transcript 9: reducing stress and maintaining a positive ... · reducing stress and maintaining a...

Transcript 9:

Reducing Stress and Maintaining a Positive Mental Outlook

© www.BetterEatingforLife.com

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Introductory Video:

Stress, we all have it. Stress is part of everyone’s daily life in some shape or form. Stress can be grouped into

two major categories including physical and psychological.

First is physical. A car is coming straight at you, your community is threatened from raging wild fires, you feel

crowded and hot on the bus going to work, or you experience pain from an illness or injury.

The second major kind of stress is psychological - either real or imagined. When we know we don’t have the

money to pay for our children’s college education that is a very real concern. When we work long hours, under

poor working conditions, it is really truly stressful. Moving, divorce, and taking care of a sick loved one, are all

legitimately, real, stressful experiences.

On the other hand, fear of taking a one story escalator at the mall, for no apparent reason, would be considered

an imagined threat.

At different times in our lives we experience different types of stress. For example, adolescence and menopause

can both be challenge times for many people. When we are threatened by poor nutrition, insomnia, chronic

illness, injuries, and aging we suffer from psychological stress. The most important thing to remember about

stress, is that how we respond to it, is the key.

We all know what it feels like when we suffer from short term stress. We experience headache, fatigue, muscle

tension, upset stomach, difficulty sleeping, and irritability. Long term stress feels so much worse. People under

this kind of stress experience depression, high blood pressure, abnormal heart beats, heart disease, heart burn,

ulcers, weight gain or loss, worsening of asthma and arthritis, as well as annoying acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

The classic responses to stress are fight, flight, or freeze. For example, if a car is barreling down at you, either

you get out of the way, or get hit. The action you take is dependent upon the threat you perceive. How close is

that car? If the threat is more health related, like a chronic illness, we have the option of fighting it, with

behavior changes and intentional thinking, or not doing anything and the chronic disease getting worse. If we

have some level of confidence that we can do something, we can fight it, we are in better shape to deal with it.

Our thoughts do matter. This session is about how we can fight the stress that ails us. Topics include:

Health benefits of a positive mental outlook

Cardiovascular disease and depression

Food and our mood

Drugs and therapy

Goal setting and intentional thinking

Altruism or helping others

Quick tips for positive progress

Self-talk and that

Failure is not the end of the world

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This session lasts about one hour. I will pop back in two additional times to recap important points. I’m sure

you have reviewed the questions for reflection and discussion first. Now get that notebook ready and let’s dive

into a common and challenging subject for us all.

Power Point Slides:

2. First let’s talk about some parameters regarding this topic of reducing stress and maintaining a positive

mental outlook. We will touch upon depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and ordinary everyday stress,

something many of us experience at some point in our life. During this presentation, I am focusing on the type

of everyday mental/emotional distress we experience, not the kind where we are institutionalized for months or

completely unable to function in society. It is a matter of degree really. But depression and anxiety are very

common and most of us experience daily stress as well. Post-traumatic stress is a bit different so we will address

it separately. Life is complicated. Many of us live with major, important, legitimate, challenging concerns.

There are things we can do about it though and that’s why I want to share this information with you. The goal is

to do the best we can and to simply focus on progress and not perfection.

Professor Martin Seligman, who is the founder of Positive Psychology, uses the term flourish, which I love

because it is all about being strong, thriving, and blooming. Other additional aspects include the feelings of

optimism, resilience, vitality, self-determination, and positive self-esteem. All good stuff.

This session is about more than just minimizing suffering and pain, this is about flourishing with a healthy

lifestyle, and a few strategies we can use to bolster our well-being, which is a major component of a healthy

life.

3. Let’s start with the end in mind. What is well-being? What do we mean and what exactly are we working

toward anyway? While everyone has different ideas of what constitutes a good life, there is a framework

Professor Seligman uses at University of Pennsylvania that we can use to think about it. Let’s start with this

framework called PERMA

P is for positive emotion, it is that feeling of goodness, comfort, joy, and pleasure, not necessarily just

the happy, chipper, cheerful kind, but more generally to include all positive emotions

E is for engagement which refers to how connected we are with what we do, how we spend our time.

Are we ever lost in a hobby like painting, playing cards, or making digital videos so much that time

flies and we are totally absorbed? Do we love our work and spend hours totally in the flow of our

employment and profession? Engagement refers to being really immersed, focused and pleased with that

time well spent.

R is for relationships. We are social beings. We need other people and other people need us.

Interestingly, other people have more to do with our mood than we may think as we will discuss shortly.

M is for meaningful, or believing and serving something larger than ourselves.

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A is for achievement, that is the success, winning, the accomplishment, or mastery for its own sake that

so many of us strive for. When we do something well, we usually want to do more of it and keep the

good feelings coming in.

I would add that our feelings of good health enhance our feelings of well-being. When we don’t feel well

physically, we suffer mentally and emotionally. We all do. For eons, people have said that health is a source of

our happiness. Our health influences our state of wellbeing both positively and negatively.

4. Is there an upside to anger, depression or anxiety? Yes! Think of a mama bear and her cub, when someone

gets between her and her cub she is angry! When we defend our families, our land, our jobs, our community or

our rights we are powerful, righteous warriors for justice! The emotions of anger depression and anxiety offer

us a message to change something in our lives. They can be good indicators for a healthy, smart, change of

action. If the colonists were not angry at the British, we would not have had the American Revolution. If a

woman feels angry because her boss humiliates her, she can look for another job, and get rid of her boss. If a

man has lost his beloved son, he can mourn. If I am preparing to fly to another city, have I planned well enough

to get to my flight on time? Some anger, depression can be considered healthy. How we respond to it is key.

Anger tells us that evil and danger are approaching, we must strike out and get rid of it.

Anxiety tells us trouble is waiting. Are we ready for it? Have we planned enough?

Depression tells us we have lost something and we must mourn.

“Bad Weather” on the inside is often a normal part of life.

Sometimes, however, these emotions lose their purpose and take over. Ask: Is it irrational? Am I

paralyzed into non-action? How intense is it? That is how we determine if our feelings are normal, or

need some assistance to get back on track.

