New Year, time to make a change?

hope you all had a great Christmas and that the New Year started as you had expected. How many of you have made New Year's resolutions? How many of you have already broken them? I'm doing pretty well at the moment. I stopped drinking alcohol on the 28th of December due to the fact of being so fed up with the sight of the stuff after Christmas gatherings, etc. I've set the target of not drinking until Tim and I go away on the 23rd of January, and so far, so good! If you are struggling with self-motivation or reaching any goals you may have set, remember that old habits are die-hard, and unfortunately, there are no quick fixes or shortcuts.

Research has shown that most of us fail to achieve the goals we set ourselves (66-83%). Some studies show that only 10% of people complete what they have planned and set out to do.  It's a funny time of year because it smacks the 'Starting Monday' mentality. 'Starting from Monday, I'll go to the gym every day / stop eating meat/quit smoking / not drink alcohol...' The list continues depending on your vice of choice or area of improvement. But why wait until the Monday that never comes or the start of a new year? I always think that starting on a Monday is the worst time to start, just as January tends to be, too. Changes must be consistent; therefore, they must be an essential part of your life, like lifestyle changes. Be realistic, and they will be more achievable. With the average life expectancy in the UK for men and women at 81, that doesn't allow much opportunity for improvement and self-development if we only have a stab at it at the start of every year. Why do we need to procrastinate regarding our health and well-being? Procrastinating about our health is an attitude that I feel has to change, so don't worry if you've already broken a resolution or haven't stuck to the exercise/diet plan you had in mind because you can start again right now! Commit yourself that you won't wait until things become an issue or a problem but that you'll address them as soon as the cracks appear, and you will be all the better for it, trust me. If I could give one piece of advice to everybody in my practice, then the previous sentence would be it. All too often, I see patients who are reactively acting rather than proactively, and this only leads to unnecessary discomfort and pain.

I had a Japanese friend many years ago who put me onto the ancient Japanese philosophy of 'Kaizen', and it is a philosophy I believe everyone should try to implement; it essentially translates as 'Continual changes for the better' and the thought process behind it is that if you can make a slight improvement of just 1% every day, where will you be in a month? A year? A decade? It all adds up! I'm sure by now you're thinking, 'This is all quite interesting, but what does it have to do with Osteopathy?'Well, in truth, not a great deal, but as I'm committed to your overall well-being and promoting the idea of auditing oneself for the better, as such if there have been any niggles or twinges that you have just been dealing with daily, then don't just let it develop into a problem. Give me a call or come in and see me so we can put a plan together and chalk that concern off your list. There is no time like the present.

All the best for 2020, and I'll catch up with you again soon :)Until then. Sophie x

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