I am coming out of Day 3 of lockdown and I have to admit that it feels a little like being on holiday!  I have had time, time to sit on my patio and drink a cup of tea and watch the birds in my garden, time to play cards with my son, throw the Frisbee, watch a movie – all without being concerned that there was something ‘more important, urgent’ that required my attention.  I’ve been following Deepak Chopra’s 21 Days of Abundance meditations and discovering some inner connection, calm and peace. 

Now it is Monday.  The feeling is “I need to get to work.”  For many of you, you are working from home and perhaps have been doing so for a few weeks.  What a shift this has created in regards to our work, our family time, our connection with the outside world.  I am having to reframe what it means to be a Chiropractor (which means ‘done by hand’) in a world where we are physically distancing.  What service can I provide to my patients that would help in this challenging time?

A large part of what we do is ‘education’, I prefer to think of it as stimulating a change in thinking.  We have been brought up with a certain idea that medicine is going to heal us and yet the only healing happens within us.  It is very helpful to have a cast on a broken bone, however the cast does not heal the broken bone, it assists with stabilisation and prevents movement which would disrupt the healing process – you heal the broken bone.  Your innate capacity for healing is charged with this task.

How does this happen?  We have an amazing controlling system – the Nervous System – which communicates with every organ, every tissue, every cell of our body.  When this communication is working effectively we are aware of how the body is functioning and constant changes are being instituted to allow us to adapt to the changes in our environment.  You smell some delicious food being prepared and your brain will send a message to your stomach, “Yummy food is on its way, please start to release the acids and enzymes to aid digestion!”  When the stomach receives this message it happily complies and once the food has moved on it sends a message to the brain that this task is complete, the stomach acids and enzymes stop being released.  This all occurs without our being aware of it until something goes wrong.  When the message doesn’t get through, either not enough stomach acid is released or when the digestion is over and the stomach still produces acid.  This will lead to digestive discomfort or even pain and now we are aware that something is not working the way it should be.  So we can take some kind of medication to make us feel better but this is not getting to the root cause of why we are feeling the digestive discomfort.  There is an interference in our nervous system, something is disrupting the message getting from our brain to our body or the message from the body to the brain.

Stress has been shown to disrupt the nervous system.  It disrupts our body on a physical level, on a biochemical level, on a mental and emotional level and even on a spiritual level.  This can impact on every aspect of our lives and especially now while we are going through such change.  Lockdown can perhaps be an opportunity to look at the stress of our lives so that we can re-evaluate what is important and make changes to manage our stress in a more effective way.  It is important to acknowledge that not all stress is negative.  If it occurs for a short space of time and we recover from the stressful event efficiently our bodies can be strengthened by the stressful event.  However when stress is prolonged, becoming chronic and our bodies don’t recover from it we will begin to suffer symptoms.  This accumulates over time and often is so subtle we don’t notice what has been building under the surface until something pushes us beyond our threshold to cope.

Looking at each area of stress can help us identify problems and come up with solutions to manage our stress responses.  The physical stress is usually the easiest to start with, it is so practical!  My questions here often pertain to our daily physical habits.  How are you moving through your day?  Do you sit in front of the computer?  How are the ergonomics of this work environment?  What position do you sleep in?  Do you give your body support while in these postures and positions?  What forms of exercise do you engage in?  How often do you manage to balance movement with being sedentary?

All of these questions will have personal, individual responses.  Creating awareness in these areas will help you to look for solutions.  Some solutions are fairly general and will suit many people, others need to be more tailored for individual circumstances.  My suggestion is to move more.  When you have been at your desk for more than 45 minutes, take an extension break.  Lift your arms to the sides, sit up straight lifting your gaze to the ceiling.  Feel your spine arching back, opening the chest, enabling you to breathe deeply. Hold this position for up to 30 seconds.  This will create flow within the fluids around the spine and wake up that nervous system so you are more efficient and effective at the work you are trying to complete.  On a daily basis you should move your spine through a full range of movement, bend forwards and backwards, do a side bend in each direction and twist in each direction.  Do this for your lower spine and for your neck.  We have a video tutorial on the website for more information. http://www.fourwayschiro.co.za/videos/spinal-hygiene-video-1-basic-range-of-motion