5. The Mayo Clinic takes health very seriously. Researchers there continue to explore the effects of positive

thinking and optimism on health. Many of us believe that our physical and mental health are connected. When

we enjoy a more positive mental outlook we also enjoy:

Increased life span,

Lower rates of depression,

Lower levels of distress,

Greater resistance to the common cold,

Better psychological and physical well-being,

Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and

Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress.

The Massachusetts General Hospital also reminds us that prolonged stress is linked to brain atrophy or

weakening, inflammation, problems sleeping, poor memory, weakened immunity, accelerated aging, damage to

nerve cells, obesity, coronary artery disease, stroke, and cancer. Oh my! Clearly, we all need to learn how to

reduce stress to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

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6. Positive thinking is a thinking skill ~ Optimism matters! I love this photo from Global Lingo dot com, the site

defines typically untranslatable words into English. Ikigai is a wonderful word because it blends optimism with

altruism, thus adding meaning to our lives. The caption reads, Ikigai gives us a reason to get up in the morning,

a reason to live. When we are engaged with what we do, are fully on, that enables us to feel pleased with our

efforts which builds our sense of positivity. In several studies in Japan, people with high rates of ikigai have

much lower rates of mortality from cardio vascular and heart diseases.

Positive thinking is not mindless positive thinking, it is not Pollyannaish at all. It is the concept that we use our

minds to help us navigate a complicated world. We use our mind to assist us to plan, organize, and respond to

thoughts instead of being paralyzed or drowning in negatively. Positive thinking is a learned skill.

Why does it matter so much? Well, optimists take charge and often have healthier lifestyles, they believe their

actions matter, and they are not helpless and will continue to try. These are learned attributes that require

intentional strategies, as we continue to discuss in this session.

In one study, 8 years after first heart attack, 12 the men died of second heart attack. The difference was level of

pessimism vs. optimism.

In a study of 1,300 veterans, greater optimism protected men while less optimism weakened men at risk for

CVD or cardiovascular disease.

Lastly, researchers followed 97,000 women for 8 years: the top 25% of optimists had 30 % fewer heart disease

deaths than the bottom 25% of pessimists.

7. Let’s speak specifically about cardiovascular disease and depression. Physicians are now asking that

depression be added to the official list of risk factors, along with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension

Because new research indicates that yes indeed heart disease is both the cause and result of depression.

Both can lead to feelings of fatigue, physical inactivity, and poor medication compliance.

Physically, both conditions include elevated levels of inflammation, increased blood clotting, higher levels of

stress hormones, changes in insulin, higher blood pressure, higher cholesterol levels, sleep problems, negative

changes to artery walls, and impairment of the autonomic nervous system.

8. Continuing our conversation about CVD, (cardiovascular disease) and depression. This painting by Vincent

Van Gogh shows us how depression feels. When we have just been diagnosed with a heart condition, have had

a heart attack or stroke, it is legitimately terrifying! Depression adds fuel to the heart disease fire.

Behaviorally, both conditions are often manifested by poor diet, smoking, substance abuse, social isolation,

physical inactivity, and overall poor management of personal health. Remember, as a person attempting a

positive change, to always reach out to friends and family, online and in person, and get help to overcome the

negative effects of any serious and scary diagnoses. Let loved ones know that you are going through a hard

time. This is a paradox however because often when we feel terrible we do not want to reach out.

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Depression, anxiety, and any chronic disease require professional help. Life style changes go a long way for

most conditions. Eat a healthy whole food, plant based diet, exercise, stay socially involved, reduce stress, and

sleep an appropriate amount of time.

9. Mental health professionals can help you alleviate feelings of excessive fear, despair, sadness, even suicide.

If you or a person you know is suicidal get professional help now - this very minute. Seriously, drop everything

and help that person NOW. Call them, email them, and go to them. If you are worried about someone act upon

it don’t just sit there.

Call the suicide hotline 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) hotline - if you need help helping your friend. You

can also text the word “ANSWER to 839 863 and get help too. Texting for help is becoming more and more

popular, especially among young people, and any thoughts of suicide are not to be ignored.

10. We are not alone. Depression and anxiety disorders exist in the general public. We are not going to talk at

length about these disorders, but instead focus on creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which includes a

positive mental outlook along with whole food, plant based nutrition, exercise, and a reduction of stress. I just

wanted to point out how common these disorders really are. This has affected our family and I know how

challenging it can be, but also know these feelings can be alleviated, lightened, with modification and a healthy

lifestyle.

I think we all agree that most people feel anxious or depressed at times. Losing a loved one, getting fired from a

job, going to college and living away from home for the first time, financial insecurity, conflict at home such as

going through a divorce, and other difficult situations can lead a person to feel sad, lonely, scared, nervous, or

anxious. These feelings are normal reactions to life's stressors.

But some people experience these feelings of sadness and loss of interest daily, making it difficult to carry on

with normal, everyday functioning. These people may have an anxiety disorder, depression, or both. Lifestyle

choices can help.

Not uncommon for someone with an anxiety disorder to also suffer from depression or vice versa.

Both disorders are treatable, separately and together.

18% of the US population suffers from anxiety disorders, more than I had initially thought.

The lifetime risk for a major depressive event is 17%. That means out of 100 people, 17 of us have a

chance of being really majorly depressed at least once in our life. The Center for Disease control writes

that one out of ten people show signs for mild to moderate depression.

11. Let’s briefly talk about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and personal growth. And then talk about

what works to relieve all these distressing feelings.

Whether due to a natural disaster like a flood or fire, war, chronic abuse, or a terrible accident, PTSD is a very

real phenomenon for many people. The characteristics of PTSD include: a traumatic event, the event is

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reimagined, dreamed or re-experienced over and over again, anxiety and phobia around things that remind us of

the event, feeling numb, and possibly survivor guilt. Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, often result.

However, there is the opportunity for growth after the trauma. It takes a strong person to ask for help and asking

for help is not a sign of weakness. Many people are not aware of the potential for growth after terrible trauma,

so may not understand that what they are feeling are normal signs of grief, loss, and despair. Having knowledge

that there is potential for resilience and a chance to even eventually blossom is hopeful. We can be broken and

we can rebuild ourselves into a new person. The five steps Professor Seligman recommends are to:

1. Understand the response to trauma. As just mentioned, trauma is horrible, no matter what it is and we all

have responses to it that include grief and upheaval, this is a normal part of life. It may not be PTSD at

all but normal physic pain. Loss, grief, and pain are, unfortunately, a part of life that we all go through.

