Are we our illnesses?

• 13 January 2019
• Jane Evans
• no comments

Have you ever described yourself as:

• A migraine sufferer
• Having a ‘dodgy back/knee/stomach
• Asthmatic
• A hayfever sufferer
• Intolerant to dairy, gluten, eggs…
• Prone to catching colds and other bugs
• Having high blood pressure
• Irregular heartbeat
• Having high cholesterol

Are you in danger of making this a self-fulfilling prophecy for life?

You may have suffered with it for years, and been diagnosed by a doctor (always do see them if you are worried) and have come to a place of acceptance. Would you change it if you could? “Yes,” I hear you indignantly cry out. “Do you think it’s fun suffering this way?” Honestly, I am not sure everyone would. I know thousands, of people who will not put the effort in to becoming symptom free. In fact, maybe hundreds of thousands if you count all the social media posts I see.

Maybe this is because they simply have no idea it is possible to rid themselves of their ongoing conditions, so they live in the hope they just get lucky one day and wake up without it. Other times it could be that they’ve tried many different medications, and maybe some alternative stuff without much change. Or, they have taken their condition on as part of their identity, with a kind of resigned acceptance. How about you?

Am I just lacking compassion for your suffering?

I’m not here to criticise, I’d be a fraud if I did, as I used to be wedded to being:

• A life-long migraine sufferer 
• Having a chronically painful back (losing the ability to walk a couple of times)
• A mild asthmatic
• Having a raging gluten intolerance
• Plagued by irritable bowel
• Crippled with plantar fasciitis
• On antibiotics for repetitive bladder infections
• Restricted by life-long anxiety
• Terrified by a severe bout of clinical depression and suicidality
• In daily pain from arthritis
• Treated with horrible drugs for osteoporosis
• Reliant since childhood on an eating disorder, and other stuff I can’t recall now!

Now I am well, drug and self-medication free, so I want this for you too, as then you will get to live a different quality of life, just like I do. Sound good?

It IS an investment

Did I just wake up one day symptom, medication and condition free? Hell no, I have had to work at it. However, I previously had to work just as hard at staying in that state of stress and ill-health. I freely invested my time and money on prescribed medications, over the counter stuff, alcohol, shopping endlessly for crap, restricting my food, and other self-destructive attempts to temporarily feel better.

My biggest losses from this investment came from spending so much of my life feeling ill and in pain, lacking energy, being tense from tip to toe, needing something to make me feel a bit more comfortable. Ongoing intense stress will do that as it makes our body and brain work insanely hard so they get clapped out and we pick up every bug or repeat illnesses. Ultimately we don’t get to be ourselves or fulfill our potential as stress and illness absorb us.

Now I am delighted to invest in practices, techniques and resources that mean I am rarely ill or tired. In fact it comes as shock if I feel a bit off colour! I also have more emotional and physical energy, and peace than ever before, despite being in my 50’s.

What do you need to change to have this too?

1. Find out how stressed you REALLY are. In reality most of us are used to feeling a certain way so have NO idea (see checklist below).
2. Get excited about learning how stress is created in your body and brain, so you can truly relate to and understand how it makes you sick, and even stupid.
3. Commit 100% to reducing and balancing your stress so it is at a healthy, functional and beneficial level for life.
4. Change your subconscious thinking and beliefs about your health, stress, yourself and other people as this is how you self-generate your stress. (It’s NOT what does or doesn’t happen in life that makes you stressed. It IS how you respond to it that stokes the stress furnace)
5. Work with someone who really gets it, like me! It is hard to make and sustain changes alone.

I use Quantum Energy Coaching, craniosacral therapy and do yoga most days at home because it isn’t by magic I get to be this healthy, contented and productive! 

Over to you…

If you are wedded to ‘being a sufferer of…’ I can’t help you, just keep on doing what you are doing. But, as Einstein said,

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

On the other hand, if you are clear that you want to improve the quality of your health, relationships, productivity, focus, ambition, parenting, sleep and so much more, then it’s time to step up and get started.

As The Life Change Coach I am here for you, your changes, wellbeing and growth.

Addressing your stress is a great starting point as it fuels how well and how effective you are in daily life. Getting your stress response (think thermostat) to a balanced useful level gives you a solid platform for all you want.

Ready? Then let’s talk on a free 15 minute LIfe Changes Call to see where you are and what you want to have for 2019 and beyond.   

Look forward to speaking soon…

Your Stress Checklist – how many apply to you?

1. Don’t feel much at all
2. Would rather be in bed asleep than anything else
3. Feel detached
4. Struggle to think about much
5. Find making decisions of little interest
6. Often irritable
7. Inconsistent sleep pattern
8. Find daily events overwhelming
9. Resent the behaviours of others
10. Blame others for how you feel
11. Find decision making ramps up your irritation and frustration
12. Little interest in other people’s needs/find them too much
13. Have several ongoing health conditions as listed above
14. Rush from one thing to another
15. Frequently exhausted

How many do you recognise? Even a 1, is a signal that it’s time to create a more intelligent use of you daily stress, so let’s talk!

Email me here, or               janeevans61@hotmail.co.uk

Text me on (UK)                  07455281247

Send me a smoke signal!