​I stare at the screen and will my brain to spit out just one more meaningful sentence. Unfortunately, zombie mode has set in and nothing is forthcoming. Time for a break. The physical movement of scrubbing dishes until they gleam, water warming my hands, sudsy scent freshening the air, and a fun audio book all coax my mind to another track. Thoughts scurry behind the scenes, synthesizing and coalescing without my conscious control. And a few minutes later, voilà, I’m back at the keyboard, ideas morphing easily into concrete words.

Breaks are key. Breaks with physical movement encouraging blood flow, easing muscle and joint stiffness, and boosting oxygen to the brain can be helpful, as can simply sitting quietly for a couple of minutes and not doing anything. Doing nothing may sound impossible, since most of us live in a state of constant stimulation, but that stillness is incredibly healthy for our brain and mental state.

Regardless of age, we can all get overly locked-in to focused brain time. This article,
5 Research-Based Reasons to Use Brain Breaks in the Classroom, discusses how brain breaks enhance productivity, creativity, and learning. Brain breaks involving movement and play have the added benefit of fostering social bonds and teamwork. This could be anything from playing catch, to a group hike or snowshoe, to a group exercise or dance class. I especially love this teacher’s idea of Two Laps and a Nap, where after a few minutes of focused study, the students rejuvenate by walking around the room a couple of times, then put their heads on their desks for a solid three minutes of rest with soothing music. An actionable and effective tool for all!

If you take a deeper dive into the science, waking rest enhances the brain’s ability to replay and consolidate memories of what just occurred, crucial in learning a new skill. This also has implications for people recovering from stroke. In this article, NIH: Study shows how taking short breaks may help our brains learn new skills, the study participants hooked up to brain scanners  typed a code for ten seconds and then rested for ten seconds, repeating this cycle 35 times. During the rest phase, the brain repeatedly replayed the code typing. The brains that replayed the fastest and most number of times in the rest period made the most progress in learning the skill. The study also found that in addition to expected activity in the sensorimotor part of the brain, the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (both involved with memory among other functions) were also active. The study concluded that manipulating brain replay would potentially support faster learning of a new skill as well as aiding in stroke rehabilitation.

As a general rule of thumb, taking breaks gives the brain and nervous system some space. We might think we don’t have the time to step away for a few minutes. But the reality might look more like slogging away at a task for two hours versus that same task only taking a sharply focused 30 minutes after a ten minute walk to refresh the brain and body. Think, too, of the nervous system. Rather than operating in a consistently frazzled state, that short walk can provide an ease for the nervous system, resulting in less stress, enhanced respiration, digestion, and a calmer outlook. UW: Taking Breaks Is Good for Your Brain - Here’s Why.

Here I am at the screen once again. I’ve taken many breaks to research and write this short piece. My brain is starting to sputter and the words are no longer flowing. Let’s you and I both take a little break.

The cold is already seeping into my legs, though I’ve only just made it past the driveway. My spiked winter running shoes bite into the ice beneath a thin layer of powdery snow, my headlamp piercing the clear blackness of this early hour. It’s -3’ Fahrenheit, and I feel slow, heavy - I’m hefting myself like a sack of potatoes with each step. I promise my aching muscles and tired brain that after the run, just these few miles, we will all head home and rest. 

I believe myself every time. Yet, too often the “rest” is a few minutes to eat something nourishing, gulp down some decaf while checking my phone to be sure the world hasn’t ended, and then it’s off to the next item on the schedule. This is not the rest my muscles, brain and I had in mind. 

The concept of true rest intrigues. To be fair, many of us don’t have the space in our schedules for plentiful rest. But true rest - that can be had with awareness and intention. In my post Downtime, I wrote that downtime is mostly a break from the thing you are spending a lot of your time doing. A change from the status quo. True rest doesn’t necessarily equal an evening on the recliner. 

This  Psychology Today article, "The 7 Kinds of Rest You Actually Need,"  points out that sleep isn’t always the right answer to the rest we actually need. You might be getting your eight hours like clockwork but still feeling burned out because you need rest from a category other than physical and mental. The seven types of rest conceptualized by Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D., author of the book Sacred Rest, are: physical, mental, sensory, emotional, social, creative, and spiritual. The idea is not that we need rest from these categories so much as we need rest within them. For example, spiritual rest doesn’t mean you need a break from church, rather that you need to spend some time connecting with something greater than yourself - and nature fits the bill nicely here.

There’s a story that’s been on my mind lately, which I’ll loosely summarize: One lovely spring day Claude Monet was sitting gazing at the lush garden bursting with greenery and fragrant blooms. A neighbor strolled by and said, “Ah, you are resting?” Monet shook his head, “No, I am working.” A couple of days later Monet was standing at his easel applying his brush to canvas. The same neighbor came by and said, “Ah, you are working!” Monet shook his head, “No, I am resting.” 

