Ever try a news blackout? If not, I want to challenge you to disconnect and tune into your body.  As I know you already know, we live in a constant 24-7 environment where information is readily available — too available — and a self-imposed information break would do most of us a lot of good.

Personally, I like to have a periodic information break every few months.  In fact, when I do it, I go for a week at a time without the news and you know what? It’s downright liberating! I’m a news junkie, I like to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s going on but here’s what I’ve noticed:

• When I’m so focused on what’s going on in the outside world, I lose track of what’s happening inside, in my body. I’m less tuned into to what my body needs.
• Too much focus on the news, especially these days, tends to make me anxious and edgy.
• When I take a break from the news and too much over-stimulation, my body relaxes and my mind quiets
• When I’m in a news blackout, I eat quietly, I chew more slowly, I enjoy my food more fully
• My life and health are improved!

Simply put, extracting yourself from the media and Internet fray, even for a short time, is a powerful way for you to tune in and practice better health.

My husband is on a business trip for a few weeks and although I really miss him, I’m using the time to practice my news blackout. No NPR (the source of most of my news), no checking the New York Times online and limited Internet access (I can’t totally give it up but I am limiting my time on Twitter this week).  I’m quietly listening to music, being in silence and reading for pleasure.  It’s like a mini-vacation without the beach (and cost effective too!).

Can you see the possibility for a news blackout? How soon could you do it, for how long and how do you think it could help you?

And as I know you already know, self-care is the perfect elixir to help us achieve optimal health — it’s boosts our immune system, rejuvenates our spirit and helps us manage our stress more effectively.

What’s your favorite self-care activity to stay healthy? Personally, I’m a big fan of getting my feet massaged – it just feels so good. And when it’s a reflexology treatment, it’s even better! Check out this video I shot last week at the Biggest PJ Party in CT.

So the question is, what simple thing can you do to love yourself up today and every day?  What’s inspiring for you and what specifically will you do?

But over the years, through a mix of yoga and learning helpful techniques from my good friend Millie Grenough, life coach, author of Oasis in the Overwhelm, and deep breather extraordinaire, I’m pleased to be a recovering deep breather (because truth be told, we all started out this way).  I love how breathing deep helps me tune into my body and quiet my mind, and those are just a few of the benefits.

Take a listen to today’s audio tip to learn about why deep breathing is so good for us and what you can do to get into the deep breathing flow.

Are you a deep breather and how does it support your health? Do tell.

Case in point — this past weekend, Bruce, my mom and I headed to Rhode Island for the day. We have a sailboat that’s been in storage for years. We haven’t had the time or money to get it in the water but every year we make a trek up there to see what shape it’s in and empty any pooled water before winter sets in.

So we were about to walk out the door on Saturday morning, me with my laptop bag strung across my shoulder, when they both gave me an incredulous look. “What are you doing with THAT? You aren’t going to work in the car are you?” Well yes, I said, I have TONS of work to do. That’s when they did a tag team number on me and insisted that I leave it behind. And much to my dismay (and later delight) I begrudgingly did.

But here’s the thing. I totally needed a day without work — both my body and mind were screaming for some much needed down time. As a business owner, I’ve gotten in the habit of working pretty much everyday, even if only for a few minutes. But the reality is, we all need a break, we need to quiet our minds and get away from the daily grind. And not working in the car allowed me to be much more present, take part in the conversation (instead of half-listening like I’m apt to do when multi-tasking) and thoroughly enjoy my favorite Saturday morning show (”Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” on NPR).

And taking that break seriously does support better health. It supports a healthy immune system, it reduces stress and it helps us laugh and have fun — all key factors in creating great health, especially during these over-the-top, busy. super-stressful times in which most of us live.

What about you? How adept are you at giving yourself a total break from your hectic routine and indulging yourself a bit? What do you and how does it support your health? I’m reminded that I need to plan days last this past Saturday a lot more often.

For Bruce and I, Sundays represent a day to slow down from our hectic pace, connect with each other and just do some hanging out, often with family. And this time of year, it’s also about watching football and lots of it — Bruce is a huge Patriots fan and I’m a huge Jets fan, and being that we’re in the same division, there’s a herculean rivalry and lots of trash talking going on. And today, all I can say is Go Jets!

But besides our penchant for the gridiron, Sundays are also about preparing for the week when in comes to healthy eating – a number one priority for me. There’s just something about making the time for food prep, that makes the whole week easier and gets us off on the right foot.  Plus, when I’m not in such a rush, it gives me time to actually enjoy being in the kitchen. I get a little more creative, I get more quiet and mindful and I just enjoy being.

