February factory reset

unwellness practices that jolted back to baseline

Last weekend I had the absolute luxury of visiting Dominican Republic for the first time with my family. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Just as the Boston temperatures veered into the negatives, I was removing layers and basking in the sun.

Prior to leaving, my level of stress and overall crispiness was higher than I realized. So much so that I found myself choking back tears in a meeting two days before departure. Not only was this…humiliating.. but it entirely caught me by surprise.

I figured the trip away would be filled with walks on the beach, fresh fruit and smoothies, sound sleep cycles and maybe utilizing the hotel gym. I pictured a hard reset to return feeling energized and grounded.

The trip included nearly none of those things, and yet I returned feeling more refreshed than I had in months.

And it wasn’t through traditional health practices or habit. In fact, I mostly engaged in actions or behaviors that I would have previously deemed “unhealthy.”

I think this is particularly relevant this time of year because around the 6 week mark of a new year is when I most witness patients and/or clients feel some degree of burnout when it comes to wellness habits.

Maybe they went too hard too fast. Maybe their idea of health includes behaviors that are not at all enjoyable. And in that way, it feels like the only way to cope is to “get off the wagon” entirely.

In this case, getting off the wagon was actually just what I needed. It was a solid rerouting.