Change your focus to change your result

The key thing to remember about any dis-ease in your body, be it physical discomfort or visible aliment or a more inwardly-focussed concern like anxiety, mood-swings or poor sleep is that it isn’t just about that problem – it’s easy to focus on a pain or a problem: both in terms of thoughts and in terms of ‘treatment’. However this is misguided and unlikely to help you move to a better place because nothing in our body operates in isolation. It is only by looking at the ‘big picture’ of how we exist in, and interact with, the external and internal environment that we create for our bodies and minds that we have a real chance of lasting success.

Consider this simple analogy, if you have an open wound then a bandage of some type is necessary. However, while the bandage is a contributing factor in that it helps to keep the wound clean it is not in and of itself the reason that your wound heals. Your body enters into a complicated set of processes and interactions that together are the reason why you get better. Of course, you can sabotage that process by picking at the scab as it forms or putting pressure on the wound so that it keeps splitting open. So you can see that there are, in this very basic example, at least three factors that all have to come together in a mutually-supportive way before you will see full healing of the wound.

So it is with every health concern we wish to address. Do we provide our body with the right nourishment to do the best job it can? Do we have the efficient digestion and absorption capability we need in order for our nourishment choices to actually make a difference? Do we provide our minds with balanced opportunities to be joyful, busy and bored? How do we rest and how do we move?

In our modern ‘pill for an ill’ world we’ve lost sight of the integrated nature of our existence. It’s all too easy to, say, find a cream for a skin condition without considering that healthy skin is made inside our bodies and at a much deeper level than a topical cream will impact. Or we take a quick fix sleeping tablet or antacid lozenge and in doing so deny our bodies the intricate hormone dance that is essential to the proper rest and repair we need to function well.

This is why focussing on the ‘problem’ on it's own will never really help you to find a lasting solution. This is also why if we go mad into a new diet or exercise regime we very often end up frustrated, disappointed and not much further towards our goal. Until we understand and pay appropriate attention to all the factors that contribute to our well-being we will find it slow progress towards being truly well.

To find out what factors you need to thrive in your body and mind and how you can prioritise those actions in your life, book a free First Steps consultation at a time that suits you. As always, if you’ve enjoyed this blog and would like to get notifications for future ones straight to your inbox you can click here to join the mailing list.