As February approaches, it’s clear the new calendar year has well and truly begun. Our focus returns to our normal daily routines as Summer and the holiday season draw to a close. Physically and environmentally, we are heading towards Autumn. As each day gets shorter, with gradually less daylight, the fresh foods available to us at the markets start to shift with the season. The Chinese New Year in early February celebrates the end of the year of the Wood Goat and the beginning of the year of the Fire Monkey with its expansive and curious energy bringing a clever and more carefree approach to life this year.

This early part of the year is a time when many people take the opportunity to refresh their lives and seek improvements where they recognise there are gaps between their ideal lifestyle and actual lifestyle. Whilst life is a series of continuous changes, we may live through the process but do not necessarily adapt to or like the changes as they occur.

Here are a few ways to actively embrace change:

• Allow yourself to spend time preparing for change mentally, emotionally and physically
• If something is not working for you, be willing to take action to create change in your situation
• Accept that you are in a constant flow of change – as each moment finishes another begins
• Have faith in yourself that change will be positive, even if this is not obvious at first
• Approach dealing with change as a process, as dealing with change takes time and involves multiple steps and ingredients
• Have realistic expectations for yourself – self-improvement doesn’t happen through a magic pill but through small changes which have impact over time
• Be honest with yourself – keep your eyes on your “end goal” (what you aim to achieve) whilst allowing yourself to reassess and modify your approach along the way as required (how you get there)
• Maintain your momentum by making small changes – e.g. Leaving work at a scheduled time could be the perfect achievable solution to your ‘make more time for important relationships’ goal.

To help yourself adapt with change, making small alterations to your physical environment can assist:

• Eat the foods that match the time of year and local environment – ie. Focus your food around eating seasonally available local fresh produce. Follow the links to Australian Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables, Farmers Markets – Seasonal Food Guide Australia for a guide to the locally available food in different areas in Australia, including the freshest available sources at Farmers Markets, and Seasonal recipes – Recipe collections – Taste.com.au. for specific seasonal recipes to plan your meals.
• Keep up your fluids – have a bottle of drinking water with you at all times, and try to consume up to two litres per day
• Seek specific guidance on handling change. The different modalities at Endeavour Wellness Clinics can offer assistance:
  • Homeopathy with Homeopathic Remedies
  • Naturopathy with Bach Flower Remedies and Australian Bush Flower Essences
  • Nutritional Medicine with dietary guidance and nutritional support
  • Acupuncture and Tui Na with rebalancing your Chi
  • Myotherapy/Musculoskeletal Therapy with relieving physical pain and creating strengthening plans.

Have a wonderful February, and remember that change is good!

This article provides general information and is not intended to constitute advice. All care is taken to ensure information is accurate and relevant. Please see your Practitioner for health treatments and advice.