P.E.P. Talk - September 2023

Is September the New January?

The summer is over. School is back in session. Business is picking up again.

If you feel a renewed sense of motivation in fall, you’re not alone. There’s mounting evidence that “September is the new January” when it comes to setting goals.

In fact, studies find that enrollment in weight loss programs rises in the Fall, along with online searches about career development.

It’s clear change is in the air, but why?

Living in the Coachella Valley I have always used September as a reset button. It is the time that you start to end your summer months and start thinking about our up and coming winter season.

It is the perfect time to clean out, get organized, start new habits and get into shape for a busy winter season of activities.

I hope everyone takes the time to look through all of the information included in this month's P.E.P. Talk and use it to help take better care of you!

I look forward to hearing from you. - Erin

The Psychology of New Beginnings

September is a popular time for reinvention and renewed motivation because of something behavioral economists have dubbed the "the frest start effect“. Put simply, this principle suggests that it’s easiest to adapt to habits at natural transition points. A new beginning may be signaled by an occasion like a birthday or a temporal landmark like the first of the month.
Changing seasons can also provide a clean slate.

We use the start of a new week, month, or year as a marker to put past behavior behind us. These transition points gives us “freedom to become a new, better version of ourselves."

Taking Advantage of the ‘Fresh Start Effect’

So instead of waiting for the New Year to set goals,

why not make progress now?

Start by taking time for self reflection.

Ask yourself:

What’s working best in my life/career/business right now?
What key actions or projects do I want to focus on in the next quarter?
What do I still want to achieve this year that I haven’t started?

Now that September is starting, what do you plan to accomplish?

If you are feeling overwhelmed as the busy Fall season begins, put a list together of all of your little tasks that you have been putting off. Schedule an hour into your day that you can focus, uninterrupted for the entire hour. You'll be surprised at how much calmer and focused you feel once these small tasks are removed from the bigger list and crossed off.

This can work for fitness and self care as well. Schedule an hour with yourself and don't let anyone or anything interupt this time booked on your calendar.

We live in the Coachella Valley and it is a vacation destination for snowbirds, sports enthusiasts, festival goers and weekend vacationers
just to name just a few.

Often times our seasonal residents have been home all summer and have not kept their active tennis, golf and pickleball routines. Start training for your October or November arrival now so you can hit the ground running and avoid any injuries as you jump back into a very active routine.

Below are some ideas for our pickleball players that can easily be modified for tennis, golf, shuffleboard, horseshoes and bocce ball.

I look forward to seeing everyone back here this season.

Pre Season Pickleball Workout

Practicing Hand-Eye Coordination
Pickleball requires a lot of hand-eye coordination which is important for the sport, but it also translates into daily activities as well. While hand-eye coordination keeps thinking skills sharp, its biggest advantage is to make sure that the eyes track the movement of the hands naturally. These skills play a role in good balance, handwriting, reading, directing objects and, of course, playing sports with proficiency.

1. Paddle Balance
In your home, take your paddle and balance your pickleball on it. Bounce the ball on the paddle in front of you 20 times, take a break and continue for another set of 20, repeating this skill.

2. Hitting Consistency
Find an area with a solid wall and open space that is out of the way and not disturbing others. You’ll use this wall as your makeshift practice partner, where you’ll be able to hit your ball repetitively against the wall.

3. Get Moving
Walking and running are important components of pickleball. Increasing your stamina by continually going for a brisk walk or run will assist with your game when it’s time to get back on the court. Additionally, it’ll assist in your cardiovascular health.

Cardiovascular Movement
Engaging in cardiovascular exercise makes your heart stronger which helps it to not to work as hard. Cardio Exercise can lower your blood pressure, regulate sugar and sleep, reduce your risk of high cholesterol, heart attack diabetes and more.

Stretching and Warm ups
To decrease the risk of injury while you’re participating in any physical activity, be sure to stretch and warm up your body before and after. Stretching reduces muscle tension, increases your range of motion, prevents muscle and joint sprains, increases circulation and can help you reduce muscle soreness post-workout.

Arm Circles (Stretches Arms and Shoulders)

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms parallel to the floor.
Circle your arms forward using small controlled motions, gradually making the circles bigger until you feel a stretch in your triceps.
Reverse the direction of the circles after about 10 seconds.

Marching in Place
(Stretches Upper and Lower Legs, Ankles and Feet)

Stand with your feet flat on the floor.
Lift your right leg to a comfortable height and lower.
Repeat the same on the left leg.
March in place for 30 seconds, break for 15 seconds and repeat for 30 seconds.

Look Both Ways (Stretches Your Neck)

Stand with your feet flat on the floor.
Keep your head squarely over your shoulders and your back straight.
Slowly turn your head to the right until you feel a stretch in the side of your neck and shoulder.
Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, and then slowly turn your head forward again.
Repeat on your left side.

When your activities do resume, you’ll be excited and ready to get out on the court with your opponent or teammates. While you want to dive in and have a competitive match, this can cause injuries and stress to your body if you haven’t done a lot of these movements in a while. Make sure to begin slowly and work your way up to a faster pace of playing and moving, it’ll lower your risk of injury. When you’re able to get back to playing – make sure to have fun and enjoy playing!

The Best Broccoli Salad Recipe

This salad recipe is easy and loaded with flavor.
It’s simultaneously crispy, creamy, sweet and savory.

When it comes to salad recipes most of us gravitate towards leafy greens. And I’ll be the first to admit that spinach is my salad green of choice. So when you’re looking for a little salad shakeup and want something that’s perfect for potlucks, picnics and barbecues, give this broccoli salad a whirl.

Broccoli Salad Ingredients

The great thing about a broccoli salad recipe is how easy it is to customize. Raw broccoli forms the bulk of this salad and bacon, dried fruit, cheese and seeds are usually involved. But you can tweak each of those to your personal dietary preference. Here’s what is included in this broccoli salad:

Broccoli
Bacon
Red Onion
Dried Cranberries
Sunflower Seeds
Goat Cheese

So if you’d like to use raisins instead of dried cranberries or slivered almonds instead of sunflower seeds, go for it. We've included goat cheese instead of cheddar cheese it adds amazing creaminess. Mix and match your portions depending on your audience and toss with your favorite mayonnaise based dressing or dairy free creamy dressing.

Locals Only

Welcome to the Coachella Valley's locals only recommendations for you.

This is a list of local businesses, excursions and happenings throughout

the desert. They can be experienced as a single event or group them together to customize your own adventures and day trips.

Please visit each website to confirm the days and hours of each location.

Cabot's Pueblo Museum
Local Tip: Make sure to get tickets in advance if you want the guided tour. Lots of history, artwork and artifacts in this historic house museum. Highly recommended.