A Note From Dr. Nic

At church last weekend, the sermon was on the topic of “Zeal” and “Procrastination.” At one point the pastor defined Procrastination in the following way:

“Procrastination is not avoiding a task. It’s doing everything else besides that task.” 

As I’ve written in the past, I also think of Procrastination as needing to buy something, but ending up paying for it twice. 

Procrastination isn’t about avoiding work; it’s about avoiding negative emotions. We procrastinate when a task stirs up feelings like anxiety, confusion or boredom. And although it makes us feel better today, we end up feeling worse — and falling behind — tomorrow. For me, I often find myself avoiding hard conversations or decisions because I know it will be difficult, feelings and relationships may be hurt, and people may be angry with me. So instead of addressing an issue…I avoid the feelings associate with addressing the issue, and thus do not address the issue!

This means that if you want to procrastinate less, you don’t have to increase your work ethic or improve your time management. You can instead focus on changing your habits around emotion management.

One option is to put an end to self-inflicted pain. There is a thing called neurotic perfectionism where you are your own harshest critic. I know this is true of me…even when receiving praise, I feel obligated to deflect or reject it, as ‘deep down’ I know it isn’t justified.



That’s what productive perfectionists do: They aim high based on their own standards, not out of concern about what others will think. When a task or conclusion disappoints you, instead of beating yourself up, it can help to try self-compassion: Remind yourself that you’re human, and that everyone procrastinates sometimes. Then start making plans to close the gap between your work and your expectations.

Procrastination is not a disease that can be permanently cured — it’s a challenge we all have to manage. There will always be undesirable tasks that conjure unwanted emotions. Avoiding those feelings is a habit we can work on breaking. 

For me, there is a fine balance. I must acknowledge my ‘wins’ and be thankful and proud of them, but I must also continue to look to improve in other ways. In the last 6 months I have changed many aspects of my day to day life for the better, yet until recently I allowed myself to procrastinate and overlook some major holes in my daily routines and thoughts and actions. And ultimately that cost me some joy both today and in the future. 

Remind yourself that TODAY is the gift. Don’t wait on tomorrow or use the “just wait ‘til next year” mantra. Be thankful for today, and use it to improve. Your Present and your Potential are far greater than your Past…don’t let Procrastination steal it!

Spring Wellness

This column is intended to focus on Spring Wellness and allergies, and after the last couple weeks of Wisconsin weather, I believe we have experienced “Spring” 7 times thus far. Or is it 8?

I have joked at the office that in Wisconsin this time of year, you can only have 2 of the following three:

1. Sunny Skies

2. No Wind

3. Temperatures Above 40 Degrees

It indeed seems that until recently, we have had literally 2 days thus far in 2024 that included all three!

In the previous couple weeks at our office, I have heard more and more complaints of allergies. So, what can we do about these seasonal problems?  

The short answer is to reduce your body's own chronic inflammatory levels through diet and exercise. The less 'irritable' your body is, the fewer immune system over responses you will have. Reducing processed and highly refined foods, especially grains, will help profoundly. Improving cardiovascular health, through simply walking more, will help as well.

I also highly recommend Vitamin D and Zinc. Both are available in lozenge form at our office and are excellent immune system boosters. In addition, Immuplex, a Standard Process supplement have been very helpful for me personally, when I start noticing occasional Spring allergies (and, for me, it's the late-summer ragweed that really causes me to reach for the Immuplex).  

In addition, there are upper neck adjustments that can help 'unplug the drain' and allow sinus relief. There are also certain pressure points and acupressure points in the face and neck that often provide almost instantaneous relief. Finally, did you know there is a type of 'ear adjustment' that may help as well? Just this week I 'adjusted' a patient's ear, and as she stood up from her seat, she looked at me and her eyes got bigger and she said, "I can feel it opening up!"

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Posture and Adjustments

Poor posture negatively impacts the health and appearance of individuals –back and neck pain, poor circulation, shallow breathing, fatigue, muscle tension, headaches, premature aging of the spine and poor self-image.

Chiropractic adjustments, teamed with stretching and strengthening exercises, improves overall posture including a condition known as postural kyphosis.

Thoracic kyphosis is an increase in the normal thoracic curvature of the spine. Postural kyphosis most commonly presents due to a number of factors, such as:

Sitting with slouched posture, prolonged texting or typing, carrying heavy bags or backpacks, and watching television. Breast development, leading to insecurity, can also contribute to this condition. In fact, low self-esteem and depression can lead to slumped shoulders and hanging one’s head, and worsen the pain involved in thoracic hyperkyphosis.

We humans are designed for all kinds of different activities and positions, and it’s a passion of mine to help people live better, move better, and feel better through chiropractic care and exercises and nutrition.

Chiropractic adjustments increase joint mobility and has been shown to improve muscle function, and improve movement and flexibility by decreasing hypertonicity or tightness in the muscles and alter the tone of the muscle.

In fact, a recent study found some very interesting results.

Thirty female participants between 20 and 39 years old were recruited for this study because most cases of postural kyphosis occur in females. The women were broken into three groups –Group 1 received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to restricted thoracic spine segments; Group 2 received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to restricted thoracic spine segments as well as stretch and strengthening exercises; Group 3 received stretch and strengthening exercises only.

Group 1 received treatment once a week for 6 weeks. Groups 2 and 3 received three treatments a week for six weeks. Postural advice on how to sit and stand correctly was given to all three groups.

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Bella and Asher

Somewhere in the depths of my phone, I have a video of my son adjusting me, just like Asher and Bella in the video.  

Also, often young children associate a "doctor" with shots, pills, masks, and other not-fun things...and I thoroughly enjoy working with kids, developing a rapport with kids, and showing them that some doctors are fun! That's exactly what happened with these two, as they first came to our office and had 'Stranger Danger' and were fearful. Lo and behold...now they ask to visit before their scheduled appointments, and by the looks of the video, they may have a future in the profession. It makes my heart happy :)