Women faced unprecedented health and wellness challenges before the pandemic. And now? I don’t even have to say it. Women are feeling the pressure—mentally, physically, spiritually—like never before. But there is not only hope, there is a proven path for women to recapture their lives.
Wasn’t this supposed to be the time for women to step fully into our power and take charge of our own bodies? Weren’t we told to “lean in” and break the glass ceiling? Ladies, if this is our time, why is it so challenging to trust our innate intuition? What must happen for women to recapture their lives and live well?
For starters, we’ve not paid attention to what’s going on in our bodies. Jokes like gaining the Covid-19 during lockdown aren’t a joke. New studies found that the average weight gain for Americans last year was 29 pounds. 29 POUNDS!
Not only will that impact your health (think of the food you’ve eaten to gain that weight, for example), it will affect your mood, add to your stress and compromise your overall wellness. That 29 pounds isn’t just sitting on your waist, it’s weighing on your mind as well.
And that’s just one troubling statistic. There are too many others to list here, but when you also factor in the seismic impact on women’s jobs and their economic security (see the Brookings Institute report here), we know this is a crisis for women.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that at this time we’re also seeing more articles about menopause and the impact on women even questioning our medical treatment, which has long been neglected and completely misunderstood. Menopause symptoms, as I’ll describe later, are very similar to the issues I’ve highlighted above.
Let’s stop letting people tell us what’s going on with our health. Let’s discover the steps we need to take to empower ourselves and recapture our lives.
Restorative treatments help women to recapture their lives
If you’ve been a regular reader of my website you know a few key things about my work:
- I’m a medically trained doctor who has recognized the value of holistic health treatments. I combine Eastern and Western approaches to patient care in a way few others offer.
- The doctor/patient relationship should be defined by relationship, not by a doctor dictating the care. This type of relationship empowers you as your best health advocate.
- Almost three decades of experiencing chronic pain and complex health issues has given me unique insight into the way we can heal in a comprehensive way.
These insights help me to recommend the following five steps for you to reclaim your life at a time when it’s under attack. It’s an empowered path you can start today to reverse the effects of the pandemic, lower your stress, improve your energy, lose the weight!, and yes, even deal with menopause if that applies to you.
Let’s get started!
Five steps to restoring your zest for life
- Step 1: Pause. Psychologist Rollo May had a great quote about human behavior. He wrote, “(Hu)Man is the strangest of all creatures. (S)He is the only one to run faster after (s)he has lost (her) his way.” When we’re on the wrong road we tend to charge ahead with more of the same. It can be, “yeah, I’ll have pizza and beer… I can start my diet on Monday.” Or, continuing to dwell on the problems without crafting new solutions. Women carry things in our hearts. It’s hard to get disconnected enough to come up with new solutions. We must pause. Stop. And intentionally decide that a new path is needed even if you don’t know what is yet. THIS DOCTOR’S ADVICE: Put a pause date in your calendar now. (SOON!) One day where you’ll find time to craft a new plan for your wellness. Without a pause, many women will just keep going and miss the signals to recapture their lives.
- Step 2: Get a Check Up. You’ve got a day coming up in your calendar that says PAUSE. Now what to do with that day? Take inventory. Take a picture of where you are right now in a holistic way. Start to evaluate your health. What type of symptoms are you experiencing? Are you sleeping well? Are you living with pain and ignoring it? Are you struggling with hormonal issues or hot flashes? How is your digestion? Are you eliminating each day? But also don’t stop with only the physical. Journal and recognize how you’re feeling. Do you feel depressed or anxious? Are these old symptoms or new ones? Have they increased in the last year or few months? Book an introductory session with me. I’d love to work with you to uncover the root of these issues.
- Step 3: Craft a Plan. OK, the cliche is true, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Change takes time. Those 29 pounds didn’t occur with one pizza and they won’t come off with one salad. BUT… a plan with milestones and small stages of growth will reverse the course you’ve been on and provide some immediate positive advantages like renewed energy, better mood because you’re putting that energy into positive change and small steps to weight loss. So what type of plan? Here’s one I created for a healthy immunity that can work for this. Do some research online. Target four key areas you want to improve your life and put a plan in motion. Need a new job? Don’t just say… Get a new job. Break it down: Week 1, update resume. Week 2, research jobs and network. Etc. Want to start an exercise routine? Don’t just “go to the gym,” break it down into actionable steps: Walk for 30 minutes a day, four times a week. Be specific to what is ailing you the most. For example, let’s circle back to that menopause problem. Women are talking about it more because they are suffering from it more. As Anthony William pointed out in a blog about this, they are suffering from symptoms we call menopause that are related to many other factors.
- Step 4: Get a Buddy. Change is hard. When women try to recapture their lives, sisterhood can help us stay the course. Don’t wait. Reach out to share your plan with someone you trust. It’s even better if they want to take these steps at the same time as you. The more and more we share this message, the more we inspire women to recapture their lives. The energy of doing this with each other creates community, something we all need right now.
- Step 5: Be the Person You Are Going to be. Every time you get one of those thoughts that take you back down the road away from wellness, confront it with the reality of where you are going now. There are many approaches to positive mental change. Maybe you add meditation in the morning to your routine. Or do a yoga practice with a mantra. Or put positive post-it notes on your bathroom mirror. From the first day you PAUSE to each day in between with all the strong steps, small steps and even missteps, you are on your way to reclaiming your life. Believe and repeat it (even when you don’t believe it!).
You’re an important person with many gifts to share with this world. This year has been hard on women. It’s been hard on you. The time is now for change. Please visit me on Instagram and drop me a note that you’re making this change. I’d love to cheer you on. And of course, visit my website if you’d like to schedule a call with me to help you work up a strong plan to reclaim your life. As a restorative physician, helping people reclaim their life is my mission and purpose in the world.
