NaBloPoMo 2016, Letters to Patients, Day 28

To All Patients:

What would happen if you thought of yourself as an elite athlete?

I present tonight the first phase of the presentations I have given this fall to physicians, corporate executives, and tomorrow, a corporate design team.  See how it applies to you:

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What makes you exactly the same as Pat Summit, Martina Navratilova, Michael Jordan, Dana Torres, Peyton Manning, Serena Williams, Wayne Gretzky, and Walter Payton?  You are an elite athlete.  You have a specific skill set which you spent years training and honing.  You continue, through practice and discipline, to refine it.  It’s an upward striving, just like an Olympian—Higher, Faster, Stronger!  And, you’re part of a team.

So how should you take care of yourself—your very valuable, elite athlete self?

Fuel & Train

• “Regular people diet and exercise. Athletes fuel and train.” –Melissa Orth-Fray
• Our bodies are our vehicles. Elite athletes’ vehicles require premium fuel and meticulous maintenance.
• We all struggle with the same challenges—time, motivation, discipline.
• Each day we have an opportunity to walk the talk, and practice what we preach. Every good lifestyle choice, no matter how small (apple instead of candy, stand rather than sit), is a step of intention toward health.

Rest & Recover

• Chronic sleep debt increases risks for diabetes, obesity, impaired immune function: GET MORE SLEEP.
• Rest and recovery are integral for sustaining long term performance and injury prevention—ie burnout. This applies for both physical and mental exertion.
• Take your allotted vacations and really disconnect.  The world will still function (temporarily) without you.
• Broaden your methods: 15 minute walk, 10 minute meditation, 5 minutes of journaling—unwind, unload.

Manage your stress

• How do you know when you are ‘stressed?’ How/where does stress manifest in your body?
• What are your existing resilience practices? How quickly do you abandon them when things get busy?
• Exercise mindfulness: Live in the moment; breathe deeply; speak and act intentionally, not incidentally.
• We are no different from toddlers—easily emotionally hijacked when tired, hungry, over-extended.
• Elite athletes use the disciplines above to manage their emotions and stay focused.

Cultivate positive relationships

• Coaches, teammates, trainers, psychologists, equipment managers—no athlete succeeds alone.
• We thrive when we feel seen, heard, understood, accepted, loved, and safe.
• It is only when our relationships are strong and we feel connected, that we can truly care for ourselves and our teams.
• Who is your support network, and how do they hold you up?
• Who do you support, and why/how does this fulfill you?

What is your sport?  Who is your team?  How does caring for yourself benefit those around you?  And finally, what can you do today, tomorrow, next week, next month, and in the next year, that will elevate your own health and well-being, and that of your team?  Please share your ideas in the comments!