Our inner world has a huge effect on our health and in my personal experience once I addressed my inner world my healing from Ankylosing Spondylitis and Chronic Iritis accelerated. Addressing our inner world can be extremely difficult and can take a long time but doing the work is worth it.
We carry so much with us each day. Experiences from childhood, unacceptance of ourselves, fear of the future, stress from our jobs or relationships, and the list goes on. Some of these things are on the surface and are top of mind while others are buried deep. One of the easiest places I believe to start addressing our inner world is to think about the stories we tell ourselves over and over again.
STORIES CAN HELP OR HINDER HEALING
When I began my healing journey many years ago one story I was telling myself was that healing was not possible for me. I was stuck in the narrative that I have a chronic life-long condition and that my future self would be limited by my diagnosis. I got this idea based on both what my doctor told me, and what I saw on the internet.
When I found my only option was to manage my symptoms with a scary pharmaceutical drug I was left with no other option than to fight for my health in other ways.
REWRITE YOUR STORIES
One of those ways was through the mind-body connection and the place I started was to rewrite the stories I had about healing and my life. I rewrote what I had been telling myself and slowly but surely, one step at a time I began to uplevel my healing.
It was not easy! Inner work is one of the hardest things you will do.
On good days when my pain was low or I was flare-free, it was easy but on the days where I was in pain, my mind went right back to the story that healing was not possible for me. On those days I did the below exercise. This exercise is one I have my coaching clients complete and I ask them to revisit it anytime they need a tune-up. This one simple exercise changed the trajectory of my healing and I hope it helps you too!
EXERCISE HOW TO:
STEP 1: Grab a few pieces of paper and on each one write down a story you have been telling yourself over and over. Either about your health or life in general.
STEP 2: Once you have written all the stories down take each page and on the back write a new story. For example, if your old story was “Healing Is Not Possible For Me”, your new story could be “Healing Is Possible For Me”. The mind likes details so your new story should be detailed. This example is super simplified.
STEP 3: Anytime your old stories pop into your head replace them with your new stories. Over time your old stories will fade.
STEP 4: Revisit your new stories often! Spend a few minutes first thing in the morning and a few minutes before going to sleep at night reading your new stories out loud. Look at them and visualize yourself in the new stories. Visualization is powerful!
This one simple exercise changed the trajectory of my healing and I hope it helps you too!
In Love, Health + Gratitude,
Katie