Stress Management - New Series



You won't know if you've attained a goal
if you haven't written it down.



What makes 3% of the population successful, 30% moderately successful and the other 67% just exist? Well, according to Harvard Business School researchers, the 3% who are successful have concrete goals that they’ve written down. The 30% who are moderately successful have some type of plan. But the remaining 60% are merely accepting life as it’s dished out to them.

There are many reasons (excuses?) why people avoid setting goals: not enough time, no clear idea of what they want, fear of success, fear of failure, others’ expectations of them and lack of focus. Ironic, since feelings of powerlessness and the inability to control outcomes cause us the most stress. Setting goals could help.

It’s important to write down your goals. Don’t leave them as vague feelings in your head! Each goal must be personal and clearly stated. You cannot be successful if you are not sure what you want. Nor will you ever know if you’ve attained it! This will only cause more frustration.

Dr. Joseph Mercola of the Optimal Wellness Center outside of Chicago offers these suggestions for setting and achieving goals: 

• Decide on the exact goal you want to achieve
• Write it down clearly and in as much detail as possible
• Set a deadline to achieve the goal, with measurable steps if it is a large one
• Make a list of all that you need to do in order to achieve the goal
• Put all those “action” steps in order, by priority and sequence
• Take immediate action on the most important item in your list
• Do something each day towards attaining your goal

Goal setting doesn’t have to be time consuming or elaborate. In fact, the simpler, the better. The point is, you’ll never get to where you want to go if you don’t have a clear sense of where you are headed. It’s just that simple – so get started!

Endometriosis

Resolving back pain may also improve nerve supply
to reproductive organs, improving fertility.

At first, it may appear to be coincidental. You are having trouble becoming pregnant and you also have a problem with low back pain. Are they related? Can low back pain actually be a factor? The answer to the first question may be "yes," while the answer to the second question is more along the lines of, "The cause of your infertility may also be the cause your lower back pain."

Many women have problems conceiving because of a condition known as endometriosis. In fact, endometriosis is the cause for 30-40% of female infertility. This condition occurs when uterine tissue, known as endometrium, attaches itself to tissue and organs outside the uterus, including other reproductive organs, the bladder and the gastrointestinal tract. While the primary symptom of endometriosis is painful menstruation, back pain may result as well.

Obviously, it is imperative for you to see a health care professional when either one or both of these conditions are present. If your diagnosis is endometriosis, chiropractic care may reduce much of the pain and discomfort associated with it. In addition, several chiropractic case studies have documented cases in which infertile women have become pregnant after starting chiropractic care.