Remember Your Why: 10 Ways to Stay Focused on Your Healing Journey

If there’s anything I learned during my healing journey is that I’m going to experience challenges and things to throw me off focus. I became more self-aware of my habits, behaviors, and mindset that oftentimes held me back. They weren’t set up to help me succeed or at least, stay the course. I’ve had to do a lot of reverse-engineering on this journey and learned so many things I wish I had known at the start. In hindsight, I’m grateful for the lessons I’ve learned along the way because now I can apply them moving forward and help save someone else time if you’re just starting.

In this blog post, I’ll explore tried and tested strategies I’ve implemented in my life that’ll help you maintain focus and determination on your path to healing.

Identify your Why (What are Your Healing Goals?)

Much like anything in life, if you don’t have a clear intention behind your actions, you’re bound to lose focus and stray away from your goal(s). Set your intention on your healing by identifying a strong why. Why does it matter to you? Spend time writing the answer in a journal or your notebook and review it often. This will help you maintain focus and be your reminder, especially in moments when you start to lose momentum (which is guaranteed to happen). Whether it’s physical recovery, emotional healing, or mental well-being, having specific, measurable goals will provide you with a clear direction and purpose.

Break Down Your Goals Into Milestones

Goals are seen as this high almost unachievable feat you have to overcome — however breaking this gigantic goal down into smaller, achievable milestones can have a positive effect on your mentality. Not only will they become more realistic, but they will be more achievable and encourage you to pursue them. Over time, you will see how much closer you are to obtaining your goal and you’ll have a collection of achieved milestones (aka small wins) to show for it.

Celebrating these incremental victories not only boosts your confidence but also helps you track your progress effectively.

Cultivate A Supportive Environment

Support systems go beyond the network you keep. Support can also mean building an environment that is conducive to your goals. In the case of a healing journey, maybe that looks like making sure you have a notepad and pen handy and ready to journal out your thoughts and emotions. If you didn’t have a journal around, you’re less likely to remember to write down your thoughts.

When it comes to the right network, to be honest sometimes that won’t be your friends or family, so that means you have to seek out like-minded people who understand and support your healing journey. This can be forums, FB groups, YT communities – etc. Share your goals with them, and let them be a source of encouragement, motivation, and accountability.

Create a Structured Routine

At the end of the day, your life is the sum of your daily habits. What does that look like for you? Are there activities that take you away from your healing goals? Or pour into them?

Another way to think about it is, to take your milestone goals and create a routine for how you can live up to them. Create a habit of it and actively live it out daily. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective) you’ll need to cultivate discipline. Learn how to stave away immediate gratification for long-term play and establish a daily or weekly schedule that incorporates activities and practices essential for your healing process.

Practice Mindfulness and Self-Compassion

Being kind to yourself is paramount on a healing journey. This is something I’m still working on, but learning how to appreciate the journey and all my ups and downs throughout is super important. Your healing journey is all about you and building a stronger connection with yourself.

Implementing self-compassion practices like forgiveness, positive affirmations and more will help you stay present and keep the focus on your why. Acknowledge your progress and be gentle with yourself during moments of struggle.

Prioritize Self-Care

Nurture your physical, mental, and emotional well-being through various self-care practices. Practices such as: regular exercise, a self-care regimen (such as therapy, or acupuncture) a balanced diet, adequate rest, and engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Learn to heal, rest, and rejuvenate as you pursue your goals.

Embrace Flexibility and Adaptability

Healing journeys are often filled with ups and downs. This is a big one for me – but it’s never going to be perfect. And like the image below, it’s definitely not going to be in a linear fashion. Be open, and give yourself grace if you need to adjust your goals and strategies. Flexibility allows you to navigate any unexpected challenges that may arise.

Seek Professional Guidance

Don’t hesitate to seek help from professionals who specialize in your specific area of healing. Whether it’s a naturopath doctor, a therapist, or a holistic healer, their expertise can provide invaluable support and guidance.

Track Your Progress

This is the one! As of late, I’ve been keeping a food log of every meal I eat and it’s been so helpful. Not only does it give me visibility into any patterns or shifts, but I can reflect on my meals and know which areas I can improve on. Lastly, it motivates me to keep going. I like looking back and seeing how many records I’ve kept. It builds up my self-esteem and motivation to keep going.

Celebrate Your “Small Wins”

Acknowledge and celebrate every milestone, no matter how small. Recognizing your progress reinforces your commitment to your healing journey and boosts your confidence.

Conclusion

Embarking on a healing journey is not easy, but it’s simple. When paired with the right mentality and routine to help support your why, you can empower yourself to stay the course and move one step closer to your best self.

Staying consistent on a healing journey is a profound act of self-love and resilience. By incorporating these strategies into your routine, you’re not only nurturing your physical, mental, or emotional well-being, but you’re also taking significant steps towards a happier, healthier you. Remember, every effort counts, and every goal achieved is a testament to your strength and determination.

I hope this resonated with you! Let me know what practices have helped you the most in your healing journey in the comments below 🙂