Ideas for Creating Healthy "Resolutions"

“Continuous effort—not strength or intelligence—is the key to unlocking our potential.” ~Winston Churchill

If you are like me, every New Year's Eve you create a list of resolutions where you make big plans for changes in your life. I almost always plan to exercise more, eat better, take care of those little chores around the house that have been piling up, etc. In the past I would always start with good intentions, but then I would often get sidetracked - sometimes almost before I have even begun! So, this year I decided not to put it all on the new year, but that I would start making small changes throughout the year - what I felt would be a more healthy way of creating resolutions - and see if I could keep up with them. So, here are some things that worked well for me throughout the year:

Changes in eating: While I don't particularly like non-fat foods across the board, I did find that there are some things that I don't mind the low-fat version of. For example, cottage cheese, milk, Greek yogurt, and sour cream are all things that the lower fat or no fat versions of taste fine to me. So, I have started working those into my diet. I also found that I actually prefer whole wheat pasta to regular pasta and rye bread to white bread. And, I found that there are a number of small meals that I like that are in the 200 to 300 calorie range. I keep these supplies handy for those times when I need to eat something, but I'm not feeling really picky about what I have. These make it easy to grab a lower calorie alternative. So, these are a few small changes to my eating that have helped me become a little more healthy.

Changes in exercise: This one I haven't quite mastered yet, but I am still working on it! I have found that I enjoy doing the short yoga sets of Namaste Yoga (about 30 minutes) and that if I don't have to go to the gym to exercise, I am more likely to do it. I found that heading out to the local park for a walk of about a mile and a half is something that I will actually do once or twice a week. Recently I have been experimenting with working in a mile or so walk during my work day. This only takes me about 20 minutes to complete, and if I keep it up throughout most of the week those miles will really add up!

Changes in getting chores done: I have been steadfastly working to fix up my home - my biggest chore. Each weekend I try to focus on one larger task, like painting a room, cleaning out my files, rearranging furniture, or deep cleaning. In addition, I have a list of small projects that will take from 15 minutes to an hour to complete - things like installing a door stop or changing out a sink sprayer hose. I purchased the supplies I need for those projects, so on evenings that I have some spare time I have everything I need to get a little something more done.

Wow! When I started writing this post, I wasn't really sure that my plan had worked out as well as I had hoped! However, looking back on all of this makes me feel kind of good! I didn't try to tackle all of these at once, but focused every month or so on trying something new and working them into my daily life. Some of the things, like painting a room, have shown immediate big results. However, the smaller things, like walking more or cleaning out all that extra junk in my office, have added up over time.

What tips do you have to share about creating healthy resolutions? We would love to hear your comments and ideas!

Beginning of the Semester Academic Success Tips

With the Spring semester starting today, I thought it would be nice to mention a few tips for students who may be managing school on top of other responsibilities, like work and/or family. So, here are some helpful ideas for keeping on top of things throughout the semester:

Creating a Schedule, Staying Organized, and Prioritizing 

I always tell people that "if it's on my calendar, then it will get done." Over the years I have trained myself to let my calendar help me through the week and it has helped me tremendously to stay organized and on top of things. I actually use Google Calendar to help me with this. I plug in all of the things that I know happen at the same time every week (for example, backing up files at work, weekly tasks that I do the same time every week, or, if you are a student this could be discussion board posts, and, if you have kids, it might be soccer practice), every month (for example, days to sit down and pay bills), and every year (for example, Aunt Matilda's birthday). Using the online tool allows me to have it help "remember" for me and I can quickly create repeating instances of the same thing. I then use this tool to help me plan my week by adding in everything else that I have to do that week. When do I have to get to the grocery store? When is a particular work project due? These are all things that get plugged in, and I can even set a reminder to send me an email or give me a pop-up in my computer screen. When I was a student, I would also add things like assignment due dates and then look over my schedule to see when I needed to plug in time for studying - and then I would put that on the calendar and actually use that time to study. Having a visual calendar like this with time slots for everything really helps me stay organized. And, since we are all juggling many roles these days, the reminder aspect of the tool is a life saver!

You don't have to use an online tool, though, and instead you might want to consider getting a paper yearly calendar book that also has hourly time divisions for each day. I have also used the paper format and it can also be very handy! The bonus here is that you can carry this calendar around with you to meetings and pencil in things as they come up. Or, if you are extremely phone friendly, most of the new smart phones have calendar type options that will allow you to have the best of both online and portable benefits.

Actively keeping on top of tasks during the week and month allows me to stay organized. In addition, having things laid out for me in visual form with due dates lets me prioritize my days, weeks, and months more effectively. The end result of this type of effort is that I am more successful in accomplishing my goals, I feel less worried that I might be forgetting something important, and I am able to enjoy my free time - those spaces on the calendar that are blissfully empty - to the fullest!

