We live in a society today where we expect instant gratification and when we become sick, we immediately reach for the pill to treat the ill…
I’d like to suggest that you begin with LOVE, self-love to be exact. Stop looking outside yourself for answers, cures, remedies and start with loving yourself to health.
My story began with fear, living in a house filled with violence and abuse . As a little one I had no idea that this constant fear would create illness over time.
Dialing ahead, my illness became severe and often debilitating. I was seen by some of the best specialists in the world, at both Yale and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and not one was able to diagnose my condition. After being in a week long study at the NIH, I had a life changing wake-up call on the train ride home to Connecticut.
My wake-up call took me on a journey to self-love, which has proven to be the best medicine of all. When I made the choice to start truly loving me, just as I am, that is when the magic happened. It didn’t happen overnight, but day by day things began to improve.
My favorite saying is “love yourself enough to……” — you fill in the blank! I believe we all know what we could or should be doing better, or more of, or less of, to improve our health, but often these things take a back seat to our work, our family, our friends, or our commitment to community work.
Stop putting yourself last and practice some daily self-love. Start by changing some of the negative chatter into positive thoughts. Did you know we think on average 60,000 thoughts a day and about 80% of them are negative! The transition from negative chatter to positive takes time, but it is so worth the effort.
Add some self-care practices to your calendar, or a self-care check list if you prefer. Be sure to include them into daily routines, weekly events, and a few monthly indulgences just for you!
Fill up your fuel tank! What are you putting on your fork? Make smarter choices and if you don’t know what they are, jump online and discover oodles of information. I always carry a goodie bag when I travel or when at an event with too much junk being served. I prep meals and sacks twice weekly and freeze servings for my busy, on-the-go lifestyle. I am also a big believer in getting as many living and raw veggies and fruits in my daily diet.
Last but not least, make time for friends who support you and make plans that will have you laughing, sharing stories, being creative and productive. Your special tribe of friends are like treasure.
My own self-love has brought me back to me, back to my core and into vibrant health! To learn more about my journey, visit me at roots2wellness.com. If you are looking to begin and inside out makeover of your own, check out foodGEVITY.com.
In Wellness, With Love,
Janet
Originally published at medium.com