Why a Healing Mindset Is So Important?

When we're experiencing chronic health issues, it's easy to get depressed, discouraged, and become negative.  When that happens it's like we're on a hamster wheel and we become sicker and sicker and more and more depressed.  We start to think that we may never get better, that we may have to be on medication for the rest of our life.  I can understand how this is, because to a certain extend I was there too.  When I first got my diagnosis and they put me on medication, I assumed I would probably have to be on it the rest of my life.  Then when the medication stopped working as effectively, I started getting worried that I'd just keep getting worse and worse.  

When you're depressed, stressed out, worried, and fearful--your body is in fight or flight mode and the stress response is activated.  When the body is in this state, it prioritizes what it takes care of.  It's basically just doing what it can to keep you alive.  It's not thriving and it's definitely not going to be able to heal when it's in that state.

It's really important to stay as positive as you can and look at your illness from a different perspective.  I really think that things happen for a reason.  We may not know what that reason is right now, but just knowing that there's a reason helps.  When my mentor was experiencing her health issues and was forced to move back home with her mom, looking back she realizes that it all happened for a reason.  She had been overworked and constantly taking care of everyone else.  Getting sick and having all the health issues forced her to slow down and allowed her to let other people do things for her.   

We can look at our symptoms as a learning opportunity.  Whenever we experience pain and other symptoms, our body is trying to tell us that something isn't right.  What can we learn from the symptoms and pain we're experiencing?  Let's say we're experiencing chronic lower back pain.  It could be that we have a job where we sit at the computer a lot and it's a sign that we need to make a lifestyle change and get up and move around more and get more exercise...or maybe there's a bigger issue like kidney or gallbladder stones.  Either way, our body is telling us that something is not functioning the way should be.  We can do what we can to figure out what it is and do something about it. When my arm hair, leg hair, and eyebrows fell out, I was working a very stressful job. My body was in a breakdown state and was trying to tell me I can't continue on like that.

We are so programmed to ignore how we are feeling.  We're told as early as babies to "shhh", "stop crying", or "you're okay".  So, it's no wonder we ignore subtle hints from our body.  It's usually not until it gets to the point where we are in so much pain that we can't take it and then have to go the doctor.  I know from experience that often times with chronic issues, when it gets to the point where you need to go to the doctor, they will probably prescribe medication and treat the symptoms, but not get to the root causes of your health issues. I'm not suggesting freaking out about every little pain and sensation you feel, but it is important to tune into your body and try and figure out what your body is trying to tell you. There are things we can do. We can make the necessary lifestyle and diet changes. We can run the proper tests to figure out what's going on and get to the root causes. To learn more about the proper tests to run, read my blog post titled 6 Functional Labs That Get to the Root Causes. We can give our body the tools it needs to be able to heal.

This healing mindset is so important.

Many people who experience chronic health issues get caught in a victim mentality that is hard to get out of.  It's easy to have our thoughts take over.  Thoughts like "I'm never going to get better.", "Why does this happen to me?", or "There's something wrong with me." start to become a belief if we think them often enough, and then that becomes our reality.  It's vital to think as positively as you can and say things like "I am working towards optimal health.", I am working on healing my body.", or "I will get better, it just takes time."

Mindset is a huge aspect to healing from health issues.  Often times it can be the mindset that is keeping someone from completely healing.  That's why as an Integrative Healing practitioner I work with clients on their mindset from the beginning and throughout the entire program.

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