Here are the seven best tactics I’ve developed for staying healthy, happy and close to my family — no matter how busy my life gets:
- 1.
Learn and challenge yourself every day.
You want to kick back at night and know the day made a difference.
- 2.
Fight stress by deep breathing.
As you breathe in, push out your bellybutton so your lungs can fully expand. As you exhale, pull your bellybutton toward your spine.
- 3.
Keep nuts available to avoid foraging for junk.
I love hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts.
- 4.
Never miss a chance to put the kids to bed.
As they wind down, I hear their true voices. My bedtime stories craft mythical experiences that uphold our family’s values and send them dreaming of a better world.
- 5.
Even a busy surgeon needs sleep.
I try to get to bed by 11 p.m. and wake up just before 6 a.m.
- 6.
Super-short yoga at dawn...
loosens my back and energizes my spine. I love to do the sun salutation followed by the triangle pose.
- 7.
Invent family games.
We play ball tag: I kick a ball at the kids, who must freeze if hit until another child tags them. If I can freeze all of them before they rescue one another, I win a kiss. The game forces them to strategize and builds team spirit.
