Ask an Expert
|
|
MARCH 2021 TOPIC: Prioritize Self-Care
Dr. Emily Bobson, D.C.
Chiropractor |
OUR EXPERT:
Dr. Emily Bobson, D.C., graduated from Life Chiropractic School in Marietta, Georgia in 2006, and, shortly afterward, opened her first chiropractic practice in Woodstock, NY. She currently provides services in the Hudson Valley Region of New York. Her technique consists of a combination of Diversified, SOT, Activator, Thompson, Webster, Toggle Recoil, Gonstead, Network Spinal Analysis, Cox Flexion Distraction, Kinesiology, Muscle Testing, Sports Medicine and Extremities. She is focused on accommodating her clients’ individual needs. Emily has three children of her own and understands the specific needs of the family. She has a child-friendly office, and parents are encouraged to bring their children and have them checked regularly, so they can enjoy the benefits of a clear nervous system, too. She offers reasonable rates and family discounts. Emily has also been extremely involved in her community, facilitating the opening of an alternative health clinic in Kingston, NY and volunteering her time for years in order to educate and inform the public about the availability of diverse and non-invasive healing options. Please note: If you are interested in follow-up, short conversations via Facebook Live concerning this topic, please write to us and you'll be notified about dates/times. |
"My problem is sustained motivation. I develop a schedule for working out. I start off fine, and then one to two weeks in, I lose my motivation. My will to continue fades, and other priorities get in the way. Any advice on how to stay motivated?" ~ Kristen (AZ)
Hi Kristen,
Sustained motivation is a common issue for many of us. One of the things I am most interested in and have dedicated my life to is how to help people make changes physically. I have noticed that consistency is the key to everything if you want to make any permanent change. But you already know that because you are asking how to maintain the changes you want to make.
The studies show that the only way to make any habit stick is to tough it out through the resistance phase. You have made a commitment to yourself, and every time you keep that commitment to yourself, that commitment will grow stronger, and it will become easier and easier the more you overcome your resistance to it.
In the past, research showed that it took 30 days to make a habit stick, but the latest studies are showing that it is closer to 70 to 90 days. This is called neuroplasticity – in short, how well the brain learns, grows and makes new grooves. The grooves are pathways that enable the brain to follow a pattern the same way. Some of these patterns are good and enable you to be consistent in doing your daily activities without having to do hard work or learning how to do it every time. It becomes second nature. Some of these patterns are destructive, and you have to almost muscle your way through changing that pattern to stop doing them. Remember that anything worth shifting is a process of making a new groove or pathway. Inevitably, if you push through that resistance over and over, it will get easier.
One of the things I ask myself and anyone who is in my practice working on this is, ‘what is your why?’ If you have a true connection to your ‘why,’ it will act as an anchor for you when you do start to waiver on your daily practice. It needs to be something good that lights you up. I find if it is derived from your priorities, such as being able to keep up with your children or being more productive in your career, it makes a huge difference in keeping motivated when you start to lose momentum.
Another thing to consider: Are you doing workouts that make you happy? You might want to try things that you enjoy more or inspire you to reframe how you think about what you do. This is a good way to keep you engaged and inspired and can really make a hard workout turn into an enjoyable retreat. Remember, we all have challenges surrounding commitments to ourselves in being better. The gold is in not how many times we get knocked down, but in how many times we get back up.
"Do you have any recommendations for daily supplements/vitamins? I often eat on the run. I'm wondering if there is anything holistic that I can take to supplement my not-so-great diet." ~ Donna (NC)
Hi Donna,
In my experience, both in my practice and personally, I have found that there is no substitute for learning how to take the time to feed and take care of yourself. I struggle with self-care also, and the time it takes to invest in me, but when I do, I am always happily surprised at how much it gives me back.
That being said it is always a work in progress and, inevitably, you will have days, weeks or months when you just need a plan B.
WATER: This is huge in making everything easier for your body to do what it needs to do. If you make hydration a priority you would be shocked at how much better you will function. It is one of the first things I tell all my patients because it is literally life-changing when you are hydrated. That does not mean you have to drink your weight in water. Keep it simple by starting with 32 ounces and working up to 64 ounces daily.
