Why The Gift Of Health + Self Care Is the Best Gift You Can Give

Dr. Lauren Dulberg DACM, L.Ac

Towards the end of the year and during the holidays we tend to run on overdrive, not just in our own lives but also focusing on our family and friends. Social and family functions ( only COVID safe and distanced gatherings of course) gift buying and giving, and maybe letting some of our healthy eating habits fall to the side lines creating a bit of imbalance entering into the new year.

The holidays may also be a time of grieving for many, reminding us of who may not be celebrating with us or for some echos feelings of loneliness and solitude and in 2020 this has become more than ever. Feeling extra lonely and disconnected from loved ones on the holidays bring out a lot of grief and sadness. This is why we need to focus on the light inside and feed the hearth.

Below are a few ways we can do that.

Take A Walk Outside

Wherever you are in the world, whether it be the city or the woods. Just something as simple as taking a walk and breathing in the air immediately starts affecting your nervous system and boosts endorphins, which ultimately lowers stress and increases your mood.

Start Some Good Habits + Get Into A Routine

Humans are creatures of habit. This is how we are designed. Personally, I notice when I schedule in regular exercise and regular acupuncture treatments or energy healing, massage, yoga - my entire perception changes. Routine is something that takes work. Many times, it’s very hard in the beginning. Setting the alarm for earlier than normal so you can work out or go to yoga class. Making sure you make time for cooking healthy meals. Scheduling in weekly acupuncture, massage, therapy or whatever deeper healing modality calls to you. Drinking enough water everyday. Most of my patients struggle with these things and changing lifestyle to adapt to healthier routines can change your life, always for the better. Once you start a routine, it takes at least 21 days for your body to really get used to it. Don’t give up and just keep going. You will feel like a different version of you!

Cook Your Food

Again another simple sounding idea. Most Americans do not do this on the regular. After living in South America where no Trader Joes exists, nor Seamless or DoorDash, I learned how to cook everything from scratch with nothing but fresh ingredients. I will admit here in the US, I do love the convenience of organic frozen veggies when needed or organic frozen cauliflower rice but try and cook 95% of the food I eat. Home cooked meals are always made with better ingredients and of course the most important of all - Love! They also help your gut health.

In Chinese medicine, cooking is actually a healing act for your gut, while takeout salads and smoothies and colder natured food damage your gut. One of my motto’s is connect with your inner grandmother or great grandmother and channel her recipes or how she may of had oatmeal, eggs or even soup for breakfast instead of a quick shake. Same goes for all the other meals. Also, when we cook our food, we get to pick our own ingredients. Ideally, organic and locally sourced!

Find Yourself A Healing Modality You Can Stick With

Whatever calls you, just go for it. Find what you connect with. Acupuncture is a great one! I might be biased but there is more than 3000 years of proof as to why this medicine is around and as of lately, thousands of medical research studies on why everyone should stick with it for almost everything from mental health to hormones to complementary oncology care, pain management, pediatric issues, autoimmune and the list goes on and on and on. I personally use acupuncture because it helps prevent aging, lowers inflammation, puts me into a meditative state and regenerates cells. I also take Chinese herbs for hormonal balance, mental health balance and to nourish my blood and Qi. Besides that my other modalities I love are energy healing with my husband who practices shamanic energy medicine and I also try and get massages when I can.

The Gift Of Self Care and Health Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving!

The idea is that we really cannot drink from an empty cup, we need to nourish ourselves, feed our spirit, our body and sometimes that takes a team of healers, therapists and health care practitioners. Find your team, they will become your net and support you. When our body, mind and spirt are stronger, life events and stress become something we are more equipped to deal with. Stress happens, this is part of life and we live in a world where there are constant stressful and anxiety inducing events happening all of the time around us. This is why it is so crucial to give yourself the gift of self care and working on your health. It is more valuable than anything else than money can buy.