A Different Take on Swiss Cheese …

By now, I hope you’re feeling good about your new goals, and seeing some consistency with the tiny habits that you established.

If you haven’t thought about a few small habits to try out, see if you can find the time to just identify one or two things that you know would be beneficial to your health. It’s never too late to begin.

For the past few mornings, at 6AM I've brushed my teeth, gotten on the floor, and have done a 30 second plank. If you missed my note on Tiny Habits, establishing this plank routine post brushing was a new habit I decided to try out.

“Wow” - I thought to myself, I just did that, again. I just did that with my bed head, bleary eyes and in my bulky bathrobe, but most importantly, I did it without thinking about it. Just dropped to the floor in all my morning glory.

And that’s the magic of intention, practice, and reworking the conditions if necessary to make success happen.

When I talk to people about what I do as a Health Coach, I respond: “I work with clients to help them figure out how to optimize their health.” And I know so many people respond thinking … “I feel good” … “I don’t need to do anything differently” … “I’m healthy.”

I get that. But what I’ve learned more than anything on this health journey is that you have to work at optimization … even when you think everything is going swimmingly.

Think about this:

• So much of what plagues us as we get older is preventable.
  
  I’m talking the common diseases we know - like heart disease, cancer, alzheimers, and chronic auto-immune conditions. It is not inevitable to acquire one of these diseases as we get older - which is a mindset that so many have.
  

• BUT it is true that when we do get one of these diseases, it has been building within us for many years …
  
  And while yesterday we may have felt great, today something feels a bit off. The raw truth of the matter is that we feel healthy … until one day we’re just not.
  

• With the right actions, we can reverse the progression of some of these diseases, and sometimes even nip them in the bud.
  
  That is the goal. And in doing so, we’re setting ourselves up for living a long full life, in health.
  

• And the silver lining? So much of our health outcomes are within our control.
  
  But we have to think about the different “healthful” things we can do, and then practice them. It's just not one thing … it's the synergistic combination of many things.

So… through the process of health coaching, a broader awareness is created, about what exactly you can do to optimize your health, and creating a plan that examines a myriad of options to explore.

So now we're finally getting to the swiss cheese. I recently heard a doctor speaking of the “swiss cheese effect.”

An image of a nice gooey swiss cheese and bacon grilled cheese might have just landed in your brain … and you’re thinking how yummy that sounds.

But in this analogy, let’s focus mostly on those swiss cheese holes.

So if you believe you are a healthy eater … kudos to you. That’s one layer of swiss cheese that you’ve earned. But you see, there are still holes in it. So you have to do more.

So you establish a regular workout routine. Another layer of swiss cheese is added to your arsenal. Bravo. Some of those holes from the first layers have been covered up. But not all of them.

So you think about your sleep routine. Are you getting enough? Is it quality sleep, or are you lying awake in the middle of the night? Maybe it’s time to explore some strategies to maximize the quality of your sleep. Once you’re there, add another protective layer of swiss cheese.

And then there’s stress. Some experts believe stress is the root cause of many diseases. It is the activator - even when we feel like we’re eating well and moving our bodies. There are many strategies you can practice to address and minimize stress … and when you do so, another layer of swiss cheese is added to your arsenal.

You’re shoring up your defense systems; those holes are being covered up.

The more you do - the more strategies you can implement to ensure your best health - the more you cover up those holes where the bad things can get in and start making trouble.

So over the next several weeks, I will share what I’ve learned and what I know… strategies that aren't too complicated … but ones that help keep those holes covered and you achieving your best health. And maybe trying some of these strategies out by approaching them with a “tiny habit” mentality just might be the trick.

As always, feel free to reach out ANYTIME with your own questions or musings. I would love to catch up with you!