Was simplifying your life part of your New Year's resolutions?  If so here are some things you can do this week to make life a little easier.

1. To Do Lists: Often we feel the most overwhelmed by our to-do lists. They sit in the back of our mind and drain our energy. A valuable exercise to eliminate this feeling of overwhelm is to write down everything you want to get done. Writing them down has the psychological impact of getting it out of your head and this will immediately help you feel less stressed. Then pick 1-2 items that you can accomplish without much effort and complete them. Then physically cross them off the list. You will feel a sense of accomplishment. Continue working through your list, a little at a time.
2. Email: Clean out your inbox. If you have unread messages, delete/mark as read anything older than 30 days. If you haven’t read them in the last 30 days, they probably aren’t important. Go through the remaining unread emails and unsubscribe from any providers you no longer wish to receive email from. Set aside 1 hour for this task. Having a clean inbox will immediately make you feel less anxiety.
3. Clean out your closet: Go through your clothes and get rid of anything you no longer wear and donate them to a local charity. It will feel great to have a clean closet and those less fortunate will be grateful for the clothing. Be sure to get a receipt from the charity organization if you itemize your taxes.
4. Eliminate the extras: Carve out 1 hour this week to spend time reflecting on what is most important to you and what you can eliminate from your life or ask for help accomplishing. We often take on too many tasks. Many of us find it hard to say no. Once you have spent time reflecting, make 3 lists. The first list should be what needs to be done that you enjoy doing. The second list should be what needs to be done that you don’t enjoy doing. The third list should be things that don’t need to be done. Keep the first list for yourself. Recruit help on accomplishing the second list and eliminate the third list.
5. Me time: Often we feel stressed and overwhelmed because we feel like there are so many things to get done that we don’t take any down time for ourselves. It is very important to carve out some “me time”. Here are some suggestions on things you can do: Watch a favorite movie, take a walk around your neighborhood, call an old friend, take a long bath, schedule a massage. By taking time for yourself, you are creating the space to continue giving to those around you.

Deep tissue massage is a focused, therapeutic massage that targets muscle knots (also known as "adhesions") and specific problem areas in the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue.
This type of massage is particularly beneficial for people with chronic pain or lingering injuries that cause limited mobility. It's effective in treating repetitive stress injuries such as tennis elbow or carpal tunnel syndrome and can be helpful in reducing the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
If you or someone you love is in pain, a deep tissue massage can help relieve the discomfort. 

Do you have to be a hard core athlete to get a sports massage? No. The idea behind sports massage is to manipulate the body's soft tissues, and focus on certain muscle groups depending on which sport someone is playing. This type of massage can help with increased blood flow, increased range of motion, and increased flexibility. Designed to prevent and treat injuries, improve flexibility, and enhance athletic performance, sports massage can be used by athletes of all abilities to prepare for or recover from athletic or sports events. Even if you aren't an athlete, sports massage may help muscle pain or restricted range of motion.
 
How does sports massage differ from a regular massage? In sports massage, the strokes are generally faster than a typical Swedish massage and may also include compression, pressure point therapy, friction, and joint mobilization.

Sitting at a desk for 9 hours or more can wreak havoc on your posture sending your whole body out of whack! Ideally your ears should be in line with your shoulders. If you're leaning too far forward or backward, your posture is off-kilter. Here are some tips that might help,

1. Place a rolled towel between your lower back and your chair. This will help support your lower back and will help bring your shoulders back in line
2. Take frequent movement breaks. Get up, get a drink of water, and stretch your shoulders.
3. While your working be mindful to also lower your shoulders. Are they up around your ears?
4. Look at your desk. Is your body well supported? Is your keyboard too high or your monitor too low? Are you using a chair that is correct for your height?

Use these tips whenever you're sitting at your desk and your neck and shoulders will thank you for it! ​

Can stretching before going to bed help you sleep better? Many experts agree that it can. Stretching not only makes you more relaxed, but it helps keep your muscles flexible so you're less apt to experience discomfort.
You don't have to devote too much time to stretching. Plan for about 5 minutes of stretching prior to climbing into bed. Many stretches can be performed anywhere. Use these guides to help you establish a regular bedtime stretching routine. https://www.pinterest.com/explore/stretches-before-bed/?lp=true
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Wear loose, comfortable clothing to your next massage appointment. This will help you continue to feel relaxed after your massage and make the process of undressing easier prior to your massage.
Wearing many layers with lots of buttons and zippers is probably not the best option. Instead, try your favorite t-shirt with yoga pants or comfortable sweats.
If you are coming straight from work, pack a bag and bring something comfortable to slip into. Struggling back into a suit or uncomfortable shoes after a massage is a quick way to reduce the relaxation benefits of massage.

The importance of sleep and your physical well-being is astronomical. Most of your former bad habits or prolonged issues can be linked to a lack of sleep.
The risk of obesity rises with those with a sleep deficit. A study in teenagers showed with every hour of sleep lost, the risk for obesity rose. But it's not just teenagers, so you can't blame it on the hormones, but wait, yes, you can, sleep affects those too!
A healthy amount of sleep balances the levels of ghrelin, the hormones that make you feel hungry, and leptin, the hormones that make you feel full. If you wake up in the morning starving, blame it on a not so good night sleep. When you're restless the levels of ghrelin increase and the leptin levels decrease. Sleep can also affect insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Higher blood sugar levels can increase the threat of diabetes.
When you sleep your heart and blood vessels are repairing themselves, and sleep releases a hormone to boost muscle mass.  Continued unrest increases your risk for a host of issues including, heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
The good news is physical activity and your nutrition can aid in a good night's sleep. Activity during the day, not close to bedtime, helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Making sure you don't go to sleep hungry or too full and avoiding alcohol and caffeine eases you into a restful slumber. 

