Fit is Freedom with Kelly Howard

Declutter. Clear Your Space = Clear Your Mind!

Decluttering
In honor of our topic of “Decluttering” today, our show notes are going to be very simple.
As many of us have been quarantined our homes begin to feel smaller, when clutter and life begins to pile up. So many friends I have began their quarantine organizing and straightening only to get overwhelmed after weeks of being inside, in slowly tightening quarters.
Clearing clutter helps us raise our energy, feel better AND find things we no longer care for that we can share with someone who love to have it. Less clutter also lowers decision fatigue!
Ready to dive in? For a detailed checklist on how to declutter grab today’s Tip Sheet. Here’s a quick decluttering suggestion.
Pick one room and one particular area (example: 1 closet not the entire bedroom)
Use a timer. Give yourself a specific time to do the work. Remember, work expands to the allotted amount of time…
Create 3 piles
Pile 1. I absolutely don’t need or want this anymore this anymore
Pile 2. Love this. These are thing things you need, want and use consistently.
Pile 3. Purgatory. Don’t use, don’t really want to get rid of it, but you don’t wear it anymore.
Donate, recycle or toss the things you don’t use or need. We have a “donate area” in a closet and once a month I gather what’s there and give it away. Sometimes to a friend who has admired something, sometimes to the local shelter.
Links:
Episode 1 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fit-is-freedom-podcast-with-kelly-howard/id1433779759?i=1000419444615
Episode 2 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fit-is-freedom-podcast-with-kelly-howard/id1433779759?i=1000419444614
The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up Marie Kondo

Proven Tips for a Great Night’s Sleep

When we sleep, we heal.
Sleeping is as important as eating well and exercising. When we sleep our bodies and brains recover. Our immune system heals and good sleep might even help you lose weight. (If you needed anymore reasons to do everything you can to improve your nightly sleep time).
In this episode we talk about some of the many things you can do to improve your sleep. Here are a few highlights and be sure to grab today’s download with thirteen tips to a good night’s sleep!
A good sleep environment includes dark, cool and quiet.
Bringing work to bed with you ensures your brain is going to stay active long after the day is done. This includes your laptop and your unfinished worries of the day. If you wrap up your day with a clear view of what is in store tomorrow it will help alleviate stressful thoughts during the night.
Stay away from caffeine and alcohol, stop drinking caffeine by the early afternoon and alcohol a few hours before bed.
Sugar may be a contributor to poor sleep as well.
Sleep Gear:
White noise machine
Mouth Guard if you grind your teeth
Blue light glasses
Use a red light for reading
Journal if you are having trouble with your thoughts
Instead of melatonin use a product called deep sleep.
If you use screens, like a kindle, turn down the brightness and read something that isn’t too engaging. Easy eyes app
Remember, when we sleep we heal. Sleep is not a negotiable in life and just making a few small tweaks can add to up to a more restful night!

Interview with Pam Grout: NYT Best Selling Author

Episode 61
Pam Grout,
This week we have a very special guest. New York Times best selling author,
Pam Grout is the author of 20 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her latest book, The Course in Miracles Experiment: A Starter Kit for Rewiring Your Mind (And Therefore Your World). Plus, she’s written a travel trilogy for National Geographic. I have to say she was caught off guard when I asked what some of her favorite adventures have been, she has so many cool adventures she couldn’t name her faves, I’ve been a bit star struck by Pam and the way she navigates the world and her life.
Asking Pam on the show was a bit of a stretch for me. Not only is she a Big Deal, she’s also someone I have long admired. But, early one morning as I woke up, my first thought was “I need to interview Pam Grout for the show”. Since it’s my practice to act on the first thing I think every morning (let’s say 80% of the time, sometimes those first thoughts are a little out there) 😀
This particular morning’s thought worked out amazingly well and I would love to introduce you to Pam if you don’t already know her and her books. https://pamgrout.com/
Pam encourages us to stay focused on the possibilities in life, not the problems. She’s no stranger to heartbreak but absolutely lives her truth.
“You either live in a problem state or a possibility state”. Pam Grout
Pam shares that we tend to participate on the dimension that we’re focused on. Pam encourages that people focus on possibility. The universe is always wanting to bless us, but if you aren’t on the correct field it goes by unnoticed. Plus, we talk about how using positive energy to help form good habits makes it easier. Your thoughts create your reality
Pam’s AA 2.0 program is something I’ve been practicing for awhile now. Before you jump out of bed in the morning trying doing these two very quick steps.
Step 1. Say a positive affirmation out loud: Example Something amazingly awesome is going to happen today.
Step 2. Think of three things you have to be grateful for.
Done.