Biochemical stress requires a careful look at what you are putting into your body and exposing your body to.  The good stuff is going to help support the body in its ability to heal and repair, the bad not so much!  Please consume nutritionally dense wholefoods rather than foods that have been processed and are potentially loaded with additives and preservatives.  Avoid refined sugars.  Be aware of source of your animal protein and how much you are consuming.  Limit alcohol consumption and smoking.  The toxins in our body and in our environment lead to acidity.  Increased acidity leads to inflammation.  Inflammation leads to pain.  To help; drink more good quality water, breathe well to remove carbon dioxide and eat plenty of green leafy vegetables.
The mental and emotional stress area is probably the most difficult to work with.  These stressors are around us all the time and we have to deal with them on a daily basis.  What is important to recognise here is that it is not the stress itself that is so much the problem but rather our personal response to it.  Could we face all the unknown of the future with complete inward restfulness, perfect tranquillity of mind?  If we can approach the stressors of life in this calm relaxed way we are sure to reduce the stress response of our nervous system.  I have found that stopping to breathe is most helpful to create a moment of calm.  If you can, close your eyes and focus on your breath. Not a shallow breath, rather deep and relaxed, feel the tummy rise and fall as you breathe in and out.  Slow your breath down.  Try to do 12 breaths like this and become aware of how your whole system relaxes, your thoughts clear and how you can re-evaluate the stressful situation. Have a look at this video for more info on breathing.  http://www.fourwayschiro.co.za/videos/breathing

Perhaps a short note on how we experience stress on a spiritual level.  This for me is about connection, our connection with ourselves and our connection with those around us.  I see a visual of a vertical axis connecting me with the earth below to my higher self and spiritual world above me and a horizontal axis connecting me to all the people around me.  We each rely on these connections to help us feel whole.  When we are separated and feel isolated this connection is diminished and it affects us right into our physical body, interfering and disrupting with our capacity to heal and repair.  My suggestion is to connect to people that are meaningful in your life, a moment of heart to heart connection is an amazing therapy!  Then find something that is bigger than you to engage with on a regular basis.  Rhythm is very strengthening for the body, the rhythms of our heart beat and breathing can help keep us calm and relaxed.
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Enjoy this time of lockdown.  It is quite an adventure!  There is much that is different and challenging which means that there is an opportunity to change something.  Find your something to change and remember that little steps every day lead to great transformation over time.  So breathe more.  Drink more water.  Move more!

Dear Patients

Though the spread of the Corona Virus is of great concern, it is important to remember that in most cases, patients recover fully and that in majority of cases, the symptoms and effects are no worse than those experienced by someone with who has a cold or “normal” flu.

The best weapon to combat the COVID-19 virus, as with any flu begins with building a strong immune system and maintaining good hygiene practices.

Chiropractic adjustments are imperative in creating homeostasis within the nervous system ensuring optimum parasympathetic functioning to maximise healing and repair.
Research has shown that regular chiropractic adjustments increases the levels of a specific signaling molecule in the body called Interleukin-2 which regulates the activities of white blood cells and enhances the function of the immune system.

Our focus is therefore to strengthen your body to better protect you from all infections including COVID-19.

Having said that we have been monitoring the spread of the virus and would like to assure you that we are following the guidelines and advice provided by the World Health Organisation, the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the Chiropractic Association of South Africa.

As always, we are maintaining a high standard of hygiene within the practice, but in an effort to ensure everyone's continued health, we are implementing further infection control measures and would appreciate your assistance.

• Please could we ask that you sanitise your hands on entering the practice. Be assured that we are all washing and sanitising our hands regularly throughout the day. 
• Please don’t think us rude if we don’t shake your hand. 
• If you, or anyone you have been in contact with, has travelled overseas recently, please let us know when making your appointment. It has been advised that all people who have been travelling or have been in contact with those who have travelled, remain in isolation for 14 days. 
• Surfaces including the beds and equipment are sanitised between patients. 
• To reduce the risk of spreading infection, we have packed away the toys in our waiting area. 
• “The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually.” – https//www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses? To be on the safe side, should you be experiencing any of these symptoms, please contact us to reschedule your appointment. 

