December is generally a quieter time for Chiropractors.
Chiropractic clinic owners though. not so much.
I’m in 2025 planning mode; where can we do more? Where can we be better and provide more value for our clients and our team.
It is a fun time to be able to look back at the past 6 years and work out what we have done well? What we have done ok and not so well.
The point is we are always trying to improve, and December is a great time for that. I try and categorise what I have done in to a few main areas: Work, family and friends, health and mindset.
I try to look at these areas and see where I have been consistent and where do I want to spend time and energy next year.
The mindset piece has been a big help for the other 3 areas listed above. I have found things that make my mindset good and things that don’t. I have come to realise that a weekend of debauchery following a stag do is no good for your anxiety levels at 9am on a Monday morning.
But even eating the right things has become important for my mindset, I used to run across the road to Waitrose at lunchtime and grab a “chicken & avocado – sandwich on brown bread, water and a pack of mango, all in the £5 Waitrose meal deal (great idea from Waitrose by the way).
I was never full up after this and it led me to crave sugar after I ate the meal deal, and I would always slump around 3pm in the afternoon and need a cup of tea to keep me going.
It wasn’t until I really got into Tim Spector’s work and understood the impact of grains and processed starchy carbohydrates on our blood sugar that I realised I wasn’t doing myself any favours. I had to ditch the sandwich at lunch’reluctantly.
But since having a vegetable soup or a salad I have noticed that I don’t have that mid-afternoon slump. I’m often hungry but I have also come to realise that it is ok to be hungry (this was after reading “The Comfort Crisis”, I recommend you read this).
What have I done for my mental health?
I’m not the finished product (far from it in fact) and my situation is NOT meant to come across as preachy or better or worse than anyone else’s. I have my demons, but hopefully some of the tips that I do may help to benefit you.
I used to shirk away from mental health support as I thought “I don’t have any mental health issues right now; I don’t need this.?
But it’s not about that whether you class yourself as having mental health issues or not, mental health is something that needs to be exercised all the time just like your physical health.
Just because you feel fit and healthy with your physical health it does not mean you don’t go to the gym or exercise. You keep exercising to ensure you don’t have physical health issues in the future.
I suffered from anxiety back in 2018. I had just started West Chiropractic, Charlotte (my wife) was pregnant with our eldest, Kit and I had just left my job as an associate Chiropractor.
It was supposed to be an exciting time, which it was for the first 4 months and then the adrenaline wore off and I realised the level of responsibility. It was a tough couple of months, but I used a few tools below that really helped pull me through it.
I also appreciate that there are people out there with more severe situations than this and I have been fortunate. So please don’t think I’m implying I have had it bad, as I know there are people struggling.
- Headspace- I use an app called Headspace on my phone. It seems ironic to help your mental health you must use your phone. However, it is a great app that helps you to practice mindfulness and mediation.
You may be thinking “oh that’s woo woo yaa yaa, spiritual, I’m not into that”. Well that might be the case, but it is commonplace in our society now that being “still” and focussing on your breath can help to calm the mind.
“Previous clinical trials on the efficacy of the Headspace app show evidence of improved mindfulness, focus, stress, sleep quality, burnout, resilience, anxiety, depression, and quality of life.” Callahan et al, 2024.
You can download it and get a free trial. I try to do 10 minutes 4 times per week. I notice when I have not done it.
I must get up early to do this and this is one of the key steps I believe to managing mental load, is making time for yourself. Getting up half an hour before everyone else is one of the best ways to prioritise your time.
Robin Sharma talks about it in his book “The 5am Club”.
Now 5am is a bit extreme but just try getting up before the rest of your house, spend some time by yourself not looking at your phone, not reading the news or having the TV on. Read a book, do some journalling or use headspace. Find out more here.
2. Exercise-I do enjoy exercising; I like the process and I enjoy the sense of achievement after. It doesn’t really matter which of those it Is for you, but exercise has been proven to help with mental health (Wu, et al., 2023).
The research suggests that it is the release of dopamine and the prevention of the re-uptake of serotonin which helps to boost mood and gives you a post exercise natural “high”,
It does not need to be a 20k run or lifting 100kg. Something as simple as walking in the garden or to the shops can stimulate dopamine release. If you are intentional with it, most movements can stimulate a response.
Jogging is the most common type of exercise that our clients do here at West Chiropractic. Mainly because it is good “bang for your buck”.
You can put your shoes on and head out for a run straight away, you don’t need to travel to the gym so if you are time poor this allows you to get your exercise in around work and family life.
3. Delete social media apps-removing yourself from social media is a good way to improve your mental health.
I wrote a blog back in November around how social media was impacting our kids and that the Australian government has just banned social media use for under 16?s.
The way that Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Snapchat work is that they are paying four your eyeballs. They want to make the platforms as addictive as possible so you stay on them for longer and they can then send you targeted ads.
There is also the stigma around social media that you are vying for likes and comments and if you don’t get those then it means you are not good enough. Plus the “Instagram life’ posted on the platform makes it look like everyone’s life is great, they have no issues.
This gives a warped sense of reality for the younger generation that life should be easy and makes it difficult to accept that it isn’t always that way.
4. Don’t use my phone first thing or last thing- I woke up a few mornings ago and there were loads of messages and emails to answer. It immediately put me in to an anxious state. I couldn’t calm down for the whole day and found myself always catching up with the next email or message.
I made a pact to myself that I control my morning routine not someone else. If it is urgent they can always call.
I now don’t check my emails first thing until I have done my morning routine and I’m ready to start the day, then I can check and respond to what needs looking at. But this has been a huge help for my mindset for the day and being able to prepare for what I need to do rather than what someone else wants me to do.
I hope you found this helpful. If you have anything that you are trying, I would love to hear more about it. Please send me an email at info@westchiro0.wpcomstaging.com
References
Callahan C, 2024-The Real-World Impact of App-Based Mindfulness on Headspace Members With Moderate and Severe Perceived Stress: Observational Study
Wu, et al., 2023-The direct effect of exercise on the mental health of scientific and technological professionals and the mediating effects of stress, resilience, and social support
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