• Fresh Views

    When Life Happens: 5 Tips to Help You Get Back on Track

    July 19, 2023
    Hiking path in Crete, Greece

    Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment. ~ Oprah Winfrey

    When we began 2023 we decided to “go back to the basics” and revisit some solution-focused tools and skills while we focused on our own strengths and set personal goals. Now that we are half-way through the year, we wanted to look back and check-in on our progress. To do this, we’ve created a “Summer Self-Care” series; short and simple ideas to build upon these existing tools and to help focus on strengths in a solution-focused way. 

    In today’s installment we focus on how to get back on track after facing a “twist” in the road.

    Back in January, Deb’s New Year’s solution was focused on sleep and developing a healthy bedtime routine. My goal in 2023 was to be more intentional each evening, by taking small steps to develop new healthy sleep habits. The first step was to use the “sleep schedule” in Apple Health to set a bedtime with a “reminder” an hour before, stopping TV, phone and computer screens and focusing on relaxing, reading, and other quiet and peaceful activities. While I started out motivated, the reality of work and family life seemed to intrude and I was staying up late again. I was off track and needed some motivation to get back to my new routine. I never owned a Kindle before and wondered if it might help me stick to my routine if I could travel easier with reading material. With the simple addition of the Kindle, I had new motivation for my routine and I was looking forward to my reading. I am now back on track, going to bed on-time (most nights!) and getting up early to walk before work and the heat of a Sacramento summer day. I’m not 100% successful, but I’m okay with that. If we recall the words by Winston Churchill, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.”

    Here are 5 tips to help you get back on track:

    1. Remember your why. Take a minute to remind yourself why you wanted to set your goal in the first place. What were you trying to achieve? Take the opportunity to review your purpose and be intentional as you revisit your plans.
    1. Don’t dwell on the past. Solution-focused principles help an individual focus on the future and how to do more of what’s working. We don’t look backward. It sounds simple, but we can’t change the past, so let’s not waste our mental energy on things we do not have control over.
    1. Use your VIPs. Sometimes we do best when we have a close friend or family member help us be accountable.  Simply sharing goals out loud with another individual can help us stay focused on our goals. In a solution-focused approach we engage with the VIPs (very important people) in our lives to support us in our journey. 
    1. Journal your thoughts and feelings.  While journaling typically means putting pen to paper, sometimes just talking to yourself and verbally addressing your goals, obstacles and challenges may be helpful. Always focusing on what’s going well and how you can do more of that.
    1. Be compassionate towards yourself. Affirming self-talk, which we’ve written about here,  is important as a general practice, but even more so during times of encountering a “twist” in the road. Greet your inner critic with compassion, even if it may be challenging. After all, you’re only human. 

    We are living in a fast paced world, with competing demands on our time. Sometimes we need to just do our best and focus on the now, and hopefully we’ll be ready to move forward and get back on the best path for us.

    We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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  • Fresh Views

    Rest, Relax & Recharge

    June 21, 2023

    California poppy super bloom, Lancaster, CA

    Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax, ~ Mark Black.

    We all need time to rest and recharge to keep both our mind and body healthy! So we @AFreshPOVforYou are taking some much needed R & R to spend time with family and friends and imprint some Fresh Views! We’ll be back soon and will share some of those views with you!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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  • Fresh Views

    5 Solution-Focused Strategies for Picnics and Celebrations

    June 7, 2023

    Summer celebrations and picnics are in full swing! Sometimes it can be challenging to maintain healthy habits during group gatherings, especially if everyone is not on the same page. It’s helpful to have strategies in your back pocket to pull out. Today we’re re-sharing 5 solution- focused strategies for navigating picnics and celebrations. We originally shared these tips following a trip to the South of France with friends a few years back at this same time of year. During that trip we put these into practice, with the goal of enjoying a special vacation together, yet keeping it healthy. We’ll share how they worked for us. And we invite you to consider how the strategies may work for you and your clients. We enjoyed the trip down memory lane bringing this blog post back!

    Here we are: Four diabetes care and education specialists (with our husbands), getting ready to enjoy a Mediterranean-style dinner at a house we rented on the southern coast of France in Eze. We all traveled together to Ireland 4 years ago so we knew we would have a great time! Learn more about that trip in our blog post, Going off the beaten path..

