3 Keys to a Healthy Relationship
Relationships make the world go round. We have all experienced heartbreaking, unkind, waste-of-time relationships, but luckily they are usually balanced out by the amazing, beautiful, healthy relationships in our lives. I want you to think of some of the most important relationships in your life right now. Is there one that stands out as the healthiest? Whether it is with your spouse, significant other, best friend or family member…I am willing to bet that all of our healthy relationships have a few things in common: open communication, trust and the willingness to take care of one another.
Now I want to bring a relationship to your awareness that you may not have thought of just now, and perhaps it is the most important relationship in your life: your relationship with yourself. I am willing to bet that most of us want to ensure that our relationship with ourself is as healthy as possible, but what are the steps we are taking to make sure? Does your relationship with yourself have open communication, trust and the willingness to take care of yourself? What do these even mean when pertaining to oneself and one’s health? Well, let’s take a closer look.
1. Open communication: The most important communication system in the body is our nerve system, it is how our brain communicates to the rest the body and the body back up to the brain so that every bodily function can be carried out exactly as it should be. Stress in the body can lead to disconnections in this communication system and our bodies are not able to function as efficiently as possible. Regular chiropractic adjustments ensure that our internal communication system is clear, connected and free of stress. This may be the most important thing you can do to build a healthy relationship with your body because without efficient communication, no relationship can thrive.
2. Trust: Sometimes we forget just how intelligent our bodies are. At every moment in time, your body is running thousands of functions and processes and it knows exactly how, when and when not to run them. Our heart continues to beat, our food gets digested, our immune systems fight off infections, and we probably have taken this for granted in the past. So in order to enhance the health of your relationship with yourself, I am inviting you to trust in your body, trust that it knows what to do and that it knows better than any pill or potion. When we start to trust the intelligence within, we can start to really express true health, rather than suppress symptoms.
3. Respect: Do you respect yourself and your health as much as you do others? Some people are willing to do so much for their partner or their family, but don’t show the same respect and care for themselves. Ask any health expert about how to balance all the things in your life and you will hear the words “self-care.” From showering, getting haircuts, eating healthy food and getting enough sleep to doing things that make you happy, creating a respectful relationship with yourself means drowning out the outside noise, and listening to what your body needs in the moment. If that means yoga instead of strength training, listen. If that means a big cup of coffee and a donut instead of your usual morning green shake, listen. If that means taking yourself out to dinner and a movie because you need a mental break, listen. Listening to and respecting yourself is a practice, the more you do it the better you get at it so that you can be the best version of yourself for yourself, and for those who you love.
Dr. Morgan Oberstein owns and operates Connection Cafe: A Chiropractic Center in Union City, CA. She is certified in the Webster technique by the ICPA and she specializes in providing prenatal and pediatric care.
