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If you have hit some really tough patches this past year with your skin or you’re struggling now to stay positive, this episode is for you.
Mindset is one of the greatest tools that you have to help you in the darkest of moments.
It’s what honestly can keep you staying the path or throwing in the towel.
We talk a lot about research and all sorts of physical things that can go wrong, but the truth is that some tools – like your mindset – are intangible.
It’s my hope that these ideas that I’ll share with you will help you see how to use mindset and my own personal “mindset of choice” that I’ve found to build the most resiliency.
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In this episode:
- One thing to get your mindset in the best place possible
- Why I’m such a fan of being “relentlessly persistent”
- What to do if you start to have an intense flare
- Why seeking THE ONE THING that could be wrecking your skin is a bad idea
Quotes:
My experience coaching clients has taught me that if you do not feel hopeful or believe that you can be helped, you’ll likely throw in the towel at the slightest inconvenience or issue.
Focus on what you can control and what actions you can take no matter how small on any given day so that you don’t get stuck.
Best Mindset Shifts For Chronic Skin Issues For 2022 (FULL TRANSCRIPT)
Welcome back to episode #226 of the Healthy Skin Show!
As the final episode of 2021, I want to talk about a couple of mindset shifts that I believe will help you the most in 2022 and beyond.
Mindset is just as important as so many other more physical factors involved in chronic skin issues. It’s THE thing that will either help you stay the course or trip you up completely so much that you’re bailing on everything you do after a week or two.
It’s not about toxic positivity where you force yourself to pretend that everything is all rainbows and sunshine even though you’re really struggling at the moment.
That is a very disconnected mentality that often only makes people feel worse as they essentially deny what their experience is.
Instead, I want to share a few tools that you can practice daily and use with the intention to help keep you supported during the toughest moments.
The truth is that when you’re skin is stable and good – things are easy.
But when you’re skin is on fire and at its worst, THIS is the moment when the mindset shifts you practice daily really come in.
And that’s why this first part is so important to hear…
Mindset Is A Daily Practice
While mindset shifts are something you can seek out when you’re struggling, you’ll probably get much farther along if you work on it daily.
Because when you’re really in the thick of a serious flare or life goes really really wrong, most people revert back to old mindset patterns that often aren’t helpful.
The truth is…
Mindset is a commitment to embodying ideas or concepts consistently.
Day after day after day.
It’s frankly boring repetitive inner work – BUT it serves a purpose!
Sort of like when you’re learning how to play an instrument or do something new. You’re likely not going to do it naturally on the first try… and maybe not even on the 17th try.
But with practice, whatever you’re doing eventually comes more easily. Like when I started learning to play the piano versus being five years into daily practice and weekly lessons.
My fingers moved more fluidly and some difficult pieces I had even memorized.
The same goes for your mindset – it’s something that you anchor to daily. Which makes it easier on the days when things aren’t going your way (or you’re in flare hell) to stay the course because you’re anchored to something meaningful.
Become Relentlessly Persistent
Something I shared with my Skin Rash Rebuild group in 2021 was the idea (or mindset) to become relentlessly persistent.
Look, this path isn’t easy.
There are days you’d probably much rather turn off the alarm, pull the covers over your head and call it a day.
But if you struggle to make any changes because you’re anticipating everything will fail and you do not feel hopeful, then it’s highly likely that your beliefs will shape your reality.
So why would you ever be consistent in the actions that you take if you fundamentally don’t believe in them?
And why would you push through any level of discomfort or complexity with your health if you think nothing will work anyway?
My general experience coaching clients who struggle with chronic skin issues is that those who do not feel hopeful and who are ready to throw in the towel at the slightest inclination of choppy waters ahead will ultimately give up.
Sometimes fear of the unknown or self-sabotage can play a role as well.
So if you cannot get your mindset shifted to focus on repeated, consistent small actions daily, it feels easier to find reasons NOT to do the things that you want to do.
And to not do the things that you know you should do (or have even committed to doing).
Being relentlessly persistent helps build inner resiliency.
