Support system:
This is not the time to lone-wolf it. Who SHOWS UP for you, no matter what? Who builds you up, and pushes you to be your best self? Reach out to those people.
“Don’t build a wall around your own suffering- it may devour you from the inside.” -Frida Kahlo
It sucks when people you thought were friends end up bailing because they can’t deal- LET THEM LEAVE! The way a person treats someone who’s at their lowest shows you EVERYTHING you need to know about their character.
Work with your doctor or healthcare professional- if you don’t have someone who makes you feel HEARD, move on! If at all possible, find a doctor whose focus is preventative/ functional medicine. They are trained to look at YOU as a whole (lifestyle, diet, stressors, obstacles), and less likely to head straight for the prescription pad. You are more than a collection of symptoms.
Supplementation:
Do your research. What are the symptoms you’re dealing with? Now go a level deeper to the underlying cause. Do you have inflammation (any autoimmune disorder), or a hormone imbalance? Are you dealing with any kind of flare-up with your skin?
The body has an incredible capacity for healing itself if we do two things: Remove toxicity that is causing more damage and provide it with the building blocks to repair and rebalance itself.
Vitamin C has been a staple for me for well over a decade. It’s crucial for reducing inflammation (which includes asthma, pain, and skin conditions). Tryptophan was a turning point in my recovery after years of brain-altering chemicals as it is the biological precursor to both melatonin and serotonin. (Don’t take this with anti-depressants, as you’d be putting yourself at huge risk for Serotonin Syndrome.) Collagen is another daily supplement that literally helps your body rebuild itself from the inside out. Your intestinal lining and your skin will thank you.
Mindfulness/ meditation:
This is so much more than just sitting cross-legged and chanting!
“Neurons that fire together, wire together.” -Deepak Chopra
Through meditation you can change the way you relate to the world you live in (because perception IS reality), heal past traumas that you probably don’t even realize are creating the limiting beliefs that hold you back, and induce a parasympathetic state in your nervous system (i.e., turn off Fight or Flight, and turn ON Rest and Repair.)
Sleep:
Go Goldilocks status. Not too much, not too little, but juuuuust right. The amount you need may change over time based on health, stressors, and for us ladies- that time of the month. Learn to listen to your body and give yourself the recovery you need, just don’t fall into the trap of using sleep to avoid dealing with yo shit!
Space:
Alone time is good. You must learn to be comfortable with your own company before you can ever be your best self- even for you extroverts out there! This is where you get CLEAR on whatever it is you need to get clear on. And the harder it is, the more desperately you need it. If you can’t spend time in your own space, you are likely to fall victim to misdirection in your everyday life, and headlong into the traps of people pleasing and perfectionism as you try to grasp for what it is you’re looking for.
Sunshine:
Because Vitamin D. And S.A.D. And it’s just nice.
Sustenance:
You’ve heard it so many times it probably doesn’t even register anymore, but you truly ARE what you eat. You put crap in, you’ll get crap out. This is another one where you’ve got to take ownership of what makes you feel best. Learn to listen to your body- how do you FEEL after you eat something? Energized? Clear-headed? Tired and foggy? Pay attention. No one can do this but you- some people do best with lots of protein, others with more carbs or fat. But the basics?
Eat ingredients- that’s what REAL food is. If you can look at your plate and identify what’s there as something that grew in the earth or on a farm, you’re off to a good start. The more processed something is, the less it resembles real food.
As someone who spends most of the day on my feet, I need plenty of (healthy!) carbs to keep me going, but I also need to be sure I’m getting adequate protein thanks to some chronic injuries. Adding in healthy fats helps both brain and skin health (LINK). Other things I’ve found work best for me include cutting out glyphosate (so, sticking to organic flour in particular)(LINKS!), lots of probiotics (LINK GUT/ BRAIN RESEARCH), no alcohol when I’m struggling (because it’s a depressant), and no regular coffee (because it totally triggers my anxiety. Tea, however, seems to be fine.)
Time:
How long have you been treating your body like shit, depriving it of what it needs to function optimally, actively consuming things that are toxic, and holding on to negative emotions? Just like it took time to get to a place of breakdown, it takes time to rebuild. Show yourself grace and patience that the process of healing WILL pay off.
Exercise:
We all know it’s good for us- that moving our bodies, even for relatively short periods of time increases circulation and blood flow, increases the production of those “feel good” chemicals in our brain. Plus, sometimes it just helps to get off your ass! Exercise is the best way to process and release negative energy- emotions are energy in motion; don’t let them become stagnant.
Be purposeful with your habits- they are what make you.
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