Expectations

I was at a course and we did this experiment on expectations. I want you to try it too. I want you think about your hips and walk up and down your hallway like the Queen of England. What would that walk look like? How would your hips/pelvis move? Next, I want you to walk up and down like you are a famous rock star. What would that walk look like? Next I want you to walk like a sumo wrestler and lastly I want you to walk like a 90 year old.

Let me ask you a question. Now be honest. How many of you, when asked to walk like a 90 year old hunched over and walked with short careful steps?

Its interesting because when I was in the class amongst my peers, I also hunched over and walked as if I was in pain or immobile, while one or two people in the class walked normally.

This speaks a lot to our expectations. When they said 90 years old I just expected that I would be fragile and hunched over. But is that really what awaits us? Or do we set ourselves up because of our expectations?

How many of you have seen videos on Facebook of elderly dancing or doing parallel bars at 80, 90 years old? I’ve seen a few. I wonder what mindset or expectations those individuals have about their life and health. I’m suspecting they have a strong mindset around being healthy and completely capable of participating in the activities they enjoy.

The reason I bring up expectations is to also highlight how our expectations may influence the treatment we are seeking. When you go to see a healthcare provider for a problem, what are your preconceived thoughts about that provider? The type of treatment they might provide? What the outcomes will be and how it will be achieved? Are you coming open-minded? Resistant? Uncertain? Empowered? Are you coming with the expectation of being cured or being an active participant in your health?

Your mindset towards health and your expectations often play a part in dictating how the treatment will go/work and what the outcome will be. If we expect the treatment to hurt, in all likelihood it will hurt. If we expect it to fail, there is a high chance it will. If we expect it to work, in all likelihood it will work.

If we expect others to take our own health into their hands without participation, results may not be what you expected. In this case our expectations don’t meet what is required to achieve that goal/expectation. I encourage a dialogue about goals and expectations so that everyone can start with a clear understanding at the beginning of treatment.

I also encourage you to think about what do you expect to look like when you’re 50, 60, 70, 80, 90? And are your actions today helping you get closer to this vision? Or further away?

Thanks for reading,

The Pelvic Health Lady