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Module 1
Find Beauty in the Healing
The healing journey you are embarking on is going to be far from perfect. But through this perfectly imperfect process you will gain a new appreciation for how amazingly complex the human body is, and you will find so much beauty in the journey.
As You Begin the Journey...
Take a moment to fully embrace and accept that healing of an autoimmune diagnosis going to be far from perfect. It's going to be a slow process. It is going to be filled with many highs and many lows. It is going to put your perseverance to the test. There are going to be learning curves and hurdles that you will have to overcome. There are going to be challenges in the form of unexpected illnesses or life events that cause a temporary setback in the healing process. There are going to be moments where you feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and like you are failing because the results may not be happening fast enough. In these moments when all seems lost and hopeless, remind yourself that “this too shall pass”.
Setbacks don't mean you've failed! The steps presented in this guide are designed to set you up for success and help you to handle the trials and tribulations, the twists and turns that life will present to you along your journey to find healing. Find comfort in knowing that whatever is happening in your life will not undo the work you’ve done. In these moments, just don’t throw in the towel. Stay the course.
As you implement the steps outlined in this guide, you will see just how miraculous and badass your body really is when given the right tools. You will learn that your body has not failed you and is capable of doing amazing and even hard things. You will become very much in tune with your body and learn it from the inside out, gaining a new appreciation for how beautifully complex the human body is.
Remember you didn’t get sick overnight; therefore, you won’t heal overnight. For most individuals who suffer with chronic diseases, such as Hashimoto’s, it has been proliferating silently inside of them for years, masking itself as other things before being properly diagnosed. Healing is going to take time. So, give your body the time it needs. Learn to let go of any conception of time that you may have. The human body knows no calendar or timeframe when it comes to healing. There are no cutting corners or taking shortcuts. There is no quick fix. The body is going to take however long it needs to heal completely. This means your healing may look different and take longer than someone else who is going through the same process.
The steps outlined in this guide are not for a quick-fix diet. Diets are for the short term and a quick way to reach an end goal. They are temporary and in return provide temporary results. Diets tend to have a beginning and end date. Living happy, healed, and healthy with your Hashimoto’s is a lifestyle. But more importantly, it’s a mindset. Your body does what the mind tells it to do.
How to Shift Your Mindset so that You are Open to Healing
Allow Yourself To Be Present In The Moment
Finding beauty in the healing means allowing yourself to feel all the emotions that come with going through the process of physical and emotional healing. It means facing head-on all the guilt, the frustration, and the disappointment that comes with living with an invisible disease. It’s an invisible disease because on the outside you look fine. You don’t look sick. And you don’t look sick because you’ve probably done a pretty good job of learning to “play through the pain” as you go through your day-to-day responsibilities. You’ve become good at masking all the physical and emotional challenges that you face daily.
To experience the healing you desire, it’s time to take the mask off. Allow yourself in this present moment to feel whatever emotions you’ve been hiding.
Recognize That Your Diagnosis Doesn’t Define You
Accept the diagnosis of your autoimmune disease for what it is. It’s just a label or a description for what you are going through physically right now. But it doesn’t define you. The original meaning of the word “disease” referred to a body that wasn’t at ease. Over the years the definition of the word has changed to encompass being sick and having an illness. Negative connotations are now associated with the word “disease”. Think back on how you felt when you first were told you have Hashimoto’s Thyroid Disease. The word “disease” probably stung a bit. It wasn’t what you were expecting to hear. No one wants to be diagnosed with a “disease”. But if you look at your Hashimoto’s as only a label given to your thyroid because it isn’t at ease, then the diagnosis doesn’t seem to have the same negative connotations.
Communicate And Connect With Those Who Will Support You On Your Journey
After you’ve read through this guide, have a heart-to-heart talk with those closest to you. Educate them on what Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is and isn’t. It’s easy for others to form judgement and opinions on things that they really don’t understand. Remember, to everyone around you, you don’t look “sick” which makes it hard for loved ones to understand why “you aren’t who you use to be”.
Let Go Of The Guilt And Ask For Help When You Need
Don’t feel guilty for asking for help on the bad days. If you have a significant other be sure they understand and can look for the cues that let them know you can’t deal today and that you need them to take over in managing the house or kids, or both. It’s easy to feel less than on the days where our symptoms make it too hard to deal with life, but on those days take the cues from your body and give it the rest it needs. Keep in mind it’s fighting the battle for you. It’s working overtime to heal, so give your body a fighting chance. Slow down when you need to. Take the nap. Cancel the plans. Do these things without the guilt and thank your body for working so hard to heal!
Mindful Minute
Communicating and educating loved ones on Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis will help you to create a loving support system as you go through your healing journey. Take a minute to write down what you’d like to share with them about your diagnosis and the journey you are embarking on to find healing. Write down the ways you are seeking their help and support as you take this journey. Then discuss this with the individual(s) this was intended for.
Create An Attitude of Gratitude
It’s no secret that having a positive attitude does wonders for our mental well-being. When we feel happy and share that happiness with others, we attract back to us more of the higher vibrations we are sending out. Through recent years, more and more studies are showing that having a positive attitude plays a major role in the healing of injury and disease. Specifically, when we have an attitude of gratitude.
I know what you are thinking…
"How in the world can I have an attitude of gratitude amid the frustration, guilt, and anxiety I am feeling in this moment because of this diagnosis?"
I get it! I've felt that way too!
Fortunately, creating an attitude of gratitude is a learned skillset or practice. It’s a discipline that most of us don’t have, but through mindful practices we can learn to embrace an attitude of gratitude no matter the circumstance. An attitude of gratitude doesn’t mean you don’t ever feel bad or have negative emotions. On the contrary, it means you allow yourself to feel and be present in the negative emotions long enough to see the positive side of your experience. You turn obstacles into opportunities.
Having an autoimmune diagnosis like Hashimoto’s will help you to have a greater sense of empathy, compassion, drive, and resilience. As you actively work toward understanding your own body and the miraculous things it can do, you will develop a deeper connection to those around you. Inevitably, as you start to feel better and feel confident in your healing, you are going to want to share your newfound knowledge with others. Having an attitude of gratitude is freeing. It allows you to let go of the limiting beliefs that have surrounded you regarding your diagnosis. As you shift your mindset, you begin to feel that you are enough, worthy, and deserving of being healed, happy, and healthy.
Mindful Minute
Take a minute to reflect on your diagnosis, the experiences, and feelings you’ve had and felt thus far. Now, take those same experiences and feelings and write about how you are happy and grateful for them.
I am happy and grateful for ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My healing wish for you...
I pray that as you move forward in your journey to renewed health that you can find the beauty along the way. Let the tools and resources provided in this guide serve as reminder of how amazing your body really is. How capable it is of healing. I hope you see yourself as I see you; a strong, resilient person capable of doing hard things. Know that you deserve to be living healed, happy, and healthy with Hashimoto’s.