Reflections from Lauren: Who is responsible for my health?
/Who is responsible for my health?
Who is responsible for my family’s health?
Interesting questions, right? It honestly takes a lot of reflection. A lot of digging in deep and not placing any blame. We live in a world where a lot of people don’t feel in control of their health - especially right now. It’s true, there will always be things we can’t control. But we can always control our choices. We can always control our values and our beliefs. We can always control what comes into our homes. We are the gatekeepers to our health.
I look back at my health journey, and my belief system surrounding health has taken a 180 degree turn. Until grad school I chose to cover up anything that was less than ideal when it came to my health. I was a psychology major who had no idea how big stress (chemical, physical and emotional) was impacting my health. Instead, my philosophy went a little something like this:
Have a headache - take an ibuprofen right away.
My menstrual cycles were heavy - great, birth control is the answer.
My anxiety was kicking in - take the as needed Xanax.
And the list went on…
It wasn’t until I realized that none of these things were actually setting a foundation in health and that my symptoms were beginning to manifest into other forms of dysfunction… that I began to educate myself and seek providers who could educate me on a deeper level. I learned and came to the understanding that the “less than ideal” symptoms were actually very intelligent warning signs from my body. Warning signs telling me that something deeper needed to be addressed.
Soon a belief system began to form around the idea that my body was actually extremely intelligent (not failing me) and that only I was responsible for my health, not an outside source. A belief system that continues to be instilled in our family today and one that we share with others at Roots Family Chiropractic.
I think this is so important during this time of COVID-19. There is so much fear surrounding our lives. It is healthy to take a step back and experience sadness and fear - but consistent worry, stress and fear leads to paralyzing reactions (aka no action). Many messages out there have intentions of spreading hope, but continue to tell the story of reaction towards disease instead of foundational action steps for the now.
You might disagree with me. You might question me. But questioning is good, it means we are critically thinking and problem solving together thoughts and ideas. Through my own personal experiences, I have come to find out that when we start to form beliefs and understanding that we are responsible for our own health, and that our bodies are so incredibly intelligent - everything changes. We begin to fuel our body well, move our body well, set a healthy mindset, strengthen our immune system from the inside out without needing to think about it. We just know how important it is.
Of course this doesn’t happen over night and no one is perfect, but the value is there. We no longer need to fear disease, but see it as a possibility that we might face. And if we do, we know how to continue to support our body well. We can better trust the process and make the best decisions for our health.
COVID-19 is not responsible for my health.
The media is not responsible for my health.
Researchers are not responsible for my health.
My health is my responsibility: My responsibility is preparing my mind and body in the best way that I can so that if I do get sick, I am not fearful or reactive. I can trust the process and make informed decisions regarding my health.
So I ask you…
1. How are you responsible for your health?
2. What steps are you taking to set a strong foundation?
Be well,
Lauren
