Blog Posts from Dr. Robyn

Melatonin has gotten a lot of press lately and for good reason! It is associated with controlling the sleep-wake cycle and can be beneficial in treating insomnia short term. Key word is short term!! If you have been taking melatonin long term, then we need to dig deeper! (Happy to help with this!)

Melatonin is a great way to get back to normal after jet lag or a period where you have disrupted sleep.

The precursor (as in you need it in order to make melatonin) is 5-HTP. A compound that boost serotonin levels. The serotonin then produces melatonin.

Being exposed to bright light at night negatively affects your melatonin production. Stress is another big factor in the inhibition of production.

Never fear! I wouldn't tell you this without some helpful tips!

Tip 1: Limit exposure to bright light at night. Blue blocking glasses are amazing! Turning off the TV and instead read a paper book by a dim light.

Tip 2: These 6 foods are great for production: tart cherries, goji berries, eggs, milk, fish and nuts!

Tip 3: The right supplement is key. Reach out to me if you need help adding supplements to your routine.

Have you taken melatonin? Did you notice a difference?

When I'm in the car or out walking, I love listening to podcasts! I enjoy both educational ones and a little fun for when my mind needs a break.

For education, I love Cleaning Up the Mental Mess by Dr. Caroline Leaf. She is a cognitive neuroscientist and mental health expert who gives practical tools and tips on how to take control over your mental, emotional and physical health.

For the fun days, I love Dear Gabby with Gabby Bernstein! A best selling author and international speaker, she has Q & A which are unscripted about personal growth and spirituality. The conversations are free-flowing which I love.

What is your favorite podcast?

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 uner 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?

Staying focused at work is HARD!

You try and work on one thing, only to find yourself doing something completely different the next moment. So how can you improve your focus so you can actually get things done?

MOVE YOUR BODY.

Let’s remember, the brain is like a muscle. To build up your brain, you gotta flex. And movement is crucial to training your brain.

When you work the muscles in your body, you can actually help improve grey matter (which is your brain’s information processing site).

And it doesn’t take much. Set a timer on your phone or computer for 20 minutes. When it goes off, commit to moving your body for about 10 minutes.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to start doing jumping jacks (unless, of course you, you want to).

Take a walk or simply stand and stretch.

Want to take it a bit further? Make exercise a regular part of your daily routine! Whether before work or after work, 30+ minutes of exercise each day will do wonders for your brain and focus!

Do you struggle with focus at work?