    Strategy 1- Eat fresh and local. We are fans of supporting local farmers and enjoying local produce at the peak of ripeness. When trying to decide what to take to a gathering, think local and fresh. Picnics can be laden with rich casseroles and sides, so taking a fresh, low carbohydrate side that you know will work for you helps to insure there is something you can eat at the event. One of our favorite go-to’s that is ALWAYS the first dish to disappear is this (you may know it as Caprese salad): juicy ripe sliced tomatoes on a platter, topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped fresh basil (or a dollop of pesto sauce), then drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sometimes we’ll layer sliced avocado on the tomatoes as well. Serve with  salt and pepper grinders alongside so everyone can manage what goes on their salad.  

    A version of the Caprese salad we enjoyed in France made with yellow tomatoes

    Deb shopping in the local market in Arles, France

    Fresh herbs at a local market in France

    Strategy 2 – Portion your picnic plate by the healthy plate for diabetes. When you are ready to sample the celebration spread, if there’s a choice on plate size, go with a smaller plate (maybe the ones that are out for salads or desserts). Then fill half the plate with non-starchy vegetables (such as veggie salads, green beans, or sliced tomatoes), one fourth of the plate with lean protein foods (such as a grilled turkey burger or grilled chicken), and one fourth with carbohydrate foods (this is where potato salad, corn on the cob, or a sweet treat may fit). When asked how high one can “pile the plate”…try to keep it no higher than a deck of cards is thick. This simple strategy has brought success for many when navigating picnics and celebrations. And, Tami recalls one client she worked with that embraced this as a “year-round” strategy, purchasing the “old fashioned” partitioned 9-inch paper plates to use at home. He went on to lose over 30 pounds managing his portions and blood glucose in this manner. And he was thrilled that he didn’t have to wash dishes!

    We put the healthy picnic plate into practice on one of our outings to taste local Provence wine. We had a lovely outdoor picnic (on the perfect sized plate), including fresh salad, vegetable quiche, and fresh strawberries, all  served in baskets! We felt very French!

    Strategy 3 – Stick with small tastings. Maybe there are a number of things on the picnic table that you want to enjoy. And maybe you are not sure exactly what is in some of the dishes or how much carbohydrate they contain. One tried and true strategy is to stick with small tastings. You can sample a number of different items if you choose, fitting them within the plate sections reviewed above. And there’s a lesser chance of sending your blood glucose out of range with small tastings versus a serving spoon portion. This is a great strategy for travel as well, discussed in our blog on Traveling with Diabetes.

    We put this strategy into practice during our trip too as we embraced a Mediterranean eating style. And while we had such fun sampling many delectable foods and treats, we came home without gaining any weight.

    Strategy 4 – Fit in fitness. With eating and celebrating, fitting in fitness can help manage blood glucose and spend more time in range. Whether it’s participating in a local walk/run, swimming, playing cornhole, or joining the kids in a water balloon toss. Fitness was a part of our daily routine while in France. Our days were filled with sightseeing and tons of walking, with most days averaging 15,000 steps or more. We came back in the afternoons and swam in the pool.Then in the evenings we played games, laughed, and laughed some more as we de-stressed and regrouped. Below you can see part of our group walking down to our street to catch the train.

    Strategy 5- Stay hydrated. No matter where you are at this time of year, it’s likely to be warm (or hot)! Keep a calorie-free beverage at your side to sip on. We are fans of the Yeti cups (we’re not paid to say this, just fans) and water bottles which have kept our iced drinks cold for over 12-hours in the summer heat! Another favorite trick is to freeze bottled water and use it as ice packs in the cooler, then drink it as it thaws.

    In France, while the temperature was only 72, the sun was intense and felt more like 92. Hydration was important. We all brought our water bottles to sip on and stay hydrated in the heat.

    Enjoying good food, good friends and Fresh Views!

    As you prepare for summer celebrations, we encourage you to consider:

    • What strategies have worked well for you in the past to navigate picnics and gatherings? 
    • Which of the strategies that we’ve shared might help you? 

