Recently, Dr. Gena Chiropractic had the pleasure of hosting a CPR Training and Certification course, led by Jason Katz from Circle of Lifesaving, Inc. As dynamic, experienced, and knowledgeable as he was hilarious, the training also taught another very valuable lesson – one that is so easily forgotten in our daily lives.

“In life, it is critical that you learn to put yourself and your well-being first, in any situation,” Katz warned, not realizing how quickly most of us would apply this theory in situations other than administering CPR.

Here’s the simple truth. We’ve heard it during airplane in-flight safety demonstrations, from our closest friends and confidantes, and in the millions of self-help books out there in the world today: You cannot take care of anyone else in the best way possible, until you’ve taken care of yourself first.

Let’s apply this theory to my own life for a second. I became a mom about a year and a half ago. I work full time. I take care of my home. I have a pretty good social life. But I’m tired. Holy crap, am I tired. My back began to hurt, all the time. But I kept on keeping on, plugging away and covering everyone else's needs without so much as stopping to have lunch on some days. And then my body sent me the best message it could have ever sent: “Stop, NOW.” Only it sent me this message in the form of neck pain so severe, I could barely get out of bed.

…so off to Dr. Gena I went.

Almost in tears, I laid down for the best chiropractic adjustment in South Florida, hoping it would relieve me of all my problems. My neck instantly felt better, but I knew there was more that had to be done. Along with making regular visits to Dr. Gena Chiropractic to keep my spine in alignment (and get my daily dose of great energy and happy vibes), Dr. Gena urged me to start taking more time out for myself. She sent me literature on ways to relax, meditate, and exercise my way back to feeling in charge of my own body again. Following the Five Pillars for Health and Wellness that Dr. Gena advocates for so passionately, it wasn’t long before I was eliminating unnecessary stressors from my daily life and taking time out for myself, whether for a long walk, a manicure, or a few extra hours of sleep.

The truth is this: We are not machines. We are not robots. And ladies, we are NOT superheroes, although sometimes we are expected to be. We are simply vessels of human energy that can be tapped out as easily as your car’s gas tank after a long road trip. There’s only so much we can do. That’s why now, with the help of frequent visits for chiropractic care and a dedication to my own personal health and wellness journey, I choose to stop, rest, and refuel whenever I feel the need.

And trust me, the people I take care of most are much better off because of it.

For more information or to start putting yourself first again, visit Dr. Gena Chiropractic in Plantation, just minutes from Fort Lauderdale.

"A person who doesn't like where they are must make the choice to change where they are, if a person doesn't like who they are, they must dig deep and make that choice to change who they are. Each person is given the gift of choice. It's free. This gift is so powerful and the choices are ours to make. Be grateful everyday for all you have." – Jason Katz