(New Blog Series) Learning From Each Other

In this new interview-style series, you’ll meet a variety of people, from Industry Experts to the Fit Neighbor down-the-street, and learn about their unique journeys to finding Whole Body Wellness. We’ll discuss topics, habits, and practices that work … and ones that just don’t! Please grab a cup of coffee (or tea), and join us. There’s a lot we can learn from each other!

Today’s Spotlight: Lexi

Wife, Mother, Teacher, Christian, SpirFit Instructor &

Running Enthusiast

Lexi is the friend, next-door neighbor, or family member, anyone would

be lucky to have. If you met Lexi, you’d remember her for her big smile

and willingness to help. Despite keeping a full schedule, Lexi exudes a

calming presence. What's her magic? Her outlook on wellness may be

one answer.

Let’s hear more from Lexi …

Me: What everyday choices do you make to try to stay healthy?

Lexi: I try to get a good night’s rest, eat well, exercise, spend time with others and find a little time each day to do something I really enjoy on my own.

Me: Do you encourage your family to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Lexi: I do try to influence my family to maintain a healthy lifestyle. My husband coaches and I help coach our school’s cross country team. Both children run for the team. Through this program we encourage children to be active, set goals and to know what it feels like to be an important part of a team. At home, we try to discourage too much time on devices or watching TV. As far as what we eat, we talk about what we eat and why certain foods are better choices than others. Our faith also plays an important part in our family life and helps provide strong moral direction and helps us determine how we spend our time. In addition to talking with the kids about positive life choices, we also try to model this. More times than I would like to admit, we fall short, but we know each day we get another opportunity to show through our actions what it means to live a happy, healthy, and productive life.

Me: What do you think is "the key" to keeping your body healthy?

Lexi: I think the key to keeping a healthy body is supporting the mind, body and spirit. For the body, it is about eating whole foods, exercising, and sleeping well. For the spirit, it helps to have a strong sense of belonging and purpose. This could be with your religious community, your circle of friends, family or work community. I also think it is important to find pockets of time for stillness, silence and prayerful contemplation. A time to connect with God … to something greater than ourselves. There are many ways to keep the mind healthy. For me I like taking classes, reading books and articles, listening to podcasts and watching documentaries. I also feel like a good sense of humor and finding joy in what we do can really keep a person happy and healthy.

Me: What is your favorite form of exercise?

Lexi: I really enjoy running, because it can be done anywhere, anytime, with or without a group and it builds both physical and mental strength. There is nothing like a good run to really help lift my spirits! I also really enjoy SpirFit. The stretching, breathing and a time for prayer and stillness are a wonderful combination.

Me: What is your favorite meal to make?

Lexi: I like to make a big pan of roasted veggies—carrots, onions, broccoli, red peppers, yellow peppers, brussel sprouts---whatever I have on hand. I sprinkle them with a little olive oil and sea salt and roast them for about 25 minutes at 425. Then I will eat them over brown rice or quinoa. It is nice to make a big batch and have them ready to go in the fridge for meals. For breakfast, I like to sauté spinach in olive oil, add a scrambled egg and sprinkle a little cayenne pepper and onion powder. It can be served over rice or wrapped in a tortilla. Yum!

Me: Do you have any rules for your diet or exercise regime?

Lexi: Sometimes. I go through times when I am pretty strict with my diet. I use these times as a kind of reset (and so my clothes will still fit!). I have been eating vegetarian for several years now so not eating meat is one rule I follow. Most of the time, I just try to keep everything in moderation and avoid processed foods and drinks with extra sugars. I am usually only strict with my exercise program when I am training for a race. Most of the time, exercise is one of the main ways I like to socialize. I know I would not get up early in the cold, dark mornings and run if my running group was not there to meet me. I also love SpirFit. It is great for supporting the mind, body and spirt.

Me: Why do you make keeping your body healthy a priority?

Lexi: I believe our bodies are a gift from God and we must take care of them. It is our bodies that allow us to do the work God has put us here to do and if we don’t have a healthy body in which to share our gifts with the world, it makes it harder to fulfill His purpose.

*Photo of Lexi: by Emily Morel Photography

Families Find Time for Togetherness & Charity

We’re still over a month away from the First Day of Winter, and already the temperatures have dropped below freezing. I catch myself cursing the cold as I run from my car to my home.

Many people in neighboring communities, however, don’t have these luxuries. There’s no place warm to run to. In Newport, for example, the percentage of people living in poverty is 33.3% according to the July 1, 2018 U.S. Census Bureau. In Covington, it’s 25%.

Thankfully, there are non-profit agencies established in these communities, like St. Vincent DePaul (SVDP), recruiting volunteers and donors to help the less fortunate. Their efforts (including providing free meals, clothes, household items, shelter and counseling) are invaluable to the community. Yet, many working adults with charitable hearts, struggle finding time to volunteer. Their free time is rare. So having to choose between their families and volunteering outside the home sometimes seems unfair.

Growing up, my parents worked full-time, so while we weren’t regular volunteers anywhere, I do remember our family serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless, and stuffing St. Nick stockings for children in-need. Those memories, though few, have stuck with me. The message taking root because of the experience. (Thanks Kiki & Poppy!)

Everyone deserves opportunities to help. I think that’s why I love Family SpirFit Night so much.

Watching families come together to stretch, pray, and participate in a charitable way is so moving.

Last week, we had 15 families that came out to Family SpirFit. For admission, we collected coats, gloves and hats for SVDP’s Winter Coat Drive. After we stretched and prayed, the kids wrote Thanksgiving letters to put in SVDP Holiday Food Baskets and the adults wrote Thank-You letters to our local SVDP volunteers.

