Removing negative stress from my life saved my life.
In 2017 I was given an ‘all clear’ result after a diagnosis of stage 2 Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, culminating from 34 years of chronic stress-related illnesses controlling my body and my mind.
My adult life started with a bang. Abusive and controlling relationships, struggling to find my purpose, money worries, bereavement, expectations, deadlines, and weak friendships. Pressure every corner I turned. It felt like I couldn’t catch a break. Stress only became more chronic as the years went on.
I would swallow my feelings, building a shell of protection around my heart. Using avoidance tactics to distract myself, never dealing with my stresses.
Being in that heightened state of stress for years meant that my brain was catastrophising the slightest inconvenience and sending me into a deeper spin each time. I was trapped in a cycle.
Suffering from chronic migraines, covered in eczema, and always bloated. Over the years, I became allergic to almost everything (later being diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome MCAS). I would flip between insomnia and sleep paralysis; my hair was falling out, my anxiety was through the roof, and my fatigue was next level. All of this only created more stress that my poor body and mind couldn’t take, eventually being prescribed antidepressants and later being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.
Then the unthinkable happened… I received a Cancer diagnosis. Stage 2 Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.
Enough was enough. Things needed to change, and fast.
Throughout my recovery, I would research my illness, and in doing so, I discovered those illnesses had all been stress related. I learnt the powerful connection between the mind and body and how stress causes chemical changes in the body that create the perfect breeding ground for disease to grow. I was literally wearing my chronic stress all over my body for the world to see because I didn’t acknowledge it, heal from it, and move through it.
So, I began the work on my emotional health with the goal of healing my physical health. Meditation, Yoga, journalling, talking kindly towards myself, a balanced diet, lots of fresh air – it seemed too simple to work. But it did. I was dedicated to my practices, and in no time at all, things began to improve. My mindset was clearer, and my health was improving.
I quit my stressful, toxic job and began on a path of least resistance. Understanding my triggers, becoming mindfully connected with my thoughts and my physical body. Soon I was teaching others to do the same globally. Creating fusion-style health classes that were not only holistic but scientifically proven to heal. My methods were not just working for others but having life-changing results for them too!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I still get stressed; I’m human. But now I am better equipped to deal with obstacles life throws at me in a more responsive and less reactive way.
And the best bit? I’m grateful for my cancer diagnosis. It was my pinnacle of change. It pivoted me from a path of distress to a healthy and successful one. How can I not, in some way, be thankful for my life experiences and the powerful path of healing they have led me on?
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