Let healing take its natural course as an art and a practice!
The Art and Practice of Healing
Can you relate to the zeal of the newly converted who is posting on Instagram, sending you memes of healing, and delighting you with every step of their practice on the road to wellness? It makes sense that an individual deprived so long of the nutrients of life, might take healing to the nth degree. Sometimes the cure can become the problem. Being one dimensional and rigid has its downside in any arena. We live in a world of information overload as it is. It seems as though there are gurus of wellness everywhere with an opinion on all matters related to healing.
When is Healing Too Much?
A good guide that you have slipped from good sense to the dark side, is to consider your source of information and the amount of time you are spending on gathering that information. Are you seeking advice from your therapist? Or are you on Pinterest all day? Are you feeling stressed or is depression kicking in? If your *healing* is making you feel sick, it’s probably too much. Be wary of quick fixes. Healing takes time.
“Change, like healing, takes time.”
― Veronica Roth, Allegiant.”
Setting Your Boundaries
As with most matters relating to wellness, there are limits. Whenever therapists start mentioning limits, they are referring to boundaries which is the same conversation related to self-care. It’s about moderation and balance. Wanting to be “fixed” overnight is not only unrealistic, it’s probably part of the story that prompted the need for healing in the first place. We live at a time when anxiety are at an all time high even before the onset of COVID-19. Calm and stability is the way of healing. Rush and panic is not.
Becoming Human
When we put personal growth and healing into its proper context, we realize that healthy development takes time. We did not become dysfunctional or dysregulated overnight. Part of living in an age of anxiety is stripping patience of all its virtue. Just because something takes time doesn’t mean that there’s no benefit of it. As we look around, we know that is not so. Good wine takes time. Wisdom comes with age (at some point). If you don’t let cheese mature right, it just tastes bad. (But what do I know. I’ve never actually made cheese. But that just seems right). There’s huge benefit to living in the moment. The moment. Right Now. This is where it’s at. This is where reality dwells. Sitting in the process of becoming is to actually enjoy the now. It’s ok to enjoy the healing process. What a thought.
You can find other soundbites related to well-being, self-compassion and healing here.
