Centre for Stress Management

Lifestyle Stress Counselling

Lifestyle is not an amount; it's a practice. Jim Rohn

The Centre for Stress Management executive director and senior psychologist Dr Mark has worked in counselling, coaching, training and consulting for over 40 years in the U.S. and Asia as a clinician, consultant and designed drug rehab centres, guest speaker at schools and businesses internationally, in-house wellness provider to banks-law firms-business, clinical supervisor for psychology master-doctorate degree programs, and research and author of treatment programs with evidence-based science in wellness and well-being. Dr Marks recognize that lifestyle has many physical, cognitive and emotional components that require careful assessment to reduce work-life stress and increase overall wellness (quality of life). Concurrently, we also take a careful look at the lifestyle risk factors that can lead to mental and physical ailments, ensuring our clients can prevent future harm by embracing a healthy lifestyle. Our lifestyle (those patterns and habits if you will) arises from various factors at play: culture, family values, life experiences, education, peer pressure, work-life integration forces, ageing, hobbies, sports, relationships and so many others. Centre for Stress Management strives to bring insight to our clients how our lifestyles with nutrition, sleep, exercise/play, relationships and our mood-thought regulation to life's challenges and opportunities impacts our life and lifestyle.

Being healthy is not a goal or outcome, it is a way of life each day and every night. Dr Mark

Regardless of the presenting issue our client desires to gain greater insight to resolve, sleep and nutrition are two keep lifestyle patterns to assess and improve. With a demanding lifestyle, or for that matter almost any type of lifestyle, sleep tends to be one of the first behaviors many people will pay less attention to, often times seeing sleep as "a luxury" I can have once the work is done. Evidence-based research from noted medical centres and universities, World Health Organization, and clinicians around the world have noted the short and long-term harm that occurs with poor sleep, or more concerningly, a sleep disorder that goes untreated. In short, poor sleep increases the risk factors with our physical and psychological health, to include: hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, anger and poor impulse control, ADHD, diabetes, immune functions and weight gain. Hence, to ensure our clients can optimize their mental and physical abilities to overcome their challenges and or seek new/better opportunities in life, learning how to sleep well enhances one's wellness and increases our chances for flourishing at work and in our personal lives. Dr Mark has developed a 3 stage sleep hygiene program from his training he received at Harvard and University of Michigan - come see us to learn how to sleep better!

The second focus we assess in lifestyle counselling is nutrition, an area that has gained a lot of medical and consumer attention over the years. Many of us are familiar with all the "trendy" diets and various medications, herbs, juices and supplements we have been encouraged to take to "lose weight" and feel better about yourself. Centre for Stress Management's program in nutrition is not about losing weight, it is more about gaining a proper and healthy nutrition pattern that supports a client's lifestyle. Evidence-based research is clear, there are specific types of nutrition groups various age groups must be aware of: infancy, early childhood, childhood, teens, late adolescence, adult, older adult and the elderly. In short, one menu does not fit all ages. Second of all, once we better understand the work-life (or school-life) demands our clients, we then ensure all our clients have a proper physical exam with the appropriately related medical tests to determine what healthcare risks they have, where are the deficiencies in nutrients, and then how to develop a nutrition lifestyle for optimal health. Dr Mark is a registered member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and he works closely with various medical professionals in Hong Kong and Thailand to ensure a thorough and proper wellness assessment has been completed. Along with a proper sleep hygiene model and a nutrition program that fits each client specifically, our client's have a greater chance of healing, restoring and rejuvenating the lifestyles for health and happiness.

Noted below is a very brief overview of the two types of lifestyle and how having a healthy lifestyle with sleep, nutrition, movement, and regulating our thoughts and mood can allow the good life and happy life become a reality:

THE GOOD LIFE (acquiring things): the work we perform whether it is a job, career or calling affords us the opportunity to seek the good life. For some, the good life is buying a new car, replacing the old television, purchasing a watch, buying art, purchasing a rental property. We call the good life "the cart," those possessions you acquire because your craft and your healthy lifestyle allows you to seek satisfaction;

THE HAPPY LIFE (seeking experiences): the happy life is "the horse" that pulls the cart (the good life) through the village called "life." The theory goes if we are mindful of our lifestyle and practice consistent well-being activities we have the physical and psychological energy to seek experiences that brings us joy and also allow us to seek the good life. Seeking experiences in the happy life includes enhancing well-being activities, learning a new craft or hobby, going on a vacation to experience a new culture, develop friendships and intimate relationships, trying a new cuisine, going to a movie or a concert. In short, if the happy life sustains well-being activities and we seek experiences that bring joy, our good life has a greater chance of going from good to better!

Along with the Good Life and the Happy Life, there are three types of ways we construct our lifestyle; Pleasant Life, Engaged Life, and the Meangingful Life. A theory with this construct states that if we have a consistent Pleasant Life (doing good behaviors for a good mood), and the Meaningful Life (giving to others for a sense of joy) a consistent lifestyle, each person then has less stress and negative experiences in the Engaged Life (interacting with others to get a sense of belonging).

