This document discusses 5 behavioral factors (S.P.A.C.E.) that can impact one's ability to achieve goals: sleep, presence, activity, creativity, and eating. For each factor, it provides definitions, benefits, outcomes from studies, and tips for improvement. Regarding sleep, it discusses sleep cycles, benefits of adequate sleep, sleep studies showing impacts on health and behavior, and tips for better sleep. For presence, it defines mindfulness, provides mindfulness measures and exercises to improve awareness. It also outlines benefits and types of meditation. The document then discusses activity, emphasizing the importance of reducing sedentary time and moving naturally, as well as tips to incorporate activity. Finally, it explores the benefits of

1. PRACTICE
YOUR
S.P.A.C.E.!

2. WHAT DOES S.P.A.C.E STAND FOR?
Sleep
Presence
Activity
Creativity
Eating
“These 5 behavioral factors can, over time, really
help or hinder your ability to pursue and achieve
your goals.”- Dr. Vic Strecher

4. BENEFITS OF SLEEP
Slow-wave/ deep sleep
 Rest
 Repair
 Growth hormone release
 Helps strengthen declarative memory (facts and knowledge)
 Reduces cortisol levels (which suppress the immune system)
REM sleep
 Helps strengthen procedural memory (skills)
 Helps creativity levels
 Improves survival skills (fight-or-flight tests)

5. SLEEP AND OUTCOMES
1) Twin sleep study
Twins who reported sleeping fewer hours a night
showed lower levels of self-control and more depressive
symptoms.
2) Sleep deprivation study
Sleep deprivation is associated with an increase in body
weight and chronic health conditions.
3) More
Lack of sleep is also linked to irritability,
disengagement, premature aging, forgetfulness, and
impaired judgment.

6. HOW CAN YOU SLEEP BETTER TONIGHT?
 Keep your sleeping space free from light and noise
 Avoid excessive alcohol in the evening
 Avoid nicotine, caffeine, energy drinks, and other stimulant use
in the evening
 Turn off or silence all electronics 30 minutes before you try to fall
asleep
 Read a book in bed
 Establish a regular waking and sleeping time
 Exercise regularly
 Amount of sleep needed varies from person to person but on
average, 8 hours does the trick!

7. YOUR SLEEP CHALLENGE!
Try to use some of the sleeping tips suggested.
Keep a sleeping journal for one week and
record the following:
 What tips you are trying to use
 Your sleeping and waking times each day
 Any dreams you had
 How you feel throughout the rest of the day- do you
feel well rested? Do you feel energetic? Etc.

9. WHAT IS PRESENCE?
Presence- Paying attention in a particular way: on
purpose, in the present moment and non-
judgmentally
Presence is mindfulness:
 Acting with awareness
 Describing
 Accepting without judgment
 Observing and listening

10. PRESENCE MEASURES: ARE YOU LIKE THIS?
It seems I am “running automatic” without
much awareness of what I’m doing.
1 52 3 4
I’m the opposite! I’m like this too!
1) Measure of “acting with awareness”
Attending to one’s activities of the moment (opposite
of acting on automatic pilot.)

11. ACTING WITH AWARENESS
If you’re “like this too,” try focused-attention meditation.
All you have to do is simply refocus your awareness on the
chosen object of attention each time you notice your
mind wandering.
Try:
 Watching your breath
 Repeating a single word or mantra
 Staring at a candle flame
 Listening to a repetitive gong

12. PRESENCE MEASURES: ARE YOU LIKE THIS?
It’s hard for me to find the words to
describe what I’m feeling or thinking.
1 52 3 4
I’m the opposite! I’m like this too!
2) Measure of “describing”
Labeling internal experiences with words.

13. DESCRIBING
If you’re “like this too,” try this:
Briefly label arising thoughts and fantasies and
continue attending to the present moment. Use
adjectives and emotions to label these thoughts.
Example: I am going to the zoo tomorrow and I am
excited.

14. PRESENCE MEASURES: ARE YOU LIKE THIS?
I tell myself that I shouldn’t be thinking or
feeling the way I’m thinking or feeling.
1 52 3 4
I’m the opposite! I’m like this too!
3) Measure of “non-judging”
Taking a non-evaluative stance toward thoughts and
feelings.

15. ACCEPTING WITHOUT JUDGMENT
If you’re “like this too,” refrain from applying evaluative
labels such as right or wrong to your thoughts and
feelings. Let your thoughts arise, acknowledge
them without evaluating them, and move back to
the present moment.

