A big part of living with a health condition is figuring out what triggers your symptoms, what causes you to feel worse on certain days, and what sparks your body to react negatively. It can take time to really unravel all the details of your condition and truly understand what triggers can be exacerbating symptoms in you.
I have felt blessed in many ways on my journey of finding healing for my Hashimoto’s Hypothyoriditis through yoga and changing my eating habits. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have hard days – mentally, physically, emotionally. There are days when I don’t feel well and I have to focus a little harder on what calms my mind and body. I’ve discovered that there are many triggers to my condition, but there’s a big one. Identifying this trigger, this behavior pattern in me really opened my eyes to how my actions can affect my physical wellness.
For me, one of the biggest triggers for my Hashimoto’s was the fear of speaking up in my relationships. Basically, holding my fear inside brings stress to my whole glandular system and when I don’t release that stress by speaking freely, the blockages bring up my autoimmune hypothyroid symptoms. This then manifests as weight gain, a sluggish metabolism and soreness around the butterfly gland in my neck – my thyroid.
In my previous six-year relationship, I never asked for what I wanted when it came to intimacy, emotional support, or just to feel heard and loved. I would sacrifice my own needs because I didn’t want to risk rejection, judgment, or an argument. Over and over and over, until all that sacrifice weighed me down so much that my body became very sick.
And what I realized is that it wasn’t just that relationship that made me sick – it was how I was behaving in that relationship and others afterwards that led to physical symptoms. Once I realized the connection, it wasn’t surprising to me. It’s not crazy that energetically we are so aligned with our emotions that our physical bodies can either hurt or heal depending on how we are living our life.
Oddly enough, my symptoms weren’t triggered by my professional relationships or even my friendships. In fact, I’m usually pretty good at confidently asking for what I want and when I get a “no,” I let that door close and keep working toward a “yes.” And that has served me well in every single aspect of my life…except in my intimate connections. Perhaps it’s because being in a loving relationship with a life-long partner is what I desire most. But that’s exactly why recognizing – and fixing – the problem is so important.
Now, when I feel my thyroid acting sluggish and or notice that stubborn weight gain appear even when I’m doing all the right things nutritionally and through my super healthy lifestyle, I know what I need to address.
I’ve promised myself that I’ll change the pattern, because I’m worth it. I owe it to myself…and my health.
If this resonates with you, too, I would love to hear your story and support you in your journey. Share with me at love@thyroid.yoga and learn more about my mission to help empower women to live a life free from the mercy of an imbalanced thyroid at Thyroid.Yoga™. I can’t wait to meet you!
Photo Credit: Alicia Panetta
Read more about the causes and symptoms of Hashimoto’s in Dr. Wentz’s best-seller, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause and get over 125 Hashimoto friendly recipes on Hashimoto’s Cookbook and Action Plan
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Everyone Thought I Was a Hypochondriac. It Was Actually an Autoimmune Disease called Hashimoto’s
The Moment I Found My Voice Again. Overcoming Silent Reflux (LPR)
Note: PLEASE consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet or medications. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only, and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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