A positive outlook and managing feelings of fear and avoiding the misinformation relating to the spread of the virus, will go a long way toward maintaining your good health.

If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to discuss them with us.
We look forward to continuing to assist you to Get your Life Back.
Fourways Chiropractic Team

​The truth of the matter is that it can only be answered comprehensively in a conversation.  I would need to ask a few questions and perhaps in the end you would tell me whether you need to come back!
So why did you come to visit us in the first place?
Some ache or pain is usually the motivating factor for picking up the phone and making the appointment, however this is often driven by a deeper need or issue that is affecting your life.
“I have back pain which is interfering with my ability to play with my grandchildren.”
“I have neck pain and headaches which are making it difficult to concentrate at work.  I am unable to perform at my optimum.”
“I am irritable and distracted which disrupts the rest of the class and my teacher hates me.”
If you just want to get rid of the symptom the adjustment plan is going to be driven by when that symptom leaves.  So if the back pain or neck pain or headaches are gone you would be well justified in feeling that you don’t need to come back.
However, what was causing that symptom in the first place?  How long did it take for you to do something about that symptom?
Now we are in the realm of dealing with the underlying cause.  Perhaps I can ask you to imagine an iceberg, which always makes me think of the Titanic – however I digress!  What is above the surface of the water is a small picture of the entire iceberg, what is below the surface is what sinks the Titanic.  Now if you want to deal with the underlying cause of what has brought you into the practice we have to move away from using the symptom as our measure of how things are going and start looking to the cause of said symptom.
Was there a physical reason for this occurring? Some accident or injury which caused this?  Or a more prolonged repetitive injury, perhaps caused by bad posture, incorrect ergonomics at your desk or a job which needs you to get into challenging positions – a plumber getting under a sink comes to mind!
Was there a biochemical reason for this occurring?  The substances we put into our body can affect how well it heals and repairs.  Good nutrients are essential to build and maintain a strong and healthy body.  We do tend to put in many things which are detrimental to our general health and well-being.  Smoking, drinking, consuming various drugs and medications. The additives and preservatives in processed foods can contribute to this stress on the body.
Was there a mental or emotional reason for this occurring?  The stresses and strains of daily life can eventually lead to physical symptoms.  Our state of mind can certainly affect how we perceive pain so this can be a significant factor contributing to the reason you first made the appointment.
I must now mention the health continuum.  If you imagine a scale with severe illness at one end and optimum health on the other, a point midway would be a place where you are experiencing no symptoms.  Does this mean that you are healthy?  Well it would depend on which way you are travelling along the continuum…
Most often when patients come into the practice, they are in pain and are travelling towards severe illness on the continuum.  With a few adjustments we can turn this around and get the patient out of pain but now we are only midway on the continuum, to continue travelling in the direction of optimum health we have to continue with the changes that we have made.  Doing exercises that will strengthen the body, improving the nutrients we put into our body so that we can heal and changing our mind-set. Now back to the iceberg.  How long did it take to form that iceberg?  How long is it going to take with all the positive changes you have made to clear that iceberg so that you are at optimum health?
Chiropractic adjustments will aid this positive process and we need to remember that every positive action we take bio-accumulates.  Over time we can get better and better.  The bad news is that every negative action we take also bio-accumulates so we need to not only balance the negative actions with positive but in fact do more positive things if we are going to clear that iceberg!
So do you need to come back?  Yes, certainly.  But it depends on your expectations and circumstances.  We will support your decision whatever you choose to do.

 These exercises should be done daily and as consistently as you brush your teeth.  Your spine is the home of the nervous system which controls every function of your body and it needs to be healthy so that you can be healthy.
It is well known that core and postural muscles provide spinal stability. So we need to keep these muscles active and strong.  They say it takes 90 days to develop permanent muscle change.  This means that it is very important that you are consistent with your daily spinal hygiene.
By strengthening the core and postural muscles in both the neck and back we can decrease stress on the spine, therefore, maintaining the health of our nervous system.

