Category: Mental Strength & Conditioning

“Lots of students are suffering from depression, anxiety and A.D.H.D., all of which can be symptoms of sleep deprivation or worsened by it.”

There is a plethora of information now about why we sleep; it is the most important thing that we do. Here is a link to a recent NYTimes article detailing some of the pitfalls college students face by not sleeping well.

Sleep is not just about quantity. It is also very important to get quality sleep.  Our world is governed by lunar cycles and as humans so are we.  As the sun “rises” so should we.  As the sun “sets” so should we.  Fighting this natural rhythm is a way of life for some people. As a coach, what often surprises me is the amount of false pride people have about their self-diagnosed need for less sleep. No one needs less sleep. All people, regardless of their age, need sufficient sleep. Lack of sleep can kill you; it can make you sick, depressed, anxious, angry, slow, legally “drunk”, and clumsy.

Being sleep deprived will not make you better at anything. Get sleep. Take pride in your ability to go to bed at the same time and wake at the same time every day—not just work or school days-everyday. Through creating healthy habits, you are setting yourself up for success. Good sleep habits will serve you well in every aspect of your life. It will help you in school, work, sport, and social situations.

Create healthy bedtime rituals of no screen use 2 hours before bed (or using blue-light blocking glasses available on Amazon), having the bedroom dark and cool, no WiFi, and heading to bed well before midnight. You will not only feel better, you will be happier and be more productive.  If you have trouble falling asleep, start a meditation practice. There are several apps available that offer fantastic guided meditations. One of my favorites is 10% Happier. It is also important to engage in evening activities that are calming and relaxing like taking a hot bath before bed and reading an actual book, you know, the kind with pages you turn. If you master sleep, everything else will come much easier. Have questions about how to create the best conditions for great sleep hygiene? Schedule a free consultation with Coaching by G today online or by phone (708-267-7173).

Related Resources:

• TED Talks About Sleep
• 10% Happier Meditation App
• Blue light blocking glasses on Amazon

When I saw Tony Robbins was hosting “Unleash the Power Within” here in Chicago, it was a no brainer for me to attend. Unleash the Power Within is a 3.5 day personal improvement conference hosted by New York Times best selling author and life coach Tony Robbins. As Tony Robbins says, “There is always room in your life for thinking bigger, pushing limits, and imagining the impossible.”

I believe that hunger defines success. I have had such a wonderful life of learning, growing and exploring new fields including sports, music, cooking, biochemistry and coaching.  I know that coaching is my true calling and I would be remiss not to take as many opportunities as possible to become the best coach I can be.  So much of what I help people with is transformation; whether a client wants to gain or lose mass, get better at sport or life, become a collegiate athlete, compete at a new level, begin a fitness journey—all of these have change in common.  How do we change?  That is why I chose to attend Unleash the Power Within. My business strives to help others unleash the power within themselves.

There were so many memorable moments in the long hours spent at the United Center over the weekend.  One of them was the Firewalk. Yes. We walked on fire-2000 degrees Fahrenheit.  HOT!

“How do you do it?”, people asked me afterward.  Like anything. You just do it. You decide what you are going to do, get yourself energized, use language that reflects the meaning and emotion of what you desire to change and take massive action. Explain what this means: this can sound like jargon to someone who does not know Tony Robbins. This how we did it.  Some people burned their feet, for sure.  I didn’t. Why is that? I think some people’s feet were blistered because it was fire. Some people got burned because they just didn’t really believe they could get across without burning.

What I have learned from coaching hundreds of people is – if you don’t think you can, you’re always right!

At Unleash the Power Within, we learned about what makes us tick as individuals by delving into our basic needs and how we meet them.  We then determined how those were changing throughout the weekend. We did this with the guidance of Tony Robbins story telling elaborate more on what makes his story telling great.   We meditated with Master Co and heard personal accounts of transformation from Siri Lindley, Wim Hof (The Ice Man), Jennifer Hudson, and Mark Hyman, M.D. to name a few.

Storytelling is a huge component of change. The stories we tell ourselves shape our lives.  Two people can have the same experience and tell a very different story.  What you will focus on, you will feel. When you work with a professional coach at Coaching by G, you will learn how to tell your own story. You can rewrite your story to find meaning in countless ways. You can learn how to move with intention, choose foods that fuel your body, and practice mindful meditation. By rewriting your story, you will be able to find the empowering meaning in everything and live towards yourself.

Podcasts are a great medium for me – I love listening while multi-tasking. Recently, an episode of “Chasing Excellence” with Ben Bergeron really hit home, and did a great job breaking down the way I set and think about goals, … continue reading »

We’re four weeks out from the beginning of the CrossFit Open; I am reflecting on almost a year of training in preparation for this event. Anyone familiar with my journey knows that the last two years have been a time of transformation … continue reading »

“I AM SO STRESSED!!!!!!!!!”  When stress accumulates (and it does—all stress is cumulative—work, relationship, training loads), how do you continue to live TOWARD your best self, and how you want to feel?… continue reading »

Alice Munro wrote in her commencement speech at Penn, “Here’s the thing about self-comparison: In addition to making you vacate your own experience, your own soul, your own life, in its extreme it breeds resignation.” … continue reading »

What do you need to change?

We all have our sticking point…. continue reading »