    We’d love to hear from you on strategies that worked for you and your clients!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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  • Fresh Views

    Implementing a Solution-Focused Approach to Chronic Conditions

    May 24, 2023

    Are you a fan of Podcasts? Listen in on the May 25th edition of the Yumlish podcast where we are interviewed about implementing a solution-focused approach to chronic conditions.

    If you’re not familiar, the Yumlish podcast empowers people with chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease to take charge of their health through diet. This podcast is created to amplify the voices of patients, health care professionals, employers, and community members who are working to reduce the risk of these chronic diseases and put  health first.

    About Episode:  In this episode, Dr. Deborah Greenwood and Tami Ross discuss how to utilize a solution-focused approach to manage chronic conditions, such as diabetes. They break down what the solution-focused approach is, how it differs from other diabetes management approaches, and how it can positively impact individuals’ management of their diabetes.

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVForYou for a link to the upcoming podcast!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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  • Fresh Views

    Use Reframing to Reimagine Life

    May 10, 2023
    Landscape view of lupine super bloom at Folsom Lake, California

    Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results. – Willie Nelson

    What is reframing? 

    Author Susan C. Young in her book The Power of Re3 . . . Review, Redo & Renew for Positive Change & Transformation writes that “Reframing encourages you to say, ‘Let’s look at this another way.’ By changing the frame around a situation, you not only change your perception of it, but its meaning for you as well. If you were to take one painting and view it in three different frames, each combination would offer a completely different presentation. Your perceptions work the same way.”

    For example, review the photo above and photos below. They were taken in exactly the same spot, except the first one is using the regular iPhone camera setting and the second two are in “portrait mode”. By choosing a different perspective we can see the delicate details of the beautiful flowers up close.

    Portrait mode of iPhone camera focused on the Lupine


    An even closer portrait view of single plants

    Another example of reframing is reviewing a problem differently by turning it into a challenge, looking at it from different angles, reimagining the situation, and identifying potential solutions. Reframing is a simple and impactful tool to use in taking a solution-focused approach to life with your clients (or in your own life). 

    A technique we wrote about last September, adopting a growth mindset, creates an opportunity to reframe thoughts. With a growth mindset the focus is on improving ability over time and developing necessary skills. Those with a growth mindset are more concerned with “ how am I doing TODAY,” compared to yesterday or last week, as opposed to comparing yourself to others. 

    Here are 3 solution-focused examples to help reframe thinking:

    1. When feeling stressed, try to identify one or two exceptions and think about a time when you were not stressed, but content. What was different at that time? Sometimes calling on your imprinted memories can help you generate those same feelings again.
    1. Big projects and complicated goals may seem overwhelming. Try to think of these as challenges! Instead of focusing on the long term outcomes, stay in the present and break down complex issues into small steps.  Agree to only focus on the first small step, no matter how small, and congratulate yourself when you do. 
    1. Appreciate your VIPs, the important people in your life who will provide  clear and honest feedback. They can help you identify opportunities for reframing based on their knowledge of your habits.

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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  • Fresh Views

    Live a better life through reflection and focus on what you can control

    April 26, 2023

    If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward. – Martin Luther King Jr.

    As we launched into 2023, a personal goal for us both has been to focus more on the positive in our lives and do more of what’s working for us (core principles of a solution-focused approach to life). The above quote from Martin Luther King drives home the point that we have to keep moving forward. So, how do we each know if we’re better today compared to 2 years ago? Or even 4 months ago? We don’t… unless we’re keeping track…and that’s one way journaling has helped bring improvement in our lives. As part of our daily journaling, we take a moment to record at least 1-2 specific things we are grateful for in the day and a daily affirmation. We grow through reflection. So 4 months into this journaling journey, we decided to step back and see what we have learned – and share some of our learnings with you. Today’s blog is a little longer than usual. Thanks for reading and we hope you find it insightful.

    TAMI’S LEARNINGS

    Be present and be intentional

    Hey, this is Tami writing. At the start of his journaling journey I had 2 personal goals over this year: 1) To practice being more present in the moment and what it has to bring and 2) To be intentional. I am in no way where I want to be, but I’m making progress!

