The Investigation Have you ever read a crime novel or a mystery where the main character or detective gets distracted by a random clue only to discover that it had nothing to do with what actually transpired? They spend all kinds of time and energy trying to solve a clue because they can’t let it go? As a health mysteries detective searching for the root cause of an issue, I look at all of the different angles to get to the bottom of it. Sometimes that means chasing a dead-end clue. When it comes to solving our own health mysteries, it’s easy to do this but it is possible to overthink, over-analyze, and over do it.  We may even cause more problems trying to find unnecessary answers. In other words, we get in our own way.  Common Health Scenario Does this sound familiar? You’re feeling okay and then one day a symptom pops up. Perhaps it’s a new symptom, or it may be a flare up of a symptom that comes and goes.     When it happens, your mind turns to curiosity, worry, or even fear. What did I do wrong? What did I eat that I was not supposed to? Where is this coming from? How do I make this go away? What if it never goes away? I’ve been there!  More times than I would like to admit.  For me, those thoughts and feelings come from the fact that I always like to know (fueled by that universal human need for certainty).  For some, the need to know is more pronounced - I’m one of them. I like to know. I want to know what’s happening and what might be coming. Sometimes I can’t help it! I guess one may say I like to control stuff. And while it’s really important to try and figure out which things come from where, there is a fine line and we can all sometimes flop over to the other side.    The Dangers of Responding to Every Symptom Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should ignore these symptoms. But, realize that these first thoughts come from fear and anxiety which brings in stress. Stress and anxiety upregulates the nervous system. When the nervous system is elevated it is very hard for the body to have enough energy to do what it actually knows how to do --  HEAL.  If we indulge the fear and anxiety, it breeds stress which makes it harder for the body to naturally deal with the issue. In other words, we get our own way of healing!  I’m not saying ignore these symptoms but know that there is a fine balance. I’m not saying I don’t try to figure things out but at the same time it’s important to be mindful of the thoughts that you have, where they come from, and when they elevate stress and trigger the nervous system into a response.   Mindful Response to Troubling Symptoms If you do start to not feel well or experience symptoms, pay attention to your thoughts in that exact moment. If your first thought is, ‘oh no, what’s happening?’take a breath and just acknowledge where you are in that moment. See if you can feel your body. Rather than question things that you may not have an answer to in that exact moment, acknowledge what is happening in the body. Feeling the body can mean different things for different people. You might get in touch through breathing, feeling energy, or just feeling the feeling of not being well without judging.  Doing this simple exercise will calm the nervous system. Once you’re calm, the body is going to have more energy and resources to start to do what it needs to do. By practicing mindfulness, YOU will be able to use your mind and brain to think more clearly and gain answers from a place of calm rather than anxiety.  After you feel your body and breathe (preferably through your nose) park the thoughts about where things came from and shift to solution-based questions. What can I do in this moment? What can I be grateful for in this moment?    Make Choices that Reduce Stress If you’ve listened to the show, you know how often stress plays a role in resolving a health mystery. Stress affects everything in the body. We often forget that our thoughts and the questions we ask ourselves can trigger a stress respo