Years ago, as I struggled through a long period of unexplained physical symptoms and a very depressing cycle of feeling awful, improving slightly, only to feel awful again – rinse and repeat – I eventually realized the conventional approach to healthcare wasn’t working for me. Unfortunately, it’s not working for millions of us. So many pills and powders and creams claiming to “fix you right up” – only to cause other problems and maybe not even fix the original one to begin with. So many diagnoses to give you something to blame but not necessarily effective ways to feel better for the long haul. Or, as with my personal experience, every doctor, exam, test, and scan says you’re “healthy as a horse.” Well, horses must feel dreadful then! How could I feel so horrible all the time yet supposedly be the vision of health??
The conventional approach to healthcare mainly focuses on patching up what is easily diagnosed and fits into the textbook standards of health vs. disease. When you fall outside the box, you’re often left to struggle on your own or even be told “you just need to relax” or “here, take some Prozac.” And of course, neither of those responses is going to help you feel well or get to the root of the problem. Don’t get me wrong, “modern medicine” certainly has its place for emergencies, extreme conditions, and other lifesaving solutions. Sometimes you even luck out and find that gem of a healthcare practitioner who truly listens to you and works very hard to help you feel better, invoking as many natural remedies and lifestyle changes as possible to give your body the chance to find its own path to wellness.
But the majority of Americans are navigating their way through the conventional approach. To add insult to injury, the Standard American Diet (SAD) and lack of true self care are literally killing us. Literally. The passive, outdated notion that if we “just take the stairs” we can check physical activity off the list is leading us down a sedentary path of totally preventable disease and future mobility despair. The aggressive concept that sleep is for wimps, vacation days are only for those who don’t value their jobs, or that meditation is a touchy-feely practice suited only for those with too much time on their hands is crippling us with daily compounding stress and adrenal fatigue that has a very unhappy ending.
The best way for us to break free from this trap of feeling less than the vital, thriving humans we all want to be is to look outside the conventional boundaries and explore a more holistic, integrative approach to wellness. And now is the time to do it! Not tomorrow, or after the kids move out, or after you get that promotion at work, or after you receive the diagnosis or disease management prescription from your doctor. Right now. The sooner you take your own health and wellness into your own hands, the sooner you will feel the amazing benefits and wonder why the heck you waited so long. That’s why I chose heath coaching as my professional path – to help others find their way to a vital, thriving life!
No spam here! Just occasional healthy tips to educate, motivate, and inspire you!
