Being Prepared for Winter

In Minnesota we have extremely unpredictable weather, especially in the winter. Here are some tips for being prepared for whatever comes your way. Every Minnesotan should have a winter kit in their car. This kit should include; jumper cables, a bag of sand or cat litter to help with traction, a blanket, a first aid kit, a flash light, snacks, water, batteries and chargers, hand and feet warmers and a shovel, brush and scraper. In addition if you plan to venture out during extremely cold or snowy weather no matter the distance, wear a warm winter jacket, winter boots, hat, scarf and gloves. Also double check you have a fully charged cell phone, an up to date insurance card and a drivers license with you. This way if you have car troubles or get into an accident you are prepared. 

If you are in an accident no matter how minor, stay on the scene and call 9-1-1. Move to a safe area if you can. Double check you are okay and if anyone else involved is okay, stay calm. If another car is involved exchange information with them, document the following: name, address and phone numbers of all the drivers and passengers involved, the license plate number, make and model of each vehicle involved, the vehicle operators driver license number, insurance company and policy number. Some other information you might want to get is the names and phone numbers of any witnesses and the names and badge numbers of the police officers who responded. You should also document the damage. Take photos of the accident scene and vehicle damage. Even if no one is hurt you should still file a police report and report the claim to your insurance company. 

If you are injured after an accident and perceive your injuries to be a medical emergency, go to the emergency room. Otherwise, if you are sore or injured make an appointment to see your chiropractor. Sometimes injuries from a car accident aren't immediately present. The bottom line is, if the weather is extremely bad and you have the ability to stay home, stay home. If you do have to drive, be prepared, pack your car accordingly and dress for the weather. Drive safe! Go the speed you are comfortable with and make sure you are leaving enough room in front of you. If you are in an accident stay calm and follow the steps above. To find out more ways to keep you and your family healthy and safe, visit our website at oxborochiro.com. 

By Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A.

New Year's Resolutions

It's a new year and often times this means a new you! Many people around the world look to improve themselves and their lifestyles by creating attainable and reasonable goals. Here are a few suggestions when carrying out a new year's resolution. 

Write down your goal or resolution. According to recent studies, those that write down goals are ten times more likely to achieve their goals than those who did not write them down. Research after research demonstrates this phenomenon. One way to write down your goals is to put them on post-it notes and place them in areas where you go every day. An example is to write down the goal and attach the post-it note to the bathroom mirror. This way when you get up in the morning, one of the very first things you see or read is your goal. This is a great way to have a daily reminder of what you want to achieve. 

Start small. Do not create goals that seem impossible to reach or are too difficult to attain. A goal needs to be within reach otherwise it can become discouraging and even create a more unhealthy lifestyle. For example, if you have a goal to begin working out this year, do not start out by working our 6 or 7 days per week. Instead, begin by working out 2 to 3 days per week to establish a schedule a motivation. If you continue to succeed, then add a couple more days and a little more time to your workouts as you feel fit. This creates positive re-enforcement and motivation to continue your resolution. 

Create a support group. Everyone has heard the saying "two are better than one" or "there are strength in numbers". This is ever so important when setting new year's resolutions. When we begin a new routine often times we become worn out or have less energy. As this happens it makes it more difficult to continue what you started. When you have another person, or other people, that are looking to achieve similar goals it can create accountability and positive re-enforcement. 

Reward yourself as you go. If eating healthier foods is your new year's resolution, obviously focus on cutting out unhealthy foods, but also reward yourself with little "treats" as you move forward in your goal. As previously mentioned, goals need to be attainable. If you have a hard time staying away from sweets it can be very difficult to cut them out entirely. So instead, as you continue to improve your eating habits, give yourself a treat every couple of days. As time progresses your desire to eat unhealthy foods will continue to diminish and this will make it much easier to follow through with your resolution!   

To learn more ways to keep you and your family happy and healthy, visit our website at oxborochiro.com. 

By: Travis L. Klug, D.C.

Source:

 https://medium.com/@adsactly/the-importance-of-writing-down-clearly-defined-goals-21d90ca78844

Tis the Season of Giving

The true meaning of the holiday season can often be lost in the chaos that comes along with this season. This time of year is supposed to be geared towards helping others and giving back to those in need. This holiday season try to give back to your community and those less fortunate than you. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities. With websites like handsontwincities.org you can search for different events and opportunities that are going on around you. Another website to look at is Visit Twin Cities as it also has a list of different volunteer opportunities in the area (link below). One more great organization that can help you find a volunteer opportunity for you to be passionate about is the Greater Twin Cities United Way. All of these resources offer great ways to give back this holiday season!

Volunteering not only helps you make a difference within your community but it also benefits your mind and body. Volunteering can help counteract the effects of stress and anxiety, depression, make you happy, increase self-confidence and provide a sense of purpose. Research has found that that being helpful towards others delivers immense pleasure by increasing your feel-good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. 

There is a large amount of need for help within our community. From organizations like Feed My Starving Children, Big Brother Big Sisters, Golden Valley Animal Humane Society and People serving People, there are hundreds of volunteer opportunities. In addition, many of these nonprofit organizations depend on volunteers so there is always opportunity to help. So if you are looking for a fulfilling way to give back this holiday season, look no further! 