How do we do this now?
Starting with the cervical spine perform a resisted isometric exercise:
• Hold your head straight in the best posture you can throughout the exercise.  The amount of pressure, the time held and the repetitions can all be increased as your neck strengthens.
• Place your hands behind your head. Keeping your head still apply pressure with the hands and resist with the head. Hold for 2 – 3 seconds then gently release.  Do up to 5 repetitions.
• Place your hands on either side of your head. Apply pressure and resistance on the right side for 2 – 3 seconds then gently release. Now repeat on the left side for 2 – 3 seconds.
• Place your hands on your forehead. Taking care to keep the correct neck position and without dipping the head forward apply pressure with the hands and resistance with the head.  Hold for 2 – 3 seconds.

For the lumbar spine we will use a physio ball / balance cushion:
• Sitting upright and balanced on the cushion or ball you will do 4 movements.  Bend your spine forwards and back – imagine putting a C shape in your spine, 10 times.
• The second movement is side to side, dropping the left side of your pelvis to the chair and lifting the right side.  The right shoulder will drop a little to the right hip to create the C shape. Now repeat to the other side doing 10 repetitions.
• The third movement is rotation to the left.  Rotate your waist anticlockwise around in circles as if you were using a hula hoop. Do 10 repetitions.
• The forth movement is rotation to the right.  Rotate your waist in a clockwise direction. Do 10 repetitions.
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The balance cushion is also a great tool to use on your office chair if you sit a lot during the day. It will help activate core muscles while you work.

To view a video of Dr Susan showing you exactly how to do these, click on the following link: ​​http://www.fourwayschiro.co.za/videos/spinal-hygiene-video-2-strengthening

Spinal hygiene exercises should be done daily and as consistently as you brush your teeth.  Your spine is the home of the nervous system which controls every function of your body and it needs to be healthy so that you can be healthy.
Full range of motion is very important to your spines health.  If the joints and muscles are not functioning properly they may affect the range of motion.  Reduced range of motion has been associated with arthritis and many other spinal diseases.
The structure of the spine, consisting of vertebrae and discs allows you to bend, turn, twist and stretch.  Your spine is made to MOVE!  So if you want it to be healthy you have to move it.

So HOW do we do this?
Starting with the lumbar spine:
• Bend forward as if you were trying to touch your toes. Round your spine and relax your head and neck. Soften the knees. Do not bounce or force the position. Hold for 5 – 10 seconds. Roll up through the spine slowly leaving your head to come up last.
• Now bend backwards from the standing position while placing your hands on your lower back for support and looking upwards to the ceiling. Hold for 5 – 10 seconds. Again recover slowly.
• Place your hands down at your sides and bend to the left while sliding the left hand towards the left knee. Hold this position for 5 – 10 seconds. (Try to keep facing forward without twisting or rotating the spine).
• Now bend towards the right side, sliding your hand down your leg towards the right knee. Hold for 5 – 10 seconds.
• Place your hands together in front of you holding the wrists as a lever and twist as far as you can to the left pulling on the right wrist. Remember not to bounce to force yourself further.  Hold this position for 5 – 10 seconds.
• Come back to standing straight and twist all the way to the right.  Hold for 5 – 10 seconds.

Now do the cervical spine (Hold each position for 5 – 10 seconds):
• Drop your head forward, relaxed taking the chin to the chest.
• Bend the neck backwards looking up to the ceiling – if this position causes dizziness stop and contact your chiropractor.
• Bend your neck sideways to the left as if you are trying to put your ear on your shoulder. Try not to twist while doing this.
• Bend your neck sideways to the right, trying to put your ear on your shoulder.
• Turn your head to the left as far as you can taking the chin over the left shoulder – again if this causes dizziness contact your chiropractor.
• Repeat the head turning over the right shoulder.

Congratulations! You have now taken your spine through a full range of motion.  This is a great exercise to teach your children so they can grow up practicing proper spinal hygiene.