AIR: We talked about this in my last interview with Sanctuary. I can't say enough about how powerful breath can be. We are oxygen starved most of the time because we are literally panting most of the time not even realizing that our short quick breaths never get past our diaphragm and down into our lungs. This ignites a whole cascade of stress hormones throughout our bodies that sets us up for fight or flight. Next comes the inflammation and, after that, chronic disease. YouTube has great resources on how to breathe. It will shift everything for you.
SUN: Spend 20 minutes outside on a daily basis - walking and, if you can’t, vitamin D with K2. Vitamin D is considered essential to so many bodily functions. Ask for vitamin D and B tests when you get your bloodwork done to see if you have deficiencies. And, if you are going to the health food store, ask for the best form of vitamin D and B available. I tell my patients to ask their physician if he/she will prescribe a loading dose if there is a deficiency. Otherwise, take 5,000 IU/day to maintain. For B, I like a multivitamin that is sublingual because it is better utilized if it is taken and absorbed through the mouth.
As for eating on the run, you can get a good head start on the day by going green, either by investing in a juicer or a good blender. Then, find a green shake mix or frozen green mix that you can mix up quickly. There are so many options depending on your likes and dislikes. My two favorites:
Be sure to have this every day, no matter what. You’ll have had one good meal replacement each day. After a few weeks, you might find you’ll be inspired and motivated to take it further by starting to schedule planned meals.
You will see the benefits of taking the extra steps to take care of you. Start with one thing and build in as you go. You would be surprised at how easy it becomes as you get better at 'being better!'
One of the most asked questions in my practice is ‘why didn’t my doctor tell me to go to a chiropractor for this?’
So many people are surprised that they were not told there is a solution to the cause of most musculoskeletal and neuromuscular issues, such as an aching back, neck or knee, besides prescribed exercises from a PT, anti-inflammatory medications or - even worse - opioids. If something is out of alignment like in your spine, leg, wrist or knee, chiropractors are trained to be able to locate and correct that misalignment so you can function at your best without drugs or surgery.
Unfortunately, most medical doctors were not trained in preventative approaches to pain or physical dysfunction like chiropractors. Medical doctors are trained and educated in emergency medicine to save your life if you have cancer or break a bone. Chiropractors specialize in correcting the cause of most chronic pain and dysfunction.
Chiropractic is a corrective modality for a permanent change when getting regular care. Sometimes getting an adjustment can make you feel sore or worse at first, yet it is safer and more corrective than taking an aspirin. Chiropractic care should be the first option for care; unfortunately, it is usually the last resort and because of that can take some time to help a disease process reverse itself.
I tell most of my clients that it takes time to get sick, and it takes time to get well. When a person comes in we do a full exam to rule out any issues that might be better served by emergency medicine with an M.D. If everything checks out, and a client is a good candidate for corrective care, we come up with a care plan that gets her back in the game and keeps her that way. If you haven't been to a chiropractor, or you would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to connect with me, I would love to be your chiropractor or lead you to someone who would be a good fit.
Hi Kristen,
Sustained motivation is a common issue for many of us. One of the things I am most interested in and have dedicated my life to is how to help people make changes physically. I have noticed that consistency is the key to everything if you want to make any permanent change. But you already know that because you are asking how to maintain the changes you want to make.
The studies show that the only way to make any habit stick is to tough it out through the resistance phase. You have made a commitment to yourself, and every time you keep that commitment to yourself, that commitment will grow stronger, and it will become easier and easier the more you overcome your resistance to it.
In the past, research showed that it took 30 days to make a habit stick, but the latest studies are showing that it is closer to 70 to 90 days. This is called neuroplasticity – in short, how well the brain learns, grows and makes new grooves. The grooves are pathways that enable the brain to follow a pattern the same way. Some of these patterns are good and enable you to be consistent in doing your daily activities without having to do hard work or learning how to do it every time. It becomes second nature. Some of these patterns are destructive, and you have to almost muscle your way through changing that pattern to stop doing them. Remember that anything worth shifting is a process of making a new groove or pathway. Inevitably, if you push through that resistance over and over, it will get easier.
One of the things I ask myself and anyone who is in my practice working on this is, ‘what is your why?’ If you have a true connection to your ‘why,’ it will act as an anchor for you when you do start to waiver on your daily practice. It needs to be something good that lights you up. I find if it is derived from your priorities, such as being able to keep up with your children or being more productive in your career, it makes a huge difference in keeping motivated when you start to lose momentum.
