Why is the Amygdala Important?

February 21, 2022 by Liz Carter

Why is the Amygdala Important?

Despite its small size, the amygdala plays an important role in many basic functions. The amygdala may also play a role in social skills because of its role in learning, memory, and emotion. A few studies have shown that people with larger amygdalae tended to have larger and more active social circles. Some other studies have implicated the amygdala in aggressive behavior, alcoholism, binge drinking, and sexual orientation.

What is the Amygdala Hijack

In his 1995 book “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ,” psychologist Daniel Goleman named this emotional overreaction to stress “amygdala hijack.” The amygdala hijack occurs when your amygdala responds to stress and disables your frontal lobes. That activates the fight-or-flight response and disables rational, reasoned responses. In other words, the amygdala “hijacks” control of your brain and your responses.

The symptoms of an amygdala hijack are caused by the body’s chemical response to stress. When you experience stress, your brain releases two kinds of stress hormones: cortisol and adrenaline. Both of these hormones, which are released by the adrenal glands, prepare your body to fight or to flee.

Together, these stress hormones do a number of things to your body in response to stress. They:

increase blood flow to muscles, so you have more strength and speed to fight or flee
expand your airways so you can take in and use more oxygen
increase blood sugar to provide you immediate energy
dilate pupils to improve your vision for faster responses

When these hormones are released, you may experience:

rapid heartbeat
sweaty palms
clammy skin
goosebumps on the surface of your skin

An amygdala hijack may lead to inappropriate or irrational behavior. After an amygdala hijack, you may experience other symptoms like embarrassment and regret. [Read more…]

How Stress Affects Your Brain

February 18, 2022 by Liz Carter

How Stress Affects Your Brain

Have you ever gotten goosebumps and your heart started sinking in before going to the stage to give a speech in front of many people?

Have you found yourself blank and stuck at a word right at the exam night?

Have you felt a sudden onset of pain in your chest getting an interview call from the office?

Have you got a severe headache after getting into a fight with the person you love the most?

Have you ever been in the denial phase after the demise of your loved one that you start forgetting everything that has happened lately?

Is your answer ‘yes?’

The words you are reading right now are for you.

[Read more…]

Time Management Mastery for Coaches and Trainers

February 14, 2022 by Liz Carter

Time Management Mastery for Coaches and Trainers

Time management DOES NOT exist. Does that fly in the face of what you’ve always been told? Likely so…

So what “does exist?”

ANSWER: Life Management

When you have life management, time works in your favor. Here are some simple examples:

When you wake up and are INSTANTLY PRODUCTIVE doing your morning rituals such as meditation, gratitude work, prayer, exercise, breathwork, etc (as opposed to meandering or complaining), you are managing your life, and time works in your favor. It’s life management. [Read more…]

What is Brain-Body Connection Through Movement?

February 8, 2022 by Liz Carter

What is Brain-Body Connection Through Movement?

What do you think of when you read the words MIND BODY FITNESS?

Do you think of people sitting around in lotus position chanting?

Is it yoga?

Is it meditation?

Is it becoming more conscious?

Is it stress reduction?

Is it spiritual?

Is it massage, or other types of bodywork?

Is it passive or active? Is it cardio, strength, or flexibility?

Is it martial arts?

Is it tai chi?

What the heck is it?

It is all of the above, and more, and some of these in combination.

Here’s how it goes well beyond… [Read more…]

Your Path to Personal Excellence

February 4, 2022 by Liz Carter

Your Path to Personal Excellence

Top Performers in Your Niche Are Dedicated to This

Yes, this matters for your overall success.

You may be wondering what this (below) has to do with you specifically.

We can tell you, without a doubt, this is what makes the biggest difference between those who “make it” and those who continue to struggle.

You don’t need to be a perfectionist. Perfection does not exist. Why? Because there are always higher degrees of “perfection” – AKA: technique, form, timing, execution and structure.

LET’S GET TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER.

Personal excellence is always demanding (and expecting) more of yourself in terms of health, well-being, finances, communication, relationships, understanding, empathy, coach-ability, tech know-how, relaxation, focus, determination, inner peace…

YES, all of this and more!

You can only reach the highest levels of personal, financial and professional success when you strive for excellence in each area of your life.

Think about it…

What happens to your business, when your personal life is a mess?

What happens to your fitness when you experience too much stress from work or home life?

What happens to your business when you don’t yet understand related technology as you should?

It goes on and on…. And, the answers are obvious.

However, you can easily do something about it starting right now. How?