We are not defective creatures for feeling bad when our life warrants it. If the trauma is causing PTSD

then we can deal with that, it is treatable.

2. It is important to reduce the feelings of anxiety. There are many tools and techniques to reduce anxiety,

we can train our minds to disrupt intrusive thoughts, images, and feelings.

3. It is important to talk. Constructive self-disclosure means talking about it, getting it out. When we bottle

up our terror it gets worse. We have to tell our story, or

4. Create a trauma narrative. In other words, create the story where the traumatic event is a fork in the road.

The paradox is that we can experience grief AND gain, vulnerability AND strength. We can improve

our relationships, have deeper connections, and more meaning to our lives despite, or because, of the

trauma.

5. Developing a new identity is the last step, as we integrate this traumatic event into a new way of being.

What I appreciate about Professor Seligman is that he always thinks about how can we deal with the

cards we have been dealt and how we can positively improve ourselves.

12. So, what works? Depression and anxiety are very common. Professor Seligman has researched all the

therapies available to us, and has found that while there are many therapies available, some do not work, some

work better than others, and some have limited effectiveness.

For normal everyday depression:

Medications for depression do not cure us, they cover up symptoms, and only offer temporary relief.

Medication works only 65% of the time, while placebos are effective 45-55% of the time.

Cognitive therapy works 65% of the time the same as medication. Cognitive therapy teaches us how to

rethink events and dispute our negative thoughts. Cognitive behavior therapy is a short term, goal

oriented therapy used to teach individuals how to change their thoughts and thus change their behaviors

to be more positive. Thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes affect our feelings and behaviors. Cognitive therapy

teaches us specific coping skills. While noted by researchers to be very effective for both depression and

panic, it is also very effective for a number of other behaviors and illnesses. In fact, Apps for are now

being developed to help treat insomniacs. The big take away about cognitive therapy is that our

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responses to the events that happen to us, and the meaning we put upon those events, are the cause of

our distress.

Traditional talk therapy by itself is even less effective to cure depression. Talk therapy literally means

that you talk about your issues, problems, dilemmas and traumas with your therapist. It tries to get

at why you feel or behave the way you do. It means going over past events in detail. It may not focus on

learning new ways to deal with issues and problems like cognitive behavior therapy, which does not get

into the why of it all. Many therapists use both approaches.

Now let’s shift to everyday anxiety:

Tranquilizers work quickly yet lose their effect over time, are habit forming, and cause fuzzing thinking.

Car accidents are known side effects of being on tranquilizers.

Progressive relaxation is a technique when we intentionally relax each muscle group in the body one by

one, for 10 – 20 min. 2x day.

Another technique is meditation, which can block intrusive thoughts and is the most long lasting, most

effective treatment for anxiety. Mediation involves setting aside time each day. Start with 5 minutes and

build up to about 20 minutes per session, to reach physical relaxation, mental tranquility, and focused

attention. It is easy to learn and costs nothing! It just takes the time to do it. The health effects are

enormous. There is improvement to brain function, actual physical changes to the brain in the parts

associated with memory, stress, empathy and sense of self, as well as positive mood changes, and

improved cardiovascular health. There are a number of apps available for free or purchase to assist with

meditation. Many corporations are now very interested in increasing worker productivity by having

employees meditate.

Unrelenting anxiety is often sign of panic disorder, phobias, and/or obsessions which need to be dealt with by a

licensed mental health professional. Professor Seligman’s research tell us the panic can be very successfully

treated with cognitive therapy, which has better results than medication. Likewise, phobias are remarkably

averted, we could say cured, with aversion therapy, which again has better results than medication. Lastly,

obsessive compulsive disorder is complex, but can be treated with some success with behavioral therapy and

medication.

Finally, acupuncture is getting more attention from researchers and they are studying the so far, so good results

of using acupuncture to relieve depression and anxiety. Apparently, acupuncture appears to prevent the “stress

induced” release of hormones. What about herbs?

13. Good Question! St. John’s Wort Supplement is a very popular herb yet may not be safe.

St John’s Wort is one of most popular herbal remedies on the market for mild moderate depression.

Americans spend $55 million per year on it!

However, researchers in Australia found that side effects included anxiety, panic attacks, dizziness,

nausea, and spikes in blood pressure, the exact opposite condition of why people take it!

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St John’s Wort also negatively interacts with pharmaceutical prescription anti-depressants and oral

contraceptives - meaning neither work well when taken together.

As we have discussed, supplements are not regulated; so the industry is not required to warn consumers

about health risks, plus packages may not even contain the ingredients listed on the label.

14. Yoga helps reduce depression and anxiety. Yoga can be considered as a complementary therapy, or an

alternative method, in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Further well conducted research is necessary yet many

people report excellent emotional health results practicing yoga. Yoga, practiced in a more integrated form, i.e.,

with an ethical and spiritual component, may provide additional benefits over yoga practiced purely as an

exercise regimen. Just for fun, guess how old the world’s oldest yoga teacher is? Yes, that’s Tao Porchon-

Lynch pictured here. Drum roll please… she is 96!

15. I realize this chart is sort of hard to read and somewhat confusing, so if interested please go to

www.yogatrail.com and look it over. Start in the center and work out to the edge of the circle by answering

questions “yes or no”. There are 20 types of yoga listed here. If you follow the yes answers, you will fan out to

the type of yoga that might work for you. Better to try something that has the potential to work than not. For

example, if I am injured I will want a different type of yoga than if I am young, fit, and want to fly in aerial

yoga! If in doubt, start with hatha yoga or gentle yoga.

VIDEO SNIPPET #1

The goal is always to flourish. Our feelings of good health enhance our feelings of well-being. When we don’t

feel well physically, we suffer mentally and emotionally. We all do. Our good health is a source of our

happiness. The physical effects of stress are varied and can be serious.

