Cultivating Calm: How Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology Can Create Personal and Professional Growth

Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology offer a science-based approach to improving well-being. reducing stress, and enhancing clarity which contribute to more effective leadership and optimal well-being.

What is Lifestyle Medicine?

Lifestyle Medicine is an evidence-based approach that helps prevent, treat, and sometimes even reverse chronic disease through 6 key pillars. These pillars include following a healthy eating pattern, being physically active, cultivating a calm mindset, enjoying social connections, experiencing restorative sleep, and avoiding risky substances.

When leaders and employees adopt healthier habits, they gain more than energy - they build emotional resilience and mental clarity leading to more thoughtful decisions and stronger teams.

The Role of Positive Psychology

Positive psychology compliments lifestyle medicine by focusing on what makes life worth living so that joy and gratitude become embedded into our daily lives. It encompasses values, strengths, purpose, and hope - building blocks for cultivating a healthy mindset.

In the professional setting, applying positive psychology might look like:

• Practicing gratitude before a stressful conversation or meeting

• Recognizing and highlighting strengths in others and encouraging them to do the same

• Reframing challenges as opportunities for growth

These practices encourage a growth mindset, enhance productivity, foster innovation, and create safe spaces where others can express themselves without judgment.

Why Calm Minds Make Better Decisions

Stress narrows our focus and activates the brain to go into survival mode which can be helpful in emergencies but can lead to chronic stress when we operate without calm on a regular basis. Cultivating a calm mindset can be a catalyst for clarity that enables us to see the totality of situations.

When we are calm:

• We engage the prefrontal cortex which is our brain's decision making center

• We listen more effectively and communicate with greater empathy

• We assess opportunities and risks more accurately

Strategies for Cultivating a Calm Mindset

1. Start your day with intention to shift from becoming reactive to being responsive

2. Move regularly throughout the day and schedule breaks when needed

3. Model calm leadership to help others regulate their emotions

Let's build a healthier, happier, and more resilient community together!

Suzanne Stringer