Cha Cha Changes in Life...

Change is an undeniable force that impacts everything.

Changes through life are sometimes dramatic, sometimes not so much.  Sometimes change is small, not too significant but still a change.  Sometimes change is HUGE and sends us for a loop!

Some change is good...a new job, a new home, a new diet, a new exercise routine, a new attitude!  Some change isn't so good...a divorce, a death, an illness, living in the same old rut.  All depends on how you look at it.

If you're struggling with changes in your life, good or bad, sit back, reflect on where you've been, look ahead to where you're going and live in the now ~ I'm sure you'll see some happy moments in all 3 places if you think about it hard enough.  ;-)

Relax, Rest, Regenerate, Renew, Revive AAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH

Relax means:

~ to become less tense, rigid, or firm.

~ to become less strict or severe; grow milder.

~ to reduce or stop work, effort, application, etc., especially for the sake of rest or recreation.

~ to release oneself from inhibition, worry, tension, etc.

Relax was the key word for my Valentines Day weekend.  And ya know what…it was good!  We do not do it often, the kind of "relax" where you LEAVE the house and the worries of life behind and drive to a nearby (so you are not road weary) destination and relax!  It was all a surprise for me, a very nice surprise that was pulled off with some help but still he did good!

So I was thinking about how important it is to relax as part of stress relieve.  We all get stressed out sometimes and need to just get away, check out from reality, take a break from life, if only for a few hours.

Stress seems to rule our days, to rule our weeks, to rule our months and it’s time to do something about it!  Come on, I know you know what I am blogging about.  You wake up stressing over this or that on a regular basis.  Don't ya?!  You can admit it!!

Why is reducing stress so important?  Because it is not healthy for you and wellness is our focus here peeps!  Overall well being of our mind, body and soul.  I’m here to educate, empower and encourage you to handle your stress!  So here's some stress fighting tips:

Relax ~ Just do nothing, do not think about the stresses of life, it can be for an hour, a day or an entire weekend, just do it!  Leave the cell phones, office stuff and worries of world in a box and don't open the lid!

Breathe ~ Sit up straight, close your eyes and inhale and exhale, nice and easy, then repeat 10 times.  3 deep breathes like this before you begin to consume your meal can go a long way too!

Eat Chocolate ~ A piece of dark chocolate might be just the nibble you need to brighten your outlook and reduce stress. (milk chocolate doesn’t count)  Did I mention we did “Death by Chocolate” this weekend?!  Yeah baby!

Soothing Scents  ~ To calm those nerves in an instant, try inhaling aromas from lavender or peppermint oils.

Take a Bath ~  Hydrotherapy has been practiced for years.  Its healing and restorative powers are great. To make your tub-time extra therapeutic, sprinkle in a handful of bath salts, turn down the lights, turn on some relaxing music, light an aromatherapy candle and LOCK THE BATHROOM DOOR AND THROW AWAY THE KEY!!  ;-)

Get Moving  ~  Even if it’s the last thing you feel like doing go for a brisk walk!  A walk is one of the quickest, most effective ways to reduce stress.  Pound it out!

Go to Your HaPpY pLaCe ~ When you feel tension throughout your body, calm those nerves by closing your eyes and picturing your happy place.  I like to go the beach, hear the waves crashing, feel the sand between my toes and the sun on my face.  There is usually a little umbrella drink in my hand too!  The mind can be very powerful sometimes!
 

Now that I've shared some relaxing, stress fighting tips I'd like to thank the owner and staff of The Refuge Inn www.refugeinn.com for the wonderful accommodations, the owner and staff of Waterside Inn for the sweet hospitality and awesome finish line of the Death by Chocolate trail and to all the local merchants that participated in the event.

STRESS!!

It has been a stressful week for me........how do I handle it you might ask!

There are MANY stress relief options. 

How do I handle it?!

Prayer, that is the first place I go.  Into my prayer closet where I can release my stress and lift it up to HIM because anything over my head is still under HIS feet....besides HE already knows.

I also like to exercise my stress away.  Obviously life has been going to smoothly lately.  LOL
Seriously, a brief walk or bike ride really can be a stress reliever for me.  I can just clear my mind during this time of walking or riding.

Another way I like to relieve stress....go for a ride in the car.  Sometimes I am topless ~ wind blowing in my hair, enjoying fresh air and breathing in the fresh smells of the world!  (sometimes those smells include the chicken coops, oops)  Other times the top is up, I am in the passenger seat and I am just enjoying what HE has made.  How can you live in a place like Salisbury where the city is a little busy and in just a couple of miles you are out of town and in the country?  We are blessed to have the country so near, to be able to stop at farms and buy fresh produce!!

My friend use to just drive over the new bridge in Charleston, SC and this helped clear her mind.

Is this running away from our stress/problems?  I don't think so, I think it is coping with it.

How ever you deal with stress is up to you, these are just a couple of things that help me.  We can not continue to live in the stress of life, we need to release it sometimes, to see a different view, to refresh ourselves.  Life is a journey we take one day at a time.  Live it!!

