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The Science of Self-Care

13/4/2023

 
By Laura Booiman, CBT Therapist
The Science of Self-Care

There is a lot of talk about self-care these days. When thinking of self-care, one might imagine bubble baths, facials and cozying up with your favourite book in front of a fire. However, the stereotypes that are often associated with self-care give this fundamentally important habit a bad rap. While self-care may sound like a luxury, recent scientific studies suggest that it is actually non-negotiable, if we are looking to live long and healthy lives.

Below we are going to outline some common myths around the practice of self-care, discuss what the most recent research tells us, and give you some easy, take-home examples that you can incorporate into your daily life.

Myths about Self-Care:
  1. Self-care is selfish. A selfish individual is seen as someone who has a lack of consideration for others. However, practicing self-care allows us to show up for others, in addition to showing up for ourselves. Read an article by our Copy Writer Emory that elaborates on the idea the self-care is not gendered and is also essential for men.
  2. Self-care takes too much time. Self-care does not have to be time-consuming. It can be a small addition to your daily routine, or something that you carve out time for in your schedule.
  3. Self-care is only about physical health. Self-care is all encompassing, and is an important part of our overall health (i.e. mental, emotional and physical).
  4. Self-care is for women. Self-care is not limited by your gender identity. Self-care is an essential part of maintaining our physical, mental and emotional health and the activities we choose to engage in to help us feel renewed, rejuvenated, and healthy are not gendered. Even bath bombs and facials are not gendered activities. 

What the Research Tells Us:
  • While it seems that we are living in a perpetual state of stress right now (*cough*, thank you COVID-19), studies suggest self-care can help us to better self-regulate and control our emotions when we are faced with stressful situations.
  • Self-care can help to boost our patience and efficiency, by not allowing stress to take over.
  • Self-care has both short-term and long-term effects. Short-term benefits include increased mood, sleep, and productivity, while long-term benefits include lower blood pressure, increased happiness and a more balanced life.
  • Self-care can have a huge impact on increasing our psychological energy. When feeling drained, science tells us one of the best ways to recharge if through self-care.

Practical Ways you can Practice Self-Care:
  • Make sleep a priority. We recommend creating a sleep sanctuary and getting excited about your bedtime routine.
  • Take a walk on your lunch break. Your cortisol levels will thank you!
  • Write down personal/ professional development goals.
  • Take care of your gut. Science says that gut health has a big impact on our psychological health – including our overall mood. To improve your gut health, we recommend eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables.
  • Carve out time to play your favourite sport. (Golf anyone?)
  • Say “no” to people and situations that drain you.
  • Cook your favourite meal.
  • Dedicate some time for self-reflection.

Final Thoughts about The Science of Self-care

Remember, self-care doesn’t have to be perfect. As a clinician, I often tell my clients that it is not about the act itself, but setting the intention. If you slip up, be kind to yourself, and set the intention for self-care at a certain time of day that feels more manageable to you. If this blog resonated with you and you would like to speak with Laura or one of our associates for further support, please Contact Us.
 
Laura Booiman, MSc. (she/her/hers) is a CBT Therapist at Dr. Joti Samra, R.Psych. & Associates. Her clinical training focuses on providing evidence-based cognitive-behavioural treatments to a variety of client’s psychological health needs, including: generalized anxiety disorders; depression; navigating life transitions; and managing stress (generalized and school). Check out her full bio here.

I've already given up on my New Year's Resolution!

6/4/2023

 
By Dr. Joti Samra, CEO & Founder of the Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Clinic and MyWorkplaceHealth
The question:
 
I’ve already failed at my New Year’s resolution (to lose weight – I’ve caved to my dessert addiction and gained a pound since January 1). I can’t stop kicking myself and feel like I will never be able to stop gaining. What can I do psychologically to help my willpower?
 
The answer:
 
The start of a new year seems to be a perfect time to make changes in one’s life. About half the population makes New Year’s resolutions, with the most common resolutions relate to weight loss, exercising more, quitting smoking, and improving one’s financial situation. However, research indicates that by July, the overwhelming majority of individuals fail in sticking to their resolution or even remember what they promised to resolve.
 
First of all, keep in mind that you are not alone in both making a resolution and feeling you have failed. Second – and much more importantly – you are taking a very extreme view in your belief that gaining two pounds represents failure of your goal! You simply don’t yet have enough information to evaluate how you have done. So, you need to begin by putting the small amount of “weight gain” you have had in perspective, which likely amounts to nothing more than water retention.
 
Then, take the following steps to increase the likelihood of sticking to this, or any other resolution:
 
Pick an attainable goal
 
The goal should be something that, based upon the life you are living, is something that you can achieve.
 
Ensure that your goal is measureable. To change your goal, you will have to know where you are headed, and how to determine if you are getting/have gotten there.
 
Ensure the goal is realistic and time-limited. You may want to lose 30 pounds, but a realistic goal may be to lose 15 pounds this year and 15 pounds the following year. Set a specific period of time in which you will accomplish your goal. As you accomplish your time-limited steps, you can reward yourself for successes.
 
