Mind/Body

Racing to the End of the Year

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I woke up this morning with “The Devil Wears Prada” on the brain…and then, I remembered – We are all on a mad dash to the end of the year – filled with hurdles & potholes! As the months roll out, there will be days with multiple events that you will *have* to attend, followed by gifts that you’ll have to get for all the parties that you’ve been invited to, and the relatives that drop by unexpectedly, that seem to stay forever. And the LINES…don’t forget the lines! Buy this, return that, ‘ I thought that I had the right receipt for this purchase’… (Yes, ‘The 12 Pains of Christmas’ is already running in my head.)

Well, Halloween was just yesterday, and I can see it, even if you don’t, and I refuse to stress this season, and I will have a great end of the year, because:

1. I will prioritize what is important, and commit to what I can. It will result in hurt feelings, but you know what? I can’t be everywhere at once and everything to everybody. I overbooked myself this month, trying to please too many people. This will have you curled up in a ball in the corner of the room, with your thumb rooted in your mouth. What will I do? I will try to get the coverage that I can for the events that I can’t make, and will send apologies for my sloppy scheduling.

2. WRITE EVENTS DOWN. I am 42 years old with a bad memory to begin with, and my ego always tells me that I’m going to remember, but the truth will tell you that you forget a majority of what you’re told an hour after it is told to you, so as my Algebra teacher Mr. Keegan would say, “Write it dooowwwn!” If you have a smartphone, set reminders and alarms, make that thing work for YOU! Give Siri a job; you paid how much for her to sit around your phone?

3. Make time for MYSELF! Why is this third on the list? Because if it was first, you wouldn’t read it! Making time yourself should always be a priority, because you can’t be your best self if you are running on fumes. I also make it a point to go to Godiva at least once a month, so I can get some great chocolate! It makes it something to look forward to, and it’s just for me.

4. Make time for FUN in my day! Do you have a Holiday playlist that you have that just makes you smile? I have parody playlist that I LOVE so A) I’m listening to what songs I like, and B) not having to hear radio play the same 10 songs for 2 months straight. It helps me have a sense of humor about everything that happens, and even with some of those relatives….you know who I’m talking about!

5. Take time to be GRATEFUL. Take time this season to appreciate all that you already have, not ‘how am I gonna get this gift from X, Y or Z…’ You’ve been blessed with a great life; it’s time that you see that, too.

Now that you’re ready to start running this race to the end of the year, recognize that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and some of the foolishness you just don’t have to participate in. Have fun – I’m cheering you on! Get on your marks…get SET…GO!

Editor’s note – I want to hear how YOU are going to keep your sanity through the holidays!

Client Empowerment – Ask Those Questions!

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This blog post is in response to a story that aired earlier this year on our local TV Station about a female client that was assaulted during a massage session in a Student Clinic at a local Massage School.

As a Therapist, you want your client be as comfortable as possible on the table, so the client gets the most effective massage possible. New clients who have never had a massage before aren’t the most comfortable, for good reason:

  1. They’ve never experienced it;
  2. They don’t have any idea what’s going to happen, or;
  3. They’ve heard horror stories about bad massage
    sessions, and expect that to happen to them.

Massage Therapy Clients, I want to empower you to ask questions. You should know what to expect so that you are comfortable with your therapy session. Many people just want to get to the session and not talk. If you’re not sure as to what I’m doing, ask me why!  I’ll be more than happy to explain why I’m working on you in the manner that I am, so that you understand why I’m there.

My main concern is that there are certain parts of the session where you are asking yourself, “Why are they doing that? That may be a part of the session. I don’t want to ask; they may think that I’m a prude.”

I have said this before — I don’t charge for questions, so feel free to ask questions when you need clarification about a particular treatment you are undergoing.

If you are feeling that the therapist is talking too much, or you feel that you may need to stop, say something, anything, so that you can understand what’s going on.

I strive to get you as comfortable as possible during the session so that you are able to relax, and have the best massage possible.

What questions do you have about massage? I’d LOVE to know!

Affirmations – The Power of Positive Self Talk

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August 11, 2011

We spend a lot of time running a negative train of thought through our mind through self-deprecating talk. Our thoughts become what we believe – if we think negatively, our actions will fall in line with what we think. If you think that you are going to fail a test, it’s in good likelihood that you will in fact fail that test. If you tell yourself that you will always be broke, your thoughts and actions will fall into line. It’s better to spend your energies thinking positively, so that your actions will fall into line with a better, more positive way of thinking. Affirmations will help with that.

According to Jack Canfield’s book, The Success Principles, Affirmations (Principle 10) have 9 basic characteristics –
1. Start with the words I am.
2. Use the present tense when creating your affirmation.
3. State it in the positive. Affirm what you want, not what you don’t want.
4. Keep it brief, and more importantly, memorable. Rhyming helps!
5. Make it specific.
6. Include an action word ending with ‘-ing’
7. Include at least one dynamic emotion or feeling word.
8. Make affirmations for yourself, not others.
9. Add ‘or something better’.

Example: I am excited to having all my outstanding student bills paid off by July 30, 2013.

I would also add 10. Be realistic. Making an affirmation that you are going to lose 100 pounds, and all the while you’re still eating junk food, the affirmation loses a bit of its’ strength.

Now just saying that these affirmations won’t create change without action. The thoughts are just a start. What affirmations can you create today that can have you change the way you think about how you see yourself?

P.S. Another great book to read is Change the Way You See Yourself, by Hank Wasiak. Both books are good read, not overly heady, and don’t have to be read all at once. A great website to listen to affirmations is www.MyThoughtCoach.com. There are affirmations that are varied in length, and cover a wide vaierty of subjects. You can download them on your favorite mp3 player, or play them on your computer. Check them out, and let me know what you think! Happy Thursday!