Mind Body Wellness – MIDYEAR BODY CHECK-IN

Dr. Chad Sato
Hawai‘i Herald Columnist

Spring has been in full bloom and with the recent graduation ceremonies that are starting to take place, signifying the completion of another school year, the transition to relaxing in the summer warmth is finally here. For those interested in astrology, the planet Mercury went into retrograde from May 10 to June 2 and the occurrence of the blood moon lunar eclipse on May 16 also brings some awareness to your values and what’s important in your life. A lunar eclipse often represents breakthroughs that either lead to closures or new opportunities that are available. During the next few months, be aware of any challenges triggering you to face any fears or emotional charges that prompt you to take action. Even if you don’t follow the planets, just take some time to reflect on what’s been happening in the first half of 2022. Have you been feeling more confident in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic or are you still in fear? Recognizing where you are at now, especially since we are officially out of flu season, should give you some sense of what you need to continue or improve on. 

Midyear wellness check

I felt it was an opportune time to do a midyear wellness life check. First look at the intents or resolutions you set in the beginning of the year. Are you on track or are you falling short due to setting unrealistic expectations? Depending on what you value the most probably has come to fruition, while other perceived important goals that failed to be achieved are showing you that it’s not as important as you thought. Just recognize that right now is the ideal time to focus and pursue any dreams or life you truly want. Although summer is traditionally a time to relax and kick up your heels, don’t get complacent regarding your overall state of well-being. By taking some time this weekend to reflect and reassess what is and what is not currently important in your life will pay huge rewards on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level.

Awareness is essential

Your awareness is key to manifesting vibrant health and your ability to thrive during times of uncertainty and challenging moments. Shoring up areas of your life to fortify your overall body constitution on a physical level is of the utmost importance. The next is your mental and emotional wellness – identify and be brutally honest with yourself to determine if you are feeling anxious, depressed, or repressing your anger or fear. Last but not least is your spiritual wellness – doing things on a consistent basis to enhance the spiritual aspect in your life. 

Physical wellness

Just a checklist of ways to maintain and enhance your physical well-being and grade yourself on a scale from 1 to 10; with 10 being the most successful: Best possible score is 60.

1. Are you getting enough restful sleep (8-10 hours)? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
2. Are you drinking at least 8 cups of water per day? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
3. Have you been consistent with a weekly exercise program – cardio conditioning, stretching, muscle building and movement? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
4. Are you monitoring your dietary and caloric intake – limiting the consumption of fast foods, keeping a nice balance of vegetables, whole grains, while limiting refined sugars and alcohol consumption? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
5. Are you taking immune enhancing supplements such as zinc, vitamin C, quercetin, vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
6. Are you also taking some type of probiotic that helps you to keep your gut more alkaline, thus not only fortifying your immune system but at the same time helping you to stay more balanced mentally and emotionally? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)

Mental and emotional wellness

The next crucial factor to shore up is your mental and emotional state of wellness. Just a checklist of ways to maintain and enhance your mental and emotional well-being and grade yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the most successful: Best possible score is 60.

1. Do you make a practice of monitoring your thoughts – focusing on the positive and minimizing the negative? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
2. Are you less anxious and fearful of future events? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
3. Do you surround yourself or interact with people who uplift your mental and emotional state instead of draining you energetically? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
4. Do you limit the amount of mainstream news that you watch and social media exposure? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
5. Are you consistent with doing self-care at least two or more times per week? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
6. When you feel overwhelmed or challenged are you able to see how that current charged situation is benefitting you? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)

Spiritual wellness

The next crucial factor to shore up is your spiritual wellness. Just a checklist of ways to maintain and enhance your spiritual well-being and grade yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the most successful: Best possible score is 60.

1. Do you or have you incorporated a meditation practice? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
2. When you are being challenged or feel emotionally charged are you able to see how these events are happening for you instead of to you? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
3. Do you have a trusted support group who shares similar points of view and faith? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
4. Are you able to see miracles or serendipitous events at least once a day? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
5. Do you take time at the end of each day to identify three things that you are grateful for? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
6. Are you being gentler, kinder, and loving to yourself and others? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)
7. Have you taken a look at your values and checking to see if any has changed? (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10)

After tallying up all three areas of wellness and your final score ranges from 162-190, then excellent job, you are at the 90th percentile. If you got between 144-161 then great job, you are at 80th percentile. If you got between 126-160, then good job, you are at the 70th percentile. If you got a score below 126, there’s room for improvement and hopefully the questions I asked helps to spark an interest in shoring up your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. The one thing that is vital and most essential during uncertain times is connecting to your inner knowing and being solid in your truth. To know thyself and be certain of what your truth is further enhances and deepens your connection to spirit, loved ones and the greater community. It’s amazing how fast time flies and even after this six-month check in, know that you can always press the reset button NOW and focus on thriving in your life instead of just surviving.

Dr. Chad Sato graduated from UCLA in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and earned the Doctor of Chiropractic degree with honors from Life Chiropractic College West in 1998. Sato founded his practice, Aloha Chiropractic (drchadsato.com), in Mānoa valley, Oʻahu, on Oct. 1, 1999. He is a sought-after educator, speaker, author and mind-body specialist who helps people reach new levels of empowerment when it comes to their health and wellness by staying present with their body signs, making appropriate life choices and utilizing stress instead of managing it.