For more on time management, check out our previous post: http://twuhealthstudies.blogspot.com/2011/11/time-management-tips.html

The TWU Counseling Center also has a couple of good handouts on Prioritizing - http://www.twu.edu/downloads/counseling/A-11_Prioritizing.pdf - and how to manage Reading and Study Time - http://www.twu.edu/downloads/counseling/A-12_Reading_and_Study_Time.pdf. 

Do you have some tips to share for how you keep your life organized? We would love to hear your ideas in a comment!

Showcase On...Belize!

Since it is cold and a little dreary this month, let's focus on what's coming up in June of this year! Each year Dr. Jody Terrell teaches a field course at Hugh Parkey's Adventure Lodge in Belize. This year's course will run from June 19th to June 26th and is limited to 25 students. The official Course Description states:

Students participate in hands-on field study. A combination of instruction in both general marine mammal ecology and specifics about bottlenose dolphins and Antillean manager, Loggerhead turtles and the coral reefs in Belize will be discussed. We will also learn field assessment methods for dolphins, manatees, and turtles their habitat, including GPS use and basic GIS location mapping, and talk about conservation issues in an isolated tropical ecosystem. The class goal is to provide participants a focused, comprehensive knowledge of marine mammal ecology along with the environmental health issues facing our oceans and coral reefs today.

The course is actually part of a long term project to relocate Queen Conch to a designated area within the Hugh Parkey premises. Previously participants in the course have located an appropriate new area for a conch "ranch", collected conch from the ocean floor, and relocated them into the new "ranch". In the upcoming course, students will be retagging conch and conducting research on egg sacs.

Detailed information on the upcoming course is available here: http://www.twu.edu/health-studies/ (see the Belize 2012.pdf)

Health Focus for January 2012

Each month there are any number of health observances. This month we've chosen three to bring to your attention.

1) National Glaucoma Awareness Month - For more information on glaucoma contact Prevent Blindness America.

2) Thyroid Awareness Month - Learn more about thyroid awareness or contact Karen Pan at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists for educational materials.

Especially for Women
3) Cervical Health Awareness Month - Sponsored by the National Cervical Cancer Coalition. Encourage the women in your life to get their Pap smear. Women in Texas can contact the Texas Department of State Health Services to find out if they are eligible for free or low-cost exams

Also, be sure to mark February 1st and 3rd on your calendars as TWU will be Going Red to raise awareness about women's heart health!

What now? Resources and Ideas for after NaNoWriMo

So you completed your 50,000 words for National Novel Writing Month or maybe you didn't, but you've been bitten by the writing/publishing bug and you want to know what to do with what you've written. That's why we have put together this small resource guide for you.

Revising/Editing
First things first. Congratulations on having written however much you have written! Getting words onto paper (or a Word document) is an important first step. The next step is -- in some ways -- more difficult. You need to put aside your document for a day or two, a week or two, or maybe even a month and then come back with fresh eyes. Put on your editor's hat and take a serious look at what you have written.  In the heat of the moment, we may think everything we've written is wonderful. Or we might think much of it is junk. Either way, taking a break from your writing and rereading it with your editor's hat on is a necessary step if you want to get published. Few author's (or any other type of writers for that matter) are able to write a perfect first draft. Here are a couple of good articles on editing and revising:

Editing Your First Novel: 7 Things You Must Know

How to Revise a Novel

Finding a Publisher
Finding a home for your novel will take patience, research, and perseverance. Start by figuring out what genre you think your novel is. Remember that it is possible that it might fit into more than one genre. If you are having trouble deciding what genre it is think of a book you have read that is similar and then see where it is placed in the bookstore. Then research presses that publish novels like yours. You can find lots of good information in the Writer's Market. Most libraries have at least one copy.

Instead of going directly to a publisher, you may want to look for a literary agent. You can find literary agents listed in the Writer's Market or The Guide to Literary Agents. You can also attend conferences like the ones below that provide short meetings with agents and editors.

Finally, you could consider publishing your novel your self. That gives you full control over the title, content, and how it is marketed as well as all the profits. One key element to self-publishing is to invest the time and money to make certain your novel is edited to be the best possible. Nothing is worse than reading a book with a ton of grammatical errors and story line mishaps.

Whichever route you take, it will benefit you to spend some time researching and networking with others as well as thinking about the next topic: Marketing/Platform.

Publishing Your Novel

DFW Writers Conference

Writers' League of Texas Agents' Conference

Marketing/Platform
Gone are the days when publishers would arrange for book tours for authors. That generally only happens with big-name authors any more. Successful authors need to take an active role in their marketing plan. And...if you want to find a publisher, you will be more successful if you have already started working on your platform and have some marketing ideas ready.