Positive thinking is not wishing upon a star or Pollyanna-ish at all. It is the concept that we use our minds to

help us navigate a complicated world. We use our mind to assist us to plan, organize, and respond to thoughts

instead of being frozen, or drowning in negatively. Positive thinking is a learned skill.

We talked about how common depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder are, and what works to

help us feel better. The least expensive, least invasive, most effective, and long lasting therapies include

cognitive behavior therapy, deep relaxation, meditation, and yoga. Prescription medications offer short term

relief, yet have side effects, and can be expensive. Moreover, drugs often just cover up our symptoms.

What we eat does matter. Let’s talk about food and our mood next! Then we will talk about intentional thinking.

Power Point Slides

16. Fight the blues with greens! All over the world good health is associated with happiness!

17. How many times have we seen kids melt down after a sugar high and need a time out? Adults can feel the

same way. We have all seen it, the blissful, excited, perhaps hyper mood…. and then the crash with irritability,

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and negativity. Time for a time out. Done that myself. We already know that food effects mood just by seeing it

occur in our daily life, and there is research to back it up.

18. When we feel great, we don’t go to doctors, worry about the diagnosis, spend money, deal with insurance,

and hassle with prescriptions.

In a National Institute of Health-AARP study, scientists found that frequent consumption of artificially

sweetened drinks increase depression, especially among those with a history of it. This study involved hundreds

of thousands of people. Interestingly, they also found the consumption of up to 6 cups of coffee lowered risk of

depression.

After 8 days of artificial sweeteners, people without history of depression reported more irritable mood,

exhibited more depression, and performed worse on brain functioning tests. Interesting to note that in the

artificial sweeteners study, people were ingesting only 25 mg per day - which is half what the FDA says is safe

(50 mg per day) and they got those results, wow.

Meat eaters ingest more arachidonic acid which is not found in plants. This leads to brain inflammation and

more mood variability.

There was a landmark intervention study in 2012 to test the effects of food and mood. Researchers divided the

participants up into three groups: The first were a control group who ate anything and everything. The second

group were fish eaters but did not eat meat, and the third group were vegetarians who did not eat any eggs. The

people who ate mostly plants had less acid, measured in our spit, and reported reduced mood variability, and

overall they just felt good! When we eliminate animal products, and eat lots of greens, we could improve mood

within two weeks.

19. Eating meat doesn’t support ideal brain health. However eating more fruits and veggies does! Fruits and

veggies have substances called phyto (plant based) nutrients which help inhibit ‘depression associated’

enzymes. Eating lots of fruits and veggies means we are ingesting more phytonutrients which encourage robust

brain health.

Phytonutrients that inhibit ‘depression associated enzymes’ can especially be found in apples, berries, grapes,

kale, onions, and green tea as well as cloves, oregano, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Depression is related to low levels of serotonin and higher levels of inflammation in the body. Plant based diets

are naturally lower the inflammation in our bodies because they are full of antioxidants and low in fat. The B

vitamins are found in many vegetables; by eating a ton of veggies, we are eating a ton of vitamin B which is

known to improve our mood.

Another research study using cause and effect science ( a very powerful kind of research) has shown us that

vegetables and fruit like plantains, pineapples, bananas, kiwis, plums and tomatoes, mushrooms, and soy are

associated with less depression because there is significant levels of serotonin and dopamine in those plant

based foods.

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20. More antioxidants lead to lower anxiety, reduced stress, and more optimism!

According to a study published online in Nutritional Neuroscience, researchers surveyed 620 vegans,

vegetarians, and omnivores about their food and mood. Omnivores eat meat and animal based foods.

Increased fruit and vegetable intake resulted in lower anxiety scores for male vegan participants, compared with

non-vegans. Female vegan participants experienced reduced stress levels as a result of their animal-free diets as

well as their lower intakes of sweets.

Another study involving Seventh Day Adventists, found vegetarian participants had less negative emotion than

omnivores, as shown on two widely used stress and emotion surveys.

Two other studies of over 7,000 people, aged 25 – 74, have found associations between intake of antioxidants

(found in colorful fruits and veggies) and levels of optimism. Of course optimists may also eat more fruits and

veggies to start with, but the blood tests results are pretty clear. Colorful fruits and veggies help us maintain a

positive mental outlook, who doesn’t want that?

21. Before we talk about intentional thinking let’s sum-up a healthy lifestyle; a healthy lifestyle includes a

healthy mindset! Everything we talk about in all the sessions comes together for a healthy lifestyle so we can

earn an A+ for effort!

A healthy lifestyle includes

Whole food, plant based nutrition

Regular exercise

Appropriate sleep

Minimal alcohol and NO smoking

Reducing stress

Staying connected with others

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) sponsored a study with Geico employees. After

four months, employees who ate a whole food, plant based diet lost over ten pounds, as well as experienced

improvements in overall productivity, with less anxiety, depression and fatigue. Overall they just felt better,

they felt great! That is awesome! Now we will discuss goal setting and intentional thinking which is simply

controlling our thought processes so we are less stressed and more resilient.

22. Do dreams just come true? No. Dreams are made true! In this section we are going to go over a few

techniques as we think about how to think intentionally, set goals, and how to create systems in our lives to

support our healthy lifestyle.

23. Do try this at home. The Gratitude Visit:

Think of someone who really helped you and changed your life for the better.

Write a one+ page letter, make this letter detailed and explain how that person helped you.

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Arrange to visit that person and read the letter. If you can’t visit that person can you Skype or video call

them?

Pay attention to their reaction.

Discuss!

As you reflect upon that experience, savor feelings of happiness for several weeks.

There is another exercise called What Went Well? Do this for at least one week. See how you feel. Focusing on

our strengths and the good things in our lives is a powerful technique because we all tend to focus on the not so

great aspects of our life. I tend to perseverate on what I messed up, how I bickered, or made a fool of myself

somewhere. I tend to forget the many nice interactions, the things that went well each day.

Every day think of 3 things that went well. Make a note of each thing and add why. I keep a notebook on the

counter and fill it in every day. I swear it works. Here are three examples:

1. I saw my new next-door neighbors while walking the dogs, they really liked the dogs, and I felt happy

to live here.

