Let’s face it, most New Year’s Resolutions don’t last through the month of January. How do we make lasting change that really improves our lives? How do we make changes that don’t seem overwhelming in the long run? I’ve always said that doing a Whole 30 for 30 days out of the year once or twice a year does not make you healthy. Kind of like going to the gym for an hour per day and then sitting the rest of the day does not negate the negative effects of inactivity. So, how do we make “resolutions” that stay with us?
First, I like to call it a reset. Resolutions get a bad rap because most people make them and break them. So, let’s call this a January reset. The New Year is a good time to take inventory of the areas of your life that you want to improve upon.
For instance, Dr. Mandy overdid it in December. I am a Type A person myself and said yes to too many holiday parties while working too much and going to the gym every morning by 5am no matter what time I went to bed the night before. That all lasted until the week before Christmas when I had run myself down and caught the flu virus. Now, I’ve gotten sick this time of year…usually it takes me out for a day or two and I’ve got an arsenal of herbal remedies that help support my body and get me back on track.
Well, I had run myself down so much that I didn’t bounce back quickly at all. For almost two weeks, I was in bed with a fever. This forced me to take inventory of my lifestyle and realize that I can’t do it EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME!!!! I had to prioritize and so my January reset looks like this…
- More sleep – I will not sacrifice sleep – sleep is the number one restorative thing you can do for your body. I have tried all the supplements and dietary changes and working out and changed my workout routine, but sleep is where it’s at…and it’s so easy, when given the choice, DO NOT SKIMP ON SLEEP!!!!
- Getting adjusted regularly. I always tell my practice members, your wellness/maintenance care schedule depends upon your lifestyle. If you continue to do the things that cause your nervous system to get out of whack, then you will need to be adjusted more frequently. If I am going to work out hard and have a very physical job, then I need to get adjusted weekly. During this illness, the adjustments have kept my nervous system functioning optimally so I can fight this off.
- Eating – I’ve got to stop skipping breakfast and add some protein into my day. Like clockwork, if I skip breakfast because I’m running out the door to work after my workout, then eat a crappy lunch because I didn’t prepare in advance, I will come home starving, overeat dinner, and go to bed with a stomachache. I do some meal prep on Sundays (even if that’s hard boiling a bunch of eggs so I can grab some protein in the morning and prep lunches).
- Finally – I will take one day off from work per week, no matter what. If something doesn’t inspire me, I’m not doing it on Sundays. Especially if you own your own business, you need to set boundaries around your work (but even you corporate employees need to do this because with the all the technology today we can work from anywhere at any time).
No one else is going to take care of you, so while you are busy taking care of everyone else, take some time to evaluate how you can reset in 2019. Make some lasting resets that will help improve the quality of your life. If you are interested in improving the QUALITY of your life, contact Dr. Mandy today…her passion is helping Type A women and their families to thrive!!!!
