5 Tips to Stick to New Year's Resolutions

Say goodbye to half-finished goals and abandoned resolutions. Seriously! The days of forsaken new year’s resolutions are no longer.  

As we enter the month of February, it is safe to say that the new year is in full swing. Alas, it is also probably safe to assume that those oh-so-optimistic new year’s resolutions are hitting that mid-February slump. 

If you can relate, don’t fret! Because we can too. (And according to US News, 80% of resolution-ers are right there with us!) 

When they’re made with such good intentions, how do our goals for getting fit, taking care of ourselves, and improving our lives become so elusive? What is it about new year’s resolutions that makes them so terribly hard to stick to?
Well, the answer is incredibly simple. (And the solution: even simpler.) Lucky for you, we’re going to do a deep dive on getting those new year’s resolutions to stick.

If Your Goal Relates to Movement

It is probably a shock to none to hear that many new year’s resolutions involve movement and improving one’s health and fitness. From dieting to joining a gym to jogging twice a week to finally trying out that spin class, there are all sorts of fitness-related goals that people make. 

But of course, how many of these goals stick? 

The truth of the matter is that any kind of major change creates a bit of emotional friction that you and your body must be prepared to handle. Your goals to exercise more or follow a trendy new diet are doomed to fail if you haven’t readied yourself to handle the inevitable stress and discomfort that comes with such lifestyle changes. 

In other words: unless you first change your mindset, you can’t expect your health and fitness goals to magically materialize. 

If your goals reflect drastic changes to your daily routine — say exercising significantly more or following a strict diet plan — they can cause you severe emotional stress and anxiety. Your body, quite literally, will start to panic. 

To combat such things from happening, it is important to make sure that your goals are accessible. If you haven’t gone on a run since high school, maybe don’t resolve to run five days a week. Instead, commit to running just once a week, say on Sunday afternoons. 

By ensuring your goals are realistic and accessible, you are more likely to be able to foster the mental and emotional capacity needed to achieve them. 

Similarly, if your goal is simply to exercise more, you might overwhelm your body and your brain with its vastness and breadth. To make this goal more manageable — and less overwhelming! — you could join a class through our Boutique Fitness Studio instead.

R+R’s Boutique Fitness Studio offers high-quality classes (ranging from barre to Pilates to yoga to HIIT and more!) that welcome all fitness levels. The instructors are ultra-knowledgeable, and it is their job to design workout programs that work for you and your body. 

Bonus: Since we only offer smaller classes, there’s an instant accountability factor making you less likely to skip. In addition, you get that 1:1 coaching and motivation often missed in larger studios where you can easily become (and remain) anonymous.

If regular movement is a new addition to your lifestyle, a fitness studio is a terrific way to ease yourself into it. By submitting your movement goals to someone else’s guidance and expertise, your mind is released from the pressure to simply figure it all out itself. 

If Your Goal Relates to Self-Care

Another ultra-popular new year’s resolution — especially after the year or two we’ve been through — is crafting a self-care regime.

While there is a lot of jabber surrounding what you should be including in your self-care routine, the key is to fill it with activities that you love and will look forward to after a long day. 

If you commit to things simply because they’re trendy, you won’t be as motivated to stick to them. Instead, you should incorporate activities in your self-care routine that recharge and make you, personally, feel good. Here are some ideas:

• Gratitude journaling

• Practicing yoga or another kind of movement 

• Sweating it out in an infrared sauna

• Taking daily walks around the neighborhood

• Enrolling in a dance class

• Getting holistic bodywork done (which, for those of you who might not know, brings alignment and balance through physical movement and emotional integration, working to dissipate tension throughout the body and regulate the nervous system)

• Treating yourself to a clean blow dry bar

• Relaxing with a detoxifying foot soak

Sure, we might be a smidge biased, but if any of those sound good to you, we encourage you to consider an R+R membership. Just like a fitness studio makes it easier to tackle your exercise goals, our memberships are carefully curated to help you heal, optimize, and thrive in the realm of relaxation, restoration, and self-care.

And as an R+R member, you’re able to maximize our offerings (those listed above and so many more!) for a fabulous discount.  

5 Tips for Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolution

So, cheers! The days of abandoned new year’s resolutions are no longer! 

Truly, it doesn’t matter if your resolution involves movement, self-care, or something else entirely. Here are a few things that will help you stick to your new year’s resolution, no matter what it may be: 

1. Stick to the Small Things

As we mentioned, our brains aren’t designed to handle drastic amounts of change at once. To see real progress, we must be patient and grow ourselves over time. 

