July 2011 – Steps to Reclaim Your Health

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

Fireworks As we celebrate our Independence I encourage you to take a closer look at what you are “dependent” on.

Do you use certain foods to sooth you?  Do you plop down in front of the TV to ease your end-of-the-day STRESS?  Do you “need” drugs to help you go to sleep, manage your stress and mood?  Do you ever leave your comfort zone socially, professionally or financially?

There is no time like the present to claim your INDEPENDENCE mentally, physically, spiritually, socially, emotionally, financially, professionally and in your relationships.

“You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action. “
            – Anthony Robbins –

How can you “win” you independence?

Steps to Reclaiming Your Independence

1.   You must be motivated to change.
              a.   Create a written list of the reasons you want to make change
– The reasons must be meaningful and motivating to you
b.   Involve others so they may support and encourage you
c.   Reward yourself along the way for your successful efforts

“Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life.”
 —Herbert Otto                                                                                                                         

“We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are”.
– Max De Pree                                                                                                                            

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
–     Lao Tzu                                                                                                                                

2.   Determine what you want to change

The following is a wonderful tool for determining which aspects of your life are “out-of-balance” and require attention:

a.   Make a list of the different aspects of your life i.e.

 i.    Health

1.   Nerve System Health
2.   Diet
3.   Supplementation
4.   Exercise
5.   Restorative Rest
6.   Stress Management

                                ii.    Relationships

1.   with Self
2.   Spouse
3.   Children
4.   Family
5.   Friends
6.   Work

                               iii.    Professional/Business

 iv.    Financial

1.   Current Lifestyle
2.   Retirement
3.   College Planning

                               v.    Spiritual

Create as many categories and sub-categories as you can and don’t be afraid to go back and add more as you need.

b.   Rate each category on a scale of 0-5 how satisfied you are with it (0 = Completely Unsatisfied and 5 = Completely Satisfied) (Start with categories that have sub-categories i.e. Health above)

                                 i.    Health

1.   Nerve System Health                4
2.   Diet                                              2
3.   Supplementation                      3
4.   Exercise                                      3
5.   Restorative Rest                        5
6.   Stress Management Tools       2

 c.   Like on a bicycle wheel, each category will be a spoke.  Draw a circle then draw a spoke out from the center representing the 0-5 rating for each item.

d.   Connect the ends to see how full and balanced the sub-categories are.  Does it overlap the surrounding circle or is it out of balance?

Chart 1

Example Assessment:
Areas to spend more time working on: Diet, Stress Management
Areas that do not need as much extra attention: Rest & Nerve System

e. Repeat this exercise for the main categories of your life

Chart 2

 Now you can see which areas of your life need the most work and then you can refer to the sub-category mapping to see what you are going to work on in those categories.

3.   Have a plan – The above mapping technique should provide you with a solid foundation on what you need to work on and where to start.  Now, create a plan to make change

4.   Evaluate your progress – Set goals for each area of change and monitor

5.   Make course corrections as needed

Tune In, Turn On, Accept Responsibility and Take Control!

 Our expertise will improve your family’s Quality of Life!

Call Stern Chiropractic to schedule your family’s health evaluation

TODAY!

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