by Alyssa Madill, RMT, Reach Health –
Every week I hear patients express that they are overwhelmed by self care, by trying to improve and be better human beings. “Beings” should be the key word here. Our society currently honours “doing” much more than “being.” People are trying to move more, eat better, work better and generally succeed in every way. While this is all seemingly positive, it can be too much of a good thing. Putting pressure on ourselves like this can become very stressful. We now have access to an infinite amount of self help information, and advice from every kind of expert under the sun. This can lead us to the impression that we have to excel at it all, all at once, which is not realistic or healthy!
A piece of advice has helped guide me this year: choose three main things to focus on at any given time. If we have too many goals at once, we risk getting burnt out and not succeeding at any of them. But how do we choose these goals? Well, it depends where you’re at. If you are feeling very out of balance in lifestyle, your goals may be simple: sleep more, eat more whole foods, and move for at least 20 minutes every day. Once the basics of wellness become routine, you will be ready to move on. If you already have a stable base of healthy living, you should have more energy to focus on specific goals that inspire you.
Unsure of where to start? Try using a goal-setting method from Danielle Laporte, author of The Desire Map and White Hot Truth. She suggests asking yourself “How do I want to feel?” and then finding ways of manifesting this. For example: “I want to feel calmer” could translate to a daily meditation practice, or scheduling some appointments with a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner or a Registered Massage Therapist. Or “I want to feel stronger” could mean starting a movement program that is suited to you personally.
RMT’s ask about your current routines for movement and activities of daily living. When deciding which homecare advice to give, it is important that it can realistically fit it into your existing routines. It is also important for it to be valuable homecare, and that you understand why you are doing it and what you can expect as a result. If you already have a thorough wellness routine from another practitioner, we try to support this and ask if you have any questions or concerns.
If you express that your stress levels are high, RMT’s may discuss ways of creating space in your life for stress-reducing activities such as diaphragmatic breathing, yoga, meditation or spending time outside. Or how about painting a picture or going for a float? Wellness should be enjoyable and we should be celebrating these physical bodies.
Massage Therapy is a great way to check in with the physical body, but it can be much more than that. Therapists are mindful of the whole person on their table; we are working with the physical structures, the nervous system and what some may call the spirit. We are providing a space for you to be your authentic, genuine self, and a means to help bring more balance to your life.