Sure, if you’d like to talk go right ahead. The important thing to remember is that this treatment is all about you relaxing and enjoying the experience. Many therapists discourage talking in hopes that you will relax, let your mind float free and enter a state of massage bliss.
In many instances, people may feel more relaxed starting off talking, and as the massage progresses, enter quiet states of relaxation.
The important issue here is that there are times when you need to speak up. If the therapist is doing anything to make you uncomfortable, you should let her/him know immediately. Also, let him/her know if you get too warm or too cold, if the room is too bright, or if the pressure needs to be changed (lighter or deeper). If something is not working for you – speak up! It’s OK!

Short answer: Yes, please.
Long Answer: Yes, please.
Massage is great. You know this. But it’s not always a great idea.
As cold and flu season approaches again, it’s important that you know when it may be necessary to cancel your appointment.
Why? 
When you are sick, your body needs rest. It’s strange to think about it this way, but  receiving massage is an active task, it is not entirely rest. Massage causes change in the body, and your body has to work to maintain stability.  Getting a massage when you are sick takes attention away from infection-fighting. That’s no good.
You’re not going to be cozy on the massage table.  Sure, it sounds like a warm squishy massage table would be great. But the moment you put your already-stuffy head into that face cradle, you’ll realize the error of your ways. Gravity and pressure are not your friend here. Even if I do a great face massage to drain your sinuses, you’ll likely feel worse when you get off the table.
You could get me sick. Since most of the common winter viruses are contagious  even before symptoms show up, I could pass the germs  along to more clients before I even know it’s happening.
Further, when I get sick, I have to cancel  clients and take a few days off work.   I work for myself, with no paid sick days to compensate for lost wages. Sure, as a responsible business owner I have a fund for these situations. But I would rather use that fund for a jet ski or a fancy new oil holster.  So  I’m gonna try to stay germ-free this winter.
So it’s a deal. You’ll cancel so as not to infect me and my massage room, and I’ll do the same for you. We’ll keep each other safe.
When to cancel
If you have nausea,  vomiting, or diarrhea in the past 24 hours, or are still feeling under the weather  from a recent bout of such things.
If you’ve had a fever in the past 24 hours, or fever-related symptoms. This includes chills, aches, and fatigue. Even if you’re keeping the fever down with medicine, you’re still sick. The fever counts.
If you are itchy, runny, and/or sneezy, and you’re not 100% certain it’s seasonal allergies.. 
If you are coughing constantly, or just a lot.
If someone in your household is ill and you are feeling at all funky, please cancel.
There is often some gray area here, especially if you are in the recovery phase of a virus or bacterial infection.  If you’re unsure about your situation, please call me before your appointment and we can make a decision together.  

It’s not hard to think up great ways to treat yourself. We’d all love a spa day topped off with a meal prepared and served by someone else. Maybe get a sitter for the night, so the little angels are asleep when we get home. Or just a morning where the cat doesn't wake you up by sitting on your windpipe.
 
But for every article about self-care, I roll my eyes at least 12 times and think "Who can afford that?"  Yes, it would be great to have an afternoon to myself and a bucket of fried chicken and a cookie dough chaser. But that's not particularly healthy.
 
I’m all about realistic self-care. That is, activities that aren't expensive, don't involve food, and will make you feel good about how you spent that time. Here's a list of my favorites (bonus: most of these you can do with kids).
 
Meditate, the easy way
 
If you're the kind of person who can't sleep during the day, napping can be more like torture. But guided meditation is a whole other story. It gives your mind something (easy) to do so the rest of you can relax a bit. There are plenty of free guided meditations online. Check out the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center website and the free version of the Headspace app, which has plenty of options to get you started.
 
Read a book
 
When was the last time you read for pleasure? Even if you can't get to your library, there are plenty of free ebooks on Amazon, and your local library may have a free online borrowing program. Or reread some of your favorite books from childhood if you have them hanging around.
 
Learn something
 
If you choose the topic right, learning is great self-care. Pick a topic for FUN. Don't feel like you need to learn something pertinent to your work or a current hobby.  Check out Coursera, MIT or Harvard to start. (But there are PLENTY of sources for free online classes, do your own searching, too!)
 
Draw
 
Bust out a piece for paper and draw something. Even if you don't have fancy pencils or crayons or markers, you can play with shading and pressure and make something cool. There are plenty of free coloring pages you can download and print out.
 
 
YouTube Karaoke
 
For nearly every song out there, there's a karaoke accompaniment channel on YouTube. For reals. Crank it up and let ‘er rip. You’re a stress-free superstar now.
 
 
And when all else fails: Nap
 
Put your jammies on and take a nap. In your bed. Not all jammed up on the couch with the TV on. Close the shades in your bedroom and hunker down for a proper sleep.
 
There. You don’t have to spend money or fill your belly to feel great and treat yourself well!