Campus Commons PT October 2019
CAMPUS COMMONS
THE SECRET TO STAYING ORGANIZED MAKE A PLAN AND STICK WITH IT
If organization is so important, then why is staying organized so hard? Maybe it’s because sometimes the busyness of life gets to us and knocks us off track, or maybe it’s because we look at the daunting task list in front of us and decide there’s too much to do. When it comes to keeping my life, my family, and my business all balanced, I can’t focus on my end goal without a step-by-step process for how to get there. Even then, I don’t always succeed in staying on top of things. When I was in high school and college, I was a fairly organized guy. I had sticky notes everywhere with reminders about everything. But, right around the time Tiffany and I started having kids, I stopped using sticky notes, and my organization skills seemed to disappear. I’m not sure why it happened. Maybe I just got too busy. Whatever the reason, the clutter started to build up. I’ve since gone back to using sticky notes, but I don’t think I’ve achieved the level of organization I once had. If you want to see the front lines of my ongoing battle with disorganization, look no further than my desk at work (if you can see it under all the papers). That being said, we’ve found a few key concepts that are beneficial to staying organized.
Compartmentalization is key. At our house, we have a master calendar for everything my wife, my kids, and I are all doing. But the calendar isn’t the cure-all for disorganization — no single tool is going to keep our lives in order. Tiffany and I can get work done from home if we want to, so, even though we want to be completely present for our kids, to take them to school and sports practices, and to watch their games, having our work computers in the house can upset that effort to compartmentalize. That’s why, when we’re just hanging around the house on weekends, my wife urges me to keep my computer closed. Otherwise, home life and work life can melt together and introduce disorganization. “ULTIMATELY, ORGANIZATION TAKES EFFORT AND COMMITMENT. THERE’S NO WAY AROUND THAT.” Accountability is also a huge part of staying organized. Each physical therapist at Campus Commons PT builds and develops programs for their patients to follow when they’re not at the clinic. Part of a PT’s job is to make sure patients follow through on their at-home exercises so their recovery stays on track.
Similarly, if you have someone to keep you accountable to staying organized, you’ll be a lot more successful in doing so. Since my wife is part of the business, she is usually consistent in holding me to what I said I would do. Sometimes I don’t want to hear that I booked a busy day for myself, but part of being accountable is doing what you said even if you don’t want to. Finally, you need to form a plan and take things step by step. Sometimes it seems impossible to do everything required to get organized, but, if you piece out the process, you can feel a sense of accomplishment through achieving small goals each day. Ultimately, organization takes effort and commitment. There’s no way around that. Whether it’s a work project, a home project, or a plan to overcome an injury in physical therapy, organization takes work. Make a plan, and stay accountable. Even though getting organized is challenging, you’ll be happy you did it.
–Mark Eddy
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FALL FAMILY FUN
DECORATE YOUR HOUSE WITH YOUR OWN CREATIONS! The leaves are turning, the weather is
LEAF PAINTING Take a trip outside with the kids to pick out some large, unbroken leaves, then head back inside and get creative! You can pull out the construction paper and paint trees, using handprints and “arm prints” as the trunks and branches. Paint the leaves you found to spruce up your trees or use them as decorations on their own. You can also use them for leaf printing or leaf pressing. FUN FINGER FOOD When you’ve got multiple friends and family members coming over and you need snacks, edible decorations are the way to go. You can
get a little creative and make elaborate treats, or you can opt for delicious and easy-to-make finger foods with your kids. A good starting treat for your family is a batch of pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats. Add orange food coloring to the mix and get your kids to shape the treats like pumpkins before using a few pretzel sticks to make sturdy stems. THANKSGIVING CRAFTS Thanksgiving is only a month away, and your possibilities for holiday-themed crafts are endless with just a few supplies like paper, scissors, markers, and string. You can make turkey placemats, tissue paper trees, pumpkin garlands, paper pumpkins, or leaf mobiles to hang from the ceiling. Compile a list of ideas and have your kids pick out which craft they want to do first, then get to work together to create as many decorations as you want to display for Turkey Day. With these engaging craft ideas, the whole family will be eager to make their own decorations and show them off for months to come!
changing, and the holidays are right around the corner, which means it’s time to bring out the fall decor! To make this season especially memorable for your family, create your own decorations with these fun ideas below. PINE CONE PAINTING Go on a family walk through the park to pick up a few fallen pine cones or take a quick trip to the store to buy a bag. Once everyone has their own hand-picked pine cone, grab a paintbrush and a few colors and have at it! For extra flair, add some fixings like glitter, beads, sequins, string, and more.
3 CREATIVE WAYS TO GET YOUR STEPS IN EVERY DAY ONE STEP AT A TIME Many fitness websites say taking 10,000 steps a day will guarantee you long-term health benefits. And whether or not that number is accurate, walking more still positively affects your health. But, between sitting at your desk at work, on the couch at home, and in your car while commuting, finding opportunities to walk more can be difficult. Luckily there are a few creative ways you can get your steps in amidst your busy life.
to walk to the fountain to refill it — and the more steps you take. If you’re looking for other ways to walk more in the office, try walking to your coworkers’ desks instead of communicating through computers or taking the long route to the bathroom.
