Purpose


Six Habits to Help You By Dr. Samreen Mongillo, DPT


o you want to live your best life? Do you want less stress, more confidence, and more


energy? These six habits, based on research and proven to help you create a sustainable healthy lifestyle, can help get you there quickly so you can live your best life!


Live Your Best Life D


HABIT 1: Exercise Make exercise a priority. Research shows that


36 “Focus on empowering


beliefs instead of limiting beliefs, question the beliefs that no


longer serve you, and remember that you are


capable of more


than you can ever imagine.”


—Dr. Samreen Mongillo, DPT


exercise is beneficial not only in lifting our mood but also in decreasing stress, preventing chronic diseases, increasing mental clarity, and boost- ing energy. With all of these benefits, it is vital to make exercise a part of your daily routine. Exercising in the morning can be a powerful way to start the day and getting 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity a week can help you feel your best. Find a type of exercise you truly enjoy and you’ll be more motivated to do it. There’s nothing like exercise to boost your confidence and make you feel great.


HABIT 2:Sleep Sleep is foundational to good health. Most re-


search indicates we need at least seven hours of sleep to maintain brain health. Continuous lack of quality sleep can take a toll on our health over time, contributing to heart disease and diabetes as well as affecting our memory and mood. Create healthy sleep habits by establishing a bedtime routine. Get approximately ten minutes of morn- ing sunlight to set your circadian rhythm, wake up and go to sleep around the same time every day, and avoid caffeine after noon to improve your quantity and quality of sleep.


HABIT 3: Develop a


on three to five things that you’re grateful for every day and you will be amazed at how your life will transform. You will start seeing the cup as half full instead of half empty. Focusing on grat- itude is one of the most powerful ways to create a positive mindset and is an incredibly effective way to boost your mood. A gratitude practice trains the brain to focus on the positive aspects of life and what we choose to focus on then expands even more. If you commit to making gratitude a daily practice for at least the next 30–66 days, as it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit, you will give your brain an opportunity to form new neural pathways toward more thoughts of gratitude. Every time we think a grateful thought and focus on the cup as half full, we are creating new neural pathways in the brain that help form the habit of gratitude. Counting your blessings takes very little


time, and the benefits are so powerful. There is growing research that shows that dopamine is released when a person expresses gratitude. Making journaling a regular practice can help you think strong and when your thoughts are strong, you will see great results in all areas of your life. As Marcus Elliot said, “when you can master your mind, you can master your reality.” Another effective way to cultivate a positive


Strong Mindset You can do this by journaling about things you’re grateful for and to release emotions. Try focusing


mindset is to become aware of your self-talk. Consistent defeatist self-talk can turn into internalized feelings and cement your nega- tive conceptions of yourself. Many of us run on autopilot and aren’t even aware of our self-talk, but it is imperative that you catch yourself when you think a negative thought and transform it into a positive one. Once you start noticing your thoughts, you’ll get into the habit of focusing more on the positive. Our self-talk is based on our self-image, which is based on our core beliefs. Focus on empowering beliefs instead of limiting beliefs, question the beliefs that no longer serve you, and remember that you are capable of more than you can ever imagine.


SPRING 2021


ESSENTIAL Naples


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52