear socks (but again, make sure your room temperature is comfortable) 

NOTE and DISCLAIMER:

If you're having serious issues falling asleep every night, taking medications to help you sleep, falling asleep at work/school, feeling sick all the time... GO BACK TO YOUR DOCTOR. Please advocate for yourself or bring a trusted friend with you to the doctor to help you ask questions. There could be serious problems that are causing your insomnia and keeping you from sleeping. For a simple, comprehensive list of potential causes for insomnia, please click on the Sleep Foundation's article.

On a more fun note, I sincerely encourage you to check out ASAPScience's other videos. They are seriously educational and more importantly, enjoyable :).

SOURCES:

**http://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
**http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/adult-sleep-needs-and-habits
**http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.htm
**http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-christopher-winter/sleep_b_2084339.html

***http://www.livescience.com/35920-tips-for-good-sleep.html
***http://lifehacker.com/what-should-i-do-when-i-cant-fall-asleep-1533434286