16. PRESENCE MEASURES: ARE YOU LIKE THIS?
I do NOT pay attention to physical
experiences, such as the wind in my hair
or the smells of things.
1 52 3 4
I’m the opposite! I’m like this too!
4) Measure of “observing”
Noticing or attending to internal and external
experiences.

17. OBSERVING
If you’re “like this too,” try open-monitoring
meditation:
Observe your bodily sensations, thoughts &
emotions, sounds, and smells.
Mindful walking- go on a walk and try to practice
being aware of each step and of each breath in
and out.

18. PRESENCE AND OUTCOMES
1) Yoga’s Impact on Mood and Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors
 Patients who went on the practice better reported lower fatigue scores
and higher vitality (energy) scores than those who did not.
2) Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Insomnia
 Mindfulness Meditation (sitting with eyes closed, cross-legged, with the
back straight and focusing on the abdomen as one breathes in and out)
may be a viable treatment for those with chronic insomnia.
3) Breathing-Based Meditation Decreases Posttraumatic Stress
Symptoms in U.S. Military Veterans
 The active meditation group showed reductions in PTSD scores, anxiety
symptoms, and respiration rate.
4) Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and
psychological mediators.
 Telomerase activity is a predictor of long-term cellular viability, which
decreases with chronic psychological distress and promotes well-being.
Telomerase activity was significantly greater in meditative participants.

19. BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
 Reduces pain and enhances the body’s immune system
 Reduces feelings of depression, anxiety, anger and
confusion
 Increases blood flow and slows the heart rate
 Provides a sense of calm, peace and balance
 Helps reverse heart disease
 Helps control thoughts
 Increases energy
 Reduces stress

20. MORE TYPES OF MEDITATION PRACTICE
Concentration
Breath-focused meditation
Cultivating positive emotions
Loving-kindness meditation
Generating feelings of kindness and love in one’s heart and
mind. Develop this loving-kindness towards yourself first, then
progressively towards others and all beings.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness-based stress reduction
Movement
Yoga
Emptying
Centering prayer

21. HOW CAN YOU BE MORE PRESENT?
 Focus using your five senses.
 Open your eyes and observe your surroundings. Walk with your
head up and take note of the world around you.
 Be curious, explore and ask questions.
 Do things slowly and deliberately. Take your time completing your
tasks.
 Spend at least 5 minutes each day doing nothing. Just sit in
silence and become aware of your thoughts and breaths.
 Stop worrying about the future and focus on the present!
 Eat slowly and savor your food. Don’t watch TV or do anything
while you eat, just enjoy your meal.

22. YOUR PRESENCE CHALLENGE!
Choose a favorite or interesting object (i.e. seashell, flower,
T-shirt or location). Close your eyes and focus your
mind solely on that object. Write down an exceptionally
detailed description (i.e. shape, color, texture, smells,
tastes, etc. Use all of your senses!)
What is your favorite aspect of your description? Did you
describe aspects of the object that you had never
thought about before? Did your feelings toward the
object change?

24. COMMON ACTIVITY MISCONCEPTIONS
1) You don’t need to hit the gym or place sports in
order to be active just MOVE NATURALLY!
Dance
Walk
Work
Play
Climb the stairs
2) Physical activity is not enough! The key is to reduce
sedentary activity i.e. prolonged sitting

25. ACTIVITY AND OUTCOMES
1. Long periods of sedentary activity are associated
with increased risk for dying (from all-causes,
cancer and cardiovascular diseases).
2. Strong likelihood that physical activity alone does
not completely reduce the negative effects from
long sitting time.
3. We should get regular exercise and reduce sitting
time.

26. HOW CAN YOU BE MORE ACTIVE?
 Never sit for more than 15 minutes with moving–
Fidgeting is good!
 Try new movements and games– Try yoga, Pilates, golf,
shuffle board, etc.
 Dedicate 3% of your life to active living– 3% of one day
is only 43 minutes a day!
 Try to take the stairs whenever you can.
 Walk!– Walking costs nothing and even 30 minutes a
day provides heart health benefits.
 Everyday, share a little enthusiasm for active living with
your family, friends, neighbors or coworkers!

27. YOUR ACTIVITY CHALLENGE!
Walk to the subway station down the block or get off
the elevator 2 stops early and take 2 flights of stairs
to your destination. Make small and gradual
changes to reduce your sedentary activity!
Eventually try to add 43 minutes of activity to your
daily schedule and make note of how you feel each
day.

