How I Heal Myself

On my journey back to employment in the medical field as a GP, I encountered exam stress, exam success, encouragement, positivity and, more recently, prejudice and discouragement.

In the last 15 years I’ve been through a rollercoaster of emotions and I never intended to ever return to clinical practice. The main underlying reason for this was just how uncaring I found the so-called caring profession. However, I was not caring for myself and that was the problem.

By the time I learned to care for myself I realised a significant proportion of my issues were eliminated. When Rumi said, “what you seek, seeks you,” it was another way of phrasing you have everything you need within yourself.

If you’re seeking understanding, truly understand yourself. If you seek support, be your own cheerleader. If you’re seeking advice, look deep to what you specifically need, address that need. Validation should come from within.

It took years for me to understand that I had whatever was required to be happy. This doesn’t mean you don’t need anyone else, it doesn’t mean you shun the outside world. It simply means that I can be happy with others in this world with a change in perspective and a view to the bigger picture.

Stilling yourself and meditation helps focus that energy on you, silencing the unhelpful and, sometimes damaging, chatter in your head helps you break the cycle of self-criticism or simply recycling of thoughts you regularly experience.

In stillness you reconnect to you. Your internal observer is acknowledged. In stillness you recharge, regenerate and relax. How you choose to achieve this stillness is your choice but once there adopting non-doing is a Herculean task we all face. Silencing the mind and concentrating on it to stay still in a gentle manner takes practice. However, it is a rewarding state that we should all experience daily. Yet we do not take the time do so, resulting in stress, worry and all the symptoms that accompany disease.

Making time to care for yourself through stillness and silence is imperative to good physical and mental health. It is the start of healing damage we inflict on ourselves and expose ourselves to everyday.