November….what can I say? It’s getting darker and there’s a palpable increase of stress from patients and coaching clients as people prepare for the holidays and the changing season.
Here are some of my tips and tricks for surviving November:
- Daily use, 15 minutes, of light therapy in the mornings to combat the winter blues. If I use it at least 3-4 times a week beginning September until March, I can minimize depression from Seasonal Affective Disorder. I use this product.
- Trying to get at least one hour of movement per day (walking to the clinic, yoga, biking etc).
- Eating seasonal foods – avoiding cold foods and switching to warmer foods, which according to Traditional Chinese Medicine suits our fall and winter constitutions better.
- Limiting caffeine to twice per week (typically Fridays + Sundays).
- Saying no to a lot of social gatherings – being very mindful of energy expenditure. For the month of November I will try to limit myself to one social/non-family activity per week.
Here are some of the cool coaching discoveries made during the last month:
- It’s important to know your accountability style….do you need someone to keep you on track? Some clients will text me after they’ve completed their ‘action step’ to keep them accountable.
- I’ve been procrastinating on loading my coaching modules onto a new virtual learning platform. I’ve realized that if I don’t carve out time to do it, it remains an idea swirling in my head as opposed to a step towards action.
- It’s easy to make assumptions about what others are thinking. Having dedicated time in a partnership/couples coaching session to speak not only helps the person articulate their fears/dreams/thoughts but it also educates their partner and strengthens the 3rd entity of their relationship.
[originally published November 2021]
Dr. Cynthia Chan 