Sunday, January 1, 2012

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year!

I have a very ambitious new year's resolution this year. I want to follow the advice I give my patients.

Sure, there's the usual exercise, eat smaller meals, make sure to have at least a serving of fruits and/or veggies at every meal, etc. Those are obvious and frankly very similar to the resolutions I make (and break) every year.

Sometimes though, I give my patients pretty good advice that has nothing to do with calories in and out.

Give yourself a break. We all can be our own worst critics. It can be difficult to step back and have a bit of perspective. I often ask my patients if their best friend would let anyone talk about them like the way they are describing themselves (I'm too stupid/lazy/fat etc. to do this). We all need to act like our own best friends and support ourselves when we are thinking goofy, awful thoughts about ourselves.

Do what you love. "I hate my job", "I never have time for .... any more". Screw that. Make time. There are 7 days in a week, each with 24 hours, there has to be time to do the things we love to do.

Get the hell out of the house. It's so easy to get bogged down in the mundane triviality of our lives when we are stuck in the middle of it. Forcing ourselves to get out of the house and go to the theatre, lectures, painting classes, the lake front can make life worth living. And can add new categories of things to do that we love.

Dance. It's hard to take things too seriously while dancing. This can be done in the morning while getting dressed, at night at a bar, in the kitchen with the one you love while making a dinner full of veggies.

Let's see how this goes. I may need reminders that it's time to get out of my head and my house and that what I really need is a good dance, but this could make for a very happy new year.

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