Happy New Year!
I can't believe we are officially in 2024.
I feel like we were just in the trenches of 2020...phew.
I'm currently in Bali with my kids, and last night I was in bed by 10 PM. I make the most of any rest I can get because my kids are early risers. They don't know NOT to wake up at 5:30 AM on New Year's Day 🤪, so it's just like any other day for us.
After they went to bed, I reflected and journaled. I also prayed about all things family, life, work, health, etc., as I do. But last night, I had no distractions, as it was just the kids and me at home, so I could really take my time.
As I was reflecting and journaling, I wrote down the specific things that I would love more of in 2024 (specifically health-related) and things that I want less of... I would love less of these things in my patients' lives too!
I want to share these with you.
Let's start with the things to leave behind in 2023:
People-pleasing - I'm pretty good at this now, but I sometimes still catch myself slipping back into this headspace. If it comes at the expense of my/my family's health and well-being, then it's a no. Unapologetically :) I've learned way too many hard lessons by saying YES when I should be saying NO. I used to call it my 'body payback.' Although I am a lot more stable these days, it often would throw me way off.
Overcommitting - This comes hand in hand with people-pleasing. Saying YES to too many things. Spreading yourself too thinly. Not being able to be fully present and do the thing you're meant to be doing because you're too scattered mentally and physically.
Rushing - This is so hard as a mother of young kids, but how often are you rushing? Rushing a meal, a conversation, chugging your drink, rushing to drop-offs, pick-ups, rushing your cooking. It's the next thing, and then the next, and then the next... This is a sure way to throw off your nervous system! There's always going to be a next thing. Better time management for me will mean less rushing and being more present in the moment. Then there's also the rushing of your healing. You can't hurry this process, and I get that it's hard.
Perfectionism - I have learned to drop this; nothing I do will ever be perfect. There's no point endlessly striving for it. It ends up draining me mentally.
Excessive multitasking - A HUGE part of mom-life. I'm hardly ever just focusing on the one task at hand. I'm always doing multiple things while keeping an ear out and an eye open, watching little people. It's actually really exhausting!
Caffeine dependence - I'm not hooked on coffee, and I wouldn't say that I'm dependent on caffeine, but if this is you, consider breaking this habit. I love my teas and chocolate! :)
Artificial sweeteners - Give me real sugar over artificial sweeteners any day. Aspartame and sucralose are yuck!
Fast foods - I don't eat fast food, but if fast foods are a regular part of your diet, it's definitely time to consider 'why'. If you want a really simple resource to help you with nutrition, check out my e-book HERE.
Comparison - From a chronic illness perspective, comparing yourself and your life to others can result in compromising your own healing. I understand that sometimes envy can creep in, especially when you're so unwell. I felt it many times too. I would envy someone's life and what they portrayed (on social media), and often this would cause me to lose focus on my healing because I was too busy comparing my life to theirs. As hard as it is, stay focused.
Self-doubt - A huge roadblock. Do you doubt your ability to live a fulfilling life due to chronic illness? I did too, especially while bed-bound for 8 months. Circumstances had changed so drastically I doubted my ability to heal and live somewhat a normal life. My own thoughts got in the way. They sometimes still do when I get really symptomatic. The illness rears its ugly head and throws me into a panic, but then I remind myself of who I am and how far I have come.
Mindless consumption - I've really cut back on watching and consuming media/material which does nothing for me, my health, my mental and spiritual well-being, and will continue to do so :)
Materialism - I would rather spend big bucks and indulge in delicious foods or memorable experiences, instead of buying material things! What about you?
Ignoring self-care - I often see this, and when it comes to ignoring self-care in chronic illness, it will result in your symptoms worsening and potentially a bad flare/crash. Understanding you need to provide self-care requires the ability to listen to your body and being in tune with your symptoms.
Fad diets - I only 'prescribe' or recommend diets while trying to address a specific concern, this is different to fad diets though. Fad diets are not a vibe!! They keep you bound, restricted, and, in my humble opinion, they often breed eating disorder mentality. If you're working with me you will know that the long-term goal is always to be able to enjoy a wide variety of wholesome, real, and nutritious foods.
Ultra-processed foods - I don't think I need to explain why :) I don't even think ultra-processed foods should be called foods🤣; they should be called food products. Less is more.
