Holistic healing

Be your own healer

Take control of your body’s healing process and you may even recover faster

There was a time when a cut or a scraped knee was part and parcel of an active childhood, and we bounced back unscathed from the bumps and bruises we acquired without a second thought. As adults, healing a bone, a wound, or indeed recovering from an illness seems to take us so much longer, however, there is plenty you can do to give your recovery a helping hand.

Get more sleep

There is no denying the intense healing power of proper sleep – one study found that sleep deprivation can actually slow down would healing. Published in the International Journal of Neuroscience, the research found that those who didn’t get enough shut-eye had fewer capillary vessels and fibroblasts, which are essential for recovery.

When you’re asleep, hormones that encourage tissue growth are released, which can accelerate injury healing or sore muscles from intensive exercise. You also generate white blood cells while snoozing, meaning your defences against viruses and bacteria are raised. One study found that getting just one hour’s less sleep a night made participants three times more likely to come down with a cold!

Eat well

“A healthy and balanced diet, with plenty of vegetables, wholegrains, healthy fats and protein can also support your body in healing more effectively,” says Uxshely Chotai (thefoodpsychologyclinic.co.uk). “It needs great nutrition to be able to function optimally.”

Aim to eat plenty of protein from meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, lentil and beans. Consuming some with each meal will give the body what it needs to rebuild muscle and bone. Vitamin C is vital for the body’s collagen production, which is what connective tissue, ligaments and tendons are made from. Fresh fruit and vegetables are your friends here. Packing in plenty of kale, spinach and chia seeds will ensure you get enough calcium which helps maintain strong bones. We need vitamin D to absorb calcium properly and because even the healthiest diet is unlikely to provide us with enough of the stuff, the best way to produce it is by safe exposure to sunlight each day. It’s advisable to take a supplement, especially during autumn and winter.

Meditate more

“Managing stress levels through techniques such as mindfulness, hypnotherapy and meditation is a great way to accelerate healing,” says Uxshely. “These relaxation techniques have been shown to have a positive impact on our physical health and, in particular, our body’s immune system, which plays a vital role in healing.

“There are several studies that demonstrate that meditation may be able to improve immune function by increasing antibody count or delaying the progress of viral infections. For example, one study demonstrated that 48 people – after being given weekly meditation training for eight weeks – had significantly higher levels of antibodies than the control group, as well as having higher levels than they started off with themselves. Another piece of research conducted by the University of California revealed that HIV-positive patients who practise mindful meditation slowed down the reduction of the immune cells that are usually destroyed as a result of the condition.”

Try hypnotherapy

“There are plenty of clinical studies out there suggesting patients who receive hypnotherapy prior to surgery experience a wide range of benefits,” says clinical hypnotherapist Gail Marra (gailmarrahypnotherapy.com). “I work with clients preparing for all kinds of surgical interventions, from minor procedures such as a mole or tooth removal, to people recovering from accidents, injuries or traumas, or patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

It’s thought hypnosis has a positive effect on the body’s natural healing process because it relaxes us. When your heart rate slows down, and there is no adrenaline coursing through your veins, your body is in an ideal state to start healing. “Being in a state of deep relaxation and focused attention produces chemicals which facilitate blood flow, reduce pain and strengthen the immune system,” says Gail.

Try gail’s visualisation exercise

1. Close your eyes and imagine for a brief moment one of your lesser fears. There’s no need to visualise a catastrophe or relive a trauma, but perhaps imagine yourself balancing precariously on the edge of something, or holding an insect in your hand, or something that conjures up a moderate fear response. Keeping your eyes closed, turn the feelings up a notch until you notice that familiar butterfly effect. You might feel your stomach flip, goose bumps on your skin, or a shortness of breath. Even though you are consciously aware that this is an imagined event, your brain is firing out stress hormones as if it were actually happening.

2. Now try the opposite. Close your eyes, think about the last time you laughed out loud – real head-back, mouth-open belly laughing. Take a moment and really be present in that memory. What happened that made you laugh? Who was there? Where were you? Turn the volume up on the experience, make it bigger and brighter, see what you saw, hear what your heard, be there! Laugh out loud.

3. Now feel the difference. Notice that the event that made you laugh so hard isn’t happening right now, yet the feelings come back up. Your wonderful brain fired out dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins and it’s impossible to be fearful and calm at the same time.

4. If there is any area in your body that needs some attention and healing, close your eyes and focus on that area for a moment. Imagine sending waves of warmth or coolness (whichever feels right for you) to the area now. Give those waves a colour – whatever colour comes up, trust it. Now put energy into that colourful wave. How do you visualise that energy? Does it have substance? Is it visible or invisible? See it healing. Know that it’s healing. Remind yourself of the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Try to avoid thoughts of wishing or hoping, keep your thoughts focused on knowing.