Proven, positive association between physical movement (dancing anyone?) and mental health…

Employee burnout is a global concern. In a recent survey of over 1000 respondents by Deloitte, 77% say they have experienced burnout at their current job and 91% say that unmanageable stress or frustration impacts the quality of their work. Many of us are also feeling the weight of current events: the pandemic, war, polarization, division, violence, fight for equality, etc… 

How to do we care for ourselves in this unstable world?  

Question, when was the last time you moved your body with joy?

* A UCLA study showed that free form unchoreographed dancing helped 96% of participants with anxiety or depression cope with their condition.

* June 2021, the John W. Brick Foundation released their Move Your Mental Health Report, which provides a scoping review of over 1,000 studies on a variety of physical activity, exercise, or movement type and any mental health outcome published between 1990 and 2020. Out of 1,158 studies examined, 89% found a statistically significant, positive association between physical activity or exercise and mental health.

* A study by the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry shows physical activity in outdoor natural environments has a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors. 

— Marisa Hamamoto (Japanese-American professional dancer and social entrepreneur, based in California. While taking a dance class in 2006 she was paralyzed from the neck down due to a disease called spinal cord infarction. Fortunately, she recovered most of her mobility and walked out of the hospital two months after her diagnosis. Then in 2014 she witnessed wheelchair dancing at the Abilities Expo in LA and became interested in the area of dance and disability. She Founded Infinite Flow, an LA based nonprofit and professional dance company composed of dancers with and without disabilities. The company uses dance to inspire social inclusion and innovation. Hamamoto was recognized in 2019 by Dance Teacher magazine for her commitment and service in the field of dance. She was also a recipient of San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s Women in Business Awards.). 

Hamamoto talks about moving our bodies with intention and joy, which may include dancing, roller skating or what have you. Traditional therapy left Hamamoto’s body feeling heavier and tenser, whereas fun physical movement made her feel happy and became a daily form of “movement meditation.” Something to consider… Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO

Blessings,

Chatgirl 

Life’s greatest lessons…

Remember that life’s greatest lessons are usually learned at the worst times and from the worst mistakes.

—  www.livelifehappy.com

As I was saying yesterday, my most traumatic experiences have led to dramatic and meaningful change. I lost my fancy new job during the 2008 financial crisis and there were no jobs in my field for a good three years. Say goodbye to savings and RRSP’s. Yikes. (For anyone going through a similarly ghastly fate right now, I think of you often, and I am sending warmest of wishes. Hang in there!). I also happened to be single at the time. Talk about an opportunity to re-group. I pretty much went back to the drawing board on choosing a life partner and I had to pivot on a dime in career as well.  A couple of relationship workshops, regular sessions with a life coach and a traditional therapist later, I tested out my new and improved approach to life. In love, I finally learned that lifestyle (how you want to spend your days), values (does this person treat others well for example), character (is this person giving, thoughtful and considerate), overall “match” (do we have a similar vision for our future) are vitally important. In career, I had to think outside the box, and picked up some consulting work. This opened the door to exciting entrepreneurial endeavours, which I continue to explore. I also learned to perform at a higher level in my job. This has led to some sweet recognition and solid job security. In summary, my “terrible” time led me to the perfect love of  my life (which is perfect even when it isn’t perfect), and my dream job, which is quite fulfilling and pays more than I ever thought I’d earn. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO

Blessings,

Chatgirl 

Gratitude brings peace…

Gratitude makes sense of the past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

— Melody Beattie (American author of self-help books on codependent relationships. Melody began drinking at age 12, was a full-blown alcoholic by age 13, and a drug addict by 18. Beattie went on to author 18 books, including Codependent No More. Beattie, along with Janet G. Woititz and Robin Norwood contributed to the emergence of the idea that addiction to a person, who was addicted to a substance or a behavioural process, was a possibility. Beattie’s works continue to be central texts in some Co-Dependents Anonymous meetings).

I’m still making sense of the past. Logically speaking, I’m clear, but the emotional impact requires further tending. Melody Beattie says “Say thank you, until you mean it. If you say it long enough, you will believe it.” Overcoming particularly traumatic experiences clearly takes time. Having said that, the very best things that have ever happened to me were a result of these painful experiences. Just sayin’ ;) Hugs and good luck. XO

Blessings,

Chatgirl  

 

If you don’t heal…

If you don’t heal what hurt you, you’ll bleed on people who didn’t cut you.

— Unknown

Nicely said. What I’ve learned from my favourite therapist is how much we do unconsciously. Our conditioning and past experiences tend to predispose us to a certain type of relationship dynamic. I also learned that many of us, unfortunately, know what love is not and not necessarily what love is. Surely our parents did their best, having learned from their parents, and the parents before them. So much about child rearing is passed down through the generations. If we so choose, however, it is very likely that we can change and improve on our relationship skills and achieve more rewarding and fulfilling relationships. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO

Blessings,

Chatgirl 

True to self…

You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world,

And there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.

— Dita Von Teese (American model, dancer, actor, author, businesswoman, known as the “Queen of Burlesque). 

Well said. This just makes me think about being true to self and finding/staying on one’s own path. Just sayin’ :) Hugs and good luck! XO

Blessings,

Chatgirl 

 

How we fill our minds…

Constantly learning that if I don’t fill my mind with prayer, I fill it with anxiety, worry, temptations and resentment. 

— Unknown

I’m more spiritual than religious, per se, but I love the idea of prayer regardless. I love the idea of visualizing, fantasizing and hoping for my dreams. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO

Blessings,

Chatgirl 

Keep “preparing” and keep the faith…

Earlier this year, I read the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, from which I learned a lot about this topic. In his book, Gladwell, following intensive research, cited examples of individuals who have done exceptionally well in their fields, and the role adequate preparation played in their successes…

A study was conducted, which divided the school’s violinists into three groups. The first group contained the “stars”, being those with the potential to become world class soloists. The second group contained those described to be “merely good”, while the last group was made up of the students who were unlikely to ever play professionally and who intended to be public school music teachers. Members of all three groups were then asked the same question, being “Over the course of your entire career, ever since you first picked up the violin, how many hours have you practiced?” The answers given varied.

Everyone from all three groups started playing at roughly the same age, around five years old. I those first few years, everyone practiced roughly the same amount, about two or three hours per week. But when students were around the age of eight, real differences started to emerge. The students who would end up the best in their class began to practice more than everyone else: six hours a week by age nine, eight hours a week by age twelve, sixteen hours a week by age fourteen, and up and up, until by the age of twenty they were practicing—that is, purposefully and single-mindedly playing their instruments with the intent to get better—well over thirty hours a week. In fact, by the age of twenty, the elite performers had each totalled ten thousand hours of practice. By contrast, the merely good students had totalled eight thousand hours, and the future music teachers had totalled just over just over four thousand hours…

The truth is, I acknowledge the role of luck. Nevertheless, being adequately prepared can not be watered down or downplayed. Pick that one thing you have interest in or desire, and develop the skills necessary in that area. Be intentional about your goals.

—Praise Mbanali (Lawyer, Business Analyst at Boston consulting Group. Mbanali has developed certain community development projects, one of which is “Raise a Kid”, aimed at providing free based and quality education for underprivileged children. She also started the Students Spotlight Series podcast, which seeks to inspire others. The interviews take listeners through the journeys of others, to understand what they do/did that worked, certain challenges they faced and how they were able to navigate through)

Very compelling indeed. What stands out for me is desire. One would have to be particularly passionate about an endeavour to spend 10,000 hours at it. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO

Blessings,

Chatgirl