    Tami’s Big 6 Observations

    1. Consistency is important. A few days off track because life happens and it’s easy to lose focus on what’s good. Consistency in journaling helps me maintain focus on the positive.
    2. Work-life balance improves my happiness. I am happier when I leave work on time. The days that I get home just a half hour earlier makes a big difference.
    3. Nature brings joy. These gifts of nature have included a dusting of snow sparkling on roof tops on my drive to work. Sunshine and longer days. A blooming redbud tree and fragrant yellow daffodils in the backyard.
    4. Flexibility in my schedule reduces my stress. The rare opportunity to work from home for even 2 hours, rather than in the office, made a difference in my stress on those days.
    5. I feel calmer when I get the difficult things done early in the day.
    6. Pause and put my “problems” in perspective. When I get overwhelmed with life, I need to pause and remind myself of the people in my life that are dealing with many more challenges than me. That helps put my problems in perspective.

    5 things I expressed gratitude for:

    • When my sweet daughter-in-law dropped by homemade pad thai and a fun book for me to read
    • Cleaning out 3 drawers and dropping off a donation bag
    • Coming home from work to see the neighborhood kitty has stopped by for a catnap on our back porch sofa
    • Laughing with friends at the end of a long day.
    • An unexpected call from my son just to say “hi”

    2 impactful daily affirmations I’ve used:

    • I can choose to be happy
    • I CAN do this. I have no need for fear.

    DEB’S LEARNINGS

    This is Deb writing now. Like the graphic image in this blog, in 2023 I want to focus on things that I have control over in my life and spend less time thinking about or worrying over the things I can’t control. Based on those 6 categories in the image, here are some examples of what I’ve been doing and thinking about so far this year.

    Deb’s Big 6 Observations

    1. My boundaries. I have been focused on setting boundaries at both work and home so I can focus on things that are important to me and my family.  Sometimes that has meant canceling a trip when life gets too busy and other times, simply knowing I can say “no”.
    2. My thoughts and actions.  I tend to think that I have to be busy and productive all of the time….that down time is wasting time.  I travel a lot for work and sometimes I’m just tired…..I’ve allowed myself to spend a whole day in my PJs and watch some of my favorite shows or listen to a great audiobook and enjoy doing something that does not appear to be productive (but it really is!).
    3. The goals I set. I’ve been following our solution-focused goal setting approach by trying to do more of what works, and leaning in to what those situations are. I am more of a night owl but I noticed that when I go to bed earlier it’s much easier for me to wake up feeling refreshed. So I started to wake up at 5 am every weekday morning so I’ll be tired by 10 pm and be able to fall asleep. It’s hard to do when traveling, so this is still a work in progress.
    4. What I give my energy to. I have always talked about “bucket list” items, but this year I created an actual list and started to check things off. I love to travel, so travel locations are a big part of my list….I’ll be checking off quite a few later this spring. My daughter and I splurged and saw Adelle in Las Vegas (they’ll never be a show better than that!). I saw the California Poppy SuperBloom just last week. My list has both  big and small things. I want to imprint as many images and memories as possible.
    5. How I speak to myself. When I used to commute to work I would use my drive home at the end of the day as an opportunity to actually speak to myself and assess what went well, what could have gone better. I focused on how I could improve and also what I was proud of. Now that I work at home, I’m not doing that anymore. I’ve been using my journal as a way to start this habit again.
    6. How I handle challenges. Generating solutions, as you know, is a solution-focused habit. I’ve been trying to focus on how to make changes to move in the direction I want to go instead of “fixing” the problem. This is not always easy, but it’s the best way I’ve found to deal with challenging situations. 

    5 things I expressed gratitude for:

    My favorite tool and daily ritual when home is “feeding” the Gratitude Bird! Even if it’s small, saying those words and putting a pebble in the bird’s mouth makes me smile. Some of the things I’ve been grateful for are simple and some are big:

    • Sitting in front of a fireplace
    • Having my cat on my lap during a work meeting
    • My son moving back to the west coast from Indiana
    • A bright blue sky
    • My future daughter-in-law and how happy she makes my son.

    My most  impactful daily affirmation:

    • I can choose to be healthy.

    Let us know if some of our learnings resonate with you and spur topics for discussion within your professional practice.

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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  • Fresh Views

    Friends, Laughs, Views, Taxis…and Tornadoes

    April 12, 2023
    “Imprinting” the magnificent view at Lake Michigan, Chicago

    We connected last weekend in Chicago for some much needed R & R! When we’re together and with friends there is no shortage of fun, laughter, and Fresh Views! So today we’re sharing a pictorial view of how we put some of our solution-focused tactics into practice and sharing some of our fun with you all!

