Motivation and Improved Mindset After the New Year

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The “New Year” has come and gone, we are now heading into the second quarter of the year already! You look around and people are no longer talking about their resolutions as much. This year, our team here at Synapse Chiropractic are throwing out the idea of ” New Year Resolutions” and continuing throughout the remainder of the year with new and improved mindset to help continue our goals on a more long-term basis!

People often wonder how people find the motivation to completely change their mindset, routine, etc. past the first month of the year. Here are just few ways we have found that have altered the way we live our lives!

Positive Affirmations: This may seem mundane to some, but saying a positive affirmation in the morning can really make a big difference! There is something about looking at yourself in the
mirror and saying, “Today is going to be a good day!” or whatever phrase it takes for you to improve your mindset as soon as you start your day. These affirmations will be different for everyone, but saying it out loud and saying them throughout the day can make a huge difference. Some people regard this action as prayer, others call it manifestation, and some just call it plain speaking it into existence. Whatever you call it,  positive affirmations are a great way to always keep yourself in a positive mindset, especially on your “off” days.

Celebrating the Small Things: Celebrations are always exciting and shouldn’t just be contained to “big” things. The small things in life that people may think are insignificant or not worth a big
reaction are exactly what I’m talking about. Whether it be that you cleaned the house, got out of bed, or even that you learned how to cook a new meal- those things are exciting! Celebrating those small accomplishments will make life so much more exciting and you will always have something to look forward to as the year goes on. People get so caught up that they aren’t achieving enough, when in reality, everyone’s accomplishments are different. What may be an “easy” task for one person may be the only thing that someone else was able to muster up the energy to do that day. Any amount of progress, even small, is still progress and all of these things are worth celebrating each and every day!

Focus on the Present: This one can sometimes be easier said than done. We can all find ourselves getting caught up thinking about the past and what may or may not happen in the future, but the most important thing is being in the now. Getting through one day at a time and really cherishing each day is crucial to changing the mindset you carry through each day. Focusing on the present will help reduce any stress or anxiety the past or future might present to you. There is a motivation technique that goes along the lines of you can do anything for just one minute. Basically all that is saying is that even the hardest of hard things, you can do for one minute. If you are presented with a task, even if it seems impossible, attempt if for just one minute. Once you begin, the task will seem so much less daunting. This can also be applied to expressing feelings, as well. Let yourself feel the feelings for one minute. Whether that is sadness, frustration, even grief. These emotions are natural and unless you are able to develop healthy coping mechanisms, they can easily take over and dictate your entire day, and then pretty soon, your entire life. So let yourself feel all of those emotions and feelings for one minute. Allow yourself to express that in whatever way you need to, so long as you can regroup and get back to what you were doing once that minute is up. Practicing this can help keep your mind clear and on track with what you need to do that day, while still allowing yourself to be human and feel other emotions than just “happy” all the time.

Getting Adjusted Regularly: This one may seem like an obvious one coming from a blog by a chiropractic office, but it really does help with gaining a positive mindset. Getting adjusted keeps your systems functioning properly, helps keep your mind clear, and makes sure everything is in order from the inside out. Those who get adjusted regularly are going to have the ability to adapt to stress much easier and feel more in tune with themselves on a regular basis. Keeping the body happy and healthy will put you in the best mindset for the year going forward, and frankly, for life.

By: Peyton Reyes and Allison Judd

Healing From Loss

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I find myself in grief again, with the knowing that this will not be the last time I experience loss.  I am also reminded that loss is not just the loss of someone, although that loss may well be the most impactful; it can also be the loss of love, of respect, of connection, understanding, adoration, community, and so on.  With each and any loss there is a process we may find ourselves immersed in.  It may move in different stages, or not.  It may last awhile, or not.  It may ebb and flow, or not.  But one thing I have found with all of the losses that have arrived in my life, is that they have always come with some form of pain.

I have been in the presence of end of life transition many times in my life.  Present at the very moment that the life force energy of an individual, as well as an animal, has left for good.  I have seen the last breath taken, witnessing the exact moment that a living being has left their respective physical form.  I have seen that process be a great struggle, and I have witnessed it as a great gift, and the in between.  I have witnessed this shift, if you will, be comforted by those holding space for the one transitioning, and comfort being provided by those leaving to those who will be left behind.  It is an organic process that has many ways of unfolding and expressing itself.  In my humble experience, there is no one way for this all to come about.

And in this understanding I have equally understood that there is no one way to feel the pain of this either.  For it may come firstly, even before the actually loss has occurred, as a soft knowing of what is to come.  And in that first soft knowing, that may not actually be consciously known, it may then continue as a gentle feeling of tenderness, vulnerability, perhaps growing into an ache, soreness around the heart, a sinking in the gut, a heaviness of the mind.  Then the moment arrives when the actual loss is realized and the breath, feeling as if it has been sucked from your lungs, leaves you with the feeling that you can barely breathe.  Your neck becomes stiff, your back pulls, barely able to hold itself up, your shoulders experience a crushing feeling unable to support the heavy weight of your grief.  It is a complete and utter full body and mind experience.  And then it is over.  They have gone, or the “it” situation has gone, the moment of losing whatever it was you lost has left forever, and you are now left with how to heal.

How to heal; do we even know where to begin?  Do we really understand how to allow ourselves permission to begin the process of knowing what we so desperately need to heal?  Do we honor the Body, Mind connection?  What will we do in this moment?  What have we done for moments like this?  What will we do now?

For me, I will feed myself good food.  I will give my body the care it needs.  I will give my mind the comfort and tenderness it desires.  I will be authentically bold and courageous in doing all of these things.  And in doing so, may I be so humble as to hope, this “doing” will inspire others to do the same.

Chiropractic care helps our body function in the way it is meant to.  It assists in restoring the optimal body mind connection that we are meant to experience for a life well lived.  A life that is capable of supporting all that arises, however challenging.  Getting adjusted will be part of my healing process.  May it be part of yours, if you so find yourself in need of healing, if you so find yourself in a body that has stored grief which may have manifested in pain.  Be well.