Another thing to consider: Are you doing workouts that make you happy? You might want to try things that you enjoy more or inspire you to reframe how you think about what you do. This is a good way to keep you engaged and inspired and can really make a hard workout turn into an enjoyable retreat. Remember, we all have challenges surrounding commitments to ourselves in being better. The gold is in not how many times we get knocked down, but in how many times we get back up.
"Do you have any recommendations for daily supplements/vitamins? I often eat on the run. I'm wondering if there is anything holistic that I can take to supplement my not-so-great diet." ~ Donna (NC)
Hi Donna,
In my experience, both in my practice and personally, I have found that there is no substitute for learning how to take the time to feed and take care of yourself. I struggle with self-care also, and the time it takes to invest in me, but when I do, I am always happily surprised at how much it gives me back.
That being said it is always a work in progress and, inevitably, you will have days, weeks or months when you just need a plan B.
WATER: This is huge in making everything easier for your body to do what it needs to do. If you make hydration a priority you would be shocked at how much better you will function. It is one of the first things I tell all my patients because it is literally life-changing when you are hydrated. That does not mean you have to drink your weight in water. Keep it simple by starting with 32 ounces and working up to 64 ounces daily.
AIR: We talked about this in my last interview with Sanctuary. I can't say enough about how powerful breath can be. We are oxygen starved most of the time because we are literally panting most of the time not even realizing that our short quick breaths never get past our diaphragm and down into our lungs. This ignites a whole cascade of stress hormones throughout our bodies that sets us up for fight or flight. Next comes the inflammation and, after that, chronic disease. YouTube has great resources on how to breathe. It will shift everything for you.
SUN: Spend 20 minutes outside on a daily basis - walking and, if you can’t, vitamin D with K2. Vitamin D is considered essential to so many bodily functions. Ask for vitamin D and B tests when you get your bloodwork done to see if you have deficiencies. And, if you are going to the health food store, ask for the best form of vitamin D and B available. I tell my patients to ask their physician if he/she will prescribe a loading dose if there is a deficiency. Otherwise, take 5,000 IU/day to maintain. For B, I like a multivitamin that is sublingual because it is better utilized if it is taken and absorbed through the mouth.
As for eating on the run, you can get a good head start on the day by going green, either by investing in a juicer or a good blender. Then, find a green shake mix or frozen green mix that you can mix up quickly. There are so many options depending on your likes and dislikes. My two favorites:
- Juiced celery made ahead of time and stored in little mason jars that I can grab and go.
- Frozen blueberry and kale with a scoop of protein mixed up in a blender.
Be sure to have this every day, no matter what. You’ll have had one good meal replacement each day. After a few weeks, you might find you’ll be inspired and motivated to take it further by starting to schedule planned meals.
You will see the benefits of taking the extra steps to take care of you. Start with one thing and build in as you go. You would be surprised at how easy it becomes as you get better at 'being better!'
One of the most asked questions in my practice is ‘why didn’t my doctor tell me to go to a chiropractor for this?’
So many people are surprised that they were not told there is a solution to the cause of most musculoskeletal and neuromuscular issues, such as an aching back, neck or knee, besides prescribed exercises from a PT, anti-inflammatory medications or - even worse - opioids. If something is out of alignment like in your spine, leg, wrist or knee, chiropractors are trained to be able to locate and correct that misalignment so you can function at your best without drugs or surgery.
Unfortunately, most medical doctors were not trained in preventative approaches to pain or physical dysfunction like chiropractors. Medical doctors are trained and educated in emergency medicine to save your life if you have cancer or break a bone. Chiropractors specialize in correcting the cause of most chronic pain and dysfunction.
Chiropractic is a corrective modality for a permanent change when getting regular care. Sometimes getting an adjustment can make you feel sore or worse at first, yet it is safer and more corrective than taking an aspirin. Chiropractic care should be the first option for care; unfortunately, it is usually the last resort and because of that can take some time to help a disease process reverse itself.
I tell most of my clients that it takes time to get sick, and it takes time to get well. When a person comes in we do a full exam to rule out any issues that might be better served by emergency medicine with an M.D. If everything checks out, and a client is a good candidate for corrective care, we come up with a care plan that gets her back in the game and keeps her that way. If you haven't been to a chiropractor, or you would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to connect with me, I would love to be your chiropractor or lead you to someone who would be a good fit.