Excess screen time - A tough one, considering I work online!
Phthalates & parabens - Have a look at the ingredients in your toiletries and body products. These are endocrine disruptors and can affect your hormone balance.
Commercial perfume - Since having two babies quite close in age, I have stopped wearing commercial perfume. I didn't want it rubbing off my skin onto my baby's delicate skin, but also, fragrances are endocrine disrupters! Since stopping, I can't stand how strong perfume smells now! I only wear essential oil 'perfumes' now, and it feels and smells so much nicer.
Me and my sister with our babies, in Bali. How adorable are the boys!?
Now for the GOOD stuff! Welcoming all of this and more in 2024...💃✨
More home-cooked meals - This means more control over ingredients, including the little seemingly minor things like the type of oil or salt used, as well as the type of cookware too. 😁
Homegrown produce - 🥕 I'd love to start a veggie garden this year. I've been wanting to do this for so long, but I've always had reasons (excuses!?) not to. Too tired, too hot, too hard, etc...
Herbal medicine - I've been breastfeeding for 3+ years now, so I haven't been able to take as many herbal medicines as I normally would. I have a feeling that breastfeeding will come to an end this year, and I'll be able to take more herbal meds.
Antioxidants - A huge focus of my diet and supplement regime is antioxidants. Eat the rainbow because antioxidants are king. They are so important for inflammation, pain, cognition, beauty (and skin), ageing, immunity, and more.
Personalised nutrition - I get that self-prescribing is easy; you can buy basically any supplement off the internet these days. But how good is it to have a nutritionist analyse your health and health goals and then put together a treatment plan with prescribed nutritional medicines for you!?
Holistic pain management - Pain is so complex, and just slamming it with NSAIDs or opiates really doesn't leave you much better off in the long run. The root causes of the pain and the INTERPRETATION of what's painful (hello nervous system!) is what should be getting addressed.
Natural beauty - It's been a process over the years, but stripping it right back to a few non-toxic makeup items (I'm talking like 5 max) as part of my makeup routine feels so much better. I'll be honest; it's nice to wake up and have long thick lashes on fleek, BUT, the upkeep, the glue, the refills, the TIME it takes to get them done just wasn't worth it for me.
Sunrises & sunsets - My kids wake up as early as 4:30 AM some mornings, and the only thing I liked about it was that I would often go to the beach and watch the sunrise. It truly is special. I have always loved sunsets, but more sunrises in 2024, please!
Treating root causes - Yes, we need symptomatic relief, and often this relief needs to happen quick... BUT it's so important to also address the WHY; these are the root causes of the symptoms.
Intentionality - I want to be more intentional about the things I do and say, to ensure that they align with my values and my WHY, rather than just doing or saying things without real purpose.
Mindful eating - I love this and often try to practice this, but to be honest, I sometimes end up scoffing down kids' leftovers as my meals. It's time to get back to mindfully eating for me :)
More time in nature - The benefits of this are plentiful. This year, we have decided we are moving out of the city and to a regional coastal town. No doubt we will be out in nature lots!
Slowing down - The opposite of rushing! By slowing down, we can actually feel what we are feeling, we can recalibrate, and let our nervous systems have a break.
Listening to my body - I must admit, I've become pretty darn good at this; I'm in tune with what I'm feeling physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and can almost always understand why. It's like second nature to me. Do you find it hard to listen to your body?
Supporting hormone balance - Dealing with endo, and living the jam-packed life that I do, this is non-negotiable for me and it's at the forefront of my mind when it comes to health priorities.
Mini adventures - I don't know what exactly this looks like for me and my family, but I want more of it!
Moving my body - I have to admit, I don't do any 'scheduled exercise.' No classes, no workouts, no YouTube vids... I have EXTREMELY active children, and my exercise is literally chasing them, looking after them, playing with them. They are only still when they are sleeping or strapped in their car seats. I move my body so much, but I'd love more scheduled exercise; I've been thinking of starting reformer pilates.
Alright! So this is it. My ins and outs of 2024.
I'd love to hear what you think.
Maybe you want to share yours with me? Go ahead :)
Looking forward to connecting with you again really soon!
If you haven't done so yet, but you'd like to have a chat, please book your free intro call with me HERE.
Lots of love as always,
Kimberly