    The Best of Second City improv and comedy theater where we laughed hysterically

    While we write about focusing on solutions and doing more of “what works for you”, we also try to follow our own advice. Last weekend we walked and danced and sang and brunched. We toasted friendship, birthdays, and life! We squeezed into too small Ubers and laughed a lot. While Chicago is know as the windy city, we avoided a tornado while “sheltering in place” at a dueling piano bar! We imprinted so many views and memories!

    Rose All Day Lounge at Hampton Social brunch
    Chicago skyline on a chilly, windy day with Joan, David, Mike, Tami, Deb and Mark

    We encourage all of you to look for opportunities to recharge, reconnect and refresh with those you enjoy spending time with to create your own solution-focused possibilities. Identify what makes you happy and brings you joy (even the smallest things can bring joy) and find a way to make it happen.

    Beautiful Chicago architecture
    View of Chicago from the Architecture Boat Tour
    Cindy’s Rooftop, a favorite stop with an amazing lakefront view over Millennium Park

    While we really missed our friends Karen and Terry (the tornado’s fault) we were grateful to FaceTime with them and share a virtual happy hour! (Making lemonade out of those lemons)

    We’ll be back focusing on more solution-focused tenets soon!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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  • Fresh Views

    Expressing Gratitude: 6 Strategies To Get Started 

    March 15, 2023
    Deb’s gratitude bird waiting to be “fed” a message of gratitude

    I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.

    ~Will Arnett

    Expressing gratitude is something we strongly believe in and practice in our daily lives. The expression of gratitude and acknowledging things that have gone well in the day is a powerful tool in solution-focused practice. We’ve written about gratitude many times in this blog. 

    Recently when traveling in Colorado, Deb happened upon a unique art shop and was called to two beautiful “gratitude birds” (pictured above and below). She knew immediately that we needed them. Each morning, we start the day by “feeding” our gratitude birds with a daily message or two (or three) of things we are grateful for. Some are big, some are the tiny things in life. Today as we write, Deb is grateful for her kitties and Tami is grateful for the sunshine and spring daffodils ready to burst into bloom. Gratitude does not need to be huge or all encompassing, a simple statement can start your day off in a positive direction.

    The simple definition of gratitude is “a feeling of thankful appreciation for favors or benefits received; thankfulness.”  But the practice of gratitude means so much more.

    Gratitude is good for health

    Practicing gratitude is powerful. While the relationship is not fully understood, positive emotions such as expressing gratitude, are linked to healthier lifestyle choices. And healthy lifestyle choices including healthy eating and being active are in turn linked to overall health. 

    According to the American Heart Association, several clinical trials show that engaging in a practice of gratitude can lower blood pressure and help the immune system. It’s also been noted that grateful people have healthier eating habits, are more physically active, have improved sleep, are less likely to smoke and abuse alcohol, and have higher rates of taking medications as prescribed. Several studies suggest that gratitude can decrease stress and anxiety by activating the areas in the brain that release feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. It’s difficult to feel sorry for yourself or feel down if you’re practicing gratitude.

    Today we offer 6 strategies to help develop daily gratitude habits: 

    1. Keep a gratitude journal. For us recently, when we pick up our 5-minute daily journal which we shared about here, it prompts us to record those things we are grateful for in the day. Our personal goal is to identify at least 3 things daily for which we’re grateful. 
    2. Have gratitude reminders. These are simple cues to remind you to focus on gratitude daily. Maybe it’s an alarm on your phone, a bracelet or wristband, a photo, a magnet, or a post-it note. 
    3. Use gratitude apps. There are a number of apps with a range of capabilities including sending reminders, sharing uplifting thoughts, and organizing memories for which you are grateful. We shared some favorites in this post here.
    4. Practice sharing positive feedback with others. A little different angle on the practice of expressing gratitude, the next time a restaurant or store employee is helpful or you enjoy a product, tell others about your experience. Leave a positive review or tell managers about helpful, positive employees. That’s a simple but impactful way to express gratitude for great service.
    5. Start a gratitude box. Keeping a box (jar, album, folder, or whatever works for you) filled with notes, pictures, and moments you are grateful for can bring a boost when needed. 
    6. Listen, smile, be respectful and choose kindness. Applying this to solution-focused practice, our actions and treating others as we would like to be treated are another way to express gratitude. It lets others know that we value them.
    Tami’s gratitude bird

