Happy New Year!

I’m sending you happy 2014 wishes from the other side of the world – in Hong Kong – where New Year’s resolutions start 13 hours earlier!

While most New Year’s resolutions are broken rather quickly, how about taking a different approach to your resolutions this year by first identifying how you personally handle change best?

Are you the kind of person who tends to jump in with both feet?

Or do you find that making change bit-by-bit is more your style?

In The Stress Remedy book, I have a whole chapter on supporting your success with change.

After all, when patients hear about the changes I’m suggesting, they sometimes become overwhelmed. I remind them there are always multiple ways to achieve optimal health – there is no one way, and certainly no wrong way!

The key is to know yourself: how much change can you tolerate at once?

If you’re thinking of cutting back on gluten, for example, you might start by making just one meal each day gluten-free. Or you could start by cutting down gluten by 50 percent. Or you might, say, “I’m in this all the way!” and throw out all the gluten in your kitchen at once.

Which choice is right for you? That depends on your individual temperament, the current state of your health, and your life circumstances.

The important thing is for you to understand what your body needs and then feel empowered to take charge of the process of change at your own pace.

The overall goal, after all, is to achieve long-lasting optimization of your health, not a short-lived start followed by a year of stress about your health.

Tips to creating a resolution that lasts all year:

▪ First clarify your values and goals
▪ Consider how you best implement change in your life
▪ Identify doable steps that you know you can accomplish
▪ Keep your written goals and steps where you can see them
▪ Assess your progress, adjust and keep going

I find that the more you understand about yourself, your body, and what it needs to be well, the easier it is to implement change. That’s why these are important concepts in The Stress Remedy book.

What do you find helps you achieve your goals? Please do share your thoughts below.

Here’s to your 2014!!

May it be shiny and bright, and filled with empowered wellness, naturally.

Dr. Doni