Pleasant Life

Pleasant Life is for the "I" or what we often call "me time." We encourage our clients to find five (5) alone time activities to do on a weekly basis. Far too often we sacrifice our Pleasant Life due to the daily demands of the Engaged Life. But if we fail to have a Pleasant Life, we run the risk of fatigue and mood disturbances to name a few negative consequences. The 5 alone activities can range from reading a book, going to the library, journaling, street photography, meditation, going on a walk alone, listening to music or getting a massage. The key here is you are doing the activities alone and on a regular basis. These good behaviors, when practiced on a regular basis, increases the good mood chemicals so you can have less stress and more energy for the Engaged Life. Find your five!

Engaged Life

The Engaged Life is where we spend most of our waking hours, either at work, at home, outdoors with friends, at a university lecture, attending a concert or having dinner with family and friends. We typically "engage" with strangers, acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and intimates on a regular basis that has a direct impact on our overall wellness. And let's not forget the pets, we also engage with them in our Engage Life! We help our clients better understand how to deal with conflict successfully, how to communicate (especially face-to-face conversations) effectively, how to manage our mood and stress levels in relationships, how to practice kindness, and many other life skills to ensure our Engaged Life allows a sense of belonging. If done properly, we can achieve a sense of satisfaction with life.

Meaningful Life

The Meaningful Life allows each of us individually, as a family, as co-workers, or even a neighborhood to come together and give back to the planet. This can include volunteer work at a dog kennel, visiting an elderly care home, donating money to a charity, cleaning a beach, helping an immigrant family relocate to a new home, and others. Having this as part of your lifestyle activates oxytocin and endorphins brain chemicals which rejuvenates our sense of meaning and purpose. Giving to others, a wonderful well-being activity in the Meaningful Life, enhances our empathy and compassion sense that has a direct impact on our mental health. When done on a regular basis, the Meaningful Life produces joy in each and every one of us that allows our Engaged Life to be more harmonious, productive, and healthy.

Quick Facts

Is coffee "good" for one's health?

Coffee is generally seen as either a "wake me up" and or "keep me going" type of beverage. Unless prescribed by a doctor to avoid coffee, for the "wake me up" coffee drinkers, some research shows drinking coffee with your breakfast can reduce the caffeine jitters and give one a boost of energy. For those who want more of an energy kick, wait one hour after you have finished breakfast to drink the cup of java.

Is breakfast still the most important meal of the day for adults?

Our The science varies, but eating a healthy "something" for breakfast is "better than nothing at all." Breakfast is a good time to get for adults to get their calcium and vitamin D that supports our nervous system and endocrine glands. Greek yogurt with berries, breakfast burrito (2 eggs and grains), cottage cheese toast with salmon, or a slice of whole grain bread and avocado makes breakfast a healthy way to get going.

Is snacking at night healthy?

There are many reasons why we feel hungry at night before bed, even after we have had a dinner. The prevailing view is the human body is taking an "inventory" of what nutrients it is missing and this sometimes causes a night time hunger. Eating the right snack at night can actually enhance your body's restoration when you sleep such as bananas with manuka honey, cup of walnuts alone or with yogurt, yogurt with blueberries, or even rice cakes with peanut butter.

Can a proper nutrition plan help me with anxiety and depression?

Food alone cannot stop depression and or remove our anxious and low mood states. But essential amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals can actually improve the body's reaction to psychological and physical healthcare issues. A proper and healthy nutrition lifestyle can increase the very important brain neurotransmitters that help reduce depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges.

What is the Alcohol x 2 lifestyle?

There is currently no medical evidence that alcohol is "good" for mental and physical health. The focus with alcohol for those who do drink is to ensure the alcohol pattern of consumption does not lead to a substance abuse disorder, low mood, weight gain, fatty liver, brain fog and many other alcohol related diseases. First, plan 2 days a week no alcohol consumption a few days. The other 5 days limit the alcohol intake to 2 drinks a day, and no alcohol 2 hours before sleep.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Our client's privacy is a paramount daily activity so that our clients can continue to feel safe, comfortable and engaging in counselling. We adhere to the guidelines and principles with privacy and confidentiality as so stated in the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance of Hong Kong, the professional code of ethics from the British Psychological Society, American Psychiatric Association, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and the American College of Healthcare Executives which Dr Mark is registered with. All relationship counselling sessions are without prejudice, meaning that all counselling sessions cannot be used nor will our psychologist render any opinions for any matrimonial legal matters, including divorce.

We Are Hear To Listen

We can empathize as you consider to take that first important step in restoring your physical and psychological health. All inquires and all information shared are private and confidential, and shall be never released to any third party without your notarized, written consent.

Email to: info@stresshk.com

CENTRE FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT Dr Mark L Gandolfi

Our Fees

Individual: our fees are extremely affordable and we use a sliding fee scale to set a low hourly rate.

Team: we provide a very affordable team-based performance management suite of services for stress and work performance.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): organizations may refer their employees for affordable, confidential and effective services .

Wonderful Thailand

Understanding the culture and the way of life in this very rich and dynamic country of Thailand will help you prepare for a wonderful and rejuvenating experience at our Flourish Asia Resort Spa opening in Thailand in 2023 - 2024.

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