2. I did ‘well enough’ in my DIY craft workshop and didn’t embarrass myself by making a mess or doing

a lousy job.

3. My boss said something complimentary to me in front of everyone and I felt like I belonged on the

team. Keeping track takes 3 minutes a day and is well worth it. I dare you to try it!

24. We can support our brain power to support positive willpower. Our willpower varies. Sometimes it is very

strong and we feel like a super hero! Other times we have lost the plot, and do something an hour ago we would

have refused. Brain researchers tell us that our will power can shift hour by hour, dependent upon our mental

stress, which uses up the glucose in our brains. You know that feeling, when we are fatigued, or stressed, we

often want to eat something sugary to perk ourselves up, or flop on the couch and watch a movie. That is our

brain chemistry talking over our will power.

Dr. Doug Lisle, who wrote The Pleasure Trap, suggests four things to support our brain health and stronger

willpower:

Keep a tidy work and home environment so you are not stressed about what you should be doing – like

my vacuuming up after our two big, furry sled dogs! When the house starts to look like a wolf den, I get

stressed. It distracts me and I feel stressed out. I waste more time stressing about it than the ten minutes

I would spend vacuuming.

Eat a healthy snack and drink some water. Have healthy snacks ready for those brain lag moments so

grab a banana instead of a cookie, or veggies and hummus instead of nacho chips. A microwaved bean

burrito is way better than a candy bar.

Daily exercise: If you can’t go to the gym or workout, jump rope, dance madly, or run up and down the

stairs. Daily exercise enables our brain to release the glucose more gradually, so we are more resilient

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under stress. Do get up every 30-60 minutes and move around. Dr. Sylvia at Mass General Hospital

calls sendentarism, or inactivity, a disease. Researchers in Australia are now studying whether there are

similar links between being sedentary and anxiety as there are between sedentary behavior and

depression. Our bodies are simply designed to get up and move. Banish inactivity!

Maintain good sleep hygiene, yes our brain needs to organize and clear itself of random bits. Our brain

needs to sleep to remain healthy so we can make good decisions. When we are fatigued we can make all

sorts of not so terrific decisions.

25. We must care for our brain to support positive health. We can do things inside our heads that help our whole

bodies. By thinking in certain ways, we can effectively manage the negative effects of stress.

For example, instead of bombarding ourselves with stressful information, take a step away, take a walk, or

listen to music. Give yourself a time out. If world events get you upset and hot under the collar, causing anger

and hostility, restrict news watching for one session per day. We all don’t need to be in the 24/7 news cycle

24/7. Likewise social media, we don’t need to be ON all the time. Schedule times to be online “socially” and

focus on other things the rest of the time.

Stay connected with people. We are social creatures, feeling connected to other people is a basic human need

and we suffer when isolated. Loneliness and isolation are also health risks. Our support groups are critical; our

friends and family, are key. It is tempting to isolate ourselves when feeling poorly, but actually reaching out is

healthier. Now we have the opportunity to use phone, Skype, video calling, online chats, and messaging to stay

connected if we can’t meet up in person.

If reaching out is a challenge, take baby steps and take the risk of smiling at more people, introducing yourself,

initiating conversations, and offering and accepting invitations. Think about who you have not heard from in a

while and reach out to them, are they ok? Re-establish contacts with old friends and associates. Introduce new

friends to old friends. Be a good neighbor, and of course join a new club, social group, book club, or exercise

class. Meet Up dot com is an excellent way to meet up with like-minded people in the local vicinity.

The Longevity Project studied over 1,000 people from youth to old age and found that the groups we associate

with often determine who we are, and what we are like. So if we want a healthy lifestyle, hang out with people

who are active, watch what they eat, and don’t smoke. As we said before, behavior is contagious for better or

worse! That means when we make positive changes, our positive behavior ripples out through social networks

and helps others.

Work on deep relaxation via progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, tai chi, or qigong. Tai chi has evolved into a

form of exercise that's now used for stress reduction and a variety of other health conditions. Often described as

meditation in motion, tai chi promotes serenity through gentle, flowing movements. Qigong is an ancient

Chinese health care system that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques, and focused intention. The

deep relaxation I'm talking about here is the polar opposite of stress. The feelings of tension, which are so

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destructive to us, can melt away for a few minutes each time we practice these techniques. But how do we do all

this?

26. We need motivation to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle. How do we do that? Well good question!

Motivation is interesting. Dan Pink wrote a great book called Drive all about motivation, based upon evidence

based research. Dan Pink is a well-known author and has written a number of books.

The three keys to motivation are Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. These three elements are what drives us

forward and motivate us. Surprisingly it is not all about rewards, or what's in it for us.

Autonomy is the feeling we have when we feel like we are in charge of our life and making our own decisions.

It is the opposite of being micro-managed. No one likes to be micro managed, our kids don’t, our colleagues

don’t and our friends and loved one don’t either. People need to make their own decisions. That is autonomy.

Mastery is also something that motivates us. As we get better as something we enjoy it more, and want to do it

more often. Think of hobbies and passionate pursuits, you enjoy them, you are good at them. When you are

learning something new, like a new lifestyle full of healthy shopping, cooking, eating, and exercise, you are

learning new skills and techniques. It may not be easy at first. But as you learn more and get better, it becomes

easier. Ten years ago, when first eating a plant based diet, we were confused and anxious what to eat. Now it’s a

piece of (plant based!) cake!

The third essential ingredient to being motivated is purpose. Yes, whatever you are doing has to be meaningful

on some level. Escaping our own chronic illness is pretty important, but helping family and friends escape

chronic illness is even more meaningful. When you see a loved one suffer, they need and want help, and our

effort helps them, well wow that feels useful and important. It is very motivating when others see our efforts as

meaningful on any level. Both the term ikigai, and Professors Seligman’s frame work called PERMA support

this idea. Check out Dan Pinks book or TED Talk if you want to learn more about motivation, it is really

interesting!

27. There is a new book out called Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen. Using solid evidence to

support her theory, Dr. Oettingen explains that blind optimism doesn’t work. She explains that wishing lowers

our blood pressure, while considering not getting our wish raises our blood pressure. Fantasizing about our big

lifestyle change leaves us less energized to actually DO something about it. Better to think about the problems

and obstacles ahead, and integrate those within the goals we set for ourselves. That old “Atta boy you can do it”

just doesn’t work on its own.