If your new year’s resolutions are incredibly lofty and far-reaching, consider reframing them to make them more accessible. If you live a relatively sedentary lifestyle, your movement journey can begin simply by taking daily walks around the neighborhood. 

Real change is made in small doses. Consider the daily habits or challenges that are holding you back, and then commit to changing one of those. 

2. Find Ways to Measure Your Goals

It is easy to lose heart chasing after goals that don’t seem to be making much progress. Therefore, it is so important to make sure that your goals are specific and measurable. 

This could mean anything from running a particular 5k that you have circled on the calendar to reading a certain number of books by a particular date. 

Being able to mark your progress is a fabulous motivator, and rewarding yourself along the way is a great way of fostering positive reinforcement.

3. Trust Yourself 

Now isn’t that a lovely concept? Self-trust is a beautiful component of goal-making, as goals are made by you, for you, and through you!

When it comes to setting goals and intentions, you know yourself the best. You know what you are capable of. If you don’t think that you’re going to be able to meditate for 30 minutes every morning, then don’t promise yourself that you will. 

If we want to accomplish our goals, we must believe in ourselves. Self-belief is achieved when we successfully do the things that we say we will. And we’re able to do what we say when we don’t ask more of ourselves than what we are capable of.  

4. Cultivate a Culture of Optimism

How are you ever going to achieve those goals if you keep telling yourself that you aren’t? Our minds are smarter than we give them credit, and our self-talk plays a significant role in what we can and can’t accomplish. 

Making real change in one’s life is a long, hard road that is probably littered with negativity and less-than-ideal circumstances. When these obstacles start rearing their ugly heads, it is important to focus on the positives. (No matter how dark, dim, and dreary a situation, we promise they are there.) 

Framing your goals in positive language supports a growth mindset and encourages the belief that anything is possible if you work at it. This in turn sparks motivation, positive self-perception, and helps build character strength. 

On the flip side, pessimism is — are you ready? — a choice. I know we probably sound like your mama, but it’s true. Negativity will only get in the way of your goals if you let it. 

5. Invent Challenges for Yourself

Practically speaking, inventing challenges for yourself is a terrific way to ensure your dreams become reality. Not only that, but it strengthens your ability to see and do. 

As you go about your days, challenge yourself to do something small that works towards your goal. If your goal is to save money, challenge yourself to spend no more than a certain amount at the grocery. If you’re looking to eat a bit healthier, try preparing your favorite treat sans sugar. 

Challenges such as these strengthen your willpower and determination. Regularly practicing them will help you form the habits necessary for accomplishing your goals. 

What Is Valuable to You?

Oftentimes, our new year’s resolutions reflect desires that are near and dear to our hearts. Here at R+R, we’re all about full-body healing that is tailored to your personal needs. 

All our services are synergistic in nature, meaning there truly is no wrong place to start! Give our services page a quick browse, and we’ll help you navigate the best place for YOU to start on your wellness journey. 

5 Ways to Care for Your Lymphatic System at Home

In the spirit of flu season, allow us to introduce you to your lymphatic system. Essentially, it is a small part of your immune system that helps your body circulate lymph — a colorless liquid that acts as a filter against microbes — and flush out toxins. 

Ipso facto, we are all about improving the immune system, cleaning up your gut, and boosting your lymphatic system all from the comfort of your own home. And if this sounds like something you also might be into (who wouldn’t?!), you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to tell you everything you should know about caring for your lymphatic system from home. 

What is Your Lymphatic System?

Excellent question, my friend! A properly functioning lymphatic system is key to a healthy and happy body. However, regardless of its importance, this little system is simply one of those aspects of the body that most people know very little to nothing about. 

If this sounds like you, don’t fret! You are absolutely not alone, and we are more than happy to break it all down for you. 

Essentially, you should think of your lymphatic system as your body’s in-house sanitation center. It is the part of your immune system that circulates lymph throughout your body. And lymph, just for clarity’s sake, is a colorless fluid whose job is to act like a filter for microbes, toxins, and any other harmful or poisonous substances that wind up in our cells, tissues, and organs. 

Of course, the lymphatic system also plays a role in maintaining our body’s fluids, producing white blood cells, and fighting all sorts of infection. 

Signs Your Lymphatic System is Backed Up

Now that we’ve told you all of this, I am sure you are probably wondering how your lymphatic system is doing? How do you know if yours is functioning in tip-top shape? What happens if it’s not?

If you fall victim to a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, or a toxic external environment — or a combination of all three — then you might experience a lymph backup or congestion. What this means is that your lymph is unable to flow well, and as a result your cells become poisoned by their own waste. (Not very sexy, we know.) 

