Healing as a Journey

"𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺."

As we all know…such a pill does not exist. We live in a society where instant gratification is king and where we need everything now. We want change, growth, and healing to happen overnight.

The problem with autonomic dysfunction is that the autonomic nervous system is so extensive. It is responsible for so many functions in the body. It can start acting haywire when a stressor is introduced… covid, surgery, car accident, other forms of trauma to the body or psyche.

But the body can also learn to restore and regulate itself. However, this takes time and patience.

No one can tell you how long it will take. That creates a lot of uncertainty.

This is what having a chronic illness is like. The word 𝙘𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 - 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙣𝙤𝙬. So how do we cope with that?

As my symptoms worsened, I started watching webinars on autonomic dysfunction. They talked about the importance of exercise and movement. I started reading about various diets, the power of HeartMath, and retraining the autonomic nervous system.

I was so eager to put these into practice. And I expected to see the results fast - like "𝙣𝙤𝙬!" So I overwhelmed myself with trying to do everything at once, and I failed—every time blaming myself. I was too weak.

I've learned that healing is a journey. Willpower alone is not enough because it's just one of the factors. Healing requires patience, time, and sustained effort.

Meanwhile, as you continue on your journey, 𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨, be they big or small.

Have you completed a 2-minute workout in bed? Great job! Celebrate it! You're one step closer.

After some sustained efforts, you should start noticing some improvements in your well-being.

But even in the short term, you will feel proud of yourself for taking the initiative. Relish in that pride! And it will propel you further.

What part of the healing journey are you in now? Where do you need more support? Let me know in the comments below.