Getting Started

I have made a conscious effort to become a "better" version of myself for the last 4 years and before that I was always searching for ways but in more of a flitting around from here to there kind of way.  It's not easy to figure out the first thing to share.  To start with the nuts and bolts of self-responsibility or self-improvement is really just starting somewhere though so I've narrowed it down to two things; 1)  Steve Pavlina's "Living your values"  I knew I had values, I just never sat down and figured out what they were.  This was beyond helpful.  Your values are different depending on what your focus is.  If you're focused on getting a new job, you will have certain top 5 values to focus you in on the job, but if you're trying to get healthy that goal will require different top 5 (or so) values to achieve.  Steve explains it very well through 3 different posts.  Figuring out your goals and values is really necessary if you're trying to get from where you are to where you want to be :)  Take the time to figure that out and you'll stop running on the hamster wheel and move forward.

2) As a massage therapist I know what stress does to our bodies.  I am not here to tell you that you all need to start getting weekly massages because I'm fully aware that not everyone can get or even wants to get a massage.  What I will tell you is you need to find an outlet for stress.  Be it exercising, meditating, listening to music, getting more sleep, whatever works, just do something.  I suggest soaking in Epsom salt baths to all of my clients and that's because they are, and I am in NO way understating this, liquid MAGIC!  

To simplify; Epsom salts are partly made up of magnesium and magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer.  Calcium is responsible for muscle contraction and magnesium is responsible for muscle relaxation.  We don't get enough magnesium from our foods, so getting it through a bath, by absorbing it through your skin, is a great way to get this much-needed mineral.  Epsom salts also detoxify the body so the bath is a fabulous double-whammy!  Use 2 cups of Epsom salts in a hot bath at the end of the day.  Soak for at least 10 minutes and then keep yourself warm when you get out of the tub, so either go to bed or curl up on the couch and relax.  I'm not posting a link for the science behind Epsom salts, but there's plenty of info out there about the benefits, I'm just trying to keep it simple for you.  Epsom salt baths good. Stress bad. You go relax now.