Dr. Kirsten Shepard Ahmed
With every new year, it’s essential to look back as well as forward to help us strive towards becoming the best version of ourselves, whether that means being healthier, exercising more, connecting with our spiritual side, or perhaps just being in the moment more. Taking stock in what’s important to you and setting goals that align to help you live the life you’ve been dreaming of may sound simple, but it’s not always so cut and dry.
In order to work towards a more balanced state of physical and mental wellbeing, it’s important to take a holistic approach to your health and wellness goals, factoring in mind, body, and spirit.
Just think, if you devote all of your time and energy to connecting with your emotional self, for example, but then forget about your ambitions to spend more time with family or focus on healthy eating, you will fall short in ensuring balance and overall happiness. In the end, we are complex beings with complex needs.
As a Licensed Massage Therapist and Doctor of Chiropractic, I am both an advocate for whole-body health and the use of natural remedies. Just as I use integrated approaches to care for my patients, I believe in thinking about health holistically. To help achieve this state of balance, here are 8 critical tips:
1. Financial Health – Now is the perfect time to focus on getting your finances in order, to identify where you need stricter budgeting and where there’s room to splurge on something that’s important to you. Financial stress, after all, plays a huge part in your mental wellbeing
2. Boundaries & Limits – Be aware of situations or conversations that make you uncomfortable and remove yourself from them if that’s what you need. The same goes for physical limits — be comfortable pushing yourself but also stepping back
3. Emotional Health – Pay attention to your emotional health by recognizing moments of distress and use coping mechanisms like deep breathing, yoga, or meditation when needed
4. Self Care – Gift yourself with self-love and use natural ingredients and scents to help with relaxation and rejuvenation. Did you know that a bubble bath with essential oils like lavender, chamomile, eucalyptus, and those infused with CBD can help with stress?
5. Nutrition – Staying on track with foods that are rich in antioxidants like fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, carbohydrates, and whole grains will help your body feel its best
6. Sleep & Water – Sleep and water are more important than exercising and eating right. If you don’t get between 7-8 hours of sleep a night and drink 64 oz of water a day, your body is in a state of distress, so make these two a priority!
7. Screen Time – Time watching television, scrolling through social media, or working on the computer can put mental and physical strain on your body. It can also increase anxiety and depression. Consider adding non-screen-time activities to your routine such as reading a book or taking a walk to experience nature Put YOU First – Lastly and most importantly, don’t let other people’s judgments or society’s stigmas get in the way of
getting your mind or body where you need it to be. As the founder of a Cannabis company, I’ve managed many judgemental questions and push-back, but I continue to do what I believe in. Trusting your gut and making decisions that you feel are best for you will always be the best approach.
Taking control of your life is possible, especially with key focus areas to make goal-setting more digestible. By utilizing the above tips to guide your habits and actions, achieving balance and whole-body health can become your reality.
