OPTIMIZE YOUR HEALTH
Change Your Mind, Heal Your Body

Nike Got It Right…Just Do It
By Ryan Seay, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist

What is it about knowing what’s good for us, and actually doing it. Generally we know what to do to be healthier and happier, we just aren’t doing it. Don’t feel bad, even professional athletes complain about working out, and that’s what they do for a living. The cure for not doing it is, “Just do it”. Surveys of individuals that are successful at making positive changes in their life indicate that they dedicate themselves to the new behavior and do it…regardless of the little voice in their head that says, “Do it later.”

You can apply the philosophy to many areas of life. When it comes to health and happiness, we forget that chronic, everyday stress contributes to ill health. Stress reduction, in part, involves increasing optimistic thinking. By improving our optimism, we allow for our bodies to “self-heal”. When we chronically entertain pessimistic thoughts, we interfere with the healing process. Here are a few tips to follow. These tips will focus on changing your daily stress levels. You can start feeling healthier and happier, just do it.

1. Focus on changing one thing at a time. Thinking about ALL the things you would like to change will be overwhelming. Feeling overwhelmed (stressed) will stop you in your tracks, as well as, create toxins within your body.
   
   
2. Start simple. During a typical week, keep some paper handy to write down those things that come up that seem to make you feel angry, frustrated, sad, etc… (negative emotions). You will then have a better idea of where your stressors are coming from. By knowing exactly where stress comes from, you can then take action to change it.
   
   
3. Reduce your stress by writing down your schedule. Keeping appointments and events in your thoughts creates stress. If stress is only a thought, then reducing what you have to think about can help to reduce stress. In a modern world, there is too much going on to keep track of mentally.
   
   
4. When you identify those specific things that are bringing stress to you, schedule what you will do to change the stress. As in the above tip (#3), you will reduce your stress level by writing it down. You are also more likely to complete the new change/behavior if you schedule yourself to do it. Keeping appointments is easier if you schedule them on paper. Even appointments with yourself.
   
   
5. It all comes down to, “Just do it”. Honor yourself. Take care of yourself. Find support to help you achieve your goals and…just do it.

—March 2007

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