It’s about getting up and starting again.
And it’s also about focusing on finding a solution rather than reaching for the easiest reason to NOT do something.
To be clear, it’s okay to feel the uncomfortable emotions that can come up on challenging days.
I’m a big fan of having a pity party with one little caveat… a time limit of 30 minutes.
This is the time to be upset, cry, scream, sulk, do whatever you must to feel the uncomfortable emotions coursing through you to help release them. And then when time is up, the pity party comes to an end so you can get back to focusing on the journey ahead.
So for me, being relentlessly persistent has helped me cope with a lot of physical health issues over the years.
As a person living with chronic back issues, I have come to accept over the last year that I do not know what back I’m going to wake up with.
But I take the actions that I know are necessary. If I have pain, I focus on what I CAN do and I do THAT thing that is possible for me.
It helps me stay consistent – and thus relentlessly persistent and resilient.
At the end of the day, cultivating resiliency is so important for you to stay strong through the ups and downs of what lies ahead no matter if it’s to do with your skin or other life matters.
Quick Tips To Help You Help Your Skin in 2022
Before I sign off, I wanted to share a couple more tips that could be helpful along the way…
1. Ask for a culture to be done by your doctor (derm or PCP) if you show signs of a skin infection. There’s absolutely no need to suffer simply thinking that “it’s just a flare” or that you need to tighten up your diet to get your skin under control.
I’ve met too many people this year online and within my practice who have suffered for lengthy periods of time because they didn’t realize that their flare was actually an infection.
And a few of these individuals were in my Skin Rash Rebuild program and came to realize after learning more about the signs of a skin infection in the program that something was really wrong.
After seeing several dermatologists who refused to do a skin culture, they finally found someone who would.
It turned out that one had a MRSA infection after three doctors told her that she didn’t have any infection at all before the fourth doctor who agreed to do the culture.
The other had a Pseudomonas infection on her face after seeing a number of doctors who all thought the severe reaction was probably due to an allergy of some sort (one doctor told her that she was allergic to the ink used in her printer).
2. Stop looking for the ONE thing that’s causing your rashes.
This can be hard to hear, but so many people are searching desperately for THE ONE THING that’s to blame.
The reality is that often skin issues are complex and may be a combo of imbalances that need to be addressed.
While I certainly acknowledge that there are people who have an allergy to one thing that’s causing their issues or a sensitivity to a detergent or a single food that’s to blame, my experience is that seeking THAT ONE THING prevents you from considering a bigger problem at play.
Ultimately that can lead to you feeling like you’re just spinning your wheels seeking answers that seem so incredibly elusive.
So keep an open mind about what could be going wrong and use tools like my Skin Rash Root Cause Finder eGuide to help you dig deeper.
If you’ve got any thoughts or comments to share, head on over to Skinterrupt.com/226 so we can keep the conversation going there. Plus I’ve got resources mentioned in this episode that are linked up for you there for easy access.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about cultivating and shifting your mindset in the comments below!
With that said, I’m so grateful that you’re here…
That you found the Healthy Skin Show and all of the resources and tools that we have for you on your journey ahead.
There’s so much great content on the show coming your way so stay tuned as we dive deeper into the many facets of chronic skin issues. My guests who’ve graciously agreed to share their wisdom in the upcoming episodes are incredible and I look forward sharing it all with you.
So if you found this episode helpful, share it with someone you care about in our community… especially if they are struggling to find the strength to stay positive.
And then take a few moments to share why you love the Healthy Skin Show by rating and reviewing it on your podcast platform. Then hit the subscribe button so you can tune in each week for new research, strategies you haven’t heard of yet and loads of inspiration to support you on the the road back to rebuilding healthy skin.
Thank you so much for turning in and I look forward to seeing you in the next episode!
Jennifer Fugo, MS, CNS
Jennifer Fugo, MS, CNS is an integrative Clinical Nutritionist and the founder of Skinterrupt. She works with women who are fed up with chronic gut and skin rash issues discover the root causes and create a plan to get them back to a fuller, richer life.