This story captures the gist of creative rest: immersion in surroundings that feed our sensory selves, without the pressure to produce art in that moment. Another example of true rest that can be had in a brief period of time: gazing at the photo that heads this post brings an emotional calm. The mirror of the lake framed by the long grasses and dense shrubbery is a boon contrasted with our snowy January whiteness.

Thinking about the concept of true rest on my run this morning, I noticed I was carrying a lot of tension. I was fixated on the strip of white road, monitoring my traction, just getting through it. Well that wasn’t any fun at all. I looked around. At the half-remnant of the sepia Wolf-Moon, dancing between black sky and a hovering haze of clouds. At the dots of lights making a fairy village of the homes nestled in the snow. At winter-bare trees, gnarled branches and twisty twigs, frozen mid-undulation and silhouetted in bizarre beauty. What a delight! Rather than slogging to my turnaround point the awareness of my surroundings created a new perspective. I felt lucky and happy to be out there. My step felt lighter and my muscles and brain relaxed into an easy stride. A few moments of true rest.  

​Downtime, noun: time of reduced activity or inactivity.

Sometimes when exhaustion or burnout hits, vegging out on the couch staring at the TV screen is the habitual response. And yet, this kind of downtime really doesn’t bring the relief one might assume. 

Consider downtime not solely as time spent on one’s behind, but as more a change of scene, and engaging in an activity that is different than what one has been doing. This is the way to refresh both the brain and body. 

Downtime can shift in meaning from person to person, and from day to day. After shoveling snow all morning, downtime might be relaxing in front of a fire with a cup of hot chocolate. Following an hours-long computer session, a brisk walk outdoors might be more the ticket. After a solo day of working around the house, a social soak in the downtown hot springs or tea at a coffee shop might be nice. 

Downtime is as varied as can be. It is a break from the status quo, a stepping away from the norm, allowing space, a decompression of the mind. It feels good, even when it doesn’t (as in the case of a strenuous climb up a steep mountain). Downtime is subjective and meaningful to the person experiencing the downtime.

The change of activity, the change of location, the break to do something different is what brings an ease and relaxation - which is the whole idea of downtime. In this sense, downtime can be likened to play. Play is excellent for our health, easing stress, enhancing brain function and creativity, allowing relationship-building opportunities. Check out Old Dog? New Tricks: Prioritizing Play to learn more.

As you emerge from the holidays and rejoin the busyness of January and the brand new year, perhaps you’ll consider engaging in a moment, an hour, or a day of downtime. Doing something different from the norm, something that brings you pleasure, and that allows you to feel rejuvenated in body, mind and spirit.

As the sun heads south, nights are longer than days, and the temps settle to the colder side of freezing, sleep becomes irresistible. When the darkness of 5pm rolls around, it feels like bedtime, and I long to be a bear so I can hibernate.

​The thing is, we humans simply don't have what it takes to hibernate. Recent research shows hibernation to be more complex than simply taking a nap, and that there are some promising implications for human health.

Toward summer’s end and all autumn long, bears consume roughly 20,000 calories a day to attain the necessary fat to get through their extended winter nap. In Colorado, black bears (which can be cinnamon, brown or even blonde - black is the species name) head to their dens sometime in November. Part of that hibernation signal has to do with their food being unavailable: their natural diet consists mainly of grasses, berries, fruits, nuts and plants, with insects and scavenged carcasses filling in the rest. 
Colorado Parks and Wildlife: Living with Wildlife - Bears  (scroll down for “Black Bears at a Glance info and resources)

During hibernation from approximately November to mid-March, bears do not eat or drink, and their heart and breathing rate slow to about 75% of normal. Unique to hibernating animals, their body temperature does not drop very much. 

We humans were not made to hibernate. Two obvious problems for us taking a months-long snooze: bone loss and brain dysfunction. Interestingly, scientists have found that bears turn off the genes associated with bone loss during hibernation. Regarding brain function, there are tau proteins that cause tangles in the brains of humans with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Hibernating bears (and squirrels) also accumulate tau proteins in their brains. When they come out of hibernation though, the tau proteins clear, and their brain function is up and running as they emerge into spring. The implications for humans regarding both brain function and bone loss are encouraging, and research continues.
Smithsonian Magazine Article: Why Amazing Discoveries About Bear Hibernation May Help Improve Human Health