Not only is lymphatic congestion a major factor in inflammation and disease, but it comes with an uncomfortable — and sometimes painful — list of side effects. Therefore, it is so important to be mindful of your lymphatic system and do your best to ensure it is working properly. 

Here are some signs and symptoms that your lymphatic system might be congested: 

• Headaches or brain fog

• Swollen lymph nodes or tonsils 

• Lack of energy or fatigue 

• Recurrent sore throats

• Fluid backup in the ears (especially in children)

• Constipation or irregular and sluggish bowel movements

• Morning mucous and/or mucous drainage 

5 Ways to Care for Your Lymphatic System at Home

As amazing as it is, the lymphatic system does need a little bit of help every so often. Thanks to the wisdom of our very own Katherine Wright, PT, DPT, CLT (aka Certified Lymphedema Therapist), here are 5 easy ways that you can care for your lymphatic system from the comfort of your own home: 

1. Water with Lemon

Dehydration is a common cause of lymphatic blockage, as lymph becomes thicker and tougher to move. Hot water with a squeeze of lemon juice is wonderful way of rehydrating the body and getting that lymph moving. We recommend starting the day off with a delicious elixir of hot water and lemon, or if you’re feeling a bit daring, you can sip on it once every hour. 

2. Dry Brushing

Dry brushing — aka gently exfoliating your skin using a big wooden brush of sorts — is a fabulous way of promoting lymphatic drainage and easing the excretion of toxins. Not only does this revamp your lymphatic system, but dry brushing also promotes refreshed skin, boosts immunity, and reduces cellulite. We recommend dry brushing your skin just before hopping in the shower using a dry brush or body brush, and we love this tutorial by Branch Basics for how to dry-brush.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing 

We know this sounds fancy, but the truth is diaphragmatic breathing is quite simple! This deep breathing technique is sometimes called “stomach breathing” or “belly breathing” because it involves fully engaging the stomach, diaphragm, and abdominal muscles while you breathe. 

We recommend placing your hands on your stomach and taking deep, intentional breaths. If done correctly, diaphragmatic breathing encourages full oxygen exchange, slows the heartbeat, stabilizes blood pressure, and even strengthens your diaphragm. 

4. Movement

A super easy and wonderful way to support your lymphatic system is to simply move your body! Whether it be a walk around the neighborhood, a delicious yoga flow, or a Pilates class, movement stimulates your lymphatic system and encourages lymph flow. You should aim for just 30 minutes of movement a day, and feel free to move any way that you’d like. It all helps! 

5. Self Manual Lymphatic Massage

A self-massage? Now of course this is something we can get behind. And lucky for us, a head and neck MLD (or manual lymphatic drainage) is a great way of giving our lymphatic system a little boost after working 24/7. (And besides being ultra-relaxing, it is easy to perform at home.)

To give yourself a manual lymphatic massage, you want to start at the base of your neck and work upwards. Begin by taking three deep, diaphragmatic breaths, then start with small, downward strokes at each side of your neck (below your ears). You’re aiming for just a slight skin stretch working towards the base of your jaw. 

Next, separate your pointer and middle finger from your ring finger and pinky and place each set of fingers on either side of your ear. Make little rainbows to stimulate the lymph nodes in both the front and back of each ear. 

Next, move your fingers to your jaw and start working upwards along the jaw line, heading towards your ears. From there, move to your cheeks and starting at your nose, work your fingers outwards (also towards your ears). Finally, move to your forehead and starting in the center, work your fingers outwards (towards — you guessed it — your ears!). 

After draining your forehead, work your way back down your face until you reach your neck. Re-massage your neck to drain everything towards your collarbone. That’s it! Here is a video of Katherine doing this massage for further instruction.

Foods that Support Lymphatic Drainage

For folks looking to go the extra mile, there are certain foods that you can eat to boost your lymphatic system and encourage drainage. And if you’re anything like us, you probably already have most of these in your fridge: 

• Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, arugula, collard greens, and the like.

• Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, or brussels sprouts. 

• Berries (especially cranberries). 

• Nuts, legumes, and seeds. 

• Certain herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger, and garlic. (These are great for elixirs!)

• Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. 
  

If you hadn’t really thought about your lymphatic system before, we hope something in this article might change your mind. It is easy to start caring for your lymphatic system from home, we promise! Go ahead and get started today, and make sure to let us know how it goes. 

Want to take it a step further?

Check out the services offered at R+R by the Lymph Queen herself, Katherine Wright, PT, DPT, CLT by clicking here and scrolling down the page to Katherine’s smiling face.

