When you’re going through challenges in your health, it’s common to view your symptoms as things that need to be “fixed”. But this approach might actually be prohibiting the progress and relief from your struggles that you’re seeking. Let’s explore how a change in perspective, from fixing to healing, can be beneficial to your overall health and wellness – in mind, body and soul.

The Struggle

I get it. For the first few years of my health challenges I was constantly questioning what was wrong with me, why my body was broken and fighting against me, and how I could fix the problems I was experiencing. I thought this way when I was desperately searching for answers to my digestive discomfort, fatigue, brain fog, and more, and even after I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and hormone imbalances from birth control pills. My symptoms and pain were always this “thing” I had to deal with and fix so I could feel better again. 

Maybe you can relate? Perhaps you’re in the stage of trying to find answers for your “mystery symptoms”, or well on your way into navigating through a diagnosed condition – there’s no shame in feeling this way or having these thoughts of being broken. Believe me, you are not alone. And maybe your struggles are purely physical, or maybe you’re struggling in body, mind and soul. (Are you at the point in your journey yet where you’re realizing it’s all connected? Because I promise you it is.) 

It’s easy to hate on your body for not doing what it’s supposed to, and for causing you pain and keeping you from living your life how you’re used to. It’s normal to be angry, frustrated, and sad.

I need you to hear me when I say – You’re not broken or damaged, nor do you need to fix or get rid of what’s wrong with you. 

Whatever you might be feeling is valid, and those emotions should be addressed and processed through (don’t you dare ignore them and push them down!). It’s important to honor what’s true for you, and that you feel seen and heard for what you’re experiencing. 

But it’s also important to stay open to new perspectives and ways of thinking, and this shift might make all the difference…

From fixing to healing

First and foremost, you can’t heal from a place of hate. I’m just going to put that out there front and center. 

Secondly, your body is always seeking to heal. As long as you’re alive, it’s doing its best and trying so hard to heal and thrive.

So if you’re experiencing challenges in your health, you can know that your body is struggling. It’s not broken, but it doesn’t have what it needs to perform optimally. Somewhere along the way, likely a combination of your actions and your inactions have contributed to your current reality and state of health. And since your body naturally wants to heal – to be in a high functioning state with minimal resistance – then you simply have to remove the blocks and supplement with what it needs to facilitate that healing. 

To provide some examples, you might be blocking your own healing through the foods you are and aren’t eating, the physical exercise you may or may not be doing, your sleep habits and quality of sleep, the thoughts and words you tell yourself each day, how you experience and navigate stress, repressing emotions and expressions of joy and creativity… essentially, all the little details of how you live your life. Each one either supports your health, or feeds into a state of dis-ease.

When you think and speak about yourself as broken or needing fixing, it sends a message to your body that it is in fact broken, or enforces a fear or limiting belief that you’re not enough, incapable, etc.. Imagine having this continual dialogue play over and over and over… reinforcing the idea that you are in fact broken. Can you feel the heaviness in that? Your mind and body are so deeply connected, and your words and thoughts play such an influential role in your overall health. 

So what can you do? When you have these negative thoughts, notice and acknowledge them, doing your best to release any guilt or shame for having them in the first place. Then, gently offer a replacement thought of: “How can I help my body heal?” Do your best to invite in the energy of love and compassion for yourself, even in this state of discomfort and even if resistance is present – they can exist together. What does your body need? Remember how hard it is working to keep you alive.

Your symptoms and your struggles are here to teach you, and to tell you what they need to bring yourself back into balance. Think of them as messengers speaking a different language, begging for your attention. You get to ask: “What’s causing my symptom, and what does it need to HEAL?” 

This is where you get to be a detective, and rather than viewing your symptoms as these “things” that desperately need fixing… approach them with non-judgemental curiosity and compassion. Approach them as a part of yourself that is longing for love and support, like a small child who can’t yet speak but needs to be cared for in so many different ways. What’s supporting your health (or will support your health if you add it in), and what might be feeding into your struggle?

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Pulling it all together:

Your struggles and your feelings are valid, and should be addressed as you experience them. This is not about ignoring or diminishing what you feel. 

Healing requires LOVE. And maybe that feels impossible right now, but remember your body is working so hard to keep you alive and desperately wants to be healthy and thriving. So how can you give it what it needs to do so? Introduce this perspective slowly, over time if necessary… but stay consistent and sick with the focus of seeking to heal from a place of love and compassion. I hope you can experience the heaviness lift as you invite love in.

The good news is that it’s all in your control.  

This process of coming home to yourself and relating to your body, mind and soul in a whole new way isn’t always easy. The process of creating CHANGE isn’t always easy. But you’re never alone, and oftentimes the journey of healing isn’t one you should walk alone. It’s important to find professionals, and even appropriate friends and family, who can guide you and support you in the ways you uniquely need, every step of the way. And that’s exactly what I’m here to do as a holistic health coach 🙂