Apart from the anticipated break (although who are we kidding?!), Christmas is like having a puppy.

Very exciting and full of good intentions until you realise it comes with a lot of maintenance, feeding, and generally cleaning up, it can have a really rushed, overwhelming feeling associated with it.

Almost like you have to get everything signed, sealed, and delivered BEFORE the end of the year on top of preparing for Christmas.

Super. Stressful.

So this year I have purposefully not set any ‘resolutions’ for Jan and not allowed myself to be swept up in the flurry of year-end. Instead, I’ve just allowed my December to flow into January (just like it does with every other bloody month of the year!!) with merely a look at what is coming up over the next couple of months.

This has felt much more relaxing and less pressured and something new that I will be taking with me through 2023.

Slowing down to speed up.

One of the best things about last year for me personally was pushing my comfort zones and challenging myself with trying something new.

In January, I joined Crossfit with my friend and together we have kept it going for over a year. The hardest thing initially was the 5.20 am wake-ups but after doing it more and more often, I would just roll out of bed (also repeating Get Up, Get Up, Get Up internally), get dressed in the clothes I laid out the night before, and go.

By no means has it been easy but keeping accountability with a friend, having the support of some super cool people and just the feeling of empowerment it gives me has made it worth it.

I also learned how to do a handstand this year at the age of 39 which has been pretty awesome to boot!

Another new thing that I started was joining a choir.

This pushed me waaaaaaay outside of my comfort zone but with the initial purpose of me ‘finding my voice’ and the support of my girls telling me to just try my best (that comes around to bite you in the arse) I went along.

My first week was nerve-wracking and praying that they weren’t going to ask me to audition but instead asked me: ‘Where do you sing?’ I haven’t sung for YEARS and mainly it has been in the car since school and so I replied: ‘School’. Then they replied: “I mean whether you are a Soprano, Alto, or Tenor?’ Shit. I got it wrong off the bat.

Ah well, I was placed in the Second Soprano group next to a wonderful group of women and that was actually the right place for me. Singing has given me joy. It is impossible to feel sad after you have been singing for an hour and it really is just for fun!

This year I hope to keep challenging myself to try something new and just for fun.

If it is one thing that 2022 taught me is that life can get way too serious and it is also way too short.

We are here on this planet for such a short period of time and as humans, we thrive on change and evolution. If we stay the same and within our safety bubbles, then life can get pretty boring.

Bodies don’t do that well either. Sometimes we are staying in these patterns of not trying new things because we have been told in the past that we can’t or that we shouldn’t for a few reasons. What I would say to that story is ‘Is it ACTUALLY your truth?’

So many times we just follow a story that we have been told or led to believe about ourselves but never really questioned it before. For example, you may think ‘’I could never try Zumba as I’m not that coordinated and my back won’t handle it.’ Chances are that you CAN be coordinated if you gradually expose your body to this, go slow and build up.

Sometimes we just need to mix it up and try something new to keep our minds, bodies, and spirit alive and updating.

Perhaps this week, month, or year you will be called upon to try something new and challenge the stories that you have been told(or what you tell yourself) about yourself.

It may be scary, certainly awkward but trust that you are adaptable, resilient, and quite frankly freakin’ amazing and your body is much more capable than you give it credit for.

Who knows?

By giving things a go you may just find your new favourite thing to do whether it be handstands, yoga, or singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Happy New Year Everyone and wishing you all the very best for this year to come. If you would like support with challenging these stories and getting into the zone of trying something new then get in touch and book that appointment if your pelvic health is holding you back.

We are here for you to help you reach your full potential.

Emma & The Full Circle Physio Team x