Why I Take Small Steps

So picture this..

It’s the middle of winter and the weather reporter is calling for a snow storm. You have your storm chips and winter gear. The day of the storm arrives and you look out the window to where you will need to shovel, and there is …

Option A: only a small dusting of snow that can be cleared easily

Option B: a few meters of snow that will take lots of effort and time to clear

While Option B may be a kids snow day dream (or at least pre-zoom snow days), it can be overwhelming if you still need to get out the driveway to go to work or clear a whole walk by yourself. Option A certainly seems more manageable!

I think of treatment recommendations the same as a snow fall. It is much easier to focus on a few centimeters, than it is to focus on tens of centimeters. In fact, you are more likely to be able to achieve a good job of clearing the snow if it is a few centimeters vs. tens.

But why does a good job matter?

A good job matters because a good job is more likely to stick and to become a habit.

If we are focusing on implementing change in a few areas, it is easier to incorporate those changes. If we are giving a multitude of things to do, it can feel overwhelming and those things might not get done or may only be done some of the time.

For example, picture this …

You have been suffering with headaches, bloating and low energy for a few years. You have finally had the last straw and go to see your Naturopathic Doctor (ND) to get some help. You currently exercise 3-4 times a month, you are drowning in a to do list, you have other people to take care of, and most of the time you end up sitting in front of the tv with take out because you had no energy time or motivation to do anything else. You word vomit all of your problems to your ND and let them know that you just want to feel better. Your ND hears you and suggests the following appointment recommendations …

Option A: They provide an Iron supplement, a B complex supplement, a supplement for stress and A supplement for bloating. They also give you a list of foods to avoid (most of which mean you can’t eat any of the things you are currently eating) and tell you to eat 10 grams fiber with every meal. Then they tell you to come in for regular acupuncture appointments and that you need to get 15 000 steps a day. They also ask you to keep a diary of your daily bowel movements and to do 10 minutes of breath work.

Option B: They provide one supplement based on your blood work and one supplement to support your bloating. They provide a hand out of 15 minute meals and suggest starting with cooking just 2 nights a week. They also ask you to keep a diary of your bowel movements and stress levels.

Now, both of these options can feel like a lot but I think most of you will agree that Option A has a lot to do. If you have not had the energy or motivation or time to do those wonderful things before, the likelihood of you doing all of those things 100% off the bat is not great. But even if you do those things great 20% of the time, while it is an improvement, you are likely to either stop because it is too hard or never follow up because you were too ashamed to say you can’t do it all.

Now, first of all, we don’t ever want to make you feel ashamed. If you feel like you can’t do part of a plan or it is falling apart, then we need to figure out something else or figure out a way around the barriers. But wouldn’t it be better if we saw those barriers ahead of time and created a plan that seemed manageable from the get go?

What if we took into consideration that change is hard and that it takes time for things to become routine?

What if we understood that you want to fix it all as quick as possible and supported you through the best path we can see to get you there but in a more manageable way than here are all the things go do them?

My job is to support you. To support change and progress toward better health - towards your goals.

The best way I can figure to do that is to make sure you have the greatest success rate possible of making the changes. Because if you don’t make the changes, then how do we expect to make a change?

If this resonates with you, come find me! I’d love to support you, one step at a time!