S.M.I.L.E. - Self Manage to Improve your Life Everyday
The S.M.I.L.E. Healthcare team provides education and counselling to patients everyday, but do you ever wonder if they practice what they preach?
Your S.M.I.L.E. team was asked, “What is one thing you do every day that keeps your living healthy and staying active?” Here are their answers.
Exercise Specialist: Corinne Cutler
"I do martial arts training three times per week. Not only is it a great physical workout, the stress relief is unbeatable. I find hitting and kicking the pads repetitively a great way to let off some steam, as my partners in training sessions can attest to!! I also do Yoga classes twice a week to maintain my flexibility and Pilates as much as possible in my home studio, to keep my core strong."
Registered Pharmacist: Nandini Desai
"I am trying to walk up the stairs when I arrive at work each morning to help start my day off, rather than taking the elevator."
Registered Dietitian: Sally Ho
"I’ve been trying to focus on increasing my insoluble fibre intake lately, and would try to have whole grain bread at breakfast and brown rice/whole wheat pasta at lunch or dinner – aiming for whole grains/high fibre grains for 2 out of my 3 meals per day."Registered Dietitian: Ginette Markham
"I play with my kids every day. We enjoy tobogganing, skating, dancing or a good ol’ game of mini-stick hockey in the basement (this is usually a daily ritual, and my son even lets me win sometimes!) It’s a great way to bond with my family, provide some laughs and increase my physical activity."
Registered Psychologist: Sheila Gothjelpsen"I use deep breathing, meditation, visualization and/or self-hypnosis almost every single day to manage tension and stress. This may even include just reminding myself to take a few slow deep cleansing breaths while driving to manage any escalating road rage (Arg!) or even using visualization (e.g. a calming scene) to slow down troublesome thoughts while trying to fall asleep at night."
Registered Nurses: Christina Vesty"I’ve changed my thinking about why I go to the gym. Instead of thinking how it might help my weight only, I really think how it helps my heart, my lungs and my bones and how I become a stronger person."
Registered Nurses: Cheri deBoer"My friends and I have formed a Tupperware Dinner club. At our individual homes, we cook a meal one night, then package the leftovers in Tupperware to give to each other the next day. It helps to take the pressure off from cooking a different dinner each night, increases the variety in my diet, and gets rid of the leftovers quicker!"
Administrative Assistant: Penny Garton
"I try to eat breakfast every day (I'm not perfect with this but working on it) and I get up from my desk every hour and do a quick stretch."
Executive Director: Len Frank
"I run 3-4 times per week. Running is a stress release valve for me – the monotony allows me to think about life without any distractions. If I don’t feel like running – I force myself to just get out there and tell myself that even 5 or 10 minutes of running (or even walking) is better than nothing. Often times my longest runs start out with me “not feeling up to it” but once I get going I just keep going."
