Most of the important things in life aren’t at all
simple, so when something comes along that is, I believe it’s worth sharing. After I read the article referred to in #2
below a couple days ago, it struck me that daily wellness can be as simple as
1-2-3. I’d like to offer this simple 1-2-3
plan to you today, to support your wellness journey!
1 – Do ONE Thing at a Time. We
may pride ourselves on our multitasking abilities – and fellow women, I’m
talking to you! – but guess what?
Multitasking is a myth! Studies
of our brains in action show that we are capable of focusing on only one
cognitive task at a time. Our attempts
to do two things at once are actually about “task switching”, and we’re not
nearly as efficient or effective as we think we are. In a recent Forbes article, Dr. JoAnn Deak
states that in the short term, multitasking doubles the amount of time it takes
us to complete a task and usually doubles our mistake rate, or worse. Other research suggests that task switching
reduces our productivity by up to 40%.
Not good!
Clearly there’s a downside to multitasking, but the good news
is that there’s such an upside to monotasking! We perform, feel, and just are so much better
when we focus – our eyes, our attention, our time, our energy, our love. I suggest to my clients that they mindfully “sink
in” to whatever they’re doing, for greater effectiveness, efficiency, and most
importantly, enjoyment.
2 – Walk TWO Minutes of Every Sedentary Hour. A recent study reported in the NYT
Well blog links “gentle walking” for just 2 minutes per hour with a 33%
reduction in mortality. Respondents in
this large-scale longitudinal study wore fitness trackers to measure their
movement, and the researchers measured death rates 3-4 years later, thereby
discovering this strong association.
What better reason to get up from your chair on at least an hourly basis
and take a little walk? You will give
your body and your mind a break, and your pause can serve as a transition from
one task to the next (in service of goal #1 above!). Of course, intense exercise provides
incremental physiological and psychological benefits, so please continue to
include it in your routine as well!
3 – Eat Fruits & Veggies THREE Times a Day. There’s no better dietary advice than to eat
more fruits and vegetables. I like the
simplicity of including produce with every meal – for example, luscious berries
at breakfast, a crunchy salad and an apple at lunch, and any one or two of
hundreds of veggie possibilities at dinner, whether sautéed, steamed, or even
spiralized. Fruits and vegetables
provide a multitude of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, and they have been
shown to protect against various types of cancer and reduce the risk of heart
disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
They are truly the best medicine, and bring color, texture, and
delicious flavor to every meal. Bon appétit!
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