Lately, Vancouver has been experiencing sub zero conditions which then transitioned into high winds and torrential rains making it difficult for some to stay active and motivated; if this is you, read on….

SAD, also known as “Seasonal Affective Disorder” or in common terms “The Winter Blues” is affecting more than 15% of Canadians this winter.  So what is it and when will it go away?  SAD is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter. Although experts were initially skeptical, this condition is now recognized as a common disorder with higher percentages of those affected in regions where there is more cold or precipitation and less light. 

It has been argued that SAD is an evolved adaptation in humans that is a variant or remnant of a hibernation response in some remote ancestor.  Presumably, food was scarce during most of human prehistory, and a tendency toward low mood during the winter months would have been adaptive by reducing the need for calorie intake. (Wikipedia)

What Causes SAD? (Canadian Mental Health Association)

Research into the causes of SAD is ongoing. As yet, there is no confirmed cause. However, SAD is thought to be related to seasonal variations in light and our “biological internal clock” in the brain regulates our circadian (daily) rhythms. This biological clock responds to changes in season, partly because of the differences in the length of the day. For many thousands of years, the cycle of human life revolved around the daily cycle of light and dark. We were alert when the sun shone; we slept when our world was in darkness. The relatively recent introduction of electricity has relieved us of the need to be active mostly in the daylight hours. But our biological clocks may still be telling our bodies to sleep as the days shorten. This puts us out of step with our daily schedules, which no longer change according to the seasons. Other research shows that neurotransmitters, chemical messengers in the brain that help regulate sleep, mood and appetite, may be disturbed in SAD. Exercise relieves stress, builds energy and increases your mental and physical well-being. Build physical activity into your lifestyle before SAD symptoms take hold.

Fascinating…..So the good news is, you haven’t completely lost your mojo; it mayjust be sitting on a shelf waiting for the clouds to clear and some light to come through.  Although it is difficult to get out there when you’re feeling down, it is a bit of a catch 22. Exercise can lift your mood by releasing those wonderful endorphins; in fact it is a good idea to increase physical fitness in the winter to regulate your mood.   Be kind to yourself and know “this too shall pass” as we are only a couple months away from more daylight and warmer weather.

The “F” Word

Fear is the resulting stress and anxiety caused by a perceived threat to our future safety or status. It is imperative that we learn to overcome fear to prevent it from holding us back in our attempts to achieve the life we wish to live. Symptoms of fear include elevated heart rate levels and tension throughout our body.

These symptoms, known as the ‘fight or flight’ response, sharpen our body and senses in readiness. Fortunately, unlike our early ancestors, we rarely face mortal danger in modern day life, however, the resulting chemical imbalance in our bodies can have a negative effect on our health as the chemicals released during this process, place a lot of stress on our bodies. The strength of these symptoms will depend on the gravity or danger level of the perceived threat.

Our primary concern as animals is that of physical survival. Many of our fears are embedded within our psyche from a very young age and help to protect us as we grow older. Resulting fear responses arise from our formative years and develop a set of rules which help us subconsciously avoid loss, pain, and emotional discomfort throughout our lives.

Fear disguises itself as personal beliefs and feelings such as mistrust, anxiety, concern and doubt which all lead to hesitation and procrastination. Nervous expectation of the threat will give way to a desire to avoid the situation and if experienced often enough, will lead to a negative habit, such as avoidance, being formed, which results in us failing to live our lives to our full potential.

Here are some signs you may be in fear:

When you know you know.  This article does not mean that people who do great things live without fear, everyone has some, it is about having the faith and courage to walk through it for a higher purpose.  Share with us how walking through your fear has enhanced your life!

Love to hear from you,

Louise

So many people ask why I started Body Exchange and I usually give the general overview; I love being active, I love working with women, I am plus size and I saw a gap in the market, yada, yada, yada……..without really getting into the “real” why.

As some of you may or may not know I went through a recovery process years ago where I succumbed to my own demons and had to take a radical new direction in life.  This event changed everything about how I live today and opened my eyes to so many things. For the first time in many, many years I felt good, I was optimistic about my future and happy to be alive.  Prior to my mid teens, I had always been athletic, I played every sport in school and on the side I was a competitive Irish Dancer.  If you have seen River Dance, I am sure you can appreciate the physical demand!  But somewhere in my teens and early twenties I became what they call (at risk) and lived life in the fast lane.  I really lost my way and transitioned into a very unhealthy lifestyle from what had once been so positive.  This way of living went on for a decade or more until I found myself at the lowest of the lows.  It was at this point in my life that everything changed and I mean everything.  I had to let go of all of my friends, give my boyfriend (who is now my husband) a serious ultimatum, move my residence and start recovering my life. I implemented small positive changes each day and fortunately was able to turn this ship around.  One of the first things I did to create positive change was got back to my athletic roots which has kept me moving in the right direction.  One of the reason I started the Body Exchange is because I wanted a place for women to feel good about themselves and really equated this process to one of recovery, recovering from one’s past.  Yes it is true that I love being active and love working with women and I happen to have a curvy figure but it was truly that I wanted so many women to stop feeling like less than and live their life to their fullest potential.  I feel I wasted years in a vicious cycle, every single day thinking to myself “this isn’t the life I am meant to live”.  Where ever you are today, you can change, I know that 100%.  It is a process that happens inch by inch each day as long as you are teachable, open and willing.  Whether you use food, drugs, alcohol, shopping or work, it seems to be the same thing dressed up differently.  The first step is having a moment of clarity to realize you are worth more and the courage to make the changes. 

You are worth it.

That is why when my friend urged me to look into the Dragon’s Den (several weeks ago), I took her advice and went to the website to check out what the process would be.  I was surprised to find out that auditions were taking place in Vancouver in just 3 days so I wavered back and forth and really struggled with my fear. Finally at the last minute my friend took me and my rehearsed spiel on the road to Abbotsford to pitch to the producers of the show.  After waiting for 4 hours and meeting some MAJOR characters and seeing some interesting ideas and other people’s labour of love I felt proud to be amongst so many creative entrepreneurs. Then it was my turn to go in and strangely a calmness overcame me because I knew I was not just speaking on behalf of myself and my business but now on behalf of all the overweight people out there who are too intimidated to get started with a healthier lifestyle.  I thought my pitch went well and I knew they were impressed but I also knew I was auditioning with thousands of other people across Canada.  I left the audition feeling good not because I thought I was a shoe in but because I walked through some major fear to do the audition and I totally survived and felt great.

Yesterday I received an email from one of those producers who sat in my audition, her words were: Congratulations out of 4000 Elite Canadian Entrepreneurs YOU have been chosen to come to Toronto and pitch to the Dragon’s.  Holy #$@% !!

I am still holding a lot of fear but I will walk through it and pitch like you have never seen before!  No matter what the outcome is, The Body Exchange will press on and I will be able to add this process to my top 10 experiences in my life and a side benefit expose my business to over 2 million viewers (If I make the TV cut – not everybody does).  Life is a journey, I have always enjoyed experiencing as much as possible and living big.

I went to this audition because I felt I must practice what I preach but I am also following a dream and no matter what I am not letting it out of my sight. Thank you to everyone for all your support over the last 3 years and believing in what I am doing, it means the world to me!  I want to thank my Mom most of all, she has always been a huge inspiration to me and doesn’t allow me to think negatively EVER.

Pitch date:  May 25th – wish me luck!