To see a demonstration of this, go to our videos, or click on this link: ​http://www.fourwayschiro.co.za/videos/spinal-hygiene-video-1-basic-range-of-motion

1. Why is breathing so important? 

To breathe is to bring oxygen into the body (as we inhale) and to eliminate carbon dioxide (waste/toxins) out of the body (as we exhale). 
Every part of your body needs oxygen to survive. 
If we don’t eliminate the carbon dioxide it leads to acidity which places major stress on the body. 
Breathing is controlled by and affects the nervous system. Breathing in stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight) and breathing out stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest/digest/heal). We need these to be in balance for the body to function at its best. 
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2. How should we breathe? 

Place your one hand on your belly button, and the other on your upper chest/shoulder/neck area. 
Breathe in slowly for a count of 5 allowing your belly to expand into your hand that is on the belly button first, without tensing the neck and shoulders. Visualise the diaphragm (which sits under the lungs), moving downwards, drawing the air in. 
Breathe out slowly for a count of 7 allowing your belly button to fall down and the diaphragm to move back up into the lungs, pushing all the air out of the lungs completely. 
Be aware that the heart rate and breathing become synchronous. Feel the relaxation and the calmness and repeat for 12 deep breaths. 

3. When should we do this breathing? 

This focused abdominal breathing should be done every morning before you get up, and every evening before you go to sleep. It should also be done before every meal, as it helps the parasympathetic nervous system to kick in so that you can digest your food. You can also do it when you are in traffic, when you are sitting on the loo, when you are standing in a queue or waiting for a meeting. 
And definitely do it before your adjustment while you are waiting as it helps to get your autonomic nervous system in a coherent state, which makes you more receptive to receiving the best adjustment you can get. 

Click on this link to see a video of this 
​http://www.fourwayschiro.co.za/videos/breathing

More and more we are becoming aware how the choices we make every day are what contribute to our health and wellbeing.  Our choices on a day to day basis are cumulative so if we consistently choose the healthy food option, or regular exercise, over time we become healthier.  The reverse is also true; regular bad food choices lead to a body that is depleted in essential nutrients and over time will not be able to repair and heal the way we expect our bodies to be able to.
​
So here are some areas that can make a huge difference over time with a little attention every day.

1. Practice a Positive Mind-set.  We often have automatic negative thoughts that invade our thinking – notice these thoughts and replace them with something positive.  A moment of gratitude works well!
  
2. Refreshing Sleep.  This is an area that needs more and more attention in our busy, overloaded lives.  Sleep is essential for our body’s repair and healing processes.  Go to bed at the same time and wake at the same time every day. Reduce any expose to screens and blue light for an hour before you are going to sleep.  Make the room as dark as possible.
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3. Move Your Body.  We are all familiar with how important exercise is so make it a priority to get some exercise every day.  Do your spinal hygiene exercises. Standing, bend forward and touch your toes, then come up and bend backwards arching your spine, then come upright and bend sideways in each direction and then rotate looking over each shoulder. Do the same movements with just your head to loosen up your neck.

​4. Posture – Sit Up Straight.  We sit too much and this is causing as many health issues as smoking does. Simply taking your spine into extension – lift your arms to shoulder height, look up to the ceiling and lift your breastbone, will help reverse that forward computer posture. Do this at least once every hour that you are sitting.

5. Nourishing Food. Our food provides the nutrients that our bodies need to heal and repair – so put good quality in so that your body will last well into the future.  A few simple changes can make the world of difference.  Add more vegetables, the wider the variety of colour, taste and texture the better. Drink more good quality water. Avoid additives, preservatives, sugars and processed foods.
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We hope that these tips will make a difference in your life so that you stay healthy and energised for long into the future!
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​We had a very successful talk on Saturday in preparation for doing the 10 Day Metabolic Detox over the next 10 days.  I wanted to give a little summary of what we spoke about which might motivate you to join us doing this detox or perhaps give you some inspiration to join us on the next one!  We recommend that you do an efficient detox at least twice a year because even though our body is always going through a detoxification process it may not be doing it as efficiently as it could for various reasons like nutrient deficiency, stress or genetic factors.
So are you toxic? Do you need to be doing a detox?

