This is part of a two-part blog post series. Check out the first three days in The 7-Day Alignment Challenge: Part One.

Taking a moment out of our day to tune in to how we’re impacted by our daily routine and lifestyle priorities is often overlooked. However, these tiny aspects of our daily routine – when slightly out of alignment -- can have rippling adverse effects throughout the rest of our life.

At the heart of holistic chiropractic care is the idea of the body’s physical and physiological interconnectedness. Just as a joint issue or vertebrae irregularity can cause seemingly-unrelated referred pain, other health issues, or even mood swings – so too can the various silos of our daily life bleed ill-effects into one another.

Chiropractors focus on finding and treating the root cause of pain – not simply playing catch-up with the surface symptoms.

By incorporating this theory into our personal lives as well we can learn to identify where we may need to make a priority shift or a habit change to feel better in all areas of our life.

This 7-day alignment plan is designed to help you tackle a different area of your life, one day at a time, and reflect on any misalignment.

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Day 4: Work

Since many of us spend most of our waking hours in an office or doing work, the power it can hold over our physical and mental well-being can be momentous.

Whether our work is fulfilling, and we wake up to our dream job every day, or whether we are stuck in a temporary, unmotivating position – work can cause problems.

Those who love what they do can often forget what a work-life balance should look like. Commitment to their passion can come in the form of a side-hustle taking up just as much time as a day job or a full-time career coming home with them at night.

If you find yourself in the other boat, feeling like your trapped in a career with bad hours, unfulfilling work, or a difficult work environment – you’re likely counting down the days until you can forget about the office politics until tomorrow morning.

Since the work we do is how we get our paycheck, it can sometimes feel like no matter what situation we’re in, we have no power to change it. However, as soon as we start taking action to improve our work situation and enjoying our work time just as much as our leisure time, that sense of agency will be the catalyst to getting our work life back on track.

Reflection question of the day if you work too much: What are the things I’m missing out on when I’m working longer than I should be? Am I still able to do a good job and earn my paycheck even if I work fewer hours or establish clear boundaries between work and home?

Reflection question of the day if you aren’t happy with your job: Is the issue the job itself or another workplace environment problem? Is there a way I could possibly improve my work environment by simply asking my supervisor? If I need to find a new job – what are baby steps I can take today to get on that track: attend a networking event, sign up for continuing education?

Day 5: Friends & Family

Friends and family are one of the greatest joys in life. There are few things better than sharing a cup of coffee with an old friend or taking a walk with a loved family member.

However, even friends and family can sometimes cause stressors which leak into other aspects of our life.

Sometimes, we don’t take enough time for these little moments of joy with friends and family. We say we don’t have time for the people who have made us who we are.

On the other hand, sometimes a strained relationship with friends or family can result from a lack of boundaries. Although it can be one of the most difficult conversations to have, overwhelming friends or family members can cause unnecessary strain and stress that ultimately leave us feeling guilty, resentful, or just plain exhausted.

Reflection question of the day: Who is the friend or family member you feel most guilty about?

If you feel guilty you don’t devote enough attention to them, try replacing “I don’t have time for [insert name]” with “[insert name] is not a priority in my life,” and see what the perspective switch is.

If you feel guilty because your friend/family member is walking all over you, determine if you have ever expressed your boundaries or needs to them. Establishing boundaries that are broken by others is one thing but failing to communicate them in the first place is a preventable offense.

Day 6: Clutter

According to Psychology Today, cluttered living space can cause unhealthy eating, poorer mental health, less efficient thinking and visual processing, and even low subjective well-being.

Who knew that overflowing laundry basket or that stack of unopened mail could be contributing to our fatigue, depression, and physical health?

Clutter is perhaps the best metaphorical stressor – how can we expect to think clearly or have an organized schedule if we can’t even walk down our hallway without tripping over stray items?

Clutter never happens intentionally, which means mitigating clutter must be especially intentional. A few small, pro-active steps to reduce clutter will instantly lower your stress hormone cortisol and have you feeling motivated to keep your space – and mind – clear.  

Reflection question of the day: When you wake up in the morning or get home from work, what are the three spaces in your home that you immediately see? Do those areas spark feelings of calm and order or do they contribute to the pile of mental clutter in your brain? Tackle one of these areas today.

Day 7: Leisure Time

With so many other areas of our life we need to tend to – who has the spare time to relax?

Leisure time is perhaps the most overlooked activity in our day-to-day. Sometimes, we can trick ourselves into think that our morning jog or that reading for our networking book club is leisurely. However, when we look a little closer, these dual-purpose activities are just self-improvement in disguise.

What about the activities you just want to do – not because they help you get better at something or because they’re the new fad or because they help you keep up your image. What hobby are you neglecting? Which of your heart’s callings are you shutting up because you don’t see how it has any value?

The case for taking more time to do only something that we want to do or nothing at all is strong. Scheduling in regular leisure time is shown to improve quality of life, maintain a healthy weight, build family unity, boost positive thinking, improve communication skills, and increase self-confidence and self-esteem.

That sure seems like a lot of benefits for something that you thought wasn’t important enough to schedule into your day.

Reflection question of the day: What are the five games or activities that you loved to do most as a child? Pick one of the items from the list and schedule an hour this week to do it. Can you make this “play date” a weekly (or even daily) habit?

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As this realignment challenge ends, do not neglect the insights you stumbled upon this week. Make a list of those areas in your life where you most often tend to fall out of alignment.

The next time you notice that you’re extra tired or irritable or sore and aren’t sure why to take a moment to find the root cause of this surface symptom and take back the power in ensuring life is on the track you want it to be.

Dr. J.P. Yurgel, D.C. of Hands of Hope Chiropractic & Wellness Center located in Fredericksburg, VA invites you to get started on your re-alignment journey. Schedule an appointment today.