To find out more ways to keep yourself happy and healthy, visit our website at oxborochiro.com. 

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic

Sources:

https://www.gtcuw.org/get-involved/volunteer/

https://www.handsontwincities.org/need/

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/volunteering-and-its-surprising-benefits.htm

http://visit-twincities.com/plan-your-visit/relocating-twin-cities/volunteer-opportunities-in-minneapolis-st-paul/

Relieving Holiday Stress

The holidays are a wonderful time of year when we gather with loved ones, be thankful, be cheerful, give back and show the people we are closest to that we appreciate them. However, for many the holiday season can cause stress and anxiety. Crowded holiday shopping, wrapping presents, a different holiday party ever weekend and extra guests visiting from out of town can all contribute to stress. This stress can lead to overeating, over consumption of alcohol, lack of exercise and trouble sleeping. Making sure you manage that stress in a healthy way will ensure you will have a happy holiday season. 

This holiday season try taking small breaks. Take a few minutes to yourself to close your eyes, focus on your breathing and relax. Try a meditation app like Headspace where you can adjust your meditation time based on how much free time you have. You could also give yoga a try. There are a variety of free yoga apps on the market. With the Yoga Studio: Mind & Body app you can choose from 10, 15 or 30 minute sessions, so fitting a little self care time into your schedule is easier than ever. Either way make sure to make time for yourself. 

Another effective way to relieve stress is exercise. Whether it is taking the dog for a walk, going on a short run, going to the gym for an hour or giving a new exercise class a try, getting some exercise is a proven mood booster. When you exercise it stimulates the production of endorphins which is a feel good hormone. Exercise also helps produce dopamine which can help with relaxation. Also spending time outside has positive feel good effects on your body and mind. Getting out in the fresh air and sunshine stimulates the production of serotonin which can boost your mood and make you feel calm and relaxed. 

Making sure you are maintaining a (semi) healthy diet will also help relieve some stress this season. It is okay to indulge in comfort food but make sure you are not over indulging. With busy schedules and high stress weekends it is easy to over indulge in alcohol, sugar and caffeine. Try to be mindful when making food decisions and have a majority of the food your consuming be well balanced. 

Make a list. Make a list of the people you want to buy gifts for and what gifts you would like to buy for them. Highlight the gift once you've bought it. You could even cross out the gift once you've wrapped it. This will create a visual for you and help ensure you are not over buying. Making a list will also help you stay organized. You can write down the dates of the holiday parties you have this season on this list and give yourself a time line. This may seem like a lot of extra work but the 15 minutes it will take for you to create this list will save you a lot of time in the long run. If you are hosting this holiday season a list will also help you be realistic about your priorities. 

Remind yourself that this is the season to be generous, cheerful and positive. Being generous doesn't have to be expensive. Give a compliment, pay for someone else's coffee, hold the door for someone, donate unused clothes or toys to charity, offer to help someone or be present. Spend a little extra time with that family member you don't talk to often. Challenge yourself to doing one nice thing for someone else a day. Giving and being kind is one of the best ways to be content and happy this time of year. 

To find out more ways to keeping yourself and your family happy and healthy visit our website at oxborochiro.com. 

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smart-habits-highly-successful-people/200912/7-tips-relieve-holiday-stress

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A.

Embracing the Season Festivities in Minneapolis

Minnesota around the holidays is something truly magical. The fresh white snow that blankets the streets, cold crisp air and bundling up in your coziest clothes. This holiday season join in on some of the many festivities the Minneapolis-St. Paul area has to offer. Ride on the north pole express or visit the European Christmas market at the Union Depot in St. Paul. Make a thermos of hot coco and go on a adventure to find the best holiday lights in your neighborhood. Go see the nutcracker at the Orpheum or join in on the Holidazzle activities. Either way, there is no lack of fun and festive activities for the whole family this holiday season.

The Union Depot station in St. Paul has a North Pole Express where you take a magical train ride and includes a visit from Santa! Visit Santa's Workshop at Bachman's in Minneapolis for a fun for all ages play called "Who wants to be a toymaker?". With various times on Saturday and Sundays, this will be a one of a kind holiday experience. 

Another fun holiday activity is visiting one of the many winter markets going on in the Twin Cities. Cities like Minneapolis, St. Paul, Edina and Bloomington all have wonderful winter markets with a multitude of vendors and a variety of beautiful, unique handmade items. Minneapolis has the Holidazzle that goes on from Friday November 23rd to Sunday December 23rd. They have food tents, ice skating, kids activities, movies nights, kid zones, holiday markets and a fireworks display. Visit www.holidazzle.com to learn more about all the amazing activities and events going on in Minneapolis. 

If you are still looking for more holiday fun visit the MN Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen. You can view the Winter Lights display that they have or finish holiday shopping at their holiday market. They also have live music, breakfast with Santa and seasonal cooking classes. You can visit their website arbwinter.umn.edu to learn more. 

For more holiday activities visit your community website or Facebook's events page to see what's going on around you. Lastly, although the holidays can be stressful don't forget what this season is truly about. Be thankful for all the positive things in your life and embrace the time you spend with loved ones. 

To learn more ways to keep you and your family happy and healthy, visit our website www.oxborochiro.com. 

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A.