The question is no longer if you are toxic but rather how toxic we are.  The CDC has found that most Americans have over 200 toxins in their blood and urine and I’m sure that here in South Africa we are not far behind.
These toxins are all around us in our household cleaning products, our skin care products, the plastics we use, pesticides and other chemicals we spray on our growing food as well as additives we put into our processed food.

Genetics, environmental exposure, diet and lifestyle can affect our ability to excrete these toxins which leads to a build-up of toxins in our body, an increase in the toxic burden.  This is impacting on our quality of health.  The symptoms can be subtle and have probably been building up over months and years.
Low energy levels, chronic fatigue, muscle aches and pains or more severe fibromyalgia. Difficulty concentrating or brain fog is common.  Noticing that you’re more sensitive to certain foods or odours and perfume.  Behavioural changes, irritability and headaches can all indicate a level of toxicity, as can changes in your gastrointestinal function or abdominal pain.
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So the aim of the detox is to normalise the body’s ability to process and excrete toxins while temporarily reducing the toxins coming in.
Detoxification is an energy dependent process that needs calories and nutrition to fuel this process and support the detoxification pathways.  The liver is the main detoxification organ which needs vitamins, minerals and amino acids from protein to work properly. Unfortunately juicing and other fasting programmes can actually deprive your body of essential nutrients needed to support detoxification so while these may good to do for other reasons we prefer this method to detox the body.
The benefits of a good detox are more energy and less fatigue. Improved memory as the brain fog lifts. Less cravings for coffee and sugar to help you get through the day. Less water retention and even a shift in weight as you reduce your levels of inflammation.

How do you get started?
Fill out our questionnaire on your level of toxicity.  This will give you a baseline of how toxic your system is.  Mild toxicity will respond to the 10 day programme but if you have severe levels of toxicity you may want to consider the longer programme.

The programme is broken down into 3 steps:
1. Initial clearing – this is where we eliminate the foods that can be causing toxicity such as processed foods, sugar, red meat, coffee, alcohol.  We suggest starting on a Monday so that when you get to the most intense part of the detox it falls over the weekend when you can rest and support the detoxification process.
2. Metabolic detoxification – here we eat only selected foods, reducing all allergenic foods such as dairy and nuts while increasing our nutritional supplements.  You can eat as much as you need to of the selected foods, we don’t want you to be hungry.
3. Reintroduction – at the end of the detox we start reintroducing the foods that you have eliminated slowly.  Your body is more sensitive and when you put these foods back you may notice a reaction such as bloating, skin changes or changes in your energy levels.  This may indicate that your body has always had a sensitivity to these foods and you would benefit in eliminating them for a longer period.

Here are some tips to improve the success of your detox:
• If you are a huge coffee drinker it would be wise to reduce your coffee intake for a week or two before you start your detox programme and increase your hydration by drinking plenty of purified water.
• Don’t overscoop your nutritional supplement – it is measured to last the whole programme.
• Regular elimination is very important.  The toxins have to get out via our bowel and urine so increase your fibre and drink more water.
• If you weren’t sure yet – please drink plenty of water, this is a detoxification process and we are encouraging the body to flush these toxins out.
• Eat plenty of food from the recommended food list.  Don’t get hungry – your body needs nutrients to efficiently metabolise these toxins.

Do the questionnaire again at the end of the programme and be amazed at how the symptoms have changed in just 10 days.  Again we recommend you do a detox twice a year – so we will see you in September!

For online support www.ClearChangeProgram.com
​

​​DON'T SHELVE THE PLANK

February has the perfect number of days for a 28 day Plank Challenge !!
Planking is a practiced pose and so we start off with an easy 20 seconds and work our way up to holding the position for 240 seconds. You did just do the maths right !  And I hear you  groaning, “ A 4 minute plank, why would I do that to myself ?”
Here's why -
• Straight up efficiency with a smile
Doing the plank exercise improves your posture.  A good posture boosts your mood, increases your productivity and ensures that you are able to breathe more effectively.

