Friday, May 26

Today is Friday, May 26, 2023. As we continue onto week 3 of moving towards dreams, aspirations, goals, you can continue to work on establishing your sleep ritual as we shift to awake times.

Think about this: As part of your daily routine, maybe even with your brain dump from last week, consider a reflection about instant pleasure vs. deep satisfaction in your day or week. Instant pleasure is short acting and immediate. It does not last. It lights up certain areas of the brain that drive us to want more if “that.” It doesn’t care if it is good for you or not, that kind of instant pleasure lights up specific brain cells.

Deep satisfaction lights up the whole brain and creates a warm glow that lasts. It is recharging. It feels good and nourishes the soul. It is good for your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Bottom line, it is so very good for you.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: For this next week, reflect on the people, places and things that cause you to experience deep satisfaction. Make a list and then see if you can figure out what are some similarities about the items on the list. What causes you deep satisfaction? Maybe you can find ways to increase opportunities for more of those deeply satisfying experiences.

A quote by Michael Franti, “Love is the action of soul satisfaction.”

Thank you to Benjamin Lehman for sharing this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, May 19

Today is Friday, May 19, 2023. As we continue- from last week-moving towards dreams, aspirations, goals, we may better understand our best awake and rest times. We offer a pre-sleep tool.

Think about this: During awake hours, there are lots of experiences and thoughts and feelings. The brain and mind are appropriately busy. Worries and fears about the future may surface. Future dreams, plans and action items develop. Where does all this go? What happens to it?

Sometimes, the start of sleep is delayed due to the brain and mind trying to sort through the day and prepare for the future. It does not want to forget anything important, but it does not know what is important and what is not, so it might try to cycle through everything and that can interfere with sleep. Good news, you can train your brain to rest by creating a ritual before you need to sleep.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: For this next week, before your desired sleep time, perform a brain dump. Write down everything on your mind in a notebook so that you can return to it in the morning. Let your brain watch you writing down all the things on your mind so that it can be reassured that you will not forget it and that you can return to it and organize your thoughts tomorrow. Then, when you are ready tomorrow, return to it and review your brain dump. Your mind will have solved much of it overnight while asleep. With regular practice, over time, your brain will learn to let your brain rest when you are ready to sleep.  

A quote by Queen Rania al-Abdullah, “We are stronger when we listen, and smarter when we share.”

Thank you to Gregoire Jeanneau for sharing this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, May 12

Today is Friday, May 12, 2023. This beautiful time of year is a great time to move towards dreams, aspirations, goals. Motivated for progress: planting something to grow, building upon and developing skills, advancing forward and trying something new.

Think about this: We start with the gardener’s analogy, not sure who to attribute this to. To grow a beautiful lush garden that can provide shelter, food, beauty and pleasure, the soil matters. There must be organic matter in the soil to provide nutrients, to hold water. Adequate sunlight and darkness, warmth and coolness, the worms, birds and bees all work together to support the soil and create a fertile space for a garden to grow. In that enriched space, then we can choose the seeds to plant and support that environment until the plant sprouts and grows to its fullest potential, whether a tree that provides shelter and shade, a plant that provides food and nutrients or flowers and herbs that provide beauty and pleasure.

We will start with small tips on enriching our own soil so that each of us can thrive and grow into our fullest potential.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: For this next week, examine your daily rhythms – the time you are naturally most awake and the time you can best sleep. It turns out that within 24 hours, some people do better with 2 sleep times (usually 1 longer and 1 shorter) and some are best with 1 longer sleep time. Write down when you are awake and when you are asleep. Include when you feel like you want to be asleep or when you want to stay awake longer. Just be curious.

A quote by Audrey Hepburn, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

Thank you to Javardh for sharing this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, May 5

Today is Friday, May 5, 2023. A great day to celebrate children.

Think about this: Listen to children laughing uncontrollably and it is hard not to smile. Joyful laughter is healthy, boosts others and changes the atmosphere and our internal physiology as well as those around us.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Find opportunities to laugh out loud with joy. Let it release. Notice people having fun, laughing. Help others laugh too.

