Dear Andrea,
Wow! Summer has come and gone here in the
Pacific Northwest. I drove to Corvallis and Newport in
celebration of my late husband and I's anniversary on
Sept. 26th and there wasn't a red or orange leaf to be
found. This weekend I traveled a few hours to a family
reunion and it rained on and off all weekend and the
leaves were turning everywhere I looked! I took
a break from my newsletter last month as Dan was
participating in Cycle
Oregon, a week long bicycle trip. I was on the
volunteer staff and although it took over a week of my
time, it was really an amazing & organized event
with the awesome cause of supporting small town Oregon.
I would definitely volunteer again, although next time I
hope to be riding ... This summer I have been
re-evaluating my health counseling. The result is that I
have decided to focus on two target audiences that are
near and dear to me: women with chronically ill
partners/husbands and young widows. Drawing on my
skill-set, experiences and compassion, I believe I can
best help these groups in the journey to wellness. So
needless to say I have been doing some soul-searching
and subsequent redesigning of my business and web site.
Beginning in November my days at Awakenings
Wellness Center are changing to Tuesdays and
Thursdays. As I realize my audience is larger than just
Portland, OR I will be more actively offering phone
sessions and other online services. A big part of this
will be the launch of a new blog. As more things
develop I will keep you all in the loop. I am still
active in Laughter Yoga and workshops. At some point I
may discontinue offering this more general health and
wellness newsletter, but for now I plan to continue
sending out informative articles, tips and recipes
suitable for any audience concerned with health and
wellness. So enjoy this month's articles on time
management and winter squash. Don't forget to check out
all the upcoming events, especially the seasonal and
limited offerings. Until next time ...
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| Time Management |
The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The
secret of getting started is breaking your complex
overwhelming tasks into manageable tasks, and then
starting on the first one. ~ Mark
Twain
Have you ever wished for a few more
hours in the day? Why is it that some people seem to get
everything done effortlessly and others feel that time
constantly eludes them? The secret to managing your time
well isn't working more hours. The secret is working
smarter, not harder. It is about prioritizing the
important things and learning to use the time you have
more efficiently and effectively.
Some of
us, by nature, organize and get tasks out of the way
before we relax, while others of us play first and work
later. It is important to first recognize which type you
are and whether your style is allowing you to have the
life you really want. Maybe you are super-organized at
work, but burned out because you don't know how to make
time for yourself. Maybe you are naturally a less
organized person who knows how to relax, but you are
dissatisfied because you aren't fulfilling your goals
and dreams.
Rather than labeling yourself
or beating yourself up, realize that time management is
an area of your life that you can strengthen. Like a new
muscle, it takes practice and repetition to make it
stronger. To help you get started, here are some steps
to streamline your days at work and at home. Try the
first one or two that jump out at you:
- Allocate time for planning and organizing.
- Create to-do lists that are realistic, not
intimidating. Use only one to-do list.
- Under-schedule your time: leave time for the
unexpected and for interruptions. When you estimate
how long something will take, add on 1/3 of that time.
- Schedule your time in a way that reduces
interruptions that lower your productivity.
- Practice the art of intelligent neglect: eliminate
trivial tasks.
- Prioritize what is most important and do that
first.
- Consider your biological prime time: at what time
of day do you work best? Plan to do your most
important work at that time.
- If you say yes to everything that comes your way,
learn to say NO.
- Ask for help and delegate.
- In the evening make your to-do list for the next
day, so it will be out of your brain and on a piece of
paper. Leave work with a clear head and a clean desk.
- Acknowledge yourself daily for all that you have
accomplished.
Also take a look at the
two biggest hindrances to using time effectively:
procrastinating and lacking purpose. We usually
procrastinate when a task seems too daunting, too large,
too complex, or when we feel we won't be able to handle
it. When you get that "deer in the headlights" feeling,
try "chunking": break the large task into smaller,
manageable action steps, and start with the first one.
We also often drag our heels or use our time
inefficiently because we are bored, unengaged, and
uninspired. The most effective people will tell you that
they love what they do and are aligned with a greater
purpose. When it comes to managing your time, you may
need to ask the larger questions, "Am I doing what I
love to do? Am I doing something meaningful to me?"
As you strengthen your new time management
muscle, keep your focus on getting organized so that you
can live the life you came here for. Instead of being a
chore, good time management can be your ticket to more
fun, greater satisfaction, and a vibrant, exciting
life.
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| Food Focus: Winter Squash
|
October ends with the king of all sugary
holidays, Halloween. But Halloween is only the beginning
of the sugar laden trail to the colds and flu that
plague most Americans beginning at this time of year.
The sugar and holiday stress continue through
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's celebrations
setting us up for a weak immune system just ripe for the
latest bug going around the office or classroom.
So I thought October would be a perfect
time to introduce you to some sweet foods that are good
for you! The fall squashes are packed with vitamins,
minerals and a touch of natural sugar that can help you
curb sugar cravings. This is one reason autumn is my
favorite time of year. So give one of these a
try! While each type varies in shape,
color, size and flavor, they all share some common
characteristics. Their shells are solid and tough to
pierce, allowing them to have long storage periods.
Their flesh is mildly sweet in flavor and finely grained
in texture. and kids love them! Varieties of winter squash
include:
- Butternut squash: Shaped like a large pear, this
squash has cream-colored skin, deep orange-colored
flesh and a sweet flavor.
- Acorn squash: With harvest green skin speckled
with orange patches and pale yellow-orange flesh, this
squash has a unique flavor that is a combination of
sweet, nutty and peppery.
- Hubbard squash: A larger-sized squash that can be
dark green, grey-blue or orange-red in color, the
Hubbard's flavor is less sweet than many other
varieties.
- Turban squash: Green in color and either speckled
or striped, this winter squash has an orange-yellow
flesh whose taste is reminiscent of hazelnuts.
- Pumpkins: The pumpkin with the most flesh and
sweetest taste is the small sized one known as sugar
or pie pumpkin, but you can eat them in many other
dishes besides pie!
- Countless others are available such as spaghetti,
buttercup, and delicata.
A Few Quick Serving
Ideas:
- Top puréed cooked winter squash with
cinnamon and maple syrup.
- Steam cubes of winter squash and then dress
with olive oil, tamari, ginger and pumpkin seeds.
- Top "strings" of spaghetti squash with
pasta sauce.
- Add cubes of winter squash to your favorite
vegetable soup
recipe.
| |
Thank you
for taking time to read my newsletter. I invite
you to contact me for a no obligation health
consultation. This
hour-long session includes a full discussion of your
health history and your goals. It's a chance to be heard
and get your questions answered and the opportunity to
find out more about a personalized program,
completely catered towards your busy lifestyle and
specific needs. I hope you
have enjoyed this issue of Soaring
Higher. If you
have, use the forwarding link at the bottom of the page
to pass it along! To ensure that you keep receiving
Soaring
Higher, take a
moment to confirm your interest at the top of the issue.
This helps keep it out of Junk Mail and Spam folders. As
always, you can unsubscribe at any time and I will never
sell your email address.
Please feel free to
call me with any questions or feedback at 503-351-8260.
If there is a specific health and/or wellness topic you
would like to learn more about drop me a line. I look
forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Andréa
Crisp, HHC & CLYT
Soaring Eagle Wellness
| | |
Andrea Crisp
HHC,
CLYT
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|
It is hard to care for
others or heal from loss if we are not taking care of
ourselves.
I am
dedicated to supporting women with a chronically ill
spouse/partner and young widows. Through health,
life-style coaching and laughter my goal is to help
clients find their inner strength to live their best
life by focusing on extreme self-care, gratitude and
finding joy in everyday living. Soaring Eagle
Wellness is dedicated to my late husband, Jeff Anderson,
who died due to complications from
Lupus.
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| Fashion Feng Shui - Limited
Appearance! |
Fashion Feng Shui is a holistic approach to a
design system that provides a transformational process
for you to connect with your innate set of preferences
or values from which you see the world and thus make
your decisions. Attend a Fashion Feng Shui
session with Mary Conley, visiting
from Minneapolis, on Tues. Oct. 14 from
6pm to 8pm to
learn more about how YOU can create a wardrobe that
supports your own unique style! Join Mary in an
intimate setting to discover YOUR own look. Register now
as there are only 12 spaces available for this limited
engagement. For details click
here. |
| Autumn Workshop Series
|
Back by popular demand are
Sugar Blues and
Eating for
Energy. New this year is a Surviving the Holidays
workshop. All workshops are in my room at
Awakenings on Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm. Check out
the details and register online for
only $12.
- Sugar Blues Workshop - October 30th
- Surviving the Holidays - November 13th
- Eating for Energy - Dec. 4th
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| Laughter Yoga Revisited
|
I am contacted every week by people
interested in Laughter Clubs! This is very exciting, but
has been a little frustrating as I am still looking for
a good spot to hold a club. The good news is that I now
have enough brave souls to hold a morning club at
Awakenings. We will begin on Tuesday October 14th in
the studio. We will meet each Tuesday morning from 7:10 am to 7:40 am.
This allows us to begin our day with healing and
energizing laughter and still make it in to the
office!
I am always looking for people &
places interested in Laughter Yoga. Either for regular
classes or one time workshops. Laughter Yoga is perfect
for brown bags, team building and even your next
celebration with family and friends! If you know someone
who might be interested in Laughter Yoga or who has a
great space for it, please send them my
way!
Meanwhile, I planning my first Laughter Yoga
Leader training so stay tuned for more
information!
If you are interested in learning
more about Laughter Yoga, the club or the training click
here.
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