Dr. Oettingen uses the acronym WOOP: wish, outcome, obstacle, and plan. Try it! This connects well with what

we have already talked about in our transition session. Deal with obstacles in advance. Plan for them. Be

prepared. I appreciate this research because I am not a Pollyanna, but a realist who chooses to use my mind

positively, with intention. I am not wishing upon a star but rather making efforts to effect changes. Goals are

important. We have to know where we want to go, or who knows where we will end up? We will talk next

about setting goals and then self-talk, that incessant little voice in our head.

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28. Setting goals and intentional thinking. First, always focus on small wins. Be appreciative of every little bit

of positive progress that occurs. One tiny accomplishment, or one step forward is just that, a step forward. For

example, you want to meditate every day and begin with great flourish! Then it’s another three days before you

meditate again. Well ok so what. At least you are doing it! Just keep going. Keep in mind it’s a new thing, you

are learning, you don’t have mastery yet. Be nice to yourself! What follows is just one exercise or system for

you to try.

1. List all the things that you do well. Make a list of behaviors, actions, habits, systems, or routines that

work to support robust health and wellness, relationships, work, and hobbies. These are actions you are

committed to maintain.

2. Make a list of 3-5 things you want to stop doing like bad habits, behaviors, or actions.

3. Make a list of 3-5 things you want a start doing, skills, new hobbies, behaviors, new exercise or diet

routines.

4. Ask, who can support you by holding you accountable and checking in with you? Ask a buddy to check

in with you for each item. This can be the same person or different people for different actions.

Remember, systems support us more than sheer will power alone. Our willpower varies due to our brain

chemistry and how we feel on a Nano second by Nano second basis, as Doug Lisle suggested as few slides

back.

5. However, we must care about these goals. If we do not care, all the systems and goals in the world will

not matter. We are hard wired to do things over and over again that we care about, that has value, not

just a reward. Focusing on the reward is actually de-motivating.

A new book out called No Sweat says the exact same thing. With 20 years of research and practice around

exercise and motivation, Dr. Michelle Segar says that the immediate pay off we get in regular life from

exercising, you know, like increased energy, better mood, less stress and opportunity for fun and friends are

motivating because those fun pay offs have more immediate value than the pure health aspects of exercise

alone. Read the book, So Sweat, for her 4-point plan.

29. Here is another technique for an exercise called Break It Down…or how can you enhance yourself? Back at

school, if we had an 8th grader who could only read at the 4th grade level, it was overwhelming to think of how

she could move up and read at an 8th grade level. Why not ask, what can we do to help move her to a 5th or 6th

grade level?

For this exercise rank yourself on a scale of one out of ten, in different areas in your life (diet, exercise,

relationships, work, deep relaxation, etc.). For example: When you are thinking about making changes to your

exercise routine you might not want to think of going from 1 to ten in one day. Seriously, I cannot run a

marathon tomorrow! Let’s say you rate yourself a 4/10 in exercise. Ok, what will it take to get you to get to a 6?

If I am 7 out of 10 in nutrition how do I get to 8 out of 10?

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Break it down. How can you add to and enhance your rank? Be very intentional. Does that mean parking your

car farther away and walking every day weather permitting? Does that mean taking the stairs 80% of the time?

Does that mean switching to non-dairy milk? Does that mean listing what went well every day for one month?

Be sure to write down your specific goals and keep track. As you see your accomplishments grow, and positive

progress, you will feel more mastery and very proud of yourself. As time goes by you can rewrite your goals.

30. As educators, we also practiced the art of creating SMART goals for student learning. The acronym

SMART can be used in any kind of goal setting situation.

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Results-focused and

Time-bound

For example: I will eat whole food, plant based foods for every breakfast, and every dinner, every day of the

week for the next 5 days. That is 10 vegan meals. I will consume at least 80% vegan snacks. I will record my

choices in my food diary every day and check off my progress on a check off sheet or calendar. Then I will

create a new SMART goal! Here is another:

I will meditate for at least 10 minutes 5 out of 7 mornings before getting dressed. Every day I meditate, I will

make a note on my calendar about how it went, how I felt. I will use an app to help me learn how to meditate

for the next 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, I will look over my calendar entries, and make up a new SMART goal.

Remember systems rule over will power. Play around and find systems that work for you and talk with yourself

about it. Be intentional. Tell your friends and ask to be held accountable.

31. Here is a great way to think about setting goals. Use “actions” as the goal. This makes us break down our

goals into active baby steps. The process is the important part. Have fun and be creative. If it is enjoyable and

has value we are more likely to stick with it. For example:

Screen 5 yoga videos and choose one to practice with for one month.

Eat one plant based restaurant meal out in my community each month – now this sounds fun and

delicious!

Walk, workout with a buddy, 2x a week for 3 months.

Explore all the parks in my community this summer with the kids.

Check out four vegan cook books from the library this winter and prepare two or three recipes from

each.

VIDEO SNIPPET #2

We have covered a lot of ground. We talked again about how healthy a plant based diet is, we know it’s healthy

for our bodies, and it’s healthy for our brains and mood too!

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Plant based foods contain all sorts of healthy antioxidants, phytonutrients, healthy B vitamins, they are low in

fat, and lower our rates of inflammation. In short, a healthy plant based diet is good for our head.

We have also talked a lot about intentional thinking as a way to reduce stress and maintain a positive mental

outlook. We talked about various exercises to develop intentional thinking, set goals, and how to encourage our

sense of motivation. Do try some of these exercises on your own. Do write down your goals. Work on your

systems, refine your systems, because remember, our will power is dependent upon our brain chemistry, which

changes all the time.

Next up is how we talk to ourselves, we all do it don’t we?! Of course we do, it is what we say that matters.

After that, we will talk about altruism and helping others….. Which also reduces our stress.

We close out this session with quick tips for positive progress and a summary. Afterwards, please go back over

the Questions for Reflection and Discussion. Write in your notebook, or talk about what comes up for you. The

more we get this stuff out, and talk about challenging topics, the better.

