5 Self-Care Habits that Heal

Send us Fan MailBy implementing five healthy habits, you may be able to heal yourself from chronic disease.Janette Hillis-Jaffe is a sought-after speaker, consultant and coach with a Masters in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She guides people to their best health using her professional background and the wisdom she gained regarding the health care system, the mind-body connection, nutrition, and counseling during her successful effort to heal from a six-year, debilitating autoimmune disorder.Janette joins hosts Andrea and Lisa to share the five habits she used to heal herself, and which you can use to heal the ailments (both physical and mental/emotional) in your life.Habit #1Take Charge: Take complete responsibility for your health, including making lifestyle changes where necessary.Action: Schedule two set times each week to learn new recipes.Habit #2 Nurture Your Heart: Use tools to manage the tough emotions that can sabotage your efforts to heal.Action: Daily journaling and weekly peer counseling sessions with a friend allow you to vent tough emotions like fear and grief; and also talk through big health decisions.Habit #3 Believe: Adopt a fiercely confident attitude about yourself and your ability to get healthy.Action: Write a letter firing the anxious critic in your mind and read it out loud every day for two weeks.Habit #4Connect: Build a strong support team.Action: Have your husband/partner or a friend come with you to all significant health care appointments to take notes and debrief afterwards.Habit #5Create Order: Use organizing principles to set up systems and spaces that support your healing.Action: Organize all your lab results, notes from medical appointments, and articles into one physical notebook that you take to every medical appointment.