Remember that small change is better than no change. Get supports as you start to make the change.
 
Identify Barriers
 
Anticipate setbacks. If you have tried to make this change in the past, what got in the way of the change being successful before? Problem-solve the barriers that you have encountered in the past.
 
Identify the pros of not changing the behaviour (this can often help you appreciate why the change has not yet happened). Identify the cons of changing (the reasons the change may be difficult to do).
 
Establish a specific contingency plan for each of the barriers you identify.
 
Implement Change
 
Obtain a baseline of your behaviour. Track your usual activity for a week. This can often help you to identify patterns in your day and help identify times when it would be easier to implement the change.
 
Be aware of the powerful impact that conditioning plays in activity and behaviour. Actively work to change habits that you may have gotten into that are not conducive to achieving your goal.
 
Approach behavioural change gradually. Make small, specific changes.
 
Make a schedule with yourself to build the activity into your day-to-day life.
 
Revisit & Revise
 
Do not get discouraged by setbacks. If you are not on track with the changes you identified, work to identify the barriers. Were your expectations too high? Was the specific goal you set too ambitious?
 
Revise your goal as necessary.
 
Expect & visualize success.
 
Reward yourself
 
Set milestones that can help you track your progress. Ensure that you schedule in regular rewards for each milestone that you achieve.

Excerpted from Dr. Joti Samra’s “
Ask the Psychologist” weekly column in The Globe and Mail.

Keep it up: 6 easy steps to keep you fitness-focused

23/2/2023

 
By Dr. Joti Samra, CEO & Founder of the Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Clinic and MyWorkplaceHealth ​
The question:
 
Every week I start fresh and aim to eat well, exercise, get rest, all the good stuff. By Thursdays, my plan is right off the rails. How do I commit to bettering myself and staying on track?
 
The answer:
 
There are only a handful of things in life that are certain: death and taxes. Oh, wait – and failed diet and exercise plans.
 
You don’t need a PhD in health sciences to know that diet, exercise and sleep are three of the most crucial things that can dramatically impact and – when properly addressed – improve both physical and emotional/psychological health. But, the diet, fitness, and pharmaceutical industries are lucrative, multibillion-dollar industries for a reason: Most people struggle with sustaining long-term change in these areas. So, welcome to the club! (I myself tend to find I start slipping come about Wednesday…).
 
Nice job on identifying the fact that you want to change. This may sound obvious, but it’s not. The adage of “fail to plan, plan to fail” applies: If you haven’t even planned or visualized what you want to do differently, it won’t happen. So kudos for beginning this journey.
 
There are some important steps that you can take to enhance the likelihood your change is sustainable. If you stick to these, you dramatically increase the chance you can stick to your goals.
 
1. Pick a specific behaviour to change. Start with no more than one to two behaviours to change at a time. Precisely define what you want to change.
 
Ensure that your goal is measurable. If you need to revise your goals later on, you will have to know where you are headed, and how to determine if you are getting or have gotten there.
 
Ensure that your goal is realistic. You may want to lose 30 pounds, but a realistic goal may be to lose 15 pounds this year and 15 pounds the following year.
 
Ensure that your goal is time-limited. Set a specific period of time in which you will accomplish it.
 
2. Identify your readiness to change. Before you begin, ask yourself questions such as: “How ready am I really?” “Is this the right time for me to make a change?” “What are the pros and cons of changing?”
 
Consider the benefits of the change. How can you begin to change in a realistic fashion? What would life be like if you didn’t do it? Is it worth it – how or why? Consider how the change fits with other important life values you hold.
 
Prepare to change. Gather the information and tools that you need. Anticipate setbacks. Remember that small change is better than no change. Get supports as you begin the changing process.
 
Consider how you’ll build on your changing behaviour over time. What other behaviours can you add in? Once the changes have been made, consider how you’ll transition to a long-term maintenance plan.
 
3. Identify barriers. Anticipate setbacks. If you had tried to make a change in the past, what got in the way of success? Be brutally honest with yourself about why you failed.
 
Then solve the barriers that you encountered in the past. Identify the pros of not changing your behaviour – this can often help you appreciate why the change hasn’t happened yet. Identify the cons of changing – the reasons the change may be difficult to do. Establish a specific contingency plan for each of the barriers you identify.
 
4. Implement change. Approach behavioural change gradually. Make small, specific changes.
 
Make a schedule with yourself to build change activities into day-to-day life. Follow the “double-time” rule: Schedule double the time you think it would take to achieve the change.
 
5. Revisit and revise. Do not get discouraged by setbacks. If you are not on track with the changes you identified, work to identify the barriers again. Were your expectations too high? Was the specific goal you set too ambitious?
 
Revise your goal as necessary. Expect and visualize success.
 
6. Reward yourself. Set milestones that help you track your progress and ensure that you schedule in regular rewards for each one that you achieve. (I sheepishly admit that shoes and purses motivate me quite well!)
 