Power Point Slides:

32. We all talk to ourselves all the time! What we say IS important and powerful

33. Some of us talk out loud, but all of us talk all the time inside our heads. We think. We stew. We plan,

rehearse, repeat conversations, tell stories, and so on. The issue is, what do we really say to ourselves? What we

say can cause us problems.

How we talk to ourselves is important to understand so we can differentiate between healthy and positive self-

talk or the opposite, unhealthy self-talk.

The Mayo Clinic identified four ways we can either mess up or help ourselves by our self-talk.

1. Filtering means that despite a fantastic day, we only think about the one tiny cruddy thing that

happened on our way to work. Instead, think about the entire day in perspective. Think of the good

things that happened, that’s why the “what went well exercise” is so powerful. Do not paint yourself

underneath a black cloud for something trivial.

2. Personalizing: Often when something happens we blame ourselves. We think everything that happens

is due to us! Seriously, if an associate cancels a meeting, it may not be due to me, it may be due to them

not feeling well, or their boss insisted on a meeting. It is ridiculous yet common to center the world

around ourselves!

3. Catastrophizing: You get one spam email and think “my entire identity has been hacked, my bank

account has been broken into and I will become bankrupt by tomorrow”. You think the worst. If you are

5 minutes late you will be fired, or your partner will break up with you.

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4. Polarizing is simply good/ bad/right/wrong. There is no middle ground. If you are not perfect, you are

a total failure. We know that’s ridiculous but some of us do get bogged down by perfectionism. This is

not healthy!

34. Well, all right, so what to do?

1. Identify areas to change. Find one area (for example work, relationship, or health) you are most

negative about and work on that. Focus on one area at a time.

2. During the day check in. Select 3-4x during the day you will check yourself on your level of positive

self-talk for that one area. (E.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime). Fix it. Do you need to keep track

of your daily moods? Keep a running record.

3. Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise regularly and eat a consistent whole food, plant based diet,

reduce stress, and generally take care of yourself.

4. Hang out with positive people. Negative people are very stressful. Ignore them as much as possible.

They suck positive energy out of us.

5. Be nice to yourself. Do not say anything to yourself you would not say to a beloved or child. Be kind,

be gentle, encouraging and upbeat.

When we are kind and compassionate toward ourselves we feel less anxiety and more happiness. When we are

kind and compassionate toward ourselves, we feel less embarrassed when we mess up, and we feel more self-

worth in the long run, because we are more accepting and non-judgmental. So when you hear that voice in your

head giving yourself a hard time, instead, pretend it is the voice of someone who loves you, and change the

message to be supportive and kind. What would your mom say? What would your best friend say? What would

your little 4 y. o. niece or grandson say?

35. Build confidence with regular affirmations. Talk with yourself about your good qualities and wonderful

skills. Focus on the best parts of you and build from there. Again, this is very intentional thinking, and not

allowing the toxin thoughts to come in.

36. Henry Ford of course changed history: he developed and manufactured the first automobiles on an assembly

line. Knowing a few things about success and failure, he said: “If you say you can, or you can't, you are right

either way”

37. Positive wording does help! Finally, when we write goals down, and we really do need to do that for them to

really be effective, please use positive words instead of negative. Focus on what we want, instead of what we

don’t want. For example, “I want to play one hour of hopscotch with my granddaughter” is way more

meaningful, positive and affirming than “Stop eating chips in front of the TV”. When we tell ourselves what

not to do, we are focusing on the negative part. For example, here are some negative phrases we tell ourselves

all the time:

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I’ve never done that before.

It is too hard.

I’m too lazy to get this done.

I don’t have the resources.

Here are some positive statements to frame these same thoughts:

I can learn something new!

I will break this down into baby steps.

I can examine my schedule and reschedule some priorities.

I can be creative and look in other areas. Re-framing negatives is the key.

Now we are going to talk about altruism, quick tips, the power of failure, and we will conclude this session.

38. Altruism and the power of helping others.

39. Research in 73 different studies, indicate a strong association between people who help others, and greater

levels of health and happiness. Selfless concern for others is called altruism, it’s when you help people just

because.

Altruism distracts us from our problems, encourages positive social interaction, and enhances our morale.

Helping others promotes a feeling of positive self-esteem, life satisfaction, a sense of purpose, and well-being.

With a generous mindset, we lower our blood pressure, lower risk for dementia, depression, anxiety and

cardiovascular risk. Volunteering takes us out of ourselves and focusses our attention on others; levels of the

feel good endorphin dopamine increases, and we just feel better!

40. Instead of feeling fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, depression and hostility (all associated with health problems

and especially heart disease) we can enjoy feelings of happiness, compassion and forgiveness.

Here are some easy ways to be altruistic:

Do one good deed per day.

Help a stranger. Do little things like help someone with their grocery cart, holding the door, reaching or

bending down to retrieve something. Does that person look lost in your city? Pay for the next person in

line’s coffee or bridge toll. Open doors for mothers of small children. Leave the best parking or seating

for those in need.

Demonstrate empathy in communications with others. A touch on the arm, or a hand shake and solid eye

contact can mean a lot to someone one in need of kindness and respect.

Be grateful for the help you have received and thank whomever helped you.

Volunteer some time at a local food bank, a school, the library, or relief agency. As little as two hours

per week can provide major benefits. Volunteers have reduced symptoms of depression, better self-

reported health, reduced risk for dementia, and lower mortality. It is a win/win.

Give financial support if you are able.

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As the poster proclaims, commit random kindness and senseless acts of beauty!

41. Positive thinking simply means approaching life’s many challenges with a thoughtful, active vs passive

approach. We all have problems. How we deal with our problems is the key. The following 4 slides offer is a list

of things to consider and perhaps try. Some might sound silly and that’s ok.

42. Quick tips for positive progress:

Name and value this “project” and have fun with naming! The media always names campaigns why not name

yours? Then you can refer to it more easily in conversation.

The Princess’s Personal Project for Improved Performance!

Super Hero: Saving my health, my budget, the earth, and animal’s lives in one fell swoop!

Retrofitting the frig one fruit and veg at a time.

