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Published by Physio Flows LLC on 2023-11-28 09:52:57
As November slides around the calendar year once more, we take time to prepare for the mad dash that is the holiday season. Often our stress and changing weather creeps to new highs and lows, resulting in subtle yet substantial changes to our lives. This year let's practice awareness by focusing on using correct body mechanics while keeping up with holiday tasks. Instead of hunching over to stare into the oven, hoping beyond hope that your turkey will be done in time, why not challenge yourself to use a proper squat posture to gaze onto your half-baked bird?
Let's approach traditional stress with a simple practice of awareness of the upcoming changes. Begin by thinking about your normal routine, and marking upcoming spots you know might get off track. Are you taking any unusual days off work? Staying up late to attend any holiday events? Are you in charge of any events? Those are potential stressors, and any change in routine will have an impact on your daily habits. Do you have any self-care habits which will be interrupted? Do you have physical reactions to stress which might be detrimental in the long run? The weather is also changing, and fluctuations in temperature can be subtle yet impactful. When you are cold, you may begin to hunch over and tense your muscles. Is your reaction to the cold putting your body into an unhealthy posture?
Let's look at an example. Zoe is an office manager for a small company in a quiet city. She works Monday through Friday and does a lot of sitting at a desk. Every day at lunchtime, Zoe makes sure to take some time to walk in a nearby park. It is a wonderful way for her to get some stretching and movement into her workday, plus it's a beautiful place. This week though, she's been tasked with throwing an office party for Friday's lunch. She takes her normal lunchtime walk on Monday but misses it on Tuesday and Wednesday because she's just too busy to spare the time. Her raised stress level is also making her pick up small habits like hunching further and further over her desk to concentrate on the paperwork. She doesn't think much about her missed walks until Thursday, when she finally makes it to the park. It's gotten colder than she realized as fall progresses, and her walk is a short and brisk one through the chilly air. Friday's lunch party is a great success but means she doesn't get a chance to walk through the park as she enjoys the festivities. On Saturdays Zoe usually attends a ballroom dancing class, but this weekend it was canceled for the holidays. She decides to use the free time to watch her favorite holiday movie, but falls asleep halfway through it. She wakes up at the end with a cramp in her neck and shoulder where the couch cushion didn't support her sleeping posture. By then end of the weekend, Zoe notices she is feeling stiff, sore, and restless, but can't quite figure out why.
Do you know why Zoe was physically impacted? It's because Zoe's habits changed, and she didn't get her normal exercise! She didn't compensate for missing her lunchtime walk for so many days, and when she did walk it was in a bent and shivering posture that did little to help loosen already stiffening muscles. Zoe could have taken time to walk in the park after work, and brought warmer clothing to be prepared for the changing weather. Her position on the couch needed more support from extra pillows, and taking time to stretch and practice a few dance moves in her living room before and after the movie may have helped too. If she had been practicing awareness of the changes to her normal activities and compensating for her stressors, she may never have felt the impact of a missed physical routine.
Recognizing areas of improvement in your physical habits can be difficult, and in a whirlwind of seasonal stress it can be difficult to connect cause and effect. Seeing a physical therapist can be very beneficial, as they can provide expertise and guidance for improving your physical habits and responses. Don't let your health be another stressor this holiday season, book an appointment today.