In supporting people in their healing journey with lifestyle and self-care (i.e. healthy diet, exercise, stress issues and exploring deeper biographical contexts for symptoms and disease), I have found 3 important attitudinal, mind-body issues that can often arise from within and interfere with the process of healing. These need to be identified, acknowledged and addressed in order to create an optimal healing environment.
1. Feeling Helpless
2. Feeling Hopeless
3. Feeling Worthless
In my work, I support people in addressing these 3 obstacles to healing by helping my patients shift:
1. From helplessness to empowerment
2. From hopelessness to hope & possibility
3. From a sense of worthlessness to worthiness
These powerful shifts can occur naturally when one is practicing self-care as medicine and can allow authentic, deep self healing to happen, from within, without resistance.
A sense of empowerment, a hope-filled attitude and feeling good about oneself is particularly important for anyone facing a chronic illness. Often, if efforts to heal have not yet born fruit, it is natural, at times, to feel discouraged, helpless, hopeless and worthless.
Integrating and incorporating a deliberate engagement of these 3 inner blocks to healing (as well as what created and continues to fuel them) is just as important as any of the specific interventions or therapies one employs in the quest for healing: be they conventional, integrative, functional, natural or mind-body.
Addressing these inner obstacles can be an important
missing ingredient to integrate in the healing process.
This is the power of self-care as medicine.
"You the individual can do more for your own heath than any doctor, any drug or any exotic medical device." ~ Joseph Califano Head of Health Education and Welfare
Califano said this in 1979 and it is just as true today, 40 years later, as it was then. I think we, as a culture, are finally beginning to understand and embrace this powerful concept.
The three main diseases and health concerns in our society are cancer, heart disease and diabetes. All of these diseases are lifestyle related. Self-Care is a critical component of care for the treatment, and prevention, of these diseases and so many others.
Self-care is a cornerstone of optimal health.
Self-Care truly IS MEDICINE.