I’ve been a student of self-development since I was 19 years old. Shortly after that, I began studying everything I could about health and nutrition. It has always fascinated me how the mind and the body are so deeply connected. How the foods we eat alter our mood and how our thoughts impact our body’s performance.
The health care connection
For so many years, you and I have followed a specific model of health care. We were taught to go to the doctor when we were sick, take the medications they prescribed us, and trust that they had our best interests at heart.
I’m grateful that my last few G.P.’s have been very caring and have engaged in helpful dialogue with me. They have asked me questions to better understand my lifestyle and have invested time in my health by answering my (many) questions.
What has your experience been?
Unfortunately, I hear of so many others who don’t have an experience like mine. They feel rushed into and out of their doctor’s office and, unsure of what next steps to take, often feel like a number. Depending on where you live, this may be due to a lack of doctors or insufficient government funding.
If you can relate to the last scenario, there is something important that you can do. It costs nothing and puts you in more control of your health and wellness outcomes.*
Tune in to how your feeling.
Sounds too simple, right? Stay with me. When you slow down and intentionally take the time to sit quietly and really feel how you’re feeling, a shift takes place. A deeper connection to your inner life happens when you put pen to paper and free-write about your day, week, or year. Openly and non-judgementally considering how you’ve been thinking and feeling brings insight you otherwise might miss.
What’s your body telling you?
I encourage you to make it a priority to start journalling about how your body and mind feel. Here are some questions to ask yourself to get you started:
Do I have any aches or pains? If so, for how long?
Do I have trouble sleeping? If so, when did this begin?
How do I feel before, during, and after meals?
Do I feel listened to and truly heard?
Am I happy in my career?
Are there certain foods that upset my stomach or I find hard to digest?
Is there a hobby or personal interest I’d love to pick up but feel to busy?
As you write answers to these questions, many more will surface. That’s great! You may also find yourself connecting to a part of your emotions and creativity that you’ve had buried for a long time.
Be your own health advocate.
You also might uncover some potential root causes to why you’re experiencing some health issues. If you do, be sure to go to your doctor to discuss them. If you need to, get a second opinion. Statistics show that second opinions change a diagnosis or therapy one third of the time.
The important thing about this exercise, is that you tune in to YOU.
So much or your life is lived on autopilot. Most of your daily activities have such a regularity to them that you stop asking questions. You’re competently doing what you expect of yourself. When you make time to go beneath the surface of your daily routines, you open up pathways to growth and positive change.
You may even tune into some reasons why you’re feeling the way you do. This can be the catalyst to get you on the road to improved wellbeing. Nobody knows how you feel like you do. I’ve found this to be life-changing for myself and many others.
How about you?
You’re more intuitive than you know. Has there been a time when you were feeling “off” and looking inward helped you to uncover the reason why? Tell me in the comments!
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Blessings,
Sheila
*This article is for information purposes only. Always seek your doctor’s guidance when starting a new healthy living program.
