3 Ways To Shift Your Mindset To Help Fix Your Gut
There are so many moving parts when it comes to fixing your gut, but the number one thing I see that holds people back is there mindset. I get it, you have been in pain for so long, you are tired of the bloating and gas and your bowel movements have you panicking and begging for relief. Even when things do improve, there seems to be this lingering fear that the angry poops will return, because they always have and so it leaves you hopeless.
This post is far from a woo-woo, "just think positive" kind of post. We are going to break down the real meat and potatoes behind mindset and what is actually within your control to change and what can help to propel you forward in your healing.
So let's get started:
1. Move away from the pain
Easier said than done, I know, but let me tell you a little story. When Julie first came to see me she had been in terrible pain for two years. She had been diagnosed with SIBO, IBS, was constipated, bloated, scared to eat, exhausted, underweight and on the verge of tears and defeat.
After being sent home by her doctor (endless times), being told that everything was "within normal range", self treating with supplements, liquid diets, you name it... she was ready to throw in the towel.
So desperate for some sort of answers as to why she had been suffering for so long, one day she said to me that she just wished they would find a blockage, or stone, or problem so that she could say "I told you so" to the doctors.
Now, you might be thinking "AMEN TO THAT SISTER!", but before you go to far, I want you to pause for a moment and think about this.
Why wish for more pain? Why not wish for more healing?
It is absolutely critical in order to heal your body that you shift your thinking AWAY from the pain and symptoms that you are tired of.
Again, this is not some woo-woo, what you put out to the universe comes back to you (although it's true), there is tangible actions behind that. Let me give you an example.
If all you focus on is the fear of symptoms staying or never going away. If all you do is worry about what your friends think, family thinks, how you will be able to go poop without anyone hearing/smelling it. What you will wear to hide the bloating, what foods you will eat that won't make you want to shit your pants, or not be able to shit for a week.
If all you focus on are the negative symptoms, missed opportunities and yesterdays pains, you are going to feel more anxious, which causes leaky gut, depletes good bacteria and digestive enzymes, which causes diarrhea/constipation (and lots more) and you will remain stuck here.
WORRY = ⬆ ANXIETY = ⬇ DIGESTION = GUT PROBLEMS
And the same works for healing. A complete gut repair system and a mindset of moving AWAY from pain WILL fix your gut.
PEACE = ⬇ ANXIETY = ⬆ DIGESTION = HAPPY GUTS
2. Your illness is not yours
How many times have you said "my" IBS or "my" bloating, "my" gas? News flash, it is not yours! Stop taking ownership! You may have a sickness within your body but it is not yours to own and it does not define you, unless of course you decide to allow it to.
The power of our words is well... powerful! We must be much more diligient and careful with how we use our words because they have meaning and that meaning can and will affect your healing process.
Do you want your illness to control you, prevent you from living your life, keep you glued to the toilet, in pain, feeling exhausted, depleted and miserable?
No, I didn't think so! In order to heal, it is critical that you 1. move away from the pain and think about how you want to feel and 2. stop owning your illness and using it as a reason you can't live your life.
3. Change how you view healing
Most people are brought up to believe that when we get sick, we go to the doctor, the doctor gives us medication and we rinse and repeat. The problem with this line of thinking is that your doctor's tool box is in fact limited, as are everyone elses. Let me explain, when you go to the doctor, their job is to troubleshoot emergencies, diagnose, treat symptoms by prescribing medications or to operate.
They are not a source for emotional support, nutritional guidance or prevention.
So, what happens if you don't need any of what is available within their toolbox or what if what they do have in their toolbox does not work for you?
You may have experienced your blood labs and all other tests coming back as "normal", yet you are in constant pain, waiting to poop or waiting to stop pooping, nauseous, possibly even vomiting and yet you are told, everything is "normal".
I'm not here to debate that one tool box is more valuable or effective than another, I am suggesting each toolbox offers a different set of tools to help you heal and to view healing from only one of these boxes, leaves the opportunity for you to full heal limited and you hopeless, especially when what you have tried is not working.
Deciding there are other methods for healing opens the doors to possibilities because the reality is there is SO much more that can be done, despite it feeling like you have tried everything.
Start asking questions...
What if my doctor is not the ultimate commander of my health?
What if there are other options besides medication and surgery?
Open the doors of possibility to your healing.
