Perfect Health Coaching by Christopher Dion, Nurse Practitioner, Portland, ME (2025)

01/13/2022

Happiness- What is it anyway?
Let’s explore this fascinating topic together.

The essence of happiness theories can be summarized into 3 broad categories

1. Hedonism: Absence of pain/presence of pleasure

2. Eudaimonism: Living the good life (true to yourself and values)

3. Affective state theory (the sum total of all good and bad emotions within determines your happiness

What do you think about your life looking at your life from these three levels? (rate these 1-5)

How is your Hedonistic happiness level now? (Rate 1-5)

How are you with your emotional pain level right now?
How are you with your physical pain level right now?
How is your relationship pain level right now?
How is your bodies physical needs being satisfied overall each
day?

How is your Eudaimonistic happiness level now? (Rate 1-5)

Is your work in line with your values of what is important to you?
Are you working toward a goal that supports your values?
Do you feel resonance in what you are doing each day, (does it make you feel alive?)

How is your Affective State level (overall emotional value) now?
Total emotional level from 1-5

What is your average in each of the 3 categories above?
HEDONISM SCORE____
EUDAIMONISM SCORE____
AFFECTIVE STATE SCORE_____

How do you feel about this score?
5= Happy
4= Optimistic
3= Alright
2= Down
1= Sad

What can you do to change this?

What was your lower scores above?

These can be great clues to helping you see areas where you can seek help from others.

You may benefit from a counselor or a health coach or life coach. It is time to get serious about you.

YOU ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR HAPPINESS.

I hope this helps you find the next step you should take in your life.
Walk in the path that feels good to you.

YOU GOT THIS! YOU ARE AWESOME!

This little essay was inspired by this lovely article:

The Psychology, Theory, and Science of Happiness (+ 16 Best Articles). (n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://positivepsychology.com/psychology-of-happiness/

01/08/2022

Sleep: Sexiest weight control hack

Sleep deprivation effects:

•Loss of logic power in brain function results is bad food choices

•Loss of energy means more likely to skip physical exercise

•Loss of energy results in propensity to choose high carb foods

•4 days of sleep deprivation resulted in decreased insulin sensitivity- this causes excess fat storage

SLEEP is the easiest way to start a NEW PATH.

Tips to sleeping 7-9 hours per night NOW:

- Darkness: Tbid tells your brain to release melatonin for sleep. Turn off your screens 1 hour before bed (smartphone and TV)

- Sanctify: Keep your bedroom as a sexual paradise and a sleeping oasis. No work or TV in the bedroom.

- Chemicals: No stimulants after 2 pm. Caffeine, chocolate sadly may be robbing your sleep.

- Routine: Our brain relies on patterns to release its hormones. It likes routine. Pick a bedtime and keep it.

- Food and alcohol: Alcohol or a heavy meal before bed affects sleep- try to have the alcohol earlier in the evening and if you eat out late- think small portions. Heartburn will rob your sleep.

01/07/2022

The “Change Me” Secrets of Dr. Deci

If knowledge was enough to change human behavior, every person taught that exercise was important would exercise.

If knowledge was enough to change human behavior, every person taught that their stress is killing them slowly would engage on an action plan to healthily lower their stress.

The truth is, people hear what they SHOULD do and don’t do it. Why? There are many factors that compete within us and “the average of all of these forces” plays out in our behavior. We may want to change, but still, within there is some other force in there saying NO.

Dr. Edward Deci wrote about these competing forces. He explains in his Self-Determination Theory that we have external factors and intrinsic motives and needs at play in our life that influence our behavior. “Conditions supporting the individual’s experience of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are argued to foster the most volitional (willpower) and high quality forms of motivation and engagement for activities, including enhanced performance, persistence, and creativity” (Theory – selfdeterminationtheory.org, n.d.).

Let’s break that down:

Autonomy: If you set the goal, and you are in charge, you will be more likely to change.

Competence: If you have a plan you know how to do, you will be more likely to DO IT.

Relatedness: If you have a goal that relates to your core value of what you want, you will be more likely to ACT.

“In addition, Self-Determination Theory proposes that the degree to which any of these three psychological needs is unsupported or thwarted within a social context will have a robust detrimental impact on wellness in that setting” (Theory – selfdeterminationtheory.org, n.d.).

Uggh! If your autonomy, competence or relatedness are not supported by your plan, FORGET ABOUT ACHIEVING SUCCESS!

But, let’s take advantage of these forces. We can use these forces in our favor. Thank you Dr. Deci!

Let’s do this exercise, it will raise your autonomy, competence and relatedness and help bring your success.

This exercise is POWERFUL AND EMPOWERS YOU! This is all about your AUTONOMY.

Fill in the blanks:

1. What I really want and desire is to__________________________________
Examples: Lower my stress, make more time for fun, exercise regularly, eat right, change my life path

2. I can do this step today or tomorrow to achieve my goal above:__________________________
Examples: Leave my phone on airplane mode when I wake up and do deep breathing first, cut out my baked desserts and add fruit instead, smoke one less cigarette during the work day and take a walk instead

3. I want to make this change because (BE SPECIFIC)____________________________
Examples: I want to feel better, I want to keep up with my children when I hike, I want to be happier in the presence of my friends

4. I need to make this change because_____________________________
Examples: I had a heart attack from my diet, I am depressed every day and cannot handle this feeling any longer, I know my pain will get better

THESE ARE THE FACTORS OF AUTONOMY, COMPETENCE AND RELATEDNESS THAT YOU ARE BRINGING INTO YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW TO HELP YOU MAKE THE CHANGE.

WRITE THEM DOWN ON A CARD.

