Blog Posts from Dr. Robyn

Do you struggle to make exercise a regular part of your daily routine?

If you said yes, that’s okay! Each and every day, we are under a remarkable amount of stress. There is always so much to do and it can be hard and overwhelming to make time for exercise.

But… we have to. Exercise, moving our bodies, is the key to feeling energized, having better focus, feeling calmer, staying at a healthy body weight, and overall good health!

So how can you create an exercise plan? Here’s a 5 step approach you can try today:

1. Create a realistic goal: before you get ahead of yourself and try to workout every single day for the next… forever, start small. If you never or rarely workout, start with a 2x/week goal. Just commit to 2 days each week where you will intentionally move your body for 30-60 minutes.

2. Take a look at your calendar: Each week (or before the next week starts) take a look at your calendar and see what sort of commitments you already have in place. Tuesday’s full from sunrise to sunset? Then Tuesday is not the day to schedule your workout. Choose the days where you have less on your plate so that you feel less overwhelmed about making time for this new habit.

3. Consider “habit stacking”: Habit Stacking is when you use a habit you already have in place to help you build another habit. For example, if you want to drink more water but are struggling to get it in, you can habit stack with your morning coffee routine. Rather than just pouring yourself that cup o’ joe right away, pour yourself 20oz of water and say to yourself that you must drink your water and then you have your coffee. The coffee habit serves as your reminder! One way this can be done for exercise is to choose a gym that is on your way to or from work (or somewhere you go every day). Driving that road is a daily habit. Now, add a stop at the gym. Attach the gym to your drive to/from work and you are more likely to stick to it.

4. Again, start small: Do not come out the gate thinking you have to start doing hour long CrossFit workouts. If a 30 minute walk is what is feasible for you, START THERE. It’s always better to do something and then progress than to overdo something and throw in the towel!

5. Celebrate yourself: creating a new workout routine is not easy! As you find yourself hitting your 2x/week goal, increase it to 3x/week. Some weeks will feel easy while others you may end up backtracking. That is all normal as well as you continue to go back to these steps and make a commitment to yourself. And then CELEBRATE! You deserve to give yourself a pat on the back so go ahead and do it :)

What’s your biggest struggle with creating an exercise routine?

A favorite activity of mine! Brain dumping. 

Have you heard of this?

A brain dump is when you take a piece of paper and write unfiltered. You could use a computer if you prefer that. I like the tactical aspect that a pen and paper give this exercise. You write down your mental to do list, what you need at the grocery store, your thoughts and anxieties. Whatever the brain wants to dump out!

Then, here’s the secret.. you don’t think of it again. (Or at least not for a little bit)!

This frees up the mental load and space in your mind so that you are able to focus on the task ahead, sleep, meditate, etc.

Have you done a brain dump? Did you find it useful?

Check out the video I have on Overcoming Overwhelm for more great tips like this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpfuY4vDoLY&fbclid=IwAR1nfcVs8EvUQwbJrYyQz23mvUIc-ZfiHW87fEbDgYc1RYS6HROL6PZoswE

Are you cooking this Thanksgiving or are you going to another’s house?

If you are cooking, then this can be *stressful*! I’d like to share some tips that can hopefully lessen this stress for you.

1. Keep it simple. I know you probably have seen many extravagant tables that are garnished with the most beautiful meals but yours doesn’t need to be that fancy! Thanksgiving is about coming together and enjoying the company of others. Stick to your tried and true recipes, throw a tablecloth on the table and relax and enjoy the day.

2. Make a menu and make a list. You can write out your menu then write down everything you need! This should save the stress of running out of anything and/or making a million last minute grocery store runs. One thing I always forget is spices! Check your spices and make a note of any that are running low.

3. Delegate. YOU do not need to be the one who does EVERYTHING. Get the kids involved, get the spouse involved. If you are hosting other guests, ask them to bring a dish! If everyone contributes then that less you have to worry about and cook. I’ve found that your guests truly don’t mind to do this and even more, they WANT to help. 

4. Prep what you can. Do all your peeling, chopping, etc beforehand so on Thanksgiving day you can put it together and into the oven.

How does cooking Thanksgiving look for you? A chaotic mess or calm and collected?

Everyday at lunchtime, I head out for a walk. This is my favorite part of the day.

- I get the sunlight to help set my circadian rhythm

- I get a dedicated 20-30 mins to be away from my phone

- I get vitamin D which helps boost the immune system

- On days I can’t workout, I know I moved my body in some way

Plus walking is an excellent form of exercise and it’s been proven to help with ADHD. Don’t believe me? Click the link below to read more about its amazing benefits. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.additudemag.com/the-adhd-exercise-solution/amp/

Focus tip of the day! Time blocking. Time blocking is a great way for you to become focused and efficient at your to-do list.

Time blocking is a method where you split your day into blocks of time. You dedicate each block to a task. The blocks can be your choice of whether they are hour long, half an hour, 10 mins, or a mix! It’s up to you and totally customizable. Whatever works for your schedule and each day can also be different. Maybe one day you need hour blocks  and the next day you need to use 10 minute blocks. 

Here’s how it looks as an example…

8:00 - 8:30 -- breakfast

8:30 - 9:00 -- exercise

9:00 - 10:00 -- house tidy up

10:00 - 10:30 -- check and respond to emails

And so on! Each time block of your day is ‘planned’ out so you are organized and centralized. No more searching for those random post-it notes and forgetting important appointments!

Give it a shot this week and let me know how it goes!

Psst! This is also a topic that we dive deeper into in my 5 Factor Focus course!