Habits and the Myth of Willpower

Today we’re revisiting an interview I did with Jim Fortin, Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming as well as a certified Master Hypnotist. When it comes to fitness he believes that the key to creating actual, lifelong change is not through with willpower but instead using mental development to reshape your habits and attitudes. We have talk about why you have to be gentle on yourself and you change your habits and try new things.
We discuss how we become the stories we tell ourselves, why grabbing an extra sweet doesn’t mean we’ve failed our resolutions, and the pitfalls of relying solely on willpower when it comes to getting in shape.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
• Breaking down our relationship with our habits.
• Why people who make fitness-based New Year’s resolutions give up on them so quickly.
• Taking a closer look at the mental associations that create bad eating habits.
• How little solutions lead to bigger outcomes more effectively than large-scale solutions.
• Why people see innocent slip-ups as reasons they’ve “failed” their resolutions.
• Jim’s encounter with pharmaceutical sales representative and how it taught him that our fitness is product of how we think of our “story.”
• Understanding and working with the body’s natural healing capacity, including the surprising benefits of self-hypnosis.
• The downsides of relying solely on willpower for achieving your fitness and nutrition goals.
• Remember:
"95% of what we do, day in, day out, is habit."
“If you trip along the way, it doesn’t mean anything other than that you tripped.”
“You have to be the outcome in your mind first.”
Jim’s homepage - https://www.jimfortin.com/
It Works: The Famous Little Red Book That Makes Your Dreams Come True - https://www.amazon.com/Works-Famous-Little-Makes-Dreams/dp/0875163238
http://www.FitisFreedom.com/Ready

Why Consistency is So Important for Your Fitness

Staying consistent when it comes to our fitness is one of the most important things we can do. But, consistency often is a by-product of our routines and if you’re like everyone else in the world right now, your routines might just be a bit topsy-turvy.
This week we have brought back one of the #1 downloaded episodes and it’s all about tips, tricks and a few hacks designed to help you stay consistent with what matters, no matter what is going on around you.
Be a detective in your life. What are the things that are taking away your ability to be consistent? What are moving toward and what are you running away from? Where can you negotiate with whoever you need to; family, work, commitments, to find time for yourself?
When it comes to consistency, the final outcome is not the win. The win is when you take the first smallest step possible, and then follow it from there.
“Getting to the gym is not the win, getting into the car and starting it is.”
The next step: be a detective in your life. Look into your life and see what are the things that are taking away your ability to be consistent. What am I moving toward and what am I running away from?

Staying Upbeat in an Upside Down World

As this episode goes live, most of the world is still in the throes of COVID19. I’ve noticed emotions getting a little frayed lately with some of the people I’ve been in contact with. I had a couple of meltdowns myself that weren’t pretty. But, they were productive. Productive because I realized I needed to manage my stress even more and I needed to manage the external input that was coming into my world.
I’d been limiting my news intake substantially and with who I was interacting, definitely keeping a distance from my less positive friends. But, what I hadn’t realized was how much I was limiting my interactions with others, across the board. That’s not good for us. We’re social animals and the dogs and cats just don’t carry the conversation well.
This week I’m sharing some of my new favorite ways to manage stress and stressful emotions. Remember, when we do good, we feel good.
• Find a way to connect with people via zoom, phone calls, reaching out to people who are more isolated.
• Writing thank-you notes and sending them in the mail
• Social media is a great way to connect, but likes and shares aren’t communicating
• Stay away from people who speak negatively on social media
• Limit your news intake. Especially in the morning and at night.
• If there’s something you NEED to know about, you’ll hear about it.
• Find a podcast or other media that uplifts you (remember to link to “The Positive Podcast” and “Quick Brain”)
• Be careful about what you watch on TV
• Read the book “Words can change your brain” for some eyeopening ideas!
• Keep your day as “routine” as possible
• Wake up and give gratitude, spend some time journaling, add movement to your morning
• Do something to help someone else or makes you feel good each day.
• Is there some way you can help healthcare professionals and others who are extra busy during this time?
• How can we elevate ourselves in this moment of time?

Why ”doing it tomorrow” Won’t Work

I’m so busy, there’s just no time to XYZ___.
The number 1 excuse, whoops I mean the reason I hear from potential clients for why they don’t prioritize their fitness and health is No Time.
“I don’t have the time right now, but next week, or next month, or when I get this project done...that’s when I’m going to start putting my fitness first”.
AKA: The Tomorrow Syndrome
Eventually, all successful people realize that fitness isn't something you can keep putting off. Every day or week you wait, it's that much harder. It's time to make a stand. What if right now, this minute, this is the perfect time to hit the Reset Button? What are things that we can reset while we’re stuck at home?
• Find time to prioritize your health and your immune system
• Exercise
• Sleep better
• Stay away from fear-based media
• If we aren’t healthy, how can we take care of someone else?
• What’s something you’ve been putting off? What if right now is the perfect time to do it, learn it, start it?
For me, I’ve said for eons that I want to learn to speak Spanish fluently. I can get by south of the border but I can’t have an intelligent conversation. When I broke out the Spanish books last week I had an epiphany. I want to go to Italy. I want to sit in cafes, talk to waiters, make new friends, order delicious pasta meals :). So, I’m listening to Italian now. It’s harder for me than Spanish but I want to do it and I have the drive. And, right now I have the time.
Here’s to what the Reset Button can change into our lives.
Ciao!

