Category: Life Hacks

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Holiday Survival Guide

November and December are generally challenging months for me: the diminishing sunlight and pre-holiday events can easily drain my energy.  I also notice increasing stress and anxiety mounting in my patients at the clinic which can transfer onto me if I’m not careful.  

Here are my top pre-holiday life hacking tips:

  1. I often find my energy at its lowest the middle of December so I try to keep the middle weekend free of plans. It does require me to decline a holiday party invitation or two but it’s better for my mental health in the long run.
  2. If I have said “no” to an event and I do really want to spend time with that person, I will follow-up with a suggestion for future date when I have more energy.
  3. I will try to avoid daily consumption of sugar and alcohol in November and December, saving those treats for special occasions.
  4. I have found doing a jigsaw puzzle at home, with great music in the background, is a calming and mindful activity. 
  5. If possible, taking a day by day approach to committing to events and gatherings. This can be challenging for events planned far in advance but making game time decisions on whether to say yes/no forces me to check in with how my mind + body are feeling that day.
  6. If an event requires more energy than I am capable of expending, I am diligent about only committing to what I can handle.  For example, every Christmas my husband and son travel for an extended break to Ottawa.  I usually take the train for a 2-3 night visit which allows me to time to celebrate with my extended family but also allows for some quiet solo time the week after.
  7. Sleep, sleep and more sleep – I cannot sleep enough in November + December!

[originally published December 2019]

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Lunar New Year

Happy Lunar New Year!

When I was a kid Chinese New Year was exciting because it meant receiving lucky money. Now that I’m older and wiser CNY has a more special meaning to me. 

As many of you know I like to follow the energetic patterns of the lunar cycle, hence the name of this newsletter. New moon means new energy, great time to start projects and relationships. Full moon can intensify events and have a frenetic energy, and a dying/waning moon is a good time to bring a natural end to things.

To me CNY and this new moon symbolizes a renewed energy and hope for a lucky, healthy and prosperous year. I would usually celebrate with large meals with family and friends but this year we will make the best of eating socially distanced noodles for a long and healthy life. And remember to avoid washing (the luck out of) your hair today!

[originally published February 2021]

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Harnessing Spring Energy

Spring!

Working with patients in my chiropractic practice I have noticed several seasonal trends with injuries, and patient behaviours. Notably in spring people come out of hibernation and are energized to be more active in their lives. In my practice that results in new ailments related to spring activities including strain from gardening, golf, gardening, and baseball etc. 

If we can harness this fresh wave of spring energy, it can be a real boost to our creativity and productivity from a coaching perspective. 

If you are feeling more inspired this time of year I encourage you to channel that energy towards your goals – we have to use it when we can!

In the last few days I’ve been inspired to begin creating a program specifically designed to address Work/Life Balance. Sharing it here with you will keep me accountable (!) and I’ve definitely felt more oomph in my step compared to the darker days of winter.

[originally published March 2021]

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Surviving November

November….what can I say? It’s getting darker and there’s a palpable increase of stress from patients and coaching clients as people prepare for the holidays and the changing season. 

Here are some of my tips and tricks for surviving November:

  • Daily use, 15 minutes, of light therapy in the mornings to combat the winter blues. If I use it at least 3-4 times a week beginning September until March, I can minimize depression from Seasonal Affective Disorder. I use this product. 
  • Trying to get at least one hour of movement per day (walking to the clinic, yoga, biking etc). 
  • Eating seasonal foods – avoiding cold foods and switching to warmer foods, which according to Traditional Chinese Medicine suits our fall and winter constitutions better.
  • Limiting caffeine to twice per week (typically Fridays + Sundays).
  • Saying no to a lot of social gatherings – being very mindful of energy expenditure. For the month of November I will try to limit myself to one social/non-family activity per week.

Here are some of the cool coaching discoveries made during the last month:

  1. It’s important to know your accountability style….do you need someone to keep you on track? Some clients will text me after they’ve completed their ‘action step’ to keep them accountable.
  2. I’ve been procrastinating on loading my coaching modules onto a new virtual learning platform. I’ve realized that if I don’t carve out time to do it, it remains an idea swirling in my head as opposed to a step towards action. 
  3. It’s easy to make assumptions about what others are thinking. Having dedicated time in a partnership/couples coaching session to speak not only helps the person articulate their fears/dreams/thoughts but it also educates their partner and strengthens the 3rd entity of their relationship. 

[originally published November 2021]

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