What is your platform? Your platform is your presence, your outreach to potential buyers. Do you have a blog? A Facebook account? Do you Twitter? Are you a member of any organizations that could help you in marketing your book? You don't have to have all of these, but you need to have some way to get information out there about your book. After all, your book is competing with thousands of other books. How will someone find it? What will make them decide to buy yours instead of another similar book? That's where your platform and marketing efforts come in.

Another  thing you will want to think about both for your marketing efforts and finding a publisher is networking. You need to make connections and talk to others in the writing, reading, and publishing worlds. You can do this by attending some of the conferences above as well as joining a writing group or organization. Many libraries offer local writing groups. In addition, try some of these larger organizations for writers:

Writers' League of Texas

Story Circle Network (For Women)

The Writer's Garret (Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex)

The suggestions and links above are just a few of the many resources available out there. We wish the best as you continue your quest to publish your novel!

We hope you will take a few moments to fill out this survey on NaNoWriMo 2011 at TWU. Thank you!

Poets & Writers Magazine - Well Established and Still Relevant!

Since my last post was over a really new writing site, I thought it would be nice in this post to talk about one that has been around for years. Poets & Writers Magazine was established in 1970 and is "the nation's largest nonprofit organization serving creative writers" (http://www.pw.org/). Their Tools for Writers section has everything from grants and awards that are available to writing prompts for the budding writer. They also provide a community where you can connect with other writers including a directory of poets and writers with information on upcoming events. This is a site that I have returned to time and again for the good variety of information and assistance that they provide.

May the words flow onto your page like water in a bubbling brook! :-)

Writing for Wellness

I write poetry, Toby. That's how I enter the world.
Tabitha Fortis, "The U.S. Poet Laureate," The West Wing, Season 3 Episode 17

Almost a decade has passed since I first watched that episode, and those words still resonate with me. Writing is how I enter the world. And it's not just me. Many people process emotions and events in their lives by writing poetry, journaling, composing sent or unsent letters, and even writing fiction. In fact, Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, acknowledges that she turned to writing fiction as a form of therapy. You can also see the growing importance of writing as a form of therapy or self-healing with the publication of books like Creative Writing in Health and Social Care; Pain and Possibility: Writing Your Way Through Personal Crisis; Writing for Emotional Balance; The Write Way to Wellness; and many, many more. In fact, Managing Stress: Principles and Strengths for Health and Well-Being, is used in some health education settings and devotes a whole chapter to journaling as a technique for dealing with stress.

Just as journaling can be a dialogue with the self so too can creative writing or fiction. William Stafford, the author of more than sixty-five books and winner of the National Book Award, said in an interview in Master Class: Lessons from Leading Writers, "I'd like to go all out on this and confront as squarely as possible those who make students feel that writing is something done with the fully conscious, already accomplished self. I think writing is itself educational, exploratory, and worthy of trust while you're doing it." 

Not only do I like that quote for acknowledging writing as a way to explore the self, I think it is a particularly useful quote for NaNoWriMo. Many of the writers attempting NaNoWriMo have already written pages of plotting and character background. If that works for you, excellent.  However, for those writers who are unsure of the direction of their novel, who don't know where their characters were born or what their middle names are, I would say that by writing not only will you learn this information, but you will likely learn something about yourself along the way.

Learning about yourself through writing as well as nurturing yourself are themes explored in The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.  The Artist's Way uses morning pages as one tool to nurture creativity. Morning pages are three pages of long-hand writing each morning. These pages are stream-of-consciousness and there is no right or wrong way to do them. They simply allow the artist/writer to vent or empty out much of the negativity and worries that block our creative energy. Most people are surprised to discover how much inner criticism they tell themselves. Morning pages allow people to deal with the criticism, fears, and worries and then move on. Another tool used by The Artist's Way is called the artist date and consists of taking time to nurture your creative self. You do this by actually making a date and spending time with yourself doing fun and/or creative things. It is a method of connecting with the inner child as well as becoming mindful.

David Richo, author of Being True to Life:Poetic Paths to Personal Growth, says:

Composing poetry is both a psychological and spiritual event, because the requirements for writing a poem are like those of psychological and spiritual progress. We must learn to live in the moment. We see them in new ways and focus on what is significant….In using poetry as a tool for growth and healing, we write in our own way and on any theme. We do not have to write perfectly or for publication (2).

As you are writing madly through the month of November and trying to make your word count, be mindful. Pay attention to what your writing is trying to tell you. That may be the most important story of all.

For Further Reading

Writing for Wellness

Wellness & Writing Connections
  
Six Suggestions for Sustainable Writing: Inspiration from Frank Herbert's Dune

Self Healing Expressions 

Therapeutic Writing