In essence, it’s really about connecting. I get to connect with myself when I tinker around and create healthy dishes. Today it was a pot of vegetable soup, roasted sweet potatoes and bean and sausage stew.  All healthy dishes with many of the ingredients fresh from this morning’s run to the farmers’ market.

My time in the kitchen is also about connecting with friends I haven’t spoken to in awhile. I like to use the time to call friends I’ve been meaning to connect with and catch up. Today, my friend Cindy called and we had a nice chat to catch up, and I just got off the phone with another friend Michelle. Plus, I swear that talking as I’m prepping and cooking makes it a lot more fun.

In the end, I love the outcome when Sunday is over. I’ve relaxed and feel ready to face the world on Monday, and I’ve prepared some healthy and delicious food to start off the week — the perfect way to support great health. What’s better than that?

What do you do to prep for the week and how do you like to spend your Sundays?

BTW, I’ll be sharing lots of my specific strategies to minimize time in the kitchen while prepping during my upcoming Money Saving Meal Planning class. Join us for a free information call this Thursday, October 16 from 7-8 pm ET and to learn more. Sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/3nshnr and join in the fun!

So even though I knew I’d have to get up earlier than usual, I already sensed that it would not only be worth by time, but also set the tone for the day. Boy was I right! Kundalini yoga is all about the breath and tuning into your body. I love it because it doesn’t require any athletic prowess or ability to hold long postures. It’s gentle, effortless and completely relaxing. What a fantastic way to start the day.

Just making that simple effort reminded how easy it is to be healthy when we want to do it. Instead of feeling like drudgery, it was pleasurable. Instead of feeling like I should do it, I really wanted to do it. When that’s the case, it’s so much easier to get into action about our health. And the great news is that I’ll reap the benefits of this morning class all day – calmer and more focused, in tune with my body, less stress, taking deeper breaths, slowing down and not rushing through my day. What a gift to receive this at 6:00 in the morning.

I hope you’ll make it a great day and tune into what your body and health most need.

At the same time, it was totally liberating! I often expend a huge amount of energy and mental space trying to stay on top of what’s going on in the world. My mind tends to be cluttered with facts and information and to be honest, it takes me away from putting my energy into what’s most important to me. Plus if my mind is constantly going a mile a minute, it’s hard to slow down and tune into listening to my body, getting creative and just being.

So giving myself a break from too much information and over-stimulation really did help to quiet things. And also to remember that this is all about choice. I can choose to be overwhelmed with too much information or I can choose to slow down, get quiet and strike a better balance. I can choose to lead a hectic, over-committed life, or I can be really selective about what I choose to do, only doing things I want to do, not just what I feel I should do. There’s a whole lot of freedom in slowing down and tuning in. I feel much more relaxed, present and happy. And I definitely choose a slower, more quiet life, even in the midst of chaos.

I spent far too many years feeling bad when Valentine’s Day would roll around, wondering if there was something wrong with me. Back then, I didn’t get that I could create something special for myself regardless of whether or not I had a boyfriend. Years later, I now really appreciate myself and make it a habit to practice self-care daily.

Given that so many of us run around and have ultra-busy lives, we hardly take time to breath, let alone think about nurturing ourselves. We’re overcommitted, stressed out, anxious, tired, worried, unhealthy and have far too much on our plates to handle. What would your life look like if you took some time to just be? If you got quiet, de-stressed and did something special for you? I have a hunch you’d thoroughly enjoy yourself, just like I do.

One of my favorite resources is a book called Oasis in the Overwhelm by Millie Grenough. Millie is a local life coach in New Haven, who wrote the book after a severe bike accident several years ago. She started to reflect on her life and realized that she was so busy, she wasn’t taking care of herself. In the book she shares four amazingly simple strategies to manage stress. I’ve been using the strategies for awhile, and one thing I know is that they work. And I’m one of her certified trainers, so I also have the pleasure of sharing the strategies with others and helping them find an Oasis.

The thing I love about the book is that the strategies are so easy, you can do any of them anywhere, anytime. Needless to say, we can’t always sneak off to the spa for an hour massage (although this is one of my favorite past times), so the strategies really help solve that problem. I think my favorite is 1-stone, a breathing exercise that encourages you put your entire focus on a stone for 1 minute. You can probably imagine that it helps one to breathe, relax and destress.  Take a look and create your own Oasis.

When I went to the gym on Saturday, I arrived just in time to go to Spinning class. I haven’t been in months and I have to say it was such a great workout. I loved the intensity, I felt more motivated by being in the class with others, and I really felt like the endorphins kicked in when I was done. I felt relaxed and blissful, a feeling that it’s harder to approximate when I do my usual routine on the cardio machines.

What about you, do you notice a different when you have a more intense workout?