News: January 2022

The Secret to Living Better in 2022!

The COVID pandemic has not only thrown the world off balance, but many individuals have lost their footing as well. The events of the past two years have taken a toll on our physical and mental health, close relationships, work habits, and social lives. Many of my clients are ready to make their health a priority. They want to start exercising again, getting massage therapy more frequently, improve their computer posture, and actively treat pain and anxiety. But we need to be strategic and specific about our approach, so that our tasks are manageable and we stay on track.

This is not to say that changing one's habits is easy. Far from it. Real change happens with a whole lot of practice, patience, dedication, and determination, and with the understanding that transformation is a lifelong journey, and not something that happens overnight. Again, easier said than done.

For those of you looking to make a change - whether it be physical, mental, emotional, social, or spiritual - but always seem to fall back into your regular programming, I am here to tell you that you CAN do it, and to help you get you started on the right path.

This is the perfect time to reevaluate our lives and set goals for ourselves. We have spent the past two years contending with a pandemic that has traumatized us physically and mentally. It's a new year and, although we have not yet conquered COVID, we can certainly take a look at our own lives, have compassion for all that we've been through, and decide to start helping ourselves. That might mean finally taking care of that nagging back pain, getting more sleep, exercising, meditating, making more time for family, or getting outside every day, to name a few.

Change begins with baby steps. Choose one goal, and break it down into several small tasks. If you'd like to start exercising, for example, you might first decide where you would like to work out. If you prefer running, you might like to find an outdoor path or running track. Maybe you prefer the gym. I love working out at home. Your next step might be shopping for running shoes, researching gyms in your area, or looking up online trainers. Give yourself one small task each day.

Then comes the really hard part - actually doing it! To continue with our exercise example, it's important that you carve out time for exercising in your schedule. You are much more likely to do something if it's on your calendar. Maybe you buy a gym membership and sign up for classes in advance. Maybe you pack your gym bag at night, so that you're all ready to go the next morning.

When you're feeling unmotivated, or you're coming up with a million excuses why you shouldn't do something, just do the first step. Put on your running shoes, for example. And maybe that's as far as you get. But maybe it gets you outside and walking. And maybe once you're walking in the sun and fresh air, you pick it up to a jog. When I feel too tired to work out, I simply roll out my exercise mat. Once my mat is out, I might as well grab my weights. Then it's not such a big deal to click play on a workout video. And before I know it, I'm sweating and feeling strong. (Check out my home exercise equipment here.)

If self-care is on your list of goals for 2022, I've made it super easy for you. My YouTube channel, Rachel Richards Massage, has loads of self-care videos teaching self-massage for a myriad of pain and anxiety conditions, meditations, breathing and relaxation techniques, stretches, corrective exercises, postural alignment, ergonomics, and more. You don't need to go anywhere or get anything. Just click on a video and follow along.

Make 2022 the year you take action towards a happier, healthier you. Because when you feel your best, you live your best life, positively affecting and influencing everyone around you. A healthier you means healthier relationships with your family, friends, coworkers, and with yourself.

8-Minute Morning Self-Massage - Relax, Energize, and Start the Day off Right!

While we're talking about starting the year on a healthier path, why not start your day feeling amazing? Join me for this quick, 8-minute self-massage to relax, energize, and fuel our bodies and minds, so we can start the day off right!

What's new with me ...

We were hoping to be done with remote learning, but the year sadly ended with a week of Zoom classes. Sienna was a trooper! Jesse and I double-masked up and went to see Spider-Man: No Way Home. This was our first time at the movies since pre-pandemic, and we were pleased that the theater was mostly empty. AND the movie was AWESOME!