On Healing, Growth, and Getting Help (Part 1 of Many!)
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to heal and grow from hard things and how that process influences the ways in which we navigate the day to day, and in a deeper way, how that impacts our lives moving forward. In the health and wellness space, we speak a lot about healing, boundaries, and self care. As someone who has been on a long learning journey around all of these things, I have a lot to say about it!
I often speak to my clients and friends about the concept of total body and mind health and wellness. I’ve seen that people can have the healthiest diet on the planet and run marathons and lift weights, but if the mind is not being cared for, the reality is we can be working against ourselves. I believe that, not only are our minds and bodies one, but in many ways, the mind is really at the core of our health and wellness.
Life can be hard. In fact it often is hard. But we generally go through the days, dealing with the stresses that come our way, and walking through the little fires that are lit, and we carry on. When things are hard, many of us just motor through, not paying a whole lot of attention to the care we give our minds or our bodies. We may work out and do our best to eat right every day, and for the most part, we usually are ok…until we aren’t. That’s when the body knows that the mind is suffering and the body begins to speak to us. The messages it sends can be subtle, or they can be more obvious. They can range from aches and pains, to illness, to auto immune issues or other chronic illnesses. Conversely, when our body isn’t well, when we don’t feel or can’t move our best, it has adverse effects on mood and can lead to mental health challenges, even depression. This is why we need to care for our bodies and our minds.
As an integrative holistic health coach, I approach health and wellness from this perspective. In my practice, I recommend that clients seek emotional and mental-health support alongside the physical training they are doing with me. We all have mental-health struggles from time to time, which is why I am a huge advocate for therapy in whatever form best fits your challenges. The key is to find a therapist who supports you and helps you to become the whole person you are meant to be. Therapy isn’t always easy, but it is always helpful if you have a qualified clinician. Growth is never a bad thing, but it can be a hard thing at times.
It’s part of our reality today that many of us are stuck. Stuck in a job we don't like, stuck in a relationship or marriage that no longer serves us, stuck in a home that feels like a burden, or just stuck in a life that isn’t fulfilling us. This is not how we were designed to live our lives. We were meant to live fully and completely. I believe that with the right support we can do that. Therapy and coaching can help us get un-stuck, and can therefore be truly transformative. I’ve seen and continue to see it in my own life, and I’d love to share what I’ve seen and learned with you if you’re in a place in your wellness journey where you could benefit from it.
Please reach out if you would like life or health coaching or referrals to mental health professionals who can support you. And please, most of all, remember that you are never alone.