Get Back On Track

Getting back on track with your health

Sleeping in late, having the kids home, treating yourself to ice cream

(and lemonade, and pies, etc.), taking a break from the usual exercise routine…

oh, the joys of summer!

But with that can sometimes come an extra pound or two, a bit of stress, and an overall sense of not feeling yourself by the time kids go back to school and the summer starts to slowly wind down.

So how can you get back to yourself?

Mindful care of your physical, mental, and spiritual health can all bring grounding when it’s time to transition into a healthy routine again.

Here are 5 steps to get you headed in the right direction:

1. Forgive yourself.

Unhealthy choices are ripe for guilt and shame but there is no room for that when needing to get back on track.

Instead, simply acknowledge that you are ready for healthy change and that each day gives you the opportunity to work towards that. Don’t be hard on yourself if each day isn’t “perfect” – be kind to your human self!

2. Detox what isn’t serving you.

When things seem out of whack it can be the perfect time to reassess and adjust what isn’t serving you at the moment.

Such things as:

• negativity and judgement of self and others
• distance from spirituality/connection
• sugary and processed foods
• alcoholic drinks
• lack of movement
• an overly committed schedule/busyness
• a chronic health issue that hasn’t been addressed
• dysfunctional relationships
• excess of things (such as items not used anymore)
• a chaotic and/or cluttered house

can all contribute to imbalance so think about what is clogging your body, mind, and spirit and how you can positively modify or detox it.

3. Prioritize.

Finding balance can seem overwhelming – where do you even start?

It can all come down to prioritizing.

A tool to help with this is the Eisenhower Priority Matrix.

This simple template can be an eye-opener into:

• what the most important tasks in your life are (the must-do’s everyday)
• what can be scheduled for certain days of the week instead of all the time
• responsibilities that can be delegated, and
• things that can be deleted altogether.

Click here to read how to draw out your own.

4. Start small.

We say it a lot, but for realistic and lasting change, we like to start small.

Now for some, making big goals and diving in all at once is easy – but for many others, little modifications over time are more practical.

Start as simple as one choosing just one change for a week or two and add in more when feasible.  Some examples are:

• eating at least 1-2 fruit and/or vegetables at every meal
• scheduling 15-60 minutes of quiet time each day
• engaging in conversation during dinner
• going for a walk when you first wake up or after breakfast, lunch, or dinner
• drinking 1-2 extra glasses of healthy liquids each day such as water, sparkling water, tea, fresh-squeezed juice, or kombucha
• choosing one self-care act per day such as taking an epsom salt bath, sitting in nature, enjoying a favorite hobby, meditation, listening to relaxing music, journaling, etc.

 5. Nurture yourself.

Recently, we read The Self-Care Cookbook: Easy Healing Plant-Based Recipes by Gemma Ogston  and were enthralled with her ode to coziness.

Yes, coziness.

Just reading about it put us in a feel-good mood!

And it is this feeling that we strive to cultivate in daily life in order to nurture our mental, physical, and spiritual health for overall wellbeing.

Some of the ways we like to foster coziness are:

• snuggling up in a warm, soft blanket
• enjoying a cup of herbal tea or latte
• cuddling with our spouse, children, and/or pets
• reading a book in a favorite spot of the home
• enjoying healthy and nutrient-based comfort food
• changing into soft, comfortable, loose fitting and/or stretchy clothes
• turning off electronics, closing our eyes, and taking in the silence

Are you ready to find your balance again?

As much as we love taking a break from our routines, it can be nice to get back to a healthy lifestyle if we’ve strayed too far.

For naturopathic help in finding balance (whether through such things as better sleep, less pain, managed stress, healthy digestion, and harmonious hormones), please call us at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves to see how the CNMA office may be able to help you get back on track.

The CNMA office provides naturopathic care, acupuncture, testing, massage, and holistic counseling to those in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, and the greater Denver metro area.  For those outside of these areas, virtual appointments are available

*CNMA does not endorse any product, book, or third party entity.