Sharing what I know should come more easily to me. I have been practicing chiropractic for a number of years, and adore the profession. Being able to help people heal and achieve new levels of health and well-being on a daily basis is something I feel privileged to be doing. Maybe I too readily assume the general public knows as much as I do about health and human body. Or maybe I find it too hard to carve out time between the kids, work and some “me” time to write. But I do love to write. My friend and I almost wrote a book. I say almost because we got about 50 pages in and then life got in the way. More on that another time. For now, instead of overtly sharing what I know, I’m going to tell you the five best things I do for myself. I may even throw in a “why” for good measure. Without further ado, here they are…in no particular order…
1) Sleep
I love sleep. Not like I want to go to sleep during the day…ever…but at night when the sun is set and day is done I welcome it big-time. I have blackout shades in place in all the rooms where people sleep in my house. We dim the lights for about ½ hour before getting into bed to set the stage. Electronics go off. Peacefulness is the goal. I shoot for 7 to 8 hours each night, and like to be fast asleep by 11pm LATEST. I accomplish this most days. Sometimes I cheat and take a little melatonin. I firmly believe some of us don’t make as much as others. And more and more research is showing the significance of sound, solid sleep, in everything from cellular health to mental stability. I always do my best to get it. Here’s hoping I don’t jinx myself tonight.
2) Get Adjusted
I see my chiropractor every two weeks. Yes, of course, the chiropractor has a chiropractor. At times I have gone once/week, and sometimes it turns into once/month, but every two weeks is my magic number. With that I know my nervous system is functioning well and doing what it should be doing. That’s all chiropractic really is at its core. I don’t care what method is used, or technique employed, the goal is always to remove interference to the nervous system so it- and thus every other bodily system- can function at its best. Of course how well each system can ultimately function is largely dependent upon everything else I do for myself, but if I can keep my nervous system running smoothly, I’m on it.
3) Eat Well
I could write a whole essay on this topic and I wouldn’t even scratch the surface. What I can tell you is what works for me. I eat a salad every day. Usually for lunch, sometimes for dinner, sometimes both. I eat a lot of veggies and fruits, sometimes in smoothie form, organic varieties if I can. I don’t eat gluten. It hasn’t agreed with my for almost 4 years now, at least that’s how long I’ve recognized that it doesn’t agree with me. I eat very, very little dairy. If it sneaks into a dish at a restaurant, I don’t freak out, but you can bet I don’t seek it out. I drink tea. Lots of tea. I also have my one cup of coffee in the morning, but the rest of day it’s herbal tea. I try to eat only grass fed beef, organic free range chicken and cage free eggs. I try to stop eating by 9pm almost every day. If it’s a good day, I stop by 6pm. No matter what, I eat a balanced diet and don’t freak out if I eat “badly” from time-to-time. We are human after all.
4) Exercise
I. Heart. Exercise. So much so, that I have been known to do push-ups in the middle of my kitchen floor when my kids are driving me nuts. Seriously, I run, I lift, I spin, I do yoga. And I love it all. If I don’t exercise, it’s just not as good of a day. I like to sweat, I like to feel my muscles working and my lungs cycling air. I’m not an “adrenaline junkie.” The crazy intensity doesn’t have to be there, but knowing the immeasurable value that comes from making the human body move, and be fit, on top of how it makes me feel, well that’s just irreplaceable.
5) Play
I have two young boys, so you’re probably thinking “Yeah, she goes outside and throws a ball around and that’s cool but I don’t have kids. Or mine are grown. Or I don’t have time to play.” I really think “play” is a state of mind. When I approach a challenging task, I make it game. Maybe it’s a mind game, sure. But if I can play with my kids, and play while I cook and play while I work, why wouldn’t I? And if there’s something in a day I can’t turn into “play,” then I just make sure there’s another time that day where I turn up the music and just dance.
What do you do for your well-being?