So how’s a non-hibernating human to get through winter? With, among other things, a lot of light. Anything from a light therapy lamp to an alarm that mimics the sun rising, to getting outside first thing - the important part is to set circadian rhythms by exposure to light. Since darkness encourages the body’s production of melatonin, getting out for midday or afternoon walks can be beneficial for afternoon fatigue. Sticking with a sleep routine, eating nutritious foods, drinking plenty of water and cutting screen time at least an hour before bed are all suggestions we’ve heard before, but worth repeating. Getting solid shut-eye, and bolstering your health with good choices 80% of the time will set you (and me) up for enjoying winter instead of slogging through it.
New York Times Article: How Not to Feel Dead Tired This Winter
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​Originally published November 2023

Gratitude: a word that is overworked in many an exercise class or social gathering, or used superficially in speeches and ads, especially at this holiday time of year. But if we can step away from the phony and ubiquitous, gratitude is more than worthy of consideration. Let’s look at the actual meaning of the word, and how it can change our brains and lives for the better.

Grat·i·tude, noun: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. (Oxford Languages Dictionary)

The second part of that definition grabs my attention. If I am ready to show appreciation for, I’ve got to be paying attention to what’s around me, and if someone does something nice, to be sure to return that kindness. An example: last week my daughter and I met for coffee, and the barista took extra care to feather the oat milk beautifully on our lattes. We both expressed our appreciation, and I said to the barista that it was the best latte around. Result? Huge happy smile!! This exchange was simple, yet I still remember it and it makes me smile, positively affecting my life.

Etymology of gratitude: from Latin gratitudinum, grati, gratis: thankfulness, pleasing. Further back in gratitude’s lineage, we see the word related to the Sanskrit grnati: "sings, praises, announces;" and the Lithuanian giriu, girti: "to praise, celebrate."

From this, the phrase “singing the praises” comes to mind. Again, being very aware of the present moment, and engaging with what is around you, is a prerequisite for authentically singing the praises. I have an example of this as well: last December, in the midst of the holiday crush at the post office, I recognized the worker at the side door retrieving packages. When I got to the front of the line, I sung the praises - gratitude for the hard work, the long hours, and being there to take care of folks like me getting our important packages. You should have seen her face light up! That, too, still gives me little goosebumps. I really care about this person and it was wonderful to see the smile on her lovely face. This too, has benefited my life.

Since neuroplasticity is one of my fave topics, check out this video: Christina Costa: How gratitude rewires your brain | TED Talk. Ms. Costa’s talk is quite poignant - she discusses how gratitude rewires the brain, using her own current experience with a brain tumor to demonstrate the positive changes she creates.

Gratitude can help if you are in the midst of a stressful day, with many worries, or you are feeling down or overwhelmed. Focusing on one thing for which you are thankful can shift that mindset. Some people keep a list on the refrigerator or near their computer of the things to remember to be thankful for. This article: Harvard Health: Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier provides additional information and suggestions for cultivating gratitude in your life.

Gratitude can also help with something called Hedonic Adaptation. Happiness can temporarily go up or down due to circumstances, but we pretty much return to our fixed happiness set-point. Related to this is the concept of Hedonic Adaptation, in which the amount of happiness something brings you fades over time. One way to address this adaptation is to practice gratitude for things in the moment, or even from the past. Savoring, taking the time to be present and appreciate what is happening right now, for example a lovely sunset or time with a loved one, is a great way to bring in that thankfulness. A gratitude journal, in which you note daily a number of items you are grateful for, is another way of focusing your attention on the good things, rather than taking them for granted. You can read this article: Verywell Mind: Hedonic Adaptation: Why You Are Not Happier to learn more.

In the past I’ve been at times stumped by coming up with new things to write in my gratitude journal. But I now look forward to this nightly practice that has become what I focus on before going to sleep, filling my head with the good stuff in my life. I rest more peacefully as a result. In the morning, I borrow from Louise Hay (“my day begins and ends with gratitude and joy”), and thank my bed for keeping me nice and cozy. This might seem strange, but I also remember learning from James Altucher that he is thankful for all of the things and people that he wants to continue to have in his life. Point taken.
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Originally published November 2022

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​Cooler nights. Darker mornings, with frost making an occasional appearance. Colors all around: gold, orange, crimson, purple. Fall is here. And in Steamboat, that means another long winter is soon to follow. 

I love summer. I love open windows, sandals, and the fact that it doesn’t take me an hour to get dressed before leaving the house. I will miss my after-work and weekend hikes perhaps most of all, feeling the lush grasses and shrubs brushing my legs, forearms, even the tops of my shoulders. I will miss looking up at the green aspen, smelling the sap of pine, spruce and fir, warmed from the sun. I’ll miss standing on a rock in the creek, gurgling amber liquid swirling around me.

The good news is that there are still after-work winter walks. Though the lush foliage will be buried under several feet of snow for months, walking is still a win-win. I walk to clear my head, to get my blood pumping the sludge out of legs that’ve been standing all day, and to feel movement in my entire body. My digestion and respiration certainly benefit. But there are even more perks to walking.

