How can I check myself for breast cancer at home?

1. Use the pads of your fingers. Use the pads, not the very tips, of your three middle fingers for the exam. ...

2. Use different pressure levels. Your goal is to feel different depths of the breast by using different levels of pressure to feel all the breast tissue. ...

3. Take your time. Don't rush. ...

4. Follow a pattern.

“There is a different experience of health in our 40s and 50s. A big part of this conversation is resiliency - women are very resilient and we often see that resiliency translating to enduring symptoms for a long while, pushing through until reaching a limit.”

Once a limit is reached, naturally there is a push to find a solution, but the reality is that there is no magic solution. What we CAN do that addresses how you are feeling now, and promotes better overall health moving forward, is address the foundations.

If health changes, so too may the habits that make us feel out best!

It’s all about finding the things that we can do every day that pushes the dial of health forward. In order to be consistent, we need habits to really stick. Amidst already busy schedules, fatigue, and possibly burnout, this isn’t easy!

Let’s dive into how to actually build those habits you’ve been trying to get to stick.

The best starting place is exactly where you are, because this is where the obstacles, tensions, and capacities lies.

I’ll use ‘walking’ throughout this as an example and for good reason!!

There is data that shows step counts decrease approximately 3000 steps per day in perimenopause and beyond. This is partly due to hormone changes impacting energy levels, which is another layer to add onto the experience of building and sustaining habits. Here is a simple framework for making habit last:

1. Talk about the habit like it has already helped. Sounds simple, but we need to be connected to our habits for them to stick long term. Talking about them in the affirmative is one way to do this - how is this habit helping you? Self-sabotaging thoughts so quickly blunt progress - this can show up as defaulting to the habit not being helpful, or that it is something that we “should” do. When we are feeling less motivated, thoughts like “I don’t feel like it” or “I don’t want to” create larger obstacles, because we don’t fully believe that the habit is helping. 

   1. My go-to example is walking and mental health: “walking helps my mental health and mood” for example. Framing the habit in the affirmative and as though it is already helping can buffer for those obstacles as they present themselves - “I don’t want to” is met with “but it helps” 

   2. In Atomic Habits by James Clear, the book discusses the strategy of identifying with the type of person that achieves a goal. If the way we think about a habit is that we are not bought in, it won't resonate over time, and we don't see results. Achieving goals is often fleeting because goals are results-oriented. By focusing on becoming the type of person who achieves the goal, the process itself becomes sustainable. Your actions flow naturally from that identity, making success more consistent.

2. Aim for B+, with consistency. Hear me out, because we can’t always be perfect, so let’s try to let go of that expectation of ourselves. Our health habit execution won’t always be A+, because rigidity doesn’t help us thrive in our health goals. If we only hold perfection in our mind and view habits through the lens of “yes we did it” or “no we didn't,” we will see ourselves as failures far more often. So we look to B+, because it is more sustainable over time. We call this concept the “minimum viable habit” (MVH!) or the minimum buy-in required to sustain a habit. The MVH is the least amount of work required to see benefit. This allows us to maintain a habit and move the dial forward, even when we are feeling low motivation. By allowing more flexibility in accomplishing something, accepting different versions of the “gold standard,” we move away from shutting it down entirely and open up space to show up consistently. This is so freeing! 

   1. Walking example: What is the minimum number of steps per day that keeps you feeling your best? This is your MVH. If your goal is 8000 steps per day (a random number), and you know that 3000 steps will keep you feeling good, on days where motivation is low or thoughts of “I don’t want to” are creeping in, lean on your MVH and walk 3000 steps. Choosing consistency is what pushes us forward, and if our capacity is fluctuating then so should our expectations of what a habit looks like. Showing ourselves grace opens up so much space for us to thrive! 

3. Identify the obstacle or arbitrary line in the sand. Is there a line that's been arbitrarily drawn around, or an obstacle to getting the support you require to make a change? We’ve all felt that point of tension about a habit that we are told “should help,” the moment where we are going to do it or not. If you are already exhausted and busy, this can create excess tension around habit execution. To be successful, you need as much support as possible, whatever that looks like. What breaks your habit tension? Find the tension point and eliminate it.

   1. Walking example: the intention is trying to walk more. Do you have good shoes? Do you have a rain coat? Is your dog’s leash the appropriate length? Do you have a favourite route mapped out?

Supporting overall health and change looks like consistent engagement with small habits, the things that, over time, move the dial of health forward in a positive way.

Small habits are not glamorous, they are the most frequently abandoned, and they require consistency to see noticeable difference; they are also the most impactful on our health.

You deserve support in navigating the best strategy for you, and as naturopathic doctors we are here to help you understand the most sustainable way to have the most positive impact.”

To contact Dr. Lauren,

• Inbloom Health

• Email: [email protected]

• Phone: 902-367-5300

• Instagram: @drlaurenmyersnd
  

DID YOU KNOW…

What the heck happened to my
youthful glow dangitall?

• Fell asleep for hours in the sun when I was younger. Boo!

• Suntan OIL was my best friend in the 80s…anyone? 🥵

• Inherited my Dad’s Irish complexion, not my mother’s dark french skin. ugh ☘️

• MENOPAUSE and lack of estrogen. Double ugh!

• Did I smoke? NEVER…OK fine, there was this one time…🚬

After years of searching, I HONESTLY believe I found a ‘semi-answer’. I would be on glue if I told you my wrinkles are gone, but I promise you they are much much better and I am way less self conscious about my wrinkles around my eyes and upper lip. Thanks to a dear friend who shared her secret. I had to ask what she was using because her skin was glowing, gorgeous and youthful!

I’ll never share this on cythingraceLIVING openly. 

To access this info, all you need to do is share this newsletter with one friend and the secret will be emailed straight to your inbox.

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“We believe the best way to achieve lasting positive change is to foster trust with our clients through building relationships guided by empathy, connection, and integrity. We know what transformation feels like, because we have done (and will continue to do) our own healing.” – Amanda Dewar, Strength Counselling Executive Director

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Call or text: 866-295-0551.
Contact page: https://strengthcounselling.ca/contact-page-strength-counselling-services

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