VLOG/BLOG

Why Practice Gratitude?

Practicing gratitude helps decrease negative thinking this also includes the notion that positive emotions beget more positive emotions. This allows our thoughts and perspective to expand and broaden, our minds are then relaxed enough to fully utilize our brains, not just the amygdala sending the distress signals in fight or flight.

Our brains are hard wired to see danger and that is how humans have survived throughout the ages.  

Today, chances are you do not have a saber tooth tiger sitting on your doorstep, nonetheless, we are still wired to see the negative and danger. How do we shift this?  How do we break the cycle?

Neuroscientist Dr. Rick Hanson says “our minds are Velcro for negative information but Teflon for positive” 

1st off: What is the big deal about gratitude:

Well, for my science junkies out there here it is

1. Practicing gratitude is a Positive Psychological intervention that has been proven to help improve...

“Don’t go Changin”

Well,  let’s consider another perspective 

Changing up our environment, learning new things, getting enough rest & exercise, can improve the neuroplasticity (the ability for your brain to change).

Why do we want to improve this? 

It helps adult learning helps improve emotional intelligence & intuition improves overall cognitive functioning helps prevent Neurodegeneration

What are the best ways to improve our brain plasticity? 

• Learn a new language 
• Learn a new instrument
• Explore new places & environments
• Get creative, try painting & ceramics, join an improv class, or other creative adventures
• Read
• Rest
• Exercise

As I get a little more confident with where I am going & that I can “get by” with some of my new “german skills”. I took a very different route for my workout today. Please enjoy some of the colors I got to see on the “new” route I...

I can’t learn German fast enough.

• Today I was completely humbled as did 2 loads of laundry only to realize I had “washed them” with fabric softener and not soap. 
• Next, I purchased what I thought were dishwasher pods, then, to my surprise there was a small picture of washing machine on the back of the box. This meant another trip to the grocery store. 
• Grocery shopping which typically I can do unconsciously and at lightning speed, ended up taking half of a day, as I had to decipher the products by pictures or use google translate.
• I cooked my first meal using a metric system oven and google translated the back of the bag of spätzli.  It got two thumbs up from the boys, they said it was köstlich (delicious).

While I have started my Deutsch tutoring, I can tell you my name, where I live, where I am from all of the greetings as well as the most important word you can say when adapting to the Swiss culture, which is Entschuldigung (sorry)....

Daily Life Edition 

Food, transportation & recycling “oh my” 

Here is what I have experienced in “markets” category. 

• Food: There are two main grocery stores which are also the largest chains in Switzerland Migros (the largest) & Coop. The main difference as I see it is that Migros does not sell alcohol in the stores  while Coop does. Conveniently, there is usually a Denner next to Migros which is owned Migros and does have alcohol.  Coop is said to be “higher quality” also has some brands that you can’t get elsewhere (kind of like Whole Foods 365) . There is a health food store called Alnatura that is also owned by Migros.
• Coupled with my tiny icebox freezer and feeding two boys, I end up at the market daily, so I enjoy mixing it up between the two markets. My German tutor shopped with me, I ordered Salmon at the fisch counter. It took me what felt like 15 minutes to order the Salmon, fumbling through my...

Daily Life Edition 

Food, transportation & recycling “oh my” 

Here is what I have experienced in “markets” category. 

• Food: There are two main grocery stores which are also the largest chains in Switzerland Migros (the largest) & Coop. The main difference as I see it is that Migros does not sell alcohol in the stores  while Coop does. Conveniently, there is usually a Denner next to Migros which is owned Migros and does have alcohol.  Coop is said to be “higher quality” also has some brands that you can’t get elsewhere (kind of like Whole Foods 365) . There is a health food store called Alnatura that is also owned by Migros.

• Coupled with my tiny icebox freezer and feeding two boys, I end up at the market daily, so I enjoy mixing it up between the two markets. My German tutor shopped with me, I ordered Salmon at the fisch counter. It took me what felt like 15 minutes to order the Salmon, fumbling...

Have you “awe” walked lately?

Walking improves both your psychological and physical health.

There is a great way to practice mindfulness and increase your physical activity, it is called an Awe Walk. An “Awe walk “is a mindfulness practice that shifts your attention from the internal to the external. This walk can be as short at 15 minutes with the purpose of taking in your surroundings in a focused way this includes utilizes your senses like, sight, smell, sound and even touch. Take a few breaths to center yourself and then begin to take is the surroundings and looking at it with awe and wonder. “Awe” is recognizing something that is larger than you from a metaphoric sense, looking at the world with wonder, reverence and admiration. The feeling of awe is a positive emotion, by feeling positive emotions our mood becomes elevated, our perspective broadens and we feel happier.  Both Awe and walking produce “happy hormones” put them...