    3 tips to keep your gratitude practice going:

    1. Find a daily time to practice gratitude and try to be consistent. Maybe it’s when you get up in the morning. Maybe it’s before you go to bed at night. Maybe it’s when you’re exercising.
    2. Write what you feel. Don’t censor it.  
    3. Refrain from making the list repetitive. Pause, reflect and be specific about the small and the big things you are grateful for in the day.

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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  • Fresh Views

    Affirmations: There’s no one better than to be myself

    March 1, 2023

    It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen. – Muhammed Ali

    Simply put, an affirmation is a statement of what you want in your life.

    We recently learned of a new-ish YouTube channel developed by the American rapper Snoop Dogg himself, called Doggyland. He’s turning his rhymes into motivational affirmations for kids…and they work on adults too!  Have we piqued your interest? Check it out here

    Four of the affirmations you’ll hear there are :

    • There’s no one better than to be myself.
    • Today is going to be an amazing day.
    • I get better every single day.
    • I care about others.

    If this resonates with you, you’ll find additional affirmation videos on his channel .

    12 of Tami’s  favorite affirmations:

    • I am joyful. 
    • I am gentle. 
    • I am not easily offended and will not hold on to bitterness. 
    • I am patient.
    • I am self-controlled.
    • I am kind.
    • I am loved.
    • I am strong. 
    • I have not need for fear.
    • I will not worry. 
    • I am focused upon the best things. 
    • I am unfinished.

    While using the Five Minute Journal, Deb’s been using their tips for journaling.  One tip is to use the same affirmation every day if you’re struggling to come up with new affirmations and if you want to focus on one specific idea.  Deb’s daily affirmation since the start of 2023 is I can choose to be healthy! Her goals are to adopt more healthy habits over time, but to start with small, achievable goals. Deb is a big fan of Kelly Clarkson, and loves her affirmation at the end of her show each day,  “Have a great day, and if it’s not, try and change it.” Her message is a great personal challenge, as we wrote about last time, to encourage change and create the life you want! 

    Identify one or many  affirmations that resonate with what you want in your life and post it where you’ll frequently see it. Tami keeps a list on her refrigerator and both Deb and Tami write them down in their daily journal. Encourage your clients to identify affirmations to support their healthy choices and goal achievement.

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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  • Fresh Views

    Personal “challenges” can help create the life you want

    February 15, 2023
    We both have this sign in our offices as a reminder

    The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

    As we both stay committed to our 5-minute daily journaling (we shared the beginning of this adventure in our last blog), today we want to share the impact of having a personal challenge to work on. The only way one can truly grow is by challenging yourself…whether it be challenging your abilities or your beliefs. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”  Challenges lead to personal growth and improvement.

    Future visioning (a tenet and tool of solution-focused practice) and creating the life that you want requires stepping out of your comfort zone – that’s where we really learn and grow. A weekly challenge can help you go there.  A weekly challenge doesn’t have to be big or difficult, but something with intentionality – breaking out of  the daily grind.

    You may choose to have a personal “challenge of the day”, or a “challenge of the week”…whichever you prefer and is helpful to you.

     Here are 10 challenges that we’ve been trying:

    1. Be mindful and practice being present in the moment.
    2. Get adequate and good quality sleep.
    3. Start reading a new book. (One that we’ve both recently started is Atomic Habits by James Clear)
    4. State one daily affirmation for positive self talk. (You won’t want to miss our next post where we elaborate more on this).
    5. Write a text, email, or hand written message to someone you truly care about to let them know. 
    6. Curtail expectations of others.
    7. Do a random act of kindness.
    8. Give someone a compliment.
    9. Say no. If something doesn’t work for you, just say no.
    10. Start a 5-minute journal (hey, we’re doing good with this one and learning ALOT!)

    Do you think this approach can help your clients create the future that they want? Let us know your experiences and successful personal challenges that are helpful to you or your clients.

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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