[Read more…]

5 Proven Ways to Become a Successful Coach or Trainer

January 31, 2022 by Liz Carter

5 Proven Ways to Become a Successful Coach or Trainer

You may know that NESTA and Spencer Institute have been helping people just like you since June 1, 1992. Yes, that long. Over these decades of working with 10s of thousands of trainers and coaches, we’ve learned a lot about what works…and what doesn’t work.

Would you like to speed up your success? Would you like to increase your knowledge? Would you like to serve and help more people? Would you like to enjoy each day even more? All these things are possible (and more) when you follow the proven strategies for success listed below. Before you read the list, promise yourself this….. BE HONEST! Be honest about where you are, what you know, what you need, who can help, how you want to live your life, what is currently bad, and what is most pressing to change and improve NOW!

Here are your top 5 proven ways to become more successful:

[Read more…]

20 Ways to Make More Money as a Coach or Trainer

January 24, 2022 by Liz Carter

20 Ways to Make B-A-N-K as a Coach

Hello, Coaches (and trainers, too),

Often, in our Facebook group, we get asked about the various ways to make moolah as a coach (or trainer).

So, here is a list of 20 ways to make B-A-N-K as a coach (in no particular order):

1. Let’s start with one you may not have yet considered. Corporate wellness coaching is big business. Studies show that for every dollar spent on employee wellness, gets a 300% return. This fact has persuaded employers to help cover these costs. You can offer “lunch-and-learn” seminars, on-site fitness training, on-site yoga, on-site stress management, and much more.

2. If you are more “holistically inclined” you can do a combination of stress management, yoga, holistic nutrition coaching, and holistic life coaching for individuals or groups.

3. You can offer ANY coaching service online simply by using Zoom or Skype.

4. You can offer fitness coaching or personal training in people’s homes (Or your home) and bring in $50-$100/hr. Get your free business training system here.

5. You can rent an office in a chiropractic office for your consulting services. It’s great for cross-referrals, and they would like help with their rent.

6. If you offer wellness coaching, consider sharing an office with an acupuncturist, yoga studio or massage therapist. The services are complimentary and you can reduce your costs.

7. Did you know that roughly 40% of Americans suffer from some type of sleep disturbance? This is why Sleep Science Coaching is such a HUGE opportunity. It’s easily combines with nearly all types of coaching niches.

8. You can work as a personal trainer or health coach in a gym and let them bring in the clients. You can work as an employee. There are likely opportunities as a contractor as well.

[Read more…]

Why the Gut Microbiome Is Crucial for Our Health?

January 17, 2022 by Liz Carter

Why the Gut Microbiome Is Crucial for Our Health?

The human body is full of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. They are collectively known as the microbiome, and their totals are impressive, numbering in the trillions.

While some bacteria are associated with disease, others are extremely important for your immune system, heart, weight, and many other aspects of health.

What is the Gut Microbiome?

Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microscopic living things are referred to as microorganisms, or microbes, for short.

Trillions of these microbes exist mainly inside your intestines, with some also known to be on the skin. It is here that most of the microbes in the intestines are found, in a “pouch” at the junction of the small and large intestine called the cecum. The microbes found in the cecum are generally referred to as the gut microbiome. For various reasons, bacteria are widely studied even though many different types of microbes exist inside us. [Read more…]

The Importance of Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

January 4, 2022 by Liz Carter

Air Pollution in Your Home

We’ve covered why it’s critical to clean up your foods and personal-care products. Now it’s time to examine the chemicals in your home. A growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.

At no other time in history have there been so many toxins and pollutants in our environment, particularly the home. The home is the No. 1 source for toxic chemicals.

According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), Common toxic chemicals found in the home are three times more likely to cause cancer than airborne pollutants. The EPA has also reported that nearly every American has 30 cancer-causing chemicals detectable in their fatty tissue.

This is another great reason to clean up toxic chemical products at home. It’s part of your preventive-medicine strategy.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air within our homes can be five to 10 times more heavily polluted than outdoor air, even in the largest industrial cities. This is critical because individuals in Western industrialized cities spend up to 90% of their time indoors. One of the primary sources of this indoor air pollution is chemical cleaners, which also happen to be one of the easiest areas to fix. [Read more…]

How to Get Better Sleep in 2022

December 28, 2021 by Liz Carter

How to Get Better Sleep in 2022

For many, getting a solid night’s sleep is as elusive as winning the lottery. Getting too little sleep is so common that it’s become almost a badge of honor to get through each day with sleep deprivation. Even if you feel like you can function on little sleep, it’s actually debilitating, if not dangerous, to a person’s health and mental faculties.

As we approach the new year, health is often at the top of resolutions. One area of health that affects your entire body is your sleep. So, how do you get better sleep and more of it?

[Read more…]

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