6. Only 1-2 hours of television daily: We simply are too reliant on television for entertainment.  And with the list I have provided, I do not have the time to commit to television.  It’s amazing how quickly our evenings can be eaten up by watching tv. I am going to connect with my family more and commit to creating different forms of entertainment such as games night, playing with my son, dancing to music (which we do quite a bit of already) and reading.

7. Listen to motivational speakers while in the car: Using your alone time to develop a more positive outlook in life is a great way to feel more content with your life.  We need to be active participants in our thought processes.  It seems to be the tendency of most of us to have autonomic negative thoughts and this rules our lives. So we often say things like ‘just my luck’ or ‘Murphy’s Law’ when something negative happens to us.  What we forget is that our thoughts create our experiences and, therefore, by saying this we reinforce these actions and they tend to happen again.  I am choosing to change my thoughts by actively listening to things that make me feel inspired, motivated and grateful for my life.  I meet so many people who don’t know how to be more positive in their lives, they think it’s an impossible task. I have always said to patients if you want to change the internal, sometimes first you have to create an external environment to force the positivity into you.  What’s nice about this is that it is easy! It’s a passive way to make the internal environment more positive and peaceful.

8. Spend quality time with my son: Life is about balance and I have so much to accomplish in a day.  But nothing is more important than my family and building a strong loving relationship with my son.  So many moms feel guilty about all the things that take away time from their children and I admit that I have felt it too.  I read in a book before I went back to work a quote that has stuck with me “its not about the amount of time spent with your child, its the quality”.  I vow to spend QUALITY time with my son where I am fully present with him.  So this could be a few hours long some days and others just a moment where I know we have connected in a very special and loving way.

9. Drink tea: An ND who doesn’t drink tea? I know… with all its medicinal properties and calming effects you would think that I would be all about drinking tea, but I’m not.  Over the year I want to start drinking tea, not only for its health benefits but also for its ritualistic properties.  Sitting down and having a tea can profoundly shift you into relaxation mode.  This is a great way to end the day! I advocate this to my patients ALL the time and now I am going to commit to this ritual.

10. Laugh: Our household is full of laughter but it’s still something I think is important to do on a daily basis.  I can take life too seriously and what I have noticed is that I am much happier when I approach things lightheartedly and with laughter.  Forcing myself out of my comfort zone and being silly with my family feels good, so I am going to try and foster this so that this becomes a daily behavior for me.  Laughter releases endorphins which make us feel better, and who doesn’t what to feel better on a daily basis?

11. Pick up my clothes: De-clutter my space.  This is something that will benefit my mental health and also my relationship. I have a tendency to leave clothes all over the house – a bad habit that developed when I was a rebellious teen.  What I know is that I feel so much better when my environment is clean and organized.  I have more energy, I feel relaxed and happier.  So why do I leave my clothes on the floor? Bad habits die hard and I know that it takes strict dedication to create new habits.  So as much as I want to throw my clothes to the floor and hop into bed I am going to create a soothing environment for a good night’s sleep so I can wake up in a refreshing and relaxing environment!

Goals for the year:

• Cardio exercise three times per week
• Be responsible for my health: visit all necessary health care practitioners regularly to ensure optimal wellness
• Monthly self- breast exams
• Take appropriate supplements consistently
• Identify food sensitivities and eliminate these foods from my diet
• Reduce amount of time spent on my iPhone, computer, etc

Expected Outcomes:

• Empowered and knowledgeable about my health and my body
• Lose 10 lbs: Fit and lean body mass
• More grounded and less reactive to stressors
• Work and live in a calm and clean environment
• Increased positivity
• Healthier
• More balanced- Physically, mentally,emotionally and spiritually
• Increase self- confidence and a strong sense of self worth and love
• More authentic and deep connection to my son and boyfriend

I hope you have enjoyed my 2012 list.  This past month has been incredible and there have already been positive changes! I encourage you to make a list of 3-4 daily tasks, a few monthly goals and some expected outcomes and watch how your life can transform.  I look forward to hearing about your process as I continue to blog about mine.

Living like I give a damn,

Dr. Michelle

Dr. Michelle Peris is a Naturopathic Doctor whose goal is to inspire health through educating, motivating and empowering people.  She has a family based practice out of a clinic in Oakville, Ontario.

Contact Dr. Michelle today to book your 15 minute complimentary consult.