Will Your Future-Self Thank You?

If you’re catching this episode when we go live, the world is still in the throes of the COVID19 spread. With the rampant uncertainty about the virus and the duration of social distancing and isolation, it’s a time more than ever when we need to manage our thoughts and our mindset! One of the mental drains that I’m seeing show up more and more is the total disruption of routines. Add that to an uncertain future and time frame and it’s enough to throw anyone into a downward spiral.
Today we discuss some of the actions you can take right now to help you settle your worry-mind down and create some future-facing joy.
One big way to manage our routines and our habits is to remember that what is going on right now will not be going on forever, who do you want to be on the other side of this? Look at your new habits and routines. Have you adjusted or have you slipped into habits that don’t serve you? Are you stress-eating? Have you quit exercising? Are you letting the stress disrupt your sleep? What can you do to adjust your schedule to work better for you right now?
Something you can do right now to help you feel more in control, start making some plans! Your plans don’t have to have dates associated with them, just actions. I’m planning a couple of kayaking trips to rivers I have never been to. This may not be the year they happen, but when I do go I’ll have already picked places I can stay, towns to visit, determined if I need a guide and located some local guides. These aren’t perfect plans but they’re giving me a broad brushstroke of what will be needed so I have foundation laid.
What have you always wanted to do? This is the perfect time to start making plans, getting educated. Making plans makes us feel like we have some control in our lives. The dates may change but the basic plan can stay the same.
Create new routines that work within the “new normal” right now. A positive mind is a calm mind. Make sure you give yourself something to look forward to. And remember, “this too shall pass”.

4 Tips for When Life Gets Messy

The crazy thing is, this episode was recorded weeks before the Coronavirus became our new normal!  But, one thing we can always count on is things will change. Messy. Easy. It’s just part of being human and interacting with others, ourselves and our world.
Tip 1 about being intentional around your eating is even more important than ever as we go live for many reasons.  One reason is food is medicine and the right food is fuel. The wrong food is stress producing and energy-zapping. Another way to be intentional around your eating is if you are not used to working from home.  My significant other, who doesn’t usually work from home, was eating what seemed like 24/7. I asked him if he snacked at the office and he said no. I pointed out he was raiding the refrigerator like a teenager.  Not sure it really made a difference, but he notices all the snaking now! 
Do your best to find time for yourself, follow these tips as best you can and remember, easy will happen one day too! 
4 Tips for When Life Gets Messy
Tip 1: Be as intentional about your eating as you possibly can. Remember that food is fuel and food is medicine. 

Tip 2: Movement is medicine, too. Instead of waiting until next week (you know, when things will settle down) to start your routine, try to get at least 30 minutes of movement every day. Follow with some stretching and deep-breathing. Bonus points for being outside.

Tip 3: Stress Less. Do whatever you can and enjoy doing to help alleviate stress. Practice gratitude. Deep-breathing.  You will Stressless by breathing more.

Tip 4: Sleep. Sleep is crucial to keep yourself healthy. Make your room cool and dark. Use a noise machine. Eliminate screen time and work an hour before bed at least. No news at night, stay away from the media.  Give your brain and your body a rest from worry.
Subscribe & Review in iTunes
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How ”Happy” Changes Everything

I was chatting with a client who was, well let’s just say she was whining about not reaching her goals and I suggested she stop and “raise her vibration”.  This was a phrase so outside of her typical vocabulary that she stopped bemoaning her situation and asked WTH I was talking about. 😀Which was the perfect question because when we stop the rhetoric and the auto-tapes that run through our minds, we can stop and consider what we’re feeding ourselves, again and again.
Being happy really does change everything.  And it’s especially important when we’re wallowing in upset or worse!
Caught in situational changes that we can’t control as this episode is airing during the Coronavirus epidemic, raises our stress levels.  When we’re in a negative emotional state it’s almost impossible to make positive changes.
When we feel good, we do good.
When we take action, we take command.
When we choose to be happy, we choose to see life in the best possible light.
9 Tips to Change Your State of Mind (and Raise your vibration)!
Tip 1: Take consistent action

Tip 2: Deep Breathing, meditation, self-hypnosis

Tip 3: Consider who and what you surround yourself with / News / Social Media

Tip 4: Listen to positive content

Tip 5: Limit as much negativity from your immediate world as possible

Tip 6: Be around animals/ get out in nature/ move around

Tip 6: Listen/watch/read things that make you laugh and feel good

Tip 7: Be curious - ask yourself what you get from your negative behavior? 

Tip 8: Be curious - what can you do right this minute to elevate your state?

Tip 9: Take action, the tiniest positive step, taken again and again will change your world

Your homework for this week, download your copy of Happy Changes Everything.  Then, take 15 minutes to raise your vibration :)
Subscribe & Review in iTunes
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do so and not miss an episode. You’ll be the first to know when bonus episodes are added and if you’re not subscribed, you could miss out :). Click here to subscribe in iTunes!