My New Year’s Resolutions for Scoliosis Care (and More)

Dec 19

It’s almost 2024! And in the spirit of the new year, I’m sharing some of my goals and resolutions. Some of them are scoliosis-specific and some are more personal. But I hope that by sharing them here, I can give myself a little bit of proactive accountability — and maybe give you a little inspiration for your own goals.

Resolution #1: Get Craniosacral Therapy Once a Month

Craniosacral therapy is a massage approach that’s designed to help release tension in your body’s connective tissue. It’s not intense, deep-tissue work like traditional massage. Instead, it’s gentle and focuses on the areas of your body that need attention.

This type of massage can be very effective, especially if you find traditional massage too uncomfortable for your curve. Plus, the positive results last longer in my experience than the benefits of traditional massage. So I’m committing to scheduling craniosacral therapy for myself once a month.

Resolution#2: Allowing Myself to Rest

This is so hard for me — and I hear the same thing from many of my clients. It’s hard for me to allow myself to take breaks and relax. For a while, I was exercising every day and never allowing myself to take a rest day. Getting COVID broke me of that habit, and it was honestly an important wake-up call for me.

So for 2024, I’m committed to listening to my body and doing what’s best for me — without judging myself or feeling like I’m being “lazy.”

On days that I’m in pain or exhausted, I’m not going to “push through the pain” — I’m going to choose something that serves my body better on those days. It might be Pilates, scoliosis breathing exercises, or just taking an entire day to rest.

Clarifying Scoliosis Limitations

It’s easy for scoliosis care providers to focus on protecting our clients from things that can hurt them. We often remind clients to avoid end-range bending and twisting movements.

But I think that sometimes we go a little overboard and make people scared to do anything. And that’s something I really want to avoid this year. I want to help all of us with scoliosis focus on the things that we can do — not just our limitations.

Resolution #3: Spend Time With Friends in Person

I’m also committing to making time to see my friends in person once a month. Some of my close friends live far away, and while we’re good about connecting virtually, it’s not the same as in-person interaction. So one of my goals for 2024 is to make sure I make time in my schedule to connect in person with my friends who live close by.

Resolution #4: Disconnecting From Social Media

I’m not entirely opting out of social media. But I am taking steps to limit the time I spend there. So my goal for 2024 is to disconnect from social media on the weekends. Even though I use social media as part of my business, it’s easy for me to fall into the trap of scrolling through my feeds all the time.

So next year, my weekends are reserved for activities other than social media. I’m planning on reading and spending time with my husband and friends.

Resolution #5: Creating More Hygge

Hygge comes from Danish culture, and it’s the idea of creating coziness to encourage contentment and comfort. I’m trying to cultivate more hygge in my home — and in my body.

For me, that means adding more cozy elements to my home, like candles and blankets. It means listening to my body and doing what I need to do to care for myself. And it means incorporating more care into my coaching to help my client feel more comfortable and content.

Do You Have Scoliosis Goals for Next Year?

If you’re planning to spend more time and energy caring for your curve next year, I’d love to help! I offer several different scoliosis programs, from weekly live virtual workouts and small-group coaching.

I’m starting Open Enrollment (with discounted rates) for all of my virtual programs in January. Make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter so you know when Open Enrollment starts!

And if you want to stay up-to-date on scoliosis topics, listen to my podcast, Ahead of the Curve. Subscribe to get every episode when it airs!