The festive season is over for another year (as long as you don’t count Australia day and Easter both looming on the horizon!), and for the majority of people out there, this time of the new year can tend to go one of two ways. For some, it might be detox central, with many super motivated individuals wanting to start the new year with a thorough detox and healthy eating program to help clean up after any Christmas binges. And as a naturopath I say brilliant! Bring it on! What a wonderful way to get your body ready for another year. If this is you, check out our fantastic raw vegan detox retreats by going to www.embracinghealth.com.au/retreat and looking at our options for this year. Woohoo!
If this is NOT you, I say brilliant! It is YOU who I’m talking to, and YOU I can totally relate to. Yes, I’m admitting it now- I have a major case of the guilts! I have been actively avoiding my naturopath since some time last December. I just can’t face her!!!! And it was this week that I decided to sit with those feelings and suss out exactly why I am feeling the way I do as a patient, and what I am feeling about the situation as a naturopath. Oh and by the way, yes I’m a naturopath, I work with naturopaths, and my partner is a naturopath. But still I go to a different naturopath for my person health care because I have found that seeing someone outside my friends and family circle is the best thing for me.
Now, the guilts! So this is how I am feeling as a patient:
“Oh no, she told me to take these supplements and do yoga twice a week and then come back in a month, but I stopped taking the supplements at Christmas cause I forgot, and I also stopped going to yoga cause it closed over the break and I just haven’t got back into the routine yet! I can’t possibly go back and see her, I haven’t done what she asked! She’ll be mad at me. I am a bad patient!”
I imagine there are a fair few people out there that can add these points to the list of possible guilt-inducers:
• Eating too much
• Drinking too much
• Putting on weight
• Eating the wrong types of food
• Not exercising
So what do I think of these statements as a naturopath? The results were a pleasant surprise!
Patient– “I forgot to take my supplements…”
Naturopath– “Don’t worry, that’s not a problem. Christmas can definitely do that to you! Let’s just go over your list of symptoms again and make sure you still need to be taking that supplement at the same dose. When you have a holiday you often get to relax, and sometimes things change, so we’ll review it and we can discuss where to go from here. It’ll all be fine.”
Patient– “I stopped going to the gym, exercising, meditating, doing yoga…”
Naturopath– “Don’t worry, that’s not a problem. Lots of places close over Christmas and New Years. Why don’t you start up again this week? Check to make sure they are open if you need to and start up again. Sometimes a little break is the best thing you can do for your body. It’ll all be fine.”
Patient– “I ate too much, I ate the wrong foods, I put on weight, I drank too much…”
Naturopath– “Don’t worry, that’s not a problem. I’m glad your enjoyed yourself over the holidays! There is nothing wrong with a little indulgence; it is good for the soul. Let’s just go over how you’re feeling now and work out where we go from here. It’ll all be fine.”
So after having this rather detailed conversation with myself, figured out two things:
1. Don’t worry, it’s not a problem, and…
2. It’ll all be fine!
What wonderful realisations! That has taken a huge weight off my shoulders, and I can now organise a consultation with a clear conscience.
Please, all of you who have related to this scenario; let go of the guilt. Let go of the worry. That in itself is probably doing you more damage that the ‘bad’ behaviour did in the first place. I urge you to make an appointment with your naturopath, nutritionist, acupuncturist, homeopath, personal trainer, whoever it is that you might not want to see. They will not judge you. They will just be happy you have come back.
See you soon 😉
Rhianna
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