The Best Intentions…

As I write this, it is currently New Years Eve. I’ve never really been one for resolutions. However, I do believe that the intensions and energy that you put into something can make all the difference. For me, my intension for 2022 is going to be to persevere. 2021 was full of fantastic challenges and great rewards. My husband and i went through a stressful house building process, but we were able to move in the beginning of November. We’re now getting used to off grid living, going through our first winter on the mountain, and we are waiting to welcome our first child at the end of February, as well as launching this business! So my intension, or theme, or 2022 is to persevere. I will take things as they come, and I will see each challenge as an opportunity to grow.  With this mindset, I am excited  going into 2022, and looking forward to what another year will bring. 

What are your intentions for 2022? For all of my patients and clients I work with, we establish goals for them to be able to achieve. We work on goals for both short term, and long term (long after they need me!). The point of goals is to demonstrate improvement when they meet them! When your change is gradual, its hard to see how much progress you’ve made. But I digress, goals setting is so important that’s an entirely different post! 

The reason I’m bringing this up now, is that I want to address the INTENTION, or the reason, behind your goals.  For instance, are you setting a specific goal to make someone else happy? I had a client that wanted to be able to cook dinner for her husband and family every night. However, she confessed this was not something that she particularly enjoyed, but rather something she felt she had to do; she was putting that sense of obligation onto herself, and the fear of failing her family was present every day. Because she was putting so much pressure on herself, her pain was consistently worse in the evenings, and cooking was definitely a trigger. When we were eventually able to get her to take the pressure off herself, and change her intentions around this task,  this particular client was able to more consistently make dinner because she wanted to, and when she didn’t, well, all was still alright with the world. 

Or are you setting a goal because it’s something that someone else told you is good for you? Exercise is a common thing that many patients set goals for. “I just want to be able to exercise without a flare up because that’s what my doctors have been telling me what to do.” Sound like you? Again, it’s not a bad goal, but the reason, or intention behind the goal is not going to get you far. And in fact, if you fail, your frustration at yourself may build, and your fear of disappointing those around you goes up. Guess what, when that happens, your stress hormones spike and many times, triggers more pain. One of the biggest things that I tell my clients is that exercise is simply movement. You do not have to just beat yourself up at the gym, hating every minute of it, and fearing the repercussions. Would you rather go on a walk after dinner with your family? Would you rather be able to squat and lift your grandchild without pain? These are things that you can easily work towards with targeted exercise programs: just by knowing your intention. 

What is your intention going into your new year? If you have a resolution, what is the underlying intention behind the resolution? 

Sign up to receive your FREE 5 step
guide to start your pain free journey!

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.