R+R Gift Guides 2021

Get gifting with R+R!

We’ve rounded out our favorites for everyone on your list. Scroll through for more details, links and holiday cheer!

FOR THE ONE WHO NEEDS HELP RELAXING

This is for the CEO in your life (of the office or of the home) who just goes and goes and goes! This can also be for the bath junkie or skincare lover.

Ancient Minerals Bath Flakes Jar
Dissolved in warm water, these magnesium bath flakes contain only the purest ingredients of highly soluble magnesium chloride for a foot soak or full body soak. Available in store for $19.

OSEA Undaria Body Polish
Soothe the skin and senses with this intoxicating body polish. Lychee seed, Undaria seaweed, volcanic pumice, Cannabis Sativa and Kukui Seed oils resurface and hydrate the body. Lightly massage into damp skin, rinse with warm water. Available in store for $48.

OSEA Anti-Aging Body Balm
Silky body balm combining the lasting hydration of a lotion with the anti-aging benefits of a serum. Omega fatty acids, sea minerals and antioxidants to give you all day hydration while you glow! Available in store for $48.

Theramu CBD Relieve Pro Strength Balm
Extra-concentrated, Pro-strength balm formulated as an all-natural alternative to relieve pain and inflammation. Fast-acting topical balm provides fast relief when applied directly to the source of pain or discomfort. Available in store for $70.

FOR THE HOME BODY

This gal or guy loves a night in, and the only thing they love more than cancelled plans is cancelled plans in their own clean house.

Branch Basics Premium Starter Kit
The gold standard of effective, non-toxic cleaning. This kit has everything you need to clean the whole house. Available in store or online for $69. We also carry BB Concentrate + Oxygen Boost.

Branch Basics Dryer Balls
Did you know fragrance filled dryer sheets are one of the most toxic products in an entire household? Skip the static and the stink with wool dryer balls. Available in store or online for $19.

Pranarōm Essential Oils
More on this great brand here, but here are the cliff’s notes if you’re short on time: From farm all the way to pharmacy, Pranarōm oils are organically grown, harvested, and packaged with both intention and transparency. We carry a multitude of fragrances for diffusing or inhaling ranging from peppermint to lemon to lavender to healing eucalyptus radiata and more! Available in store for $10 - $55.

Apothenne Candle
100% natural, non-GMO soy wax and a 100% cotton-core wick, made with premium natural and essential oils with a burn time up to 40 hours. They’re made without preservatives, additives, dyes, phthalates, lead, or petroleum, and they’re handcrafted in the US of A! We love this brand and their adorable owner. Various scents are available in store for $28.

Rishi Organic Teas
We have several flavors including Ginger Geranium, Lemon Tumeric, Daily Green, and Golden Triangle Breakfast of this direct-trade organic tea designed for the loose leaf tea drinker seeking the convenience of sachets. Available in store for $25.

STOCKING STUFFERS

Everybody’s favorite part!

RiseWell Toothpaste
Fluoride-free, paraben-free, vegan & cruelty-free without harsh foaming agents. Strengthens and restores tooth enamel, is antiplaque and naturally whitening. Available in adult and kid-friendly flavors in store for $12 or online.

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen
The original, totally invisible, weightless, scentless sunscreen with SPF 40 that leaves a velvety finish. Perfect for any age or skin-type. Available in store for $34.

OSEA Vagus Nerve Oil
Melt away signs of stress. This Vagus Nerve Oil helps promote a sense of well being for a moment of relaxation and balance during your day. Available in store for $48.

Ere Perez Eco Vegan Multipurpose Brush
A mini kabuki-style brush perfect for cream and liquid products made with packed, flat top vegan bristles. Blends beautifully with smooth, skin-like coverage. All ages will love this! Available in store for $26.

Last but not least…

If you just can’t muster the strength to get out of the house to holiday shop (we get it), peruse our favorite brands for safer products for everyone on your list!

Berkey: Countertop water filters
Branch Basics: Effective, non-toxic cleaning + laundry
Fullscript: Highest-quality supplements with 10% off + Free Shipping over $49
Sun Basket: Meal delivery service with $35 off your first order
Immunolytics: In-home mold testing
Thrive Market: Online groceries with up to $20 shopping credit when purchasing a Membership
Aquasana: In-home and under the sink reverse-osmosis water filters
Wellevate: Highest-quality supplements with 10% off and free shipping on orders over $49
Theramu: CBD oil with proprietary bioavailability blend with 20% off using code R&RFW
Purity Coffee: Organic, sustainably sourced, non-toxic coffee
Rise Well: 100% natural, dentist-developed toothpaste