I had been putting off a job for sometime at home, and every day I couldn’t forget about it, because it was sat there on the front windowsill in my living room which I had to walk by. I knew if I didn’t do something about it soon its health was going to significantly deteriorate until it may be too late.
That may sound a little dramatic and you may be wondering, “what on earth are you talking about Sarah?!” Well I’m actually referring to my houseplant!
Some of you may know already but if you don’t, I love plants! And I know many of you who read this do as well so you may be able to relate to why I am so fond of them!
I have over 20 plants in my house currently, and living in quite a small two up, two down house, means there are at least 3 plants in each room! Not only are they beautiful to look at and bring calm energy to the house, but studies have shown that plants can be effective to help purify the air. They absorb carbon dioxide and they can also absorb other pollutants in the air. So for me it makes sense from a health perspective to have them, and I enjoy taking care of them (although I had clearly become a little lazy when it came to this particular plant).
So let’s go back to the plant on the windowsill.
Every day it was bugging me. The leaves were starting to go brown and I could tell it had outgrown its pot. And like humans, they need essential things to survive such as water, soil which provides the right nutrients, sunlight to provide its energy and the correct surrounding environment such as temperature and space etc. I was watering the plant as needed, it was getting enough sunlight, and the room was at the right temperature, but the soil had been taken over by its roots and it didn’t have the space to deal with its growth which is why it was starting to wilt.
When I finally got around to addressing it, I had to physically cut the pot away from the base of the roots. It had grown so tightly into the space, it had actually deformed the plastic and I couldn’t simply tip it upside down to ease the plant out (at this point I felt very guilty that I had left it for this long!) When I did eventually rip the pot away, I realised it was no wonder the plant was starting to wilt, its environment just wasn’t going to sustain it!
So why am I telling you this story?
Taking the time to look after my plant really made me see how similar plants are to humans. Plants are living organisms like us and have the essential needs like us to keep it alive. Granted we are a lot more complex, but we still need the correct input of water, nutrients, oxygen, and environment to allow our body to function optimally.
Similar to the plant, can you see if one area of our life is not being addressed, for example water or nutrition, it is going to have an impact on your health overall? We may not have the wilting leaves to show us we are lacking something, but we may get other symptoms such as lack of energy, we start to develop aches and pains, we become irritable, bloated, or we just don’t feel as vibrant as we once did just to name a few. These are all little alarm bells to let us know that something needs to change.
It is easy for these small warning signs to go unnoticed. With many of us living a fast-paced life, it is not surprising that we don’t really think about them because we are so busy doing other things, or we think of them as ‘normal’. But if these areas continue to go unnoticed over a long period of time, it is likely they will start to snowball, and similar to the plant starting to wilt, our body will provide some real warning signs that it needs addressing.
So my challenge for you today is to take a few minutes today, and each day for you to check in with yourself. Just sit, stand, lie, whatever feels right for you, but I would recommend you do this in silence, and really focus on your body and listen.
Whilst doing it, ask yourself how does your body feel right now? Are you thirsty or hungry? Is your neck sore or back a little achy? If so, what can you change to help it? This could be as simple as drinking more water, changing your sitting position, making a conscious effort to stand up more. It will be unique for all of us, but having this self-awareness and making small changes really will have a big impact on whether your body is just surviving or thriving.
We are fortunate to meet and take care of many people at Epoch Lincoln, who usually visit due to some form of ache or pain which is having an impact on their life, and through specific chiropractic care we often see great results. But as part of care we also take a holistic approach to health and provide recommendations alongside. We do this because we believe spine health is a key area to help keep the body thriving, but without the other aspects being addressed also like the correct movement, nutrition etc, the body won’t heal and thrive as it should.
I hope this blog has provided you some food for thought and it wasn’t too out there! Small steps really can make a big difference when it comes to health and it doesn’t need to be a huge overhaul. If you are looking for some inspiration on where to start, why not check out our previous blogs here.
And finally in case you were wondering (!), I am pleased to say that since re-potting the plant in fresh soil and a larger pot, it is now thriving again! It really is great to see and I’m thankful for the reminder.
I hope you have a healthy and happy week ahead.
With love,
Sarah
