So here we are in a New Year and probably making resolutions for it. We promise ourselves to eat less, exercise more, reduce stress and the list goes on. What has your success been with resolutions in the past? For me, not so good in the past until I realized that setting goals, taking small steps to achieve them and partnering with someone else to share the process was more effective for me. When I have set myself up with a long list of resolutions, I was defeated before I started because the list was too long and took too much time. Failure Failure Failure…was my result.
Adding to this thought were two minor but interesting conversations I had this week. The first was with a person that I asked to share my practice with people he knew. His response was, “I would love to help you be successful. Please send me a description of what you do.” Honoring his request, I sent him an email explaining my practice. He responded with, “I don’t know how to bring this up in conversation?” I was stunned! This is an educated man and he doesn’t know how to talk about wellness or self-care? Really? WOW! The second story is a brief, unassuming statement from a client while on my massage table. The session was almost finished and her stomach growled, to which the client apologized. I told her, “No, worries that is a normal relaxation response. As a massage therapist, I take that as a complement.” Then I went on to explain the simple, but complex, parasympathetic nervous system and the idea of “rest and digest.”
So what is the best way to create resolutions or goals that will last? How do these two brief stories illustrate the solution? I say simply as I hear every time I travel. You must put the oxygen mask on yourself before assisting someone else. So too is it with self-care and wellness, we have to take care of ourselves or “our SELFS” before we minister, assist or engage with others. We can do our jobs better, be more present in relationships AND be healthier role models if we do a little self-care on a regular basis.
What are some of the ways to self-care? We can use the words that invoke a stress response and make some feel punished, such as diet and exercise! Or we can look at how we eat and what we eat as a way to take care of ourselves. We can look at how we move and moving more as a way to reduce stress and improve our health. Getting a massage a month is a wonderful way to ignite the parasympathetic response and gift yourself with self-care. Partner with someone else to share your struggles and successes with. Find a wellness coach, a walking buddy; plan a dinner group that is focused on good healthy cooking!
In closing, I would like to invite you to think about how you would talk about wellness and self-care? Take care of yourself, your body and your health as if your life depends on it…because it does! Stress is the number 1 cause of many health related issues, obesity and mental health concerns. We will talk more about STRESS in next month’s blog. Until then, I wish you blessings and peace for the New Year. I also wish you much success in setting and attaining your wellness goals!
