Self healing involves a series of actions to help the body heal. This can include things like physical exercise, meditation, mindfulness and yoga. It can also involve activities that help to process trauma and forge a new path.
The concept of self-healing is still relatively new. Research is ongoing to better understand this approach and make it available to more people.
1. Exercise
Self-healing is about identifying areas in your life where you have experienced trauma or daily stressors/challenges, and coming up with practices in your daily life to promote healing. This may include meditation, journaling, exercise, challenging negative thoughts, improving sleep, and more.
People with inner wounds tend to get more triggered by small things and have a hard time trusting others. They have a tendency to treat other people the way they are treated, and will often try to get revenge on people who treat them poorly.
Self-healing personality traits include fluid coping mechanisms in the face of stress, and a tendency to self-select into healthy environments and situations. They also engage in healthful habits, which reinforce their personality characteristics and push them toward a healthy trajectory.
2. Nutrition
The healing properties of a person’s body are immense. They are free of cost, can be leveraged at any time, and can save national healthcare systems a ton of money on costly pharmaceuticals and genomic strategies.
Rather than just dismissing placebo healing as suggestibility, scientists are now coming to realize that what we may call ‘placebo effects’ or ‘natural course of recovery’ is actually self-healing. This self-repair is a powerful aspect of human health that often goes overlooked.
A healthy diet is vital for self healing. The right nutrients provide energy and help with tissue repair. For example, eating kale, spinach, and other dark leafy greens provides your body with vitamin K, which helps your blood cells group together and clot properly after an injury like a small scrape or knife cut.
3. Meditation
Meditation is a form of mental and physical relaxation that can help alleviate stress, anxiety, depression and even gastrointestinal issues like bloating and constipation. Studies have shown that people who meditate on a regular basis have more healthy cells and lessen the effects of aging and diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes.
It’s important to do your research on different types of meditation before choosing a specific type, though. There are many books, blogs and online resources that can offer tips and advice on how to get started. In addition, it may be helpful to consult your primary care provider or a mental health professional for more guidance and recommendations on the best type of meditation for you.
4. Sleep
A healthy amount of sleep each night is vital to brain healing and self improvement. During sleep the body regenerates cells, restores energy levels and consolidates memories.
Sleep’s precise biological purpose remains a mystery, but it appears to have a wide range of beneficial effects on physiology. During sleep, a dynamic alternation between states of reduced responsiveness to the environment and activity or wakefulness occurs.
During the first stage of sleep, the brain reorganizes and catalogs learned information, much like a librarian does with books. This process is crucial for cognitive function, enabling the brain to make connections between concepts and find solutions to problems that arise during wakefulness. The final stage of sleep is where physical recovery and healing occur, comparable to power washing a driveway or sealing it for preservation.
5. Self Care
Self care is a series of routines, like brushing your teeth or eating healthily, that help you feel healthy. It may also include activities like relaxing, meditating and exercising. Self care is an important part of maintaining a good mental health, especially during times of stress and anxiety.
The more you look after yourself, the better you can do in other areas of your life, from work to relationships. Putting your own needs first can feel selfish, but you’ll soon find that the benefits outweigh any negative feelings.
For some people, the concept of self care is even more radical – Black feminist writer Audre Lorde wrote that “caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.” For these people, self care might involve socialising, helping others or community activism.