29. ART AND HEALING
Creating
 Experiencing the moment allows you to be in touch
with your authentic self
Sharing
 Baring your soul, emotions, or perspective to others
Receiving
 Contemplating and absorbing the message from
others

30. CREATIVITY AND OUTCOMES
1) Emotion Suppression & Mortality Risk
 Emotion suppression may convey risk for earlier death,
including death from cancer.
2) Cultural Participation & Health
 Fine arts stimulations (films, concerts, art exhibits, singing in
a choir, etc.) improved perceived physical health, social
functioning and vitality.
3) Effects of Creative Arts Therapies on Psychological
Symptoms and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients
 Exposure to creative arts therapies can improve anxiety,
depression and pain symptoms and quality of life among
cancer patients.

31. CREATIVITY AND OUTCOMES
4) Effect of Written Emotional Expression on Immune Function in
Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
37 HIV-positive patients were randomly assigned to 2 writing
conditions: either emotional or neutral topics.
Participants wrote for 4 days, 30 minutes per day.
CD4+ lymphocyte count and HIV viral load were measured at
baseline, 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after writing.
Results: Compared to the neutral topic writing group, HIV-positive
patients in the emotional writing condition had a drop in HIV viral
load and CD4+ lymphocyte counts increased.
Emotional writing participants rated their essays as more personal,
valuable and emotional than those in the neutral group.
Conclusion: Based on self-reports of the value of writing and the
preliminary laboratory findings, the results suggest that emotional
writing may provide benefits of patients with HIV.

32. HOW CAN YOU BE MORE CREATIVE?
 Disobey
 Be a kid again and act silly
 Reframe your perspective both inside and outside
 Diversify your life
 Observe
 Welcome bad ideas and dare to fail
 Imagine
 Pursue your passions and hobbies
 Switch up your way to work! Walk down different streets and
observe new surroundings.
 Change up your daily routine to keep things exciting and new

33. YOUR CREATIVITY CHALLENGE!
At least 4 days of the next week, spend 30 minutes
writing or drawing. You can draw your
surroundings, draw yourself, etc.! You can write
about fact or fiction, about your emotions or about
that day’s events.
Draw or write about whatever you would like, but do
not stop for those 30minutes!

35. EATING WELL Meat
Sweets
Eggs
Poultry
Fish
Cheese & yogurt
Olive oil
Fruits; beans, legumes & nuts;
vegetables
Bread, pasta, rice, other whole grains &
potatoes
Monthly
Weekly
Daily
Daily beverage
recommendations:
-6 glasses of water
-Wine (IN
MODERATION)

36. WHITE OR BROWN GRAINS?
“Many of the molecules that make grains like rice and
wheat nutritious, healthful and sustaining are the
oils, vitamins, and minerals present in the outer
bran and germ layers that surround the mostly
starchy central part of the seed.”
Farmers discovered that in order to store these
staple foods for long period of time, they would
have to refine grains by removing the outer layers,
which completed the transformation of rice and
wheat from “brown” to “white.”

37. WHITE OR BROWN GRAINS?
A cup of brown rice and a cup of white rice have about
the same caloric content. HOWEVER, the brown
rice has 3 to 6 times as much vitamin B, plus other
minerals and nutrients such as vitamin E,
magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

38. SNACKING
Snacking throughout the day is healthy and encouraged! It
helps keep your glycemic load at healthy levels and also
helps with your metabolism.
Try these snack foods:
Fruit
Low-fat yogurt
Cottage cheese
Nuts
Sunflower/ pumpkin seeds
Trail mix
Nutrition bars
Peanut butter

39. NEED FOR GLUCOSE
Your need for glucose increases dramatically twice a
day:
After waking up
When exercising
SO:
Always eat within an hour of waking up
Eat a meal or snack rich in carbohydrates within
two hours before exercising and after exercising

40. HOW CAN YOU EAT BETTER?
 Eat slowly. Stop periodically and assess your
satisfaction
 Eat light and often
 Use smaller plates and thinner glasses
 Don’t multi-task while eating
 Don’t try to restrict certain foods like sweets.
Everything is okay in moderation but trying to get
rid of it all together will most likely lead to a binge
later on.

41. YOUR EATING CHALLENGE!
Keep a daily journal of everything you are eating and
drinking. Make sure to record the time as well. After
a week of recordings, look back at your week and
determine where you can make improvements.
Are you eating every 2-3 hours? Are you eating
breakfast? Are you eating the appropriate portions
of fruits and vegetables each day?

42. HOW TO STAY YOUNG BY GEORGE CARLIN
 Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
 Keep learning. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
 Enjoy the simple things.
 Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
 Tears happen. Endure, grieve, move on. Be ALIVE while you’re
alive.
 Surround yourself with what you love: family, pets, keepsakes,
plants, hobbies, whatever.
 Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the park, to the library, etc.
 Tell the people you love that you love them, at every
opportunity.