Habitual thought patterns play a big role in healing and recovery.   In many of these episodes, we share our direct experience. We hope that being vulnerable and sharing helps you and those you care for.  In this episode, Jessie shares her own recovery and healing journey after a recent surgery.   She shares thought errors that came up for her along the healing and recovery journey and how she navigated them. Some of the unhelpful thought patterns Jessie shares: Less pain medicine is better Faster healing is better There is right time frame to heal Being able to do more sooner is better Getting off pain medicine sooner means you are doing better Rest not productive    Those of you who are in medicine may recognize that many of these thought patterns were taught in our surgical rotations as medical students. The culture of medicine also glorifies getting back to work faster as more noble and a worthy achievement. The justification is it is important to not inconvenience patients and/or colleagues.  Is this true? Is it higher priority than your own optimal healing? What if slow healing is complete healing? What is the cost of rushing and urgency? What is the physical and emotional cost of some of the above mentioned beliefs?   Thirteen Tips for Optimizing Recovery and Healing   Practice mindfulness, loving amusement and self-compassion.   The situation is what it is.  Accept it and embrace it with grace and flexibility.   Show up with wonder about the human body’s ability to heal.   Trust yourself. Others may think you should do things a certain way but you know you and how you feel.   Pause to listen to others and be curious. Others may have insight into your patterns.  They almost always have your best interests at heart.   Ask for and accept help. Help is a strength not a weakness. It is connecting and often is a gift to help people.   Recognize pain as a message rather than a problem.   Let go of judgment about and resistance to the speed of your recovery and/or underlying medical situation. Feel free to accept and not like.    Remember slow healing is complete healing. There is no rush or urgency. There is no there there.   Discomfort with rest, slowness, and patience is expected. Of course you are intermittently frustrated and/or disappointed.   Set an intention for your recovery and be intentional about how you approach it. Perhaps try love, kindness, or trust   Ask good questions. What would love do? What would kindness do? What would trust do? What would you tell a patient/friend in the same situation?  What are you loved ones/friends telling you? What if it is going exactly as it is supposed to? What if you are doing a great job?   Don't forget the five pillars of healthy healing: rest, nutrition, exercise, sleep and decreasing stress.   We hope our discussion is helpful – for you, your loved ones, and/or your patients.   We all have to heal and recover at some point.  Our wish is that you treat yourself with kindness, compassion, and practice mindful intention. If you want help with recovery and healing, physical or emotional, reach out for mindful coaching with Jessie and/or join her for a retreat to learn and practice many of these skills. www.jessiemahoneymd.com. If you want to develop a mindfulness practice or a speaker for your group, reach out to Dr. Liang. www.awakenbreath.org *Nothing in this episode should be considered medical advice.