Happy New Year!

How did we get to 2013 so soon?!

Did you make those resolutions?

Are you keeping those resolutions on day 10?! 

Maybe January should be used to do some goal settings for the year....
short term goals
long term goals

goals for fitness, health, wealth, better habits, less bad habits ~ the list goes on and on and on

Life is about balance, you have to have balance in all areas to be walking through it in peace and harmony.  I'm game for peace and harmony!  Are you?

It's not too late to start working on putting things in order to have a happy, healthy, prosperous 2013.

It's your future, be there healthy!

Kevin McKamey Chiropractor Salisbury Maryland

Kevin McKamey, DC and wife Julie

Dr Kevin McKamey

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Compassion, Attention to Details and Experience with a Determination to get to the Root of the CAUSE!

Car accident led me to become a Chiropractor

I was a chiropractic patient long before deciding to leave a career in the maritime industry and enroll in chiropractic college in 2004. I received my first chiropractic adjustment some 25 years earlier in 1985. 

I was a few weeks into my post-operative recovery from rotator cuff surgery to my right shoulder, when I was rear ended by another driver while stopped at a traffic signal. Over the next several days I experienced headaches, neck, mid back and shoulder pain with muscle spasms and stiffness. 

At the suggestion of my father, I sought the care of a Doctor of Chiropractic. Diagnosed with a Whiplash injury to the spine and postsurgical soft tissue trauma to the shoulder I entered into a year long treatment regime which brought about complete restoration of function and range of motion to my spine and shoulder.

Chiropractic treatments kept me from having surgery for a herniated lumbar disc. 

I again referred to chiropractic care when I  herniated a lumbar disc a few years later. After an orthopedic surgical consultation, during which a stabilization procedure was recommended, I decided to elect conservative care. After researching outcomes of lumbar surgery and talking to several people who had undergone invasive procedures, I felt the risks were too great. The outcome was positive in less than half of those who underwent lumbar fusion surgery and I didn’t like those odds. Chiropractic treatments helped me overcome the pain associated with my disc problems and strengthen and restore function of my low back. Twenty years later I remain essentially symptom free with regular chiropractic adjustments and an arsenal of maintenance exercises.

Chiropractic Education and Philosophy

With a desire to help others and an opportunity to make a career change I plotted a new course in life. There had been a long time interest in natural healing and I held a belief that GOD had created us to live a much longer healthier life than most of us do. The idea that “the power that made the body, heals the body” resonated strongly with me. Chiropractic philosophy held that premise as truth and with encouragement from my wife Julie, my chiropractor in Charleston, SC and a host of friends and family I mailed an application and was accepted to Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Missouri. I left my job on the Charleston waterfront and in 2004 my family and I moved to Ballwin, MO just minutes from the Logan campus. Logan College happened to offer exactly what I needed, a basic science program leading to a Bachelors Degree and a comprehensive, accredited Doctoral curriculum with an opportunity to complete my Masters degree.

A little bit about me 

I possess a wide variety of life experience, something that lends well to interacting with a diverse patient base. I am  a 10+ year veteran of the United States Navy Submarine Service where I served as a submarine weapons systems technician on USS Benjamin Franklin SSBN 640, USS Woodrow Wilson SSBN 624 and USS Grayling SSN 624. I also served as an enlisted tactics instructor at the Naval Submarine School in New London, CT. I hold a US Merchant Mariners document as an Able Seaman Unlimited Tonnage and a Masters License (Captain) from the United States Coast Guard allowing me to command passenger and other commercial vessels up to 500 Gross Tons in coastal and near coastal waters. My experiences as a husband, father, Captain and member of the Armed Forces have given me patience, compassion and dedication with a keen focus and attention to details.

My family

As a family we have always enjoyed the outdoors. When the boys were young we were deeply involved in Little League baseball. Not inclined towards watching television to excess we spent much of our recreational time out of doors enjoying bicycling, swimming, fishing, hiking and exploring. We have visited numerous State and National Parks across the United States and spent countless hours driving through the countryside of this great land. Julie and I continue to enjoy drives along the back roads enjoying everything the area has to offer. Assateauge Beach has become one of our favorite destinations.

Thank you for taking time to visit this blog!

So How'd That Food Journal Work Out For You??

Did you keep it for a week?
Did it help you pinpoint some eating problem times?
What ya think?
Gonna do it again this week?


I found for myself it was an excellent tool to show my perfection mess of an eating plan I have!  Oh wait, I have no plan so that is part of the problem.  Let me just say each morning started out well.  Same boring thing.  Java times two.  Lunch was later in the day and usually kicked off an eating frenzy until bedtime.  ;-(  By Friday I stopped writing in my journal all together.  Here it is Tuesday and did I start writing anything this week?  um no.  As I have declared already I know what to do, how to do it but I don't always do that which is right when it comes to my own wellness.  So what am I gonna do the rest of the day today?  Track my food intake!  Why wait until the morning?!  Are you with me?  I have stumbled ~ thanks for picking me up so we can carry on together!