IT IS ONLY FOUR SENTENCES AND LEAVE IT ON YOUR BATHROOM MIRROR OR YOUR LOCKER AT WORK OR WHEREVER YOU WILL SEE IT EVERY DAY.

CHANGE IS WITHIN YOUR REACH.

USE THESE MOTIVATORS, RAISE THEM TO YOUR CONCIOUSNESS AND YOU WILL CHANGE!

References
Theory – selfdeterminationtheory.org. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2022, from https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/theory/

01/02/2022

Tony’s Secret

My friend Tony was explaining to me how he had “fallen off the wagon.” He had obtained a personal best of bicycling during the summer and then came down sick with a cold. He recounts, “I just didn’t feel like going riding because I was sick. And slowly I got better. But my one day off turned into weeks.” He continued, “I know how many miles I could do when I was at my best. It’s not about doing the ‘best’ when you get back in the game. You know what my secret is and it works every time?”.
He begins with his method of never letting his body have too much pain:
“I have found through the years that if I got out of shape, when I got back into my exercise routine, I set extremely small goals for myself. Like for example, when I get back on my bike, my plan is just to get on the bike and ride to the point where I feel barely uncomfortable. I do not want my body to be yelling at me the next day for this may discourage me from getting up and doing it again. I can tell you with confidence, it works every time. The secret really is baby steps. Too many people try to do too much when starting out.”
So next time you think about joining a gym and starting to run 2 miles on day 1, or go on a 2 hour walk, how about using Tony’s secret. Just walk a tiny distance of what your “goal is” and reset your goal as just doing an easy version of your big goal. Some people call it a SMART goal.

HEALTH COACHING TIP
Remember this simple acronym when setting your health goal. Tony’s secret is actually a health coaching tool in guiding others to reach their health goals. Make sure your goal is SMART:
S pecific example: I will walk…
M easurable example: I will walk for 5 minutes daily Monday thru Friday adding one minute to each day once per week until I am walking 15 minutes per day Monday thru Friday
A ttainable You must have a discussion with your body. Can you do this?
R elevant Does this goal resonate with my desires and long term goals? If not, change it.
T ime-based This goal is time based, it would take you 10 weeks to reach 15 minutes per day and is very clear on how much time to reach your goal.

So, ready? Set that smart goal and do it. You got this!

12/14/2021

Complacency Wrecking Ball Hack

1. See your goal
2. Feel the joy of attaining it (a lot)
3. Set a teeny action step to attain it
4. Do that action today
5. Repeat daily for 7 days
6. Then set a new step and do it
7. Rinse and repeat

12/08/2021

HEALTH
Have you ever tried to define health? We all want it, but really, do we know what it is? This is a challenge to you to define the word HEALTH. For in this, you may find your inner motivation ignite and begin to pursue what you already know to be your #1 desire.
Before you start, consider this. Have you ever been in a conversation with somebody and found you could not agree with them. As the conversation sputtered to a halt, and each of you ran out of steam, the rational part of you looked a little deeper at what they were saying and then you said, “Oh, I totally agree with you, this was a complete misunderstanding.” This same argument we have within ourself about what health really is can lead to similar misunderstandings that lead us to turning our backs on taking actions and embracing values that would restore our health. You see, in your mind, you may have a complete misunderstanding about what health is. For example, you see that beautiful fit human and say, “they are in perfect health.” But, if you were in that body, how would you feel? What if while in that body you had no friends, no love, and no purpose? Would you really have health? Perhaps health is more than a shape. Perhaps health is more than a feeling. Perhaps health is beyond even the absence of disease.
This exercise below is fun. It is all about you finding YOUR DEFINITION of health. And once you have it, then you will really know what you want for your health. You may find that the gym membership is not what you really need at all. Perhaps it is taking up a social hobby like dance or individual hobby like running. Have fun with this exercise. Play with the words and see what takes shape.
Ok, your challenge. Pick words from the list below and write them down on a notecard or somewhere where you will see them later. When done, take your note card and place it in a prominent place and watch the magic begin. Daydream about these words and see if anything comes to mind that resonates that would help you obtain these valuable things you want on your note card. These words will trigger a dialog within you and desire to obtain these wonderful things. Once we deposit a thought in the desire area of our brain, we begin to pursue it and seek it out. You may find yourself seeing an activity rise up that you never thought of before. You may say, I need new friends, mine or so negative, yoga class would be a good place to find new friends and I would get that flexibility I so need. You may say I need peace and I know I get it when I am outside and go and get some hiking shoes and begin. Let your intuition find that activity that embraces all of the terms on the list in your definition of health. Let your intuition answer this question: “What could I do that would add all of these things to my life?” Once your intuition speaks, ACT. DO IT! Your health is now within reach because you now have defined what health really is and can clearly see an activity that you could do that would satisfy your definition of health

Shape Absence of disease Tranquility
Tone Clarity of thought Absence of anxiety
Lack of pain Logic No Fear
Strength Proportion Attainment of ability
Joy Satisfaction Inner cleanliness
Peace Highest potential Zen attainment
Friends Personal Best Present mindedness
Purpose Flexibility Self-Control
Stamina Abundance

Stay tuned for next time. We will talk about inner desire and how to stoke it to propel you to new heights.

Perfect Health Coaching’s mission is to add length and quality of life to our fellow humans. We believe stretching our years on the planet with higher quality lives will bring more health and happiness to our families, our friends, our communities and our world. Thank you for letting us partner with you on this most noble venture!

Perfect Health Coaching by Christopher Dion, Nurse Practitioner

01/13/2022

01/08/2022

01/07/2022

01/02/2022

12/14/2021

12/08/2021

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