A quote by Charles Dickens, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”

Thank you to Kulli Kittus for sharing this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, April 28

Today is Friday, April 28, 2023. This week is closing out April.   Think about this: Stress pushes for change and humans are designed to be able to handle large amounts of stress. Depending on the response- the flexibility, the ability to learn, the adaptation- this can lead to getting stronger, wiser and all around better. What makes this possible? A chance for processing and recharging and healing. There must be a time “after” the stress where recovery and improvement can take place. Sometimes it is while sleeping, sometimes while meditating, journaling or being in nature and other times, sharing the experience with a safe someone who you trust. DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: When you are experiencing high levels of stress, find time to pause and create an artificial “close” to the stress cycle and allow some recharge time even if it is temporary. Slow down your breathing and remind yourself, “I can do this.”   A quote by Eric Maisel, “A long, deep breath is the equivalent of a full stop and the key to centering.” Thank you to Erin Burden for sharing this lovely photo. With gratitude and appreciation for all beings, Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, April 21

Today is Friday, April 21, 2023. The bulbs are bursting, the trees are flowering, the grass is greener, it is a great time to pause and notice the nature around us.

Think about this: Sometimes, there is so much going on around us, it can lead to an overload. There can be so many thoughts, feelings, things to do. It can amplify negative thoughts and feelings and make it harder to see the path forward. The good news is that there’s a remedy.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: When the mind is full and the feelings are bouncing around, 1. take a minute to observe your breathing. Then, 2. start to slow the breathing down, make each breath last longer, and breathe from your belly so that your belly rises when you breathe in, and it releases when you breathe out. This activates the vagus nerve and allows your body to calm and settle down. Finally, 3. write down what is on your mind so you can see it. Bonus: maybe even share it with someone you trust.

A quote by Navaz Habib, “The vagus nerve is the conductor of the human body symphony orchestra.”

Thank you to Drew Beamer for sharing this lovely photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, April 14

Today is Friday, April 14, 2023. There comes a time when a fresh start, a reset is necessary. Maybe that is today.

Think about this: It’s easier to imagine the fresh start or reset when there is a clear end and a clear marker to starting. For example, the beginning of the new year, the day after graduation, the new season, a celebration, a new haircut, “after” the trip.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Consider shortening the time in between new starts and the end. Rather than waiting a whole year for the year to end and for New Year’s Day to start something new, consider a new start on Saturday morning. Friday night, close out your previous “cycle” in some meaningful way and reset for a fresh beginning tomorrow morning.

A quote by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, “The beginning is always today.”

Thank you to Zeke Tucker for sharing this lovely photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, April 7

Today is Friday, April 7, 2023. The beauty as the seasons change, the delight of the new flowers, new colors, new beginnings highlight progress, new life and moving forward.

Think about this: Humans around the world, of all ages and cultures, naturally desire progress. We are curious animals. We are social beings. People are really pretty cool. When we see our efforts are making a difference, that we can understand something better, that we belong and are connected to other social beings, we can feel more grounded and secure, even in the midst of hardships.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Consider ways you can connect deeply: let someone see that they make a difference – that there is progress; help someone engage their curiosity and teach you something new; reach out and share time being present with each other.

A quote we often do not hear enough of, “I love you!”

Thank you to Jean-Claude Dumont for this beautiful picture.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, March 31

Today is Friday, March 31. The plants grow towards the light and we can choose to do the same.

Think about this: Every day we make small choices that over time, accumulate to result in big change or staying the same. By simplifying or automating the “better” choices, it becomes easier to achieve the results you want.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Determine the future you want and what you need to do to get there. Then, set yourself up for success by making the best choices, the ones that are automated or easiest to make.

A quote by many of our patients in practice, “I’ve got this!”

Thank you to Dan Deziel, “Today’s Rainbow.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, March 24

Today is Friday, March 24. This week marked renewal with the start of spring.

Think about this: As the weather warms up and the days grow longer, there are more people out and about. Each of us is curious about what’s going on, what’s happening with others, what’s new. This is the time for new connections.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Use this time to get outside and explore the world, connect with others. Whether it’s someone new you have just met or someone you know well, take time to share what you have read, what you have learned. Find out what others have been up to, what they are reading and learning.

A quote by Gustav Mahler, “Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.”

Thank you to Meric Tuna for this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP