How are you doing? New Year, new you?…
Well, that’s a lovely statement and sentiment, but let’s face it – you are still you… so how do you adopt and maintain new habits? HOW CAN YOU SUCEED? Have you made New Year’s resolutions and failed already?
Well don’t worry you can start again… just do it! Besides, if you’ve missed out making or failed on New Year resolutions then celebrate the Celtic festival of Imbolc, on January 31st, signifying renewal, purification, and hope!
Anytime is a good time for change so month’s blog is for you. A little bit of marketing but a whole load of honesty…
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So why has New Year become so important to us for making changes? Well we have ancient traditions seeing this time as a major cultural milestone, like turning a page to a new chapter, and this “clean slate” gives us psychological distance from any past failures giving us hope and aspirations. In addition, because so many people seek self-improvement at this time of year, there is a strong social network of support which fortifies our intentions and galvanises our success.
What is your goal?
I don’t drink heavily but I have enjoyed a few with friends over the festive season… So one of my changes is that I want to do “dry January”.
And what is my “WHY”? My why is because I want to be able to hike the Annapurna Trail in the Himalayas in Nepal in 2027… it’s at a much higher altitude so there will be less oxygen… I’ll need to keep my weight in check and have a healthy liver and lungs.
HOW DO I SET REASONABLE GOALS…
To be honest, as usual, I’ve tried and failed on so many occasions… this one month of expectation is achievable… and beyond that? Well, who knows? I’m human and fallible… but here’s one potential future for me to consider – imagine I stopped drinking completely (or even just had an occasional drink every now and then) then my health will improve and my bank balance will be fuller… And an even more exciting potential is that the money I save will pay for my Nepalese expedition entirely… so here’s another well respected pearl of wisdom…
Simply put, just make a start… just start the journey, don’t focus on the destination. I will simply do dry January and see what I can do from there. That is my start.
Indulge me now … A small bit of marketing… Do you want my help? Acupuncture helps with anxiety and addictions, sports massage and osteopathy reduces stress and resolves injury and issues caused when exercising.
Plus, my K-Laser therapy quickly recovers short-term injuries and long-term ailments making it possible to maintain or return to exercise programmes.
Call for a chat: 07816 303 742
Collaborate With Professionals
Professionally, collaboration between healthcare providers can be very useful to support you to success. Whether accessing NHS support to stop smoking, stop drinking, losing weight, you can achieve contact with or referrals to services (like social prescriptions for “exercise referral schemes”) and these can prove crucial for achieving your goals.
Services can easily be researched online or by chatting with me, or your local surgery, and you will soon find out that you have a large amount of support. For example, whether you seek weight loss via the traditional calorific reduction and exercise route or by weight loss medication, you may find out out that you will be prescribed by your GP to access exercise referrals free of charge or, if you can afford it.
For a successful outcome, there is great benefit in developing partnerships because combining medical expertise with exercise prescription ensures comprehensive safe care to manage addictions and conditions towards improving your quality of life. And here’s another tried and tested pearl of wisdom …
VISUALISATION
It can be very useful to create a notebook, wall poster, or page on your computer / device showing images, inspirational poems or phrases, or inspirational objects of what you wish to achieve… mine shows photos of The Himalayas… and you can add to this psychological tool over the months ahead anytime you have an inspired thought or achieve a minor goal on your thousand mile journey… ! Just focus on the first few steps for now though ! ❤ ️ Keep your goals realistic and achievable !
How Massage Can Help With Weight Loss
So when it comes to achieving your weight loss goals, sports massage does not burn fat or cause weight loss, but it does support weight management by improving circulation and lymphatic drainage, reducing stress, and helping muscles to recover more quickly after exercise. By reducing muscular and psychological stress, massage helps you stay consistent with exercise.
And deep tissue massage can break down fat deposits and redistribute them, improving your skin’s appearance, plus it may ease gastrointestinal issues and improve a person’s metabolism and nutrient absorption.
How Acupuncture Can Help You With Stress And Addiction
Acupuncture with massage can be rather useful for those coping with addictions. Psychological stress can be eased in my clinic’s therapeutic environment, providing support and rewarding an individual for their efforts, and flushing out toxins in their system via lymphatic drainage. There is an acupuncture treatment protocol involving placing fine, sterile needles into specific points on a person’s ears.
“The NADA Protocol is a standardised, auricular (ear) acupuncture treatment used to support recovery from addiction, manage stress, treat trauma (like PTSD), and improve overall mental and physical well-being by calming the central nervous system, reducing cravings, and promoting relaxation.” National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA).
GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!
So there it is, set reasonable goals, make a good start, don’t focus on the destination, visualise your outcome, and link up with others (friends, family, or professionals) who will support you towards success!
The Romans, under Julius Caesar, established January 1 as the start of the year, honouring Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions, whose two faces looked to the past and future – a powerful metaphor for reflection and forward-planning. And that’s why this month is so important, you can make your changes at any time during this month because January is that time of year… (but let’s be honest you make make life changes anytime you want to – anytime can be your time!)
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill
👋 Say goodbye to past habits! 👋 Call for a chat: 07816 303 742