Positive Vibes for Optimal Health

Changemaker
20 August 2023

Enjoying optimal health means you feel good. In that state, your baseline is positive. It’s both mental and physical because mind and body are so completely intertwined.

In recent years, I’ve made a concerted effort to eat healthier. In the simplest terms – and please keep in mind I am not a dietitian, nor do I make claims to be one – I’ve learned I need to eat more protein, good fats, and fibre and less sugar.

Protein promotes better immune function and improved muscle growth and repair. Good fats protect my heart. Fibre improves digestion and controls blood sugar levels. Refined sugar increases inflammation in the body and causes blood sugar spikes and crashes.

Nourish yourself with good food and your body can sustain itself over the long run.

Intention

People often start the path to better health with the intention to change behavioural habits. They forget that what they’re changing is exactly that, a habit. In other words, it’s a pattern of action that typically occurs without conscious thought.

When faced with temptation or resistance – which is normal – it’s easy to give in or give up. It’s hard to change habits because they are largely automatic.

That’s why most New Year resolutions fail. Binary thinking sets in. I’m either healthy or I’m not. If I eat that chocolate cake, I’m “bad” and I’ve failed in my objective of achieving optimal health.

Continuum

Truth is, health is on a continuum. Success comes from eating better, more often, over the long term. Put setbacks in their rightful places, as belt notches along the way. Eventually, you’ll be able to cinch your belt tighter. You’ll feel good more frequently. That’s how you know it’s working.

Conversely, acknowledge when you feel bad. Don’t ignore the negative feeling by pushing it away or distracting yourself, maybe, in fact, by eating that chocolate cake.

What you resist persists.

Negative feelings don’t “go away.” They get suppressed and guess where that negativity gets stored?

Yup, in the body.

Physical and Mental Health

Optimal health, whether physical or mental, is the accumulation of many positive thoughts and behaviours.

Just as the quality of the food you ingest is important, the quality of your thoughts matter too. Good mental health means thinking less about monitoring what you’re focused on in each moment and more about creating awareness around the impact your thinking has on how you feel in each moment.

To put it differently, monitoring usually involves judgement, which reinforces negative thought patterns. Awareness supports positive mindset shifts. It has a softer emphasis; it’s not as hard as judging.

You see, what you think gets reflected in what you see around you. Think positively and you can expect to see the world in a positive light. The opposite is also true. To quote Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.”

Positive vibes create optimal physical and mental health.

Positive Mindset

You build physical muscles through exercise. Imagine doing bicep curls to strengthen your arms. It takes repetition and gradually adding weights to build the muscle.

It’s the same with your mind. If you want to build a positive mindset, you must build your mental muscle. “PQ reps” are the mental equivalent to bicep curls. To shift from negative thinking to positive, you do PQ reps and gradually build the muscle over time, so the shift happens quicker, with more ease.

Watch my Positive Mindset webinar where I teach this technique. Then, if you’re interested in building your mental muscles, join my waitlist for the next group coaching pod I’ll run in the fall.

Positive vibes for optimal health. It’s not a slogan but a way of life.

Header Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash

You have to be open minded in order to grow. The coaching that Laura gave me opened my eyes to what and how I was doing things and allowed me to see the bigger picture. I am not done yet but I already see the changes in my everyday life.
MM

I think coaching is a great way to help you clear your mind when you get stuck with overwhelming situations or when stepping into changes in your life.
MO

Coaching is life changing. It pushes you outside your comfort zone and challenges your perspectives. It is highly motivating and the exercises and techniques used are both fun and informative. I think the main benefits of coaching are to see yourself, others and the world more clearly. I think coaching is valuable to anyone regardless of where you are in your life or career.
LE

I honestly never thought I’d need a coach. I thought coaching was for CEOs and industry VIPs. I didn’t think it was for the “little guys” (i.e. me). Now, I’m of the belief that everyone – yes, EVERYONE – needs a coach. Coaching has really benefitted me and I’m so grateful to have had that time with Laura. It’s changed my life!
VB

Laura is very patient. She took the time to understand what was causing me to be stuck where I am today and help me build a better vision so I can continue to grow.
MM

I think Laura’s coaching was what I had been waiting for. Laura was so approachable, kind, and open. Her willingness to help and support made a difference for me. I found in her coaching new strategies, ideas, and perspectives that I could incorporate into my goals and objectives that I didn’t see before.
MO

Laura is an incredibly intuitive, positive and caring coach. Her techniques helped me recognize both my strengths and areas I might want to explore as I embark on the next chapter of my career. The exercises she employed were instrumental in providing self perspective and challenging my frames of reference.
LE

Laura is a natural coach. Her probing and compassionate questions helped me learn about myself: my value system, interests, goals and strengths.
LM

Coaching sessions with Laura gave me new perspectives on how to process specific feelings and situations in life. She showed me how to sit with my emotions, acknowledge them, and then use visualization strategies to move through them. I now feel more confident and in control of how I choose to walk through life.
CP

From the beginning, Laura put me at ease, creating a safe, open space for me to talk and share freely without fear of judgement. I loved the variety of approaches she used depending on the topic we were working on and it was fun being able to try out things I wouldn’t have considered before! With Laura’s coaching, I substantially grew my confidence in the workplace, overcame fears, dealt with issues I’d been carrying around for many years and, most importantly, learned to value myself and define a path forward into the future.
AG

Laura’s coaching was a breath of fresh air and EXACTLY what I needed at that point of my life. I didn’t realize how impactful coaching was going to be, but by the end of the sessions together, I left feeling refreshed, inspired and genuinely curious about what my future held for me. Because of Laura and her coaching, I believe I became a better person – someone who is more open-minded, someone with a clearer focus, and someone who is willing to explore opportunities and possibilities far more than I ever did before.
VB

I engaged Laura for coaching as I took on an expanded role leading an asset management company in Canada. As a female, I knew I would be a role model and had high expectations of myself. I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

In our first few coaching sessions we worked through exercises that allowed me to reflect on my purpose, leadership style and what mattered most to me. I continue to be grounded by the clarity I achieve in my coaching sessions – allowing me to be resilient and confident when challenges came my way.
OS