In the book Built to Move: The 10 Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully, by Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett, the authors explain how walking is a game-changer: 

• Better movement and less pain, because of tissues stretching, moving in ways that are the antithesis of a sedentary “C” position, and joint lubrication.
• Improved feet, because these are your foundation, and when you walk you load and unload the bones, muscles and connective tissues in the feet to build strength and resilience.
• Improved circulation, not just of your blood, but your lymph, which relies on movement and muscle contraction/relaxation to make its way through your body.
• Improved sleep, because walking calms anxiety and lowers depression, both beneficial for sleep. Even 30 minutes of walking a day has been associated with decreasing depression.
• Better brain function, because walking enhances blood flow to the brain (sitting for long periods of time results in less blood flow to the brain). Studies have shown that walking even benefits creativity.
• Decreased stress via improved mood. This is because moderate physical activity (like walking!) has been shown to decrease stress hormones and boost endorphins.

The Starrett’s advocate 10,000 steps per day (one mile is approximately 2,000 steps). This includes incidental steps. They are also clear that even if you aren't hitting that 10k mark, some is better than none.

I’m using time for my barometer, rather than a step counter or Garmin. In addition to my incident steps, my current goal is to get in at least an hour total of running and/or walking each day. My body and brain like this - it feels good. Whatever the season, I hope you’ll join me in walking more. 

​Exercise feels good and we know it is vital for our physical health. But just as important, exercise benefits our mental health. Check out this dynamic and informative Ted Talk by Wendy Suzuki: The Brain Changing Benefits of Exercise.

Physical exercise - great for increasing circulation, the strength and mobility in our muscles and joints, and helping to improve cardiovascular health and maintaining body weight, has corresponding effects on the brain. Chemicals like dopamine and serotonin are released, which improve mood. Anxiety is lessened, aiding sleep. Exercise supports both existing brain cells (neurons) as well as the environment to develop new neurons. Exercise has even been shown to lessen depression.

All of these benefits are immediately accessible when one begins to exercise. It is a regular exercise routine which extends these benefits, having a greater and longer-lasting impact on our lives. With brain health, there is a protective factor with exercise: the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, areas of cognition, are bolstered, staving off conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s. 

Exercise does not have to be costly or time-consuming. The general goal is 30 minutes, 5 times per week, but benefits can be seen if exercise is broken down into smaller time frames or crammed in on the weekends. A gym membership is not a requirement. Walking outside, exercising in your home, even turning household or gardening chores into purposeful movement can result in benefits for both body and brain.

Learn More
Scientific American Article: Exercise Helps Your Brain as much as Your Body
HelpGuide.org Article: The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

Originally published May 9, 2024

​Twyla Tharp is my kind of person. Her daily habit for years was to rise at 5:30 am, hail a cab outside her New York City apartment, and head to Pumping Iron Gym for two hours of weight lifting and stretching. 

She’s also a proponent of getting better as we get older. Big movements, taking up space with the body, creating, and engaging, all contribute to this remarkable human being continuing to lead a vital life.

If you are not familiar with Twyla Tharp, neither was I until just a few weeks ago. I happened to run across her book “The Creative Habit,” a New York Times Bestseller, and checked it out because it looked interesting. I have since discovered that she is one of the most influential dancers and choreographers in our time. In 1973 she created “Deuce Coupe,” the first “crossover ballet” to combine modern and classical in one piece.

In “The Creative Habit,” Ms. Tharp discusses how consistent practice and process is a foundation for her work. In addition to her gym routine which set her foundation for strength and agility, she described the initial stages of her creative process. For example, with each new idea for a project, she’d start a large box. In would go her initial project notes. Then CDs of music, videos, and those were followed up by in-depth research, so that she had a wealth of material to draw from when she choreographed the final dance. This consistent process of using the box provided an organized structure for her brilliant creations, like the Tony-award winning “Movin’ Out,” a musical set to the tunes of Billy Joel. The final box count for the Billy Joel project: twelve.

Twyla Tharp is now 81 years of age, and literally going strong. In this Twyla Tharp Video: Shut Up and Do What You Love, you can watch her cranking out push-ups as a part of her current morning routine. She also continues to choreograph - her latest work is a retelling of two pieces created in the ‘80s. Twyla Tharp: New York Times Article Oct 2022

What can we learn from her? She’s got some ideas in this Twyla Tharp Video: Lessons from Keep It Moving. 

My big picture takeaway is that consistently moving and strengthening the physical body, using the mind to engage, cultivating a spirit of resilience, and continuing to make what we like to make with whatever form our creativity takes, all contribute to us getting better as we get older.

Originally published January 26, 2023