The Aging Mask- A Lifestyle Medicine Podcast
The Aging Mask is a Life Style Wellness Podcast, where Lifestyle Medicine meets curiosity, learning and great conversation.
The Aging Mask is a Podcast dedicated to exploring the transformative power of Lifestyle Medicine. Here is where I will share with you what I have learned, and continue to learn as an "Ayurvedic Health Counselor".
Life Style Medicine is a complete healing system focused on giving you the tools and practices to create greater health and happiness on a daily basis by using your innate healing ability. We will also discuss, and do a deep dive into the
six (6) most important pillars of health; which are; sleep, movement/physical activity, healthy emotions, meditation, nutrition and self-care.
There is no" one size fits all" prescription for your well- being, it is experiential, which means the choices you make about your experiences shape your body and mind, including your choices about food, personal relationships, sensory experiences, sleep, work social interactions and daily routine. As you shift your experiences, your biology will shift because your biology is the metabolism of experience.
Please join me for engaging and educational discussions that highlight how every aspect or your lifestyle contributes to your overall health and happiness!
The Aging Mask- A Lifestyle Medicine Podcast
Addicted by Design: What's Your Addiction?
Today I want to talk about a topic that has had my curiosity peaked for a very long time. And that is “Addiction”.
Everyone talks about addiction as if it only belongs to some people, or certain types of families or certain personality types. But the more I have studied it, observed it , and questioned it the more I realized something very important: EVERY human brain is built with the same reward and habit forming system. We all have the capacity for addiction, and there is no human on earth who is immune to addiction.
My curiosity is about the WHY? Why do we all need something to relax us, distract us, excite us or rescue us emotionally? And WHY are whole industries engineered around us craving, clicking, buying, consuming and needing more?
Today I want to look at addiction as a built in human mechanism, not a flaw, a failure or a genetic curse.
Some families pass down certain traits but those traits are not addictions. They are just ingredients that can make the same addiction more likely.
Addiction runs in families because behaviors and emotional patterns do.
We are all born into the same biological wiring for addiction. Some of us are just born into environments that activate it faster.
Addiction is universal- our brain is wired for repetition. YOU are biologically wired to seek out three things:
Reward
Relief
And escape from discomfort.
What changes from person to person is what are they using their addiction to solve. When someone says they have an addictive personality , what they are really saying is “ I haven’t yet learned a healthier relationship with my emotions, my discomfort or my needs.
Addiction is anything that we return to again and again because it provides relief, pleasure, distraction, escape stimulation or comfort. Its anything we believe we can’t function without.
Addiction is not defined by the substance-addiction is defined by the relationship you have with the substance.
At its core- addiction is your brain finding a behavior or substance that brings short term relief and repeating it regardless of the long term consequences.
The point is , addiction itself can’t be erased- it IS hardwired into our brains- Our brain will always seek habits, patterns and relief. The key isn’t to eliminate it. The key is to understand what problem our addiction is trying to solve. Once we identify the need beneath the habit, we can redirect that drive toward a goal of conscious addiction, healthy addiction, and directed & growth oriented addictions.
We need to say: "if I am going to be addicted to something let me choose what it is”. Unconscious addiction is the enemy.
Please don’t let the world fatten you up, make you lazy, tired, anxious, and disconnected.
Feed yourself with:
*Movement- this solves stress, improves mood and builds confidence
*Reading- this feeds curiosity growth and purpose
*Meditation-regulates emotions, and calms the nervous system
*personal development- working on this will replace avoidance with awareness
*Nature and outdoor time- this relieves overwhelm and restores balance
*Creativity- art-writing &music- these channel our emotions rather than suppress them
*Relationships & community- solves loneliness and disconnection
* and being of service or helping others-meets the need for belonging and purpose.
Be strong mentally- emotionally and physically. AND Choose an addiction that will make you grow.
Enjoy!
Joanne Demers
The Aging Mask- A Lifestyle Medicine Podcast
949) 236-1529
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