Happy Labor Day

When you love what you do it can be hard to take a break. Some may say I’m obsessed with my work. I used to take pride in my workaholism, like a badge of honor or proof of my importance or that my business was doing so well. I just spent 10 days in Switzerland and France for our youngest daughter’s wedding and worked so hard before and afterwards to make time and space to completely unplug for this time.

What really hit home for me on return is how crazy this is. I witnessed what many do when on vacation, I got violently sick. First my husband, then myself. In this case, we caught a bug. Thank God I had taken my little apothecary with me of extra vitamins, electrolytes, magnesium threonate and probiotics. My husband missed his daughter’s rehearsal dinner but was able to rebound enough for the wedding.

The body responds to long term stress by secreting cortisol. Cortisol is a powerful hormone that has an anti-inflammatory affect and suppresses the immune system. I used to have so many patients at the cancer clinic tell me that they never got sick, until the cancer diagnosis. How might this happen? When you are telling your body that you have to constantly run for your life, everything else gets put on hold. This includes the immune system’s daily clean-up of viruses, bacteria and apoptosis, the death of cancer cells. Your self-loving, self-healing body is hard wired to prioritize survival over rest and digest, rest and repair, or mate and ovulate. When you finally do slow down to relax, then cortisol drops and the immune system can go on hyperdrive to quickly try to clean up before the next perceived crisis. This may result in flu like symptoms, headache, fatigue or upper respiratory infections.

Being uber busy also interferes with something equally important as our physical health. It often interferes with our time and communication with loved ones. Instead of quality time, we are reduced to text messages and voicemails. This can open up a Pandora’s box of opportunity for misunderstanding. This can lead to a generational impact. I’ve witnessed this as an older mother of four adult children and grandmother of two.

Labor Day is a good day to reflect. What are you accomplishing from the fruit of your labor? Are you on the right track? Are you caring for your own physical, emotional and mental well-being so that you can be the best for others? Optimal health is not complicated; however, this does not mean that it is always easy. Of the three steps that I teach in my coaching practice 1. Maximize, 2. Minimize and 3. Prioritize, prioritizing self is the most challenging for many.

Today after writing and yoga, I am taking time to go hangout with my twin sister and my Mother. What will you do to nourish all of you and your relationships today? Most of all will you seize the day? 

Carpe Diem,

Lisa

About Lisa Jackson, RN, CHC, RYT-500, FDN-P, AFMC

Lisa is an author, functional nutrition and functional medicine trained health coach, yoga teacher, and retired Registered Nurse with the mission to "Inspire, Educate and Empower" individuals and corporations to achieve optimal health.

Lisa's book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think & Thrive is a self-health book offering her Seven Steps to Optimal Health.

When she is not coaching, or speaking, you can find Lisa joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance or playing with her two grandchildren. She is the mother of four adult children and believes, "Optimal health should not be a secret."