The evening was simple. No frills. No treats. No entertainment. Everyone who came, did so to be with their family, and a larger community, that helped some of the most at-need amongst us. I can’t brag enough about this little SpirFit community. Their hearts are so kind and generous. And yet, I think there are A LOT more people like them out there, if they’re given the opportunity to prove it.

Mentally Strong: Why taking care of the Mind is critical to reaching your greatest potential!

There’s been a lot of talk about Mental Health in the media. It surfaces in stories related to suicide, addiction, mass shootings, homelessness, disease and so on. The truth is - whether we suffer from a mental disorder or not - we ALL need to take care of our minds. We’re naturally vulnerable beings, capable of falling into bad habits if we’re not diligent about keeping good ones.

However, with healthy minds, the ocean of possibilities runs deep! For we are created out of goodness, and there is only One who truly knows our greatest potential. (And it’s probably beyond your wildest dreams.)

So how do we care for our minds? Health equates to strength. Finding practices that strengthen us - physically, spiritually and mentally - can be incorporated into our day-to-day.

“Building mental strength is similar to building physical strength. Doing 50 push-ups a day would only take a few minutes of your time, but doing it consistently would help you build a tremendous amount of upper body strength.” - psychologytoday.com

I’ve selected 5 daily mental exercises that experts recommend and that I personally use. I hope they benefit you, too! Remember, only YOU can keep your mind healthy & strong! Let's get started.

#1 Practice Controlling Your Thoughts

You can't prevent a bird from landing on your head,

but you can keep it from building a nest. - Unknown

“In 1995, psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman published a book introducing most of the world to the nascent concept of emotional intelligence. The idea--that an ability to understand and manage emotions greatly increases our chances of success.” - inc.com

Perhaps nothing influences our minds more than our own thoughts. We become what we think. Yet, how many times have your emotions, rather than logic, driven a decision? (Yeah, me too.) Emotions are powerful forces, and necessary ones. But when we don’t have control over them, they can prevent us from realizing truth and success.

“By striving to control your thoughts, you resist becoming a slave to your emotions, allowing yourself to live in a way that's in harmony with your goals and values.” - inc.com

Being conscious of the runaway train that lives in all of us, is a good first step. The second step is learning how to stop the train before it runs away. You can read more about this in the article 13 things emotionally intelligent people do.

#2 Build Focus

That’s been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity.

Simple can be harder than complex:

You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. - Steve Jobs

In a world with so many distractions, it becomes increasingly hard to focus. According to this website, 89% of us have an attention span of 10 seconds or less. The main culprits: stress and work overload. The good news is we can get our focus back. “Fortunately, focus is a lot like a mental muscle. The more you work on building it up, the stronger it gets.” 7 Useful Tips for Improving Your Mental Focus

One way to practice focusing is to use a journal. Force yourself to write things down. St. Ignatius’ Daily Examen is an excellent tool for recording your reflection of the day’s events. You can find it here.

#3 Express Gratitude - Daily

Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness.

It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.

– Amy Collette, The Gratitude Connection: Embrace the positive power of thanks.

Why is being thankful important? According to happify.com the reasons are abundant.

“The benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless. People who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they're thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems. And gratitude doesn't need to be reserved only for momentous occasions: Sure, you might express gratitude after receiving a promotion at work, but you can also be thankful for something as simple as a delicious piece of pie. Research by UC Davis psychologist Robert Emmons, author of Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, shows that simply keeping a gratitude journal—regularly writing brief reflections on moments for which we’re thankful—can significantly increase well-being and life satisfaction.”

Expressing gratitude is a simple exercise that can be done in just minutes. Best of all, studies consistently confirm it’s powerful effects! So if you don’t already have a Gratitude Journal, you might want to get one.

#4 Offer & Ask for Forgiveness

Forgiveness is unlocking the door to let someone free,

and realizing you were the prisoner. - Unknown

Holding on to negativity is like running a race in water-logged shoes. Your mind and soul are not free if you’re weighed down by the past. Jesus calls us to cleanse the soul. Repent. Start anew. We have this awesome opportunity to do it, to shed our layers of regret and baggage, not just by seeking forgiveness, but also by GRANTing it to others.

Confession is our opportunity to receive forgiveness directly from God. It's a sacrament that requires deep contemplation. Pope Francis gives us 30 questions to reflect on as part of making an examination of conscience and being able to “confess well”.

After receiving forgiveness, it’s equally important to keep a good conscience. Be mindful when negative thoughts emerge, and immediately ask God to squash them. It’s an ongoing battle but our minds are a battlefield worth protecting.

#5 Get used to feeling uncomfortable

When considering the characteristics of a strong person,

you are most likely thinking about qualities like resilience and perseverance.

This is exactly what mental strength is all about – the ability to remain calm and composed

under pressure. - 8 Proven Exercises that Boost Your Mental Strength

The Saints are excellent examples of staying composed in uncomfortable, often dire, situations. They are the heroes of our Christian faith. We too can expose ourselves beyond our sheltered walls to those who may need us. We can volunteer to help the homeless, disabled or elderly; spread hope and love to those at the fringes of society; evangelize to those who have fallen away. By getting to know the Saints, our minds and spirits can be strengthened by their stories, so that we too may not shy away from what's uncomfortable, but face difficult situations with resilience and perseverance.

Perhaps, make it a weekly habit of going outside your comfort zone and trying something new or rare for you. Get a few bonus points by writing about your experience afterwards and measure your growth!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite mental exercises. I highly recommend putting a pen to paper, making a plan and journaling about your experiences. Let me know which exercises work for you! I'd love to hear back. Wishing you all good mental health!

- Jessica