How to Relax, Rest, and Rejuvenate this Summer

Welcome To Summer~

For many of us August is a time of great joy and travel with family and friends. It is a time ripe for rest and relaxation as well as play.

As a culture we are actually encouraged to rest and play more during this month, however, for many of us, letting go and resting does not come all that naturally, and when we have the time to do it, we can often find ourselves surfing the internet, checking social media, or actually feeling down right anxious over the space that we had created for our rest and rejuvenation.

We spend so much of our busy and full lives in a state of what I call sympathetic overdrive. It is one of the reasons we see so much exhaustion and “wired and tired” symptoms in our clinic. So, in the spirit of relaxation this month, I would like to take the opportunity to recommend a few things that will help you not only enjoy this time more fully but also lay a foundation of habits that will further align your nervous system to better support you and your health.

Unplug.

Research shows that unplugging for a full 24 hours can have substantial calming effects on your nervous system, but the good news is, we can see benefits with even a few hours a day!

Schedule in Unscheduled Time.

I know, even for me, my days off are filled with yoga, friends, and now painting classes too! However, scheduling time where you allow yourself to do whatever your heart desires in that moment is key. When is the last time you took a nap or did something unscheduled and spontaneous? Having the space for this kind spontaneity is vital, not only to allow our nervous system to calm down, but also to allow for something entirely new to come in. If we are always filling that space, there is no space for some of the most unexpected delightful miracles to make their way into our lives.

Utilize Relaxation Tools

If unscheduled time brings up anxiety for you, there are a number of tools available to support you. As many of you know, my friend and colleague, Amy B. Scher, has many wonderful resources on her website, in her book, and is also is coming out with a 30-day course on “Getting out of Fight, Flight, or Freeze”. We will share this link with you when it becomes available, so look for our email or follow her site. I highly recommend this and her exercises to clear up any anxiety over making space!

Another great tool for relaxation is guided meditation. You can surf the web (before you unplug ☺✆ to find what resonates with you and then download some into your library so they’ll be there waiting for you and you don’t have to go back online to get them. Headspace and many other apps are good as well, or you can find a practitioner that resonates with you. Some of my favorite meditation teachers are Tara Brach, Norman Fishcer, Joan Halifax (and many podcasts from her center, Upaya), Jack Kornfield, and Sharon Salzberg.

Don’t Be Afraid to Supplement.

To give you physical support for relaxation, we have some great supplements and botanical tinctures we are featuring this month:

Botanical Tinctures

We have 3 botanical tinctures that can be very helpful for calming the nervous system and helping us relax and restore on a deep level:

Nervine Blend: This combination of herbs is non-sedating, non-addicting, and actually calms both the emotional and physical body. Can be used 3-5 droperfuls 3-5 times a day.

Kava Kava Blend: Can be used daily if you have daily anxiety or on an as-needed basis. This is also great for sleep!

Adrenal Blend: This actually helps give you energy in addition to supporting the adrenal glands. Having more energy throughout the day, combined with adrenal support, helps you feel more calm and grounded. (Note: this does have licorice in it which is a wonderful adrenal energizer, however, if you have hypertension or take blood pressure medication be sure to consult with your doctor before using this product)

Ketone Powder (we like Perfect Keto or Pruvit)

This can help in many ways; mainly it stabilizes blood sugar and gives the brain a good source of fuel. Much of anxiety is a rebound effect from feeling tired or overwhelmed, so giving the brain fuel to function while stabilizing blood sugar can help a great deal with anxiety. Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, PhD an expert in ketosis explains how:

-Ketones can actually turn on various gene patterns or enhance the expression of certain genes that are neuroprotective

-Ketones can suppress inflammatory pathways and brain inflammation

-Ketones can create less excitatory (calmer) neurological pathways in the brain

Sign up for the FREE online Nourishing Hope Summit to hear him and others talk about many wonderful things we can do to help calm and heal our brains.

For more on the science behind the benefits of calming your mind, read this great Bulletproof blog post which delves into the following:

-You can rewire your brain with simple daily habits so that it automatically defaults to a calm, focused state.

-It takes about 66 days to make a new habit automatic — if you commit to that time, it can change your life dramatically.

-Endurance training, intermittent fasting, meditation, and smart supplementation work together to upgrade your brain on a biological level.

We hope this helps you to unwind and rejuvenate this summer and beyond. We look forward to hearing about all your fun and relaxing adventures!

With grace and joy for being a part of your lives and your health,

Dr. Dawn

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