You know what I mean by ‘wellness trap’ right? … the idea that you’ll be totally FINE, you just need to get your wellness shit together and do THAT ONE THING.
That one thing like:
*Get enough money together to buy those really expensive supplements you NEED because it’s promoted by so & so
*Start taking wild mushroom extract gathered by vegan mountain goats in Southern Oregon
*Go to see that rockstar naturopath who’s HOT right now and definitely has THE ultimate cure for SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
*Use a standing desk for most of the day because sitting is the new smoking, don’t you know?
*Have a solid 3 hour daily yoga practice because #yogaeverydamnday or some other hashtag
*Deal with that recurring UTI issue with natural herbs
*Go to restorative yoga classes 3 times a week to activate your parasympathetic nervous system
*FINALLY work out WTF you’re supposed to be eating (or not eating!) amongst all the latest insta-fads of ketogenic / paleo / vegan / raw vegan / low FODMAPS / Fasting / Juice cleansing / dairy-free / gluten-free / blah-blah
*Or even have a Yoni Mapping Therapy session to deal with the pelvic stuff you’ve been putting off! 
ARGH…SO EXHAUSTING ISN’T IT?!
And do you notice that we often don’t quite manage to REACH that place where we’re totally at optimal health and wellness levels?
There’s always THAT ONE THING.
Isn’t it weird also, that there are SO MANY PEOPLE obsessed with wellness, doing all these crazy things to take care of their health, and meanwhile having all kinds of recurring issues… meanwhile there are people who seem to TRASH their bodies for decades straight and be physiologically healthier?
I want to be clear here and say that some of the things above MAY actually be really important for your particular healing journey.
However, I’m realising that there are things that are potentially more important than how much exercise you get, how much alcohol you drink or which particular dietary restriction you choose.
And the cool thing is that there are studies to prove it. It will probably still take a while for western medicine to widely accept that these factors HEAVILY influence our health, but they do.
Factors like:
*How you feel about your body (and self-esteem generally)
*What your sex life is like – are you fulfilled or repressed?
*Whether you feel socially connected and have close friends you enjoy authentic relationships with
*If you’re in an unhealthy relationship (physically / mentally / emotionally abusive / co-dependent etc)
*How you replenish yourself in your down time
*How grateful you feel generally
*Past childhood trauma or abuse
*If you generally enjoy life and savour the little pleasures
*How relaxed you’re able to be amidst the chaos of life
*If you’re constantly thinking in terms of the worst case scenario
*What you do for work / how your boss treats you / if it’s deeply fulfilling
*If you’re able to express your creativity in the ways you like
It’s all so fascinating! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to do some drawing, connect with my partner and make arrangements to hang out with my friends this week. 😉
This article was inspired by a book I’m currently reading (and loving)
‘Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself’ by Lissa Rankin M.D – which lists a heap of studies as references if you’re interested to know more.
Other relevant reading:
‘You Are The Placebo’ – Dr Joe Dispenza
‘Biology of Belief’ – Dr Bruce Lipton
