Health as More Than a Band-aid

Each of us has areas of health that feel stronger, and then there are areas that feel weaker. Can you picture which is which in your health? It can be tempting to want a quick fix for the weaker areas---take a pill, find a supplement, try a new exercise technique, drink more water, sleep 8 hours, and the like in terms of health tips. You decide to use all these health tips, and "voila" you expect to feel better in a week or two. But why is it that you don't quite feel better yet?

Health tips can be useful when used the right way, but there are often deeper layers from which health needs healing first. If a specific area of your life feels stuck, unbalanced,or neglected, your body will ask you to pay more attention in the best way it knows how--through physical and/or mental-emotional health symptoms. Health, just like life, takes courage to uphold and support. It's great to keep health tips in your mind and practice them when you get a chance, but also pay attention when it's time to dig deeper to support your health.

Digging deeper means going beyond the superficial definitions of health and discovering your own that are unique to your life. How do you know when you're feeling healthy, and how can you tell when you're not feeling yourself? First of all, you have to check in with yourself to see if you notice the difference. Everyone does on some level, but try looking at your health with a new lens if you feel out of touch with what you're going through.

Next, remember that you've had meaningful life experiences and that what you've learned from them can help you handle what you're going through today. Health isn't just about blood pressure readings and lab results. Health also comes from the confidence that you feel ready to handle challenges in life. When you experience moments of doubt surrounding this confidence, find a way to back yourself and your health too. The supportive feedback you have toward yourself counts just as much, if not more, than what you hear from others.

Finally, remember that you care. At times, life can feel consumed by thoughts of image and status quo. Promises of "What looks good---is also readily accepted" swirl through the air as readily as oxygen. Still, you must find a breath of fresh air for yourself amid this mentality. Remember that you care on a level beyond image, acceptance, and Band-aids...health-related, or otherwise.

Real health is about more than covering things up with a literal or metaphoric Band-aid. Real health involves you as an individual and what you go through in your life. Because of this, you are your best healer deep down. Sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper to access the true power that you possess.