Don’t Just Stand There
The Quick and Sloppy Way to Improve Your Health
Here’s a simple rule of thumb I learned in midwifery school. It’s for when someone has lost their ability to cope with childbirth, but I find it applies to all of life. And here it is: change anything. Don’t overthink it. Don’t just stand there and do nothing. Change something. Anything you can think of. Do it differently from how you’re doing it now.
In labor that could mean getting the mom in a different position, changing the lighting, kicking someone out of the room, giving her some water, playing music, giving her a blanket, taking off her blanket… anything. And if the first thing I tried didn’t work, I tried something else until she was in the zone again.
Sometimes all you know is what isn’t working. And you don’t have the solution. All you can do is throw something at the wall and hope for a different result. Movement. Newness. Maybe the problem is the stuck-ness itself. In Traditional Chinese Medicine they call it stagnation.
It’s easy to get caught up in complexity. We think xyz has to happen in order to make a change, and it becomes a kind of paralysis. You want to exercise more, but you don’t know how what routine to do or which clothes to get. Just do anything. Do some jumping jacks right now.
One of the side effects of always being sold to is we start to be conditioned that we need something outside of ourselves in order to change. You can’t just start exercising or eating better, you need some sort of “program” and some sort of “expert.” Sometimes yes. But probably a lot less often than most of us think. Being sold to is a form of disempowerment. Part of the pitch is “you don’t have it.” It has to be, because that way the salesperson can say “I do have it, for a price.”
And yes, I am good at getting people unstuck—come see me if you want some help. As a double fire sign (Aries sun, Sagittarius rising), I’m into movement. And I’m obsessed with transformation, not sure which astrological sign to blame that on. But first, try it yourself. Get as far you can on your own, then come see me.
You heard it here first: the quick and sloppy way to improve your health is to change literally anything. You can do it. I believe in you. Wishing you well in your new endeavors and the very best of health.
Stay tuned for the next newsletter in which I share the slow and scientific way to improve your health!
About Wise Body Women’s Health
Wise Body Women’s Health is an integrative gynecology practice in New York City founded by Jane Riccobono, CNM, WHNP. Appointments blend evidence-based medical care with attention to the body’s deeper signals—intuition, emotion, and the wisdom often dismissed by conventional medicine. Whether you’re navigating perimenopause, chronic symptoms, or simply want a provider who sees the whole picture, Wise Body offers unhurried, whole-person care. We are currently accepting new patients for both telehealth (anywhere in New York State) and in-person visits in NYC. Learn more here.