There are two inherent problems with the ‘quick fix’ in the Wellness space;
1. The ‘quick’
2. The ‘fix’.
By quick fix I refer to the silver bullet, the one size fits all, the panacea, the antidote or the elixir vitae.
When I studied naturopathy one of the most important concepts I grasped early on was that health and healing requires both patience and some input of effort to make changes that bring results.
Chances are that whatever dis-ease has overcome you, did not happen overnight. It more likely arrived in response to a series of events over a period of days, weeks, months or years. If illness or discomfort is a slow build then it makes sense to allow time for healing right?
The Problem with ‘Quick’
Any fitness coach will tell you that it’s impossible for a client to show up to a personal training session on a Monday morning at 9am having done nothing but walked the dog round the block for the past 2 years and leave at 10am fit and ready to tackle a half marathon.
Most of us easily grasp the concept that it take time and effort to build results with our fitness. Maybe it’s because the results are visible on the outside as our bodies change in composition and muscle tone.
Nutritional research has recently focused on the gut microbiome and the damage caused via poor food choices, stress and antibiotic therapy over time. Once again, time and consistent effort is required to minimise the factors contributing to ill health and create new sustainable habits.
I know this first hand having undertaken a nine week gut healing protocol last year. I can safely say it wasn’t until the 4th or 5th week when I started to notice the positive results.
There is no single supplement regime, superfood or 5 day juice fast that will fix the issues that have taken time to develop. Only hard work and more time will undo them.
When it comes to dealing with anxiety, depression and mindset change I’m afraid this rule also applies. While a timely session with a good practitioner can make huge inroads into a healing process, deep healing on our inner stuff takes time, usually months and years.
The problem with the ‘fix’
The problem with the ‘fix’ part arises when wellness providers make claims that whatever they are offering will not only cure you but prevent any further problems.
Life is unpredictable and we can never truly alleviate all those sticky bits of being human. Making mistakes, feeling shame, getting sick, having a lazy day or month, lashing out at someone, blowing your healthy eating plan, feeling angry, dealing with grief. These are human experiences, not problems to be fixed.
As an anxiety coach I want my clients to know there is a major difference between experiencing an insight or breakthrough and being ‘fixed’. Because if fixing you were the goal I would have to start with the premise that you are broken and quite simply, I don’t believe that.
I don’t see your anxiety as your definitive problem, and certainly not as something that needs to be stamped out and completely resolved. I do know it is causing you pain right now and I can show you ways to reduce that and tools that you can use to manage your symptoms.
But when we approach your anxiety as a response to your circumstances and a key to unlock some deeper issues that are keeping you stuck, anxiety becomes the teacher or guide instead of a problem to be fixed.
For me, the word ‘fix’ just sounds so final, complete, done. That goes against the grain of what I believe about a human life, that it’s an endless journey of discovery and wonder. This includes all the gritty, dark stuff too because often that’s where our greatest learning happens.
So my advice is to be suspicious of the quick fix in health, wellness or spiritual circles. Instead grasp the unsexy concepts of patience and persistence and be willing to go on the long journey, not skipping over the hard stuff, not avoiding the messy bits. The results are far more rewarding in the end, you won’t regret it.