Most people with health issues seek help when they’re stuck in the red zone. This isn’t usually the best way to take care of yourself and there is another way. If you can be proactive with your health and stick in the green zone, you are less likely to get injured, more likely to recover quicker if you do pick up an injury, and are less likely to develop chronic conditions which drastically lower your quality of life.
We’ve treated thousands of clients over the years, that means thousands of conversations about health, lifestyle, beliefs, barriers to recovery etc. When someone has a body, joint or nerve issue, we often get asked…”how long will this [problem] take to get better?”. Of course, we can give a ballpark figure based on physiology and healing processes, however, there is so much variability from person to person that very often, this is an incredibly difficult question to answer. The reasons for this variability are multi-layered and complex ranging from where the problem is and how long it has persisted, to having the right blood pH and biochemistry. However, one of the main factors in a person's ability to fight injury and disease… is their mindset!
There are many factors that impact health, we all know these: nutrition, physical activity levels, rest, stress etc, but really the journey starts with 2 different mindsets:
What can I do to get better?
Can you fix me?
When encountering patients in our practice, the difference between these 2 groups tends to be the predictor of how well this person will do. If someone is actively looking for solutions to their problems they tend to be looking for guidance on what is best to do - this is our first mindset. They have usually searched the internet for relevant exercises, pain relieving tips etc. They are motivated to help themselves get better and tend to be more ‘proactive’ with their health, making healthy lifestyle choices to keep them out of trouble. When they do pick up an injury, they ask for help when they need it and generally get better more quickly with less complications.
Conversely, the second group are not so proactive and tend to live life more towards the middle or red zones. They ignore their issues and by the time they decide to get help, they have developed chronic pain, secondary body problems and sometimes medical issues. When they seek help, they pass the health buck and tend to want someone else to ‘fix’ them, completely dis-empowering themselves in the process. These individuals tend to take longer to get better and quite often bounce from one problem to the next and can often end up with chronic pain or medical issues..
YOU are your greatest healer!
The moral of the story is, if you take control over your own body and health, not only will you have less pain and injury, you will feel fitter, stronger and more confident. Empower yourself, be proactive with your health and you will reap more benefits than just a healthy body.
Here are our 5 tips to change your mindset to a positive one:
Deal with your body or joint issues as early as possible, even if it’s just a niggle
Incorporate regular exercise into your lifestyle - make it a habit (see ‘Have your cake and eat it - tiny habit changes for tips on how to do this)
Water is key - make sure you stay hydrated at all times, especially with exercise
Make sure you are getting the right amount of rest and relaxation - you body needs to recover in order to have the energy to heal
Start being proactive today and stop procrastinating, you will thank yourself for it later.
If you are experiencing body or joint aches and pains, check out our online rehab programmes.