Hello loves,

How have you been?

Today I want to talk about a secret to healing. Although, if you’ve been in my world for a while, it’s not really a secret. It’s not about adding the latest magic supplement, or putting yet another thing on your to-do list, which may come as a surprise as you might know that I love a to-do list!

The first pillar of my SHIFT to alignment programme is self, and it focuses heavily on the stories we tell ourselves. I often refer to them as fairy tales, because they’re often made up and a little bit scary. We’re very good at telling ourselves negative stories about ourselves. I am statements have power. And we have to be careful how we wield that sword of power.

The thing that I dislike most about a lot of the chronic illness communities that I have been around is the self-pity and the belief that once they have a chronic health diagnosis it absolutely defines them and that there are things that chronically ill people just don’t do any more.

If you want to get better. If you want to take back the life that a chronic illness stole from you. You have to absolutely believe that you can heal. You have to absolutely believe that you can get better. That it is possible for you, and for your body.

I didn’t always believe it.

Ten of us sat in the clinic the afternoon I was given my diagnosis, and based on statistics from back then, 4 of us are completely house-bound with full-time carers, 2 of us struggle to do most daily tasks, I’m the one of us that’s living a “normal” life, and unfortunately the last 3 of us will have taken our own lives.

I’ll never forget sitting in that clinic. On one hand so determined to be discharged from there much sooner than the two years they usually suggest, but on the other, with some people still there way past two years, wondering if any sort of recovery was even possible.

It doesn’t help that for many chronic illnesses we don’t really know what is possible from recovery, it’s not one size fits all. Exploring things that may help someone recover can cause resistance to the idea that recovery is possible. It can be devastating to get your hopes up, which is why some people choose instead not to believe in recovery. Add to this is the stigma and misinformation about chronic illnesses, creates an inability to begin to understand how to solve the problem. It’s important to realise that recovery can include everything that creates improved quality of life. To live life your way, on your terms.

Recovery isn’t about going back to the life you had before diagnosis.

That just isn’t possible. The same as you couldn’t go back to how life was before a relationship, or having children. You can get some semblance to it, but you can’t get back exactly the same.

In many respects, as someone living a quote normal recovered life, it’s understandable that many of you in the early days of diagnosis might think that I am living my best life. In some ways I am. But. I still have flare-ups. I still get frustrated on the days I wake up feeling like death when I’d had a good few days before that. I still have to be aware of how many spoons I have to use each day. I still don’t want to always be aware of how many spoons I have to use. I’d still love to be able to eat exactly what I wanted without the pain that follows the day after.

It takes patience, kindness, and being a loving partner to yourself.

Despite always feeling like your body doesn’t belong to you anymore.

And yet, your body wants to heal.

So let’s spend some time on dealing with the fairy tales. To heal your mindset. To trusting your body. And the process.

Both personally and with many of my clients I have found that affirmations or mantras are a great way to help modify our beliefs and stories about ourselves.

They have worked for me in health, in sport, and in finding the absolute dream of a guy perfect for me. If I could manifest him, what else can I manifest?!

That’s actually a good place to start when you doubt yourself. Think of a time when you have achieved something you wanted, and apply the belief over to healing. The brain doesn’t know any different as to whether real or imagined. So let’s play!

Pick one of the following affirmations, or modify to suit you better. Or please do create your own. Pick something that is what you want to step into. We are changing beliefs, not sticking to current ones.

1. My body is capable of healing
2. I am worthy of love exactly as who I am today
3. I am grateful for my body and how it helps me to experience life
4. I trust that my life is unfolding exactly how it should
5. It is safe for me to know and ask for what I want and need
6. It is safe for me to say no
7. My reality of my health is valid for me, even if others on my journey disagree or deny it
8. It is safe for me to accept help when offered

Picked one?

Sit comfortably, close your eyes if you’re able to, and either out loud or in your head say the affirmation 3 times.

How does it feel to say this affirmation?

How does it feel in your body?

How would it feel to be the person who already believes this about themselves?

Write the affirmation somewhere you can see it, such as a post it somewhere you walk by often, and spend a few times today connecting with how you felt in the moment when you said it 3 times.

Am I glad I fought for my recovery?

Absolutely. Finding recovery doesn’t mean that all the day-to-day problems that everyone faces will disappear, but, what it does mean is that you’ll have built an incredible resilience for dealing with stuff and will be able to deal with whatever comes your way so much more effectively than those who haven’t gone through such an experience.
And that is always worth holding on to.

Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard please subscribe and share the podcast, so that we can get this out to others who are also wanting to take back the life a chronic illness stole from them.

And remember, you are worth it, and you get to choose. Have a lovely day.