PARK FARTHER AWAY FROM WORK This is an easy way to get some extra steps with minimal disruption to your previously established routine. Depending on the size of the parking lot at your work, it may not seem like much of a change, but every day, those steps will add up. As an added challenge, if you live within walking distance, you could even walk all the way to work. USE A SMALLER WATER BOTTLE If you always have a water bottle at your desk at the office, first off, kudos to you. One way to walk more and still stay hydrated is to use a smaller water bottle. The faster you drink all your water, the more times you have
FIND AN ACTIVE (BUT RELAXING) WEEKEND ACTIVITY Go for a hike in the cooler fall temperatures. Meander through the mall or grocery store in an inefficient manner. You could even take up geocaching. Every day you’re not at the office is an opportunity to get more steps in than you would on a normal day. Plus, it adds a fun activity to look forward to during the workweek! Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve your fitness. You don’t need a gym membership or any fancy equipment, and you don’t even need a special watch to keep track of your steps. All you need is a desire to improve your fitness and some ways to act on it.
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STICK TO IT 3 STRATEGIES FOR ADHERING TO A FITNESS PLAN
HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER If no one’s expecting you at the gym or the park for a run, it’s really easy to not show up. However, if you have a partner or a group of people to endure the workout with, this makes it harder not to go. If you can’t find anyone to join you in your fitness routine, try keeping an accountability journal to make sure your goals and progress exist somewhere other than inside your head. MAKE YOUR WORKOUT FUN Weight rooms are far from the only places to get in better shape, which is good news for people who don’t like the gym. There are plenty of intramural teams for basketball, soccer, and football, and many solo activities like rock climbing, mountain biking, and trail running that you can partake in not only stay fit but to have fun. Explore what activities you enjoy, and use them to attain your fitness goals!
We’ve all been there. The excitement of getting a new gym membership or signing up for a road race in town makes you think you’re finally going to develop those elusive, healthy, workout habits. You can already see a healthier, fitter, happier you — and then a few weeks later, you’re back on the couch watching Netflix and wondering where you went wrong. Fitness routines are hard to keep, but there are ways to make it easier on yourself. If you’re looking to start working out (again) and you want to stick with it, check out these tips. SET SMALL, REACHABLE GOALS While achieving the body of a Greek god or goddess may seem like an admirable goal, it’s not one that’s going to happen within the first month. If the only goals you have include chiseled abs or the perfect hourglass figure, you’ll be disappointed every day that goal isn’t met. But, if you set smaller goals you can meet quickly, it will keep you motivated to strive toward the bigger ones.
TAKE A BREAK
CHOCOLATE-DIPPED FRUIT
Inspired by Food Network
INGREDIENTS
•
1 package melting chocolate
• Assorted dried fruit, including apricots and mangoes
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. 2. Place a large, heatproof mixing bowl on top of saucepan so that no steam can escape. Place melting chocolate in mixing bowl and double boil until melted. 3. Dip half of each piece of fruit in chocolate before transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet to rest. 4. Let cool for 10 minutes until chocolate solidifies. 5. Place in school lunches, serve at parties, and indulge in a few for yourself.
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INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
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Thoughts on National Get Organized Week
Fall Crafts for the Whole Family
Getting Your Steps In
Sticking to a Fitness Plan
Chocolate-Dipped Fruit
Learn About Your Gut-Brain Axis
t h THE AMAZING CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR STOMACH AND YOUR BRAIN
While it may seem strange to think about, the human stomach is truly a thing of wonder. Most humans only acknowledge its digestive processes, but the gut plays a much more influential role in our day-to-day lives than simply breaking down food for nutrient production; it is closely connected to our emotional states, as well.
communicates with your stomach, too. What is surprising, however, is that the connection goes both ways. Just as your brain can relay information to your gut about excitement and anxiety, your gut can have a direct impact on the way you feel. According to a recent study published by the National Library of Medicine, when a person’s microbiome — the diverse population of good and bad bacteria living in the GI tract — becomes significantly altered or imbalanced, psychological or neurological issues can arise. In response to these emerging findings, dietary approaches and probiotics are being explored to see how well they can modulate a person’s microbiome and address symptoms. While research is still being conducted to determine the extent of the stomach’s influence over emotional and mental states, plenty of evidence proves the connection is real. Your stomach “talks” to you all the time, and, if you didn’t have enough reasons to pay attention to the food you eat, now you have one more thing to keep in mind. If you start thinking a bit more with your gut, your health will thank you for it!
Think about it. Have you ever felt butterflies before a date, intestinal pain during moments of stress, or nausea before an important presentation? Have you ever told someone to “follow their gut” before making a big decision? These physical symptoms are not a coincidence; they are known in the scientific world as the gut-brain axis . Your gut is connected to the limbic system, the part of the brain that processes emotions. The brain sends messages to all other organs in your body, so it’s not surprising it
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