I spent this afternoon sitting around in hospital waiting rooms with my second oldest child. At a recent optician’s appointment, we were told that she had a raised optic nerve. According to Dr Google (and yes, I know he is a bad doctor to consult!), there’s no positive explanation for this so we were naturally somewhat nervous, particularly since my child is an aspiring artist. Eyesight is a pretty important thing when you want to draw comics for a living. 

We hadn’t had to wait long for an appointment. We were at the opticians less than a week ago, so to be seen so quickly added to the stress. Were we rushed through because something serious was wrong?

As it turned out, everything’s fine. Her optic nerve is well within normal range and our optician was just being overly cautious. This is all a Good Thing. I’m grateful that we have the NHS which was able to give my child the care she needed. I’m grateful I got to hang out with my child all afternoon. I’m grateful my work gives me the flexibility to take time out to support my child’s health. I’m grateful that she’s perfectly healthy and her plans for travelling before university are good to go. 

But what would have happened if none of that were true? We could have spent ages stressing about what might be wrong and stress can cause health problems all on its own. A non-issue could have become a serious problem if we hadn’t taken the time to deal with it. 

Which brings us on to an important aspect of self-care: getting help. 

It’s very easy to delay getting help for so many reasons. You don’t want to be a bother. You don’t want to find out there is a genuine problem. You’re so used to dealing with everything by yourself that the very notion of asking for help doesn’t even compute. 

But here’s the thing. We humans weren’t designed to do everything by ourselves. We’re social creatures. We’re meant to work together with others in every aspect of our lives. The sum is greater than each of its parts. 

So if there’s a problem, seek help. If it’s a health issue, consult an appropriate professional. That doesn’t have to be a doctor – depending on the issue, a complementary therapist such as a homeopath or acupuncturist may be appropriate. After my first two c-sections, doctors told me I’d never be able to give birth naturally. An osteopath fixed my pelvis allowing me to give birth on my front room floor. Sometimes, all you need is to find the person who knows exactly what your problem is to get the solution. 

But this goes beyond health issues. If you’re stuck in your career, consult a coach or get training to move things along. If you’re having problems in your relationship, speak to a therapist or a relationship coach. If you need help with your spiritual journey, reach out to someone who’s been where you are right now. 

You don’t have to deal with life alone. So don’t. Help is out there, but it’s up to you to seek it out. You owe it to yourself to make that first move. 

And if you’d like to meet people who are on a similar path to you, book your place on the Journey Through The Chakras retreat. You’ll build connections with like-minded people, but also learn about what you need to push through any blocks. If you’ve been feeling stuck, this day will help you figure out the best way forward and what you need to do to help yourself get to where you want to go.