Healing isn't linear

Holistic Pain Management

A Week That Reminded Me Why Healing Isn’t Linear

A ThriveWell Collective Reflection

This last week has been a lesson in humility, patience, and listening to my body.

I’ve supported people through flare-ups for years, but this week, I was the one learning to slow down again.

Dental surgery.
Strange symptoms.
Anxiety that made my heart jump at shadows.
Moments where my gums pulsed and my nervous system felt like it had its own agenda.

I won’t sugar-coat it — it threw me.

And it reminded me how easy it is to slip into self-blame when something feels “off.”

But here’s what I kept coming back to:

Healing is a conversation between your mind, your body, and your environment — not a straight line.

Every step I took this week felt like relearning my own advice.

• Listen early.

• Don’t push when your body whispers “not today.”

• Rest before you crash.

• Support your nervous system, not fight it.

• Celebrate every small moment that feels even slightly more grounded.

And even through the discomfort, I noticed something important.

Every time I honoured my limits, my body responded with a little more calm.

Not perfect.
Not fixed.
But calmer.

If you’ve had a week like this recently — where your symptoms surprise you, scare you, or confuse you — please know this:

You’re not going backwards.
You’re adjusting.
You’re responding to stress, pain, healing, and life… and that’s human.

You’re allowed to pause.
You’re allowed to tend to yourself.
You’re allowed to take it one gentle breath at a time.

And you don’t have to face weeks like this alone.

That’s what ThriveWell was built for.