• Keep on hopping gym bunny
The plank engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously. It strengthens your shoulders, hamstrings, glutes and core. Increased stability protects you from other workout injuries meaning less days off from your workout schedule.

• Bending becomes a breeze
As your core strength increases, your body is able to move better and
handle every day activities thus reducing lower back pain

• Goodbye creaky joints
Weight-bearing exercise lays down new living bone tissue and increases circulation to the joints.  Strike a plank pose regularly and you have healthier bone density without any jarring impact which can do harm.

Knowing all of that, makes being able to hold a 4 minute plank seem like the best gift February's 28 days could give us. The best part is that you can plank anywhere with no special equipment required.
We are definitely up for the challenge.  Time to dust your plank poses off the shelf,  challenge your friends and family and join us.

Here's how -
Like our Facebook page and join the Plank Challenge event. (Button link to the event)
Watch our “Strike the pose” video for a guide to achieving good plank form (Link to video)
Share your planking pics on our Facebook page each day for the 28 days.

​​Champagne glass in hand, all excited for the coming year, I prompted a conversation about resolutions. A family member's answer was “ The only successful New Year resolution I've ever made, is not to make any”. This was as the countdown to 2019 began, perhaps a little too last minute to change his mind.  It got me thinking about this tradition and why New Year resolutions are so seldom achieved.

So on a new found mission to make my hastily scribbled list a reality, I chatted to more people, I did some reading and I reflected a little on why my previous resolutions haven't stuck. I wanted to share my new found wisdom.

1. Intention is far more important than “musts” and “shoulds” - the immediate tendency with being told to do something, is to rebel even if we told ourselves to. On that note, if your resolution is about meeting someone else's expectation, it does not have your intent behind it and chances are, you will let it go somewhere around February.
By making the resolution more about the intention, we create a sense of direction instead of destination, of moving forward instead of arriving.  This makes every action towards the intention a success.  The key is to believe that you can and replace all negative self talk with positive, kind words.

2. Deprivation and punishment are not motivating.  Make the goal more about what you are gaining than what you may feel you will be “giving up”. It is easier to stick to something when you are visualising the reward instead of avoiding the punishment.

3. Dream BIG !!  Then break it down into segments to avoid the BIG becoming the overwhelming. Create a plan and check in with yourself on a weekly basis. I am going to repeat, be kind to yourself.   Be willing to adjust your environment or circumstances where possible,  to alleviate obstacles and know that moving a few of this weeks tasks to next week is not a big deal.  Remember the BIG DREAM, don't derail it completely because this week didn't work out the way you'd hoped. Follow your intention and move forward. Celebrate EVERY success.

4. The why is far more valuable than the how. The desire creates personal meaning and even when the how aspects get a little tough, the why remains motivating. If your why is because you should or must, read the first one again and reevaluate whether this resolution deserves to be on your list. When you write down the resolution, write down the reason for it too.  Go back to the reason when you feel the resolution coming unstuck.

5. There is a belief that we are “innately perfect and that our job is to come home to that”.  Nothing about your resolutions needs to be more perfect, nothing about your actions towards your goals, needs to be more perfect.  If you wait for every star to align and every T to be crossed, you will likely never start. If you look at what is missing in everything you achieve, you will probably not continue. Celebrate how perfect you are in your imperfection and enjoy the journey.


My original hastily scribbled list now represents a number of ways to leave this year feeling like I have not achieved what I set out to. So, my options were to follow the advice and abandon the concept altogether or take another look and start over.

And so, the fireworks and champagne have come and gone and we are fast approaching that awkward time when it is too late into January to be wishing each other Happy New Year and my list of resolutions has yet to be finalised, but I am more positive about the direction I am taking and less inclined to feel that I have complied with an expected tradition.

If you had decided to abandon yours, perhaps you will reconsider.  Keep them simple, quality over quantity and most of all let each one be meaningful and life enriching for you.

Happy 2019. May all your dreams come true !

​Renee Lee