Operation Me

43. You are unique! You cannot compare to anyone else. You are who you are, so might was well enjoy it. At

least accept yourself.

Act with resilience. Think of problems as challenges. Respond with action, rather than with fear, self-pity,

inferiority, or blame. I always think of rubber bands, stretch, relax, stretch more, and relax, and so on.

Talk to yourself in positive terms. Affirmations, self-pep talks, all that is good, and it works. We must control

our inner voice to remain positive ~ but not Pollyannaish. Keep it real.

Stop complaining and make decisions. Get on with it, do the best you can. The constant whining does not help

and just aggravates everyone else. Left unattended, problems often just get bigger and more serious. The idea is

to be more proactive in life vs reactive; leaving things to chance, means that we don’t know where we want to

go, or what we want to do. Decide for yourself. Be in charge!

Play with a cat or dog on a regular basis. Therapy dogs have been used in health care settings for years. Now

universities are using therapy dogs, because so many college students feel stress from a variety of issues

including pressures of classwork and financial insecurity. The students go to the counseling center, stroke and

pet the dogs, and instantly feel better, more centered, and calm.

Therapy cats is a whole new thing! Yes, cat cafes started in Asia almost ten years ago, and are spreading all

over the world! People can pay to visit kitties, and play with them. Adoption is possible but some people can’t

own cats, and simply want a relaxing “play break” in the middle of the day so they visit so they visit a cat cafe.

Awesome idea isn’t it!

44. “The past is history, the future is mystery. Today is a Gift. That is why we call it the Present”. Stay focused

in the here and now. Let go of the past, if it is holding you back. We cannot change what happened (you know,

don’t cry over spilled milk), accept it and move on. If you need to apologize, or make amends, do that. Fix it.

Say you are sorry and keep moving forward.

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Slow down so you can hear your inner self. Stop and listen, reflect, meditate, quiet the mind. We talked about

meditation a few minutes ago. There are many websites, as well as free and “for purchase” apps, that are useful

for deep relaxation. Explore and play with a variety, to compare and learn which you prefer. Of course,

watching 5 minutes of silly cat videos on you tube is also very relaxing, and if we actually laugh out loud then

it’s even better! 5 minutes of laughing does wonders for our mood, but doesn’t count as deep relaxation like

meditation.

“Fake it till you make it”. This is an old classic. We all know that life can be tough, we all have challenges, but

keep looking forward and moving on, even if you have to fake it till you make it.

Use sound and music to help calm down and relax whether it is ambient sounds like waterfalls, campfires,

coffee shops, or beautiful music that reaches deep inside you. Again look for apps that can be loaded onto a

mobile device so you always have access.

45. Our last slide for quick tips for positive progress includes:

Write your worries down on a piece of paper and burn it, let them go. Or bury them in the earth. Get them out

and away from you. Worrying is a waste. We accomplish nothing by idling worrying without action. Instead,

take action, distract yourself, talk to yourself, change the mindset, do not allow worry to worm its insidious way

in.

Coloring, crafts, creative hobbies all calm us down and are fun. Actually there is a whole new kind of coloring

book for adults with complicated patterns and beautiful scenes. Maybe you can hang out with some colorful

friends and color!

Connect to that inner, previous young person, while appreciating your ‘more mature’ side. Laugh, smile, play,

and ask questions. Be silly! A friend likes to watch a certain show before bed so she can laugh before going to

sleep. Find what works for you. Childlike is not childish.

Nurture, and be nurtured by friends. We must be friends to keep friends. We are lucky if we have a few, dear,

close people in our life. Call them, write them, connect, and ask how they are. These individuals are our true

wealth.

46. Be prepared: Substitute negative behaviors with planned positive actions. Have a plan of what you will do

so you don’t just do what you always used to do. Recalibrate your brain with a planned response to enable a

better choice. The idea is always to set ourselves up for success. How will we succeed and feel good today?

But failure at reaching our goals happens. Sometimes we have to fail again and again to get it right. Sometimes

we have to learn from failure.

47. Multiple failures can lead to success. As we wind down here, we have to talk about failure. We all fail at

some time and in some areas. If we are failing, it is proof positive that we are trying. Better to try! Do not beat

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yourself up, if your efforts don’t work, think about why your plan didn’t work, improve the process, and keep at

it.

48. The list of famous failures who kept working and finally reached their goals is long and includes a few

listed here. It is never too late to change. We are never too old to try!

Famous failures include Thomas Edison. He is known to have said “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000

ways that won’t work!”

Winston Churchill was not good in school, in fact he failed one entire year. Then he lost an election and

his seat in the English parliament. He came back, however, and became the prime minister of England at

age 62.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team; can you believe it? He has said that he

has missed 9,000 shots in his career and 26 times he lost the winning shot.

You might remember in 1985 when Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, the company he created? Well he

came back and look where it is now.

Abraham Lincoln is considered by many as one of our greatest presidents. He was demoted in the army

from Captain to Private, he was a terrible businessman, and lost many elections.

Did you know Stephen King submitted 30 copies of the famous book (and later movie) Carrie to 30

different editors and got rejected 30 times? Finally, it was published, and now is considered a horror

classic.

Walt Disney is known for many business failures.

Elvis Presley was fired from the Grand Old Opry, while Steven Spielberg was rejected from film school

three times! So keep on. Failure only means we are alive and trying.

49. In Summary:

1. A positive mental outlook is part of a healthy lifestyle.

2. Cardiovascular disease and depression are related.

3. Food influences our mood.

4. We want to set goals and think intentionally.

5. Positive self-talk works.

6. Helping others helps us, more than we might think.

7. Failure is OK! Just keep at it!

50. It is my sincere hope, that you and your family, find the rainbow beneath any stormy clouds on your

horizon. We live in such complicated, challenging times. The problems we face as a world, as a nation, a city,

community, and family can seem insurmountable. It can be overwhelming and that’s why I decided to add this

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session on reducing stress. Stress, depression and anxiety are big parts of all our lives. We all need to learn how

to more positively negotiate our emotional life, so we remain healthy, and able to assist those we love and care

about. Thank you for your time today. I really do appreciate your time and am grateful for your willingness to

learn more.

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