Good luck!

​

Managing the Negative Effects of Anxiety on Sleep

10/11/2022

 
By Dr. Joti Samra, CEO & Founder of the Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Clinic and MyWorkplaceHealth ​
Picture
Do you lay in bed tossing and turning? Do you check the clock and calculate the number of hours of sleep you’d get if you fell asleep right now? Or think about your list of to-do’s for tomorrow? If so, you’re not alone. So let’s talk about how to manage the negative effects of anxiety on sleep. 

Anxiety, and associated worry thoughts, have a significant impact on our ability to sleep. And with the high demand world we live in, it’s no wonder that so many people struggle with sleep problems. 

The tough thing about anxiety and sleep is that it can be difficult to know which comes first. Do we not sleep because we are anxious? Or are we anxious because we can’t sleep? It’s likely both. Stress and anxiety can cause or worsen sleep difficulties and lack of sleep can make us anxious.

​So, how can we manage our worry thoughts to help us get better sleep?

​https://youtu.be/8KEbCRXZUqE


How to Get Better Sleep

Worry and anxiety are a normal part of life, but also among the strongest factors that impact sleep. If you are finding worries are preventing you from sleeping, here are some tips to help you sleep better:
​
  1. Keep a “worry log” – if you can’t sleep, get out of bed, write down your worries, and ask yourself 3 key questions: what is the evidence for this worry? What is the problem to be solved? What can I do right now?​
  2. Implement relaxation strategies such as diaphragmatic breathing, visual imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation – these can help with sleep onset and maintenance. This also means reducing stressful or anxiety-provoking activities close to bedtime.
  3. Move your body. Exercise helps to not only manage anxiety but to improve sleep; however, exercise can keep you awake if done in the evening – as a general rule, it’s good to avoid exercise in the 2-3 hours before bedtime.
  4. Have a good bedtime routine. For example; have some decaf tea, listen to relaxing music,  or have a warm bath. Make a clear distinction between daytime activities which require alertness – and bedtime activities which should induce relaxation. This includes reducing or eliminating screen time before bed. 
  5. Don’t stay in bed if you can’t sleep, as this can lead to our bed becoming associated with a state of wakefulness. If you can’t fall asleep within 15-20 minutes, get out of bed and do not get back into bed until you are sleepy (not just tired).

Final Thoughts

Still not able to effectively manage the negative effects of worry on your sleep? Cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) is the most effective treatment for sleep problems, as well as associated mood and worry or anxiety issues. If worry thoughts persist and continue to have a significant impact on sleep, consider seeing a registered mental health provider. It may also be helpful to talk to your family physician to ensure there are no other underlying issues that may be impacting your sleep.

https://youtu.be/CIOhCas5KUc

I'm medically obese - and totally love my body. Is that okay?

13/10/2022

 
The question:

I’m medically obese – but totally happy with my body (I swear). Family and friends tell me there has to be something psychologically wrong with me, if I can be truly happy with my body being this large. What’s your perspective?

The answer:

​First, there is nothing “psychologically wrong” with you for truly accepting your body as it is. You sound like a confident person whose self-esteem is not impacted by your physical appearance. The reality is there are a range of physical attributes (e.g., weight, height, facial features, acne, scarring), health conditions (e.g., cancer, HIV) and physical disabilities (e.g., paraplegia, amputations) which could impact self-esteem and confidence.
 
Unfortunately, the stigma in our society surrounding weight issues is undeniable: I think most people view weight as something that is very much within one’s control. The reality is that there is a significant margin of control we can have over our weight through healthy diet and exercise, but some people have a stronger genetic component to their weight, and these individuals can have tremendous difficulty losing weight.
 
You say you are “medically obese”: a body mass index (or BMI) is the measurement that is used to define individuals’ weight classification, and involves a ratio between height and weight. Individuals are classified as being “obese” when the BMI exceed 30 kg/m2. By definition, obesity is a medical condition where body fat has accumulated to the point that there may be an adverse impact on health.
 
I wonder if the concern coming from your family and friends is related to your physical health, not your psychological well-being.
 
There is ample evidence that obesity increases the likelihood of developing a range of serious health conditions, including: heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and certain types of cancer. Overall life expectancy is also reduced.
 
When your family or friends express their concerns to you, you may want to ask them what specifically they are concerned about, as I suspect it has much more to do with these health risks. I also wonder if it may be scary for you to acknowledge the possible negative health effects your weight is having.
 
Stating your happiness and acceptance of your body/weight to others may possibly be a way for you to avoid facing some of the other negative impacts that exist, as those may be daunting to both face and start to take some action toward.
 
I would suggest a conversation with either a loved one that you trust, or ideally a health professional: a physician, nutritionist, or dietitian can provide you with useful information on making some changes to your lifestyle – if that is something you feel you want to do.
 
Excerpted from Dr. Joti Samra’s “Ask the Psychologist” weekly column in The Globe and Mail.

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