How long will it take for me to resolve my dis-ease /
meet my health goals for good?
Dis-ease essentially means a lack of ease. Something has occurred that makes living less easeful, in the body, and/or the mind.
Dis-ease may originate in patterns acquired from repetitive behaviors, life experiences, genetics, environmental or family conditioning.
Reversing or better managing disease means replacing or better managing these patterns with new ones.
The science of healing looks at which behaviors restore balance, comfort, clarity, and strength. Health is maintaining these qualities, in spite of life's challenges.
All change requires consistent effort, applied strategically, over time.
How long does it take for change to stick?
While the answer depends on a number of factors (including how long something has been around, time available to devote to learning and implementing new routines, and to invest in regular treatment), change generally happens according to the following:
1) It takes . . .
1️⃣ day to change your mind
3️⃣0️⃣ days to change the emotions
9️⃣0️⃣ days to change the blood chemistry (hormonal patterns)
1️⃣ year of implementing a new behavior for it to stick in the body, becoming 2nd nature
2) However many years something has been around, divide that in two - that's how many months of regular visits it will take to resolve.
While these findings are general principles originating in the findings of medical and spiritual traditions over millennia, they are supported by modern findings in neurobiology.
🥑 When beginning a new practice, or behavior, although a patient may be aware of this next best step for some time, it only takes a moment to make the choice to step boldly forward.
Thus, only 1 day to shift the mind.
🥑 At the 30 day mark, new connections have been forming in the nerve networks of the brain, reinforcing the new behavior.
Although in the beginning of change, there may be physical resistance to the new behavior; at some point it is normal to start craving the new behavior.
Usually at this point, some benefits from the new behaviors are being noticed, at which point new mental stories also encourage the behavior to grow in strength. Thus, "30 days to change the emotions."
🥑 At the 90 day mark of consistently pursuing change, these new connections in the brain can show up as positive structural changes (e.g. 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation increased nerve-cell density in the areas of the brain associated with memory, and nervous-system regulation, with decreases in the regions associated with fear and negative emotion) (reference beneath image).
Reference: Calderone, A., Latella, D., Impellizzeri, F., De Pasquale, P., Famà, F., Quartarone, A., Calabrò, R. S. (2024). Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review. Biomedicines 12 (11): 2613. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12112613
Blood cells also completely replace them selves every 2-4 months. Hormones are held and distributed in the blood, and hormonal patterns correspond to shifts in the heart and mind.
This means, around the 90 day mark of consistently implementing change, old entrenched behaviors or thought patterns - things that appear comfortable, but that are not good for what's best - begin to lose their ability to "grab us." There is greater clarity around what is good, and greater strength to follow through with it.
Deeply-entrenched trauma or childhood conditioning is often stored at even deeper levels, and therefore takes longer to shift. It's symptoms and related patterns may shift more easily; and still - habits or relational patterns acquired more recently commonly lose their pull at the 90 day mark.
By this point, while the biology is shifting more deeply into alignment with our desired health shift, the mental recognition of the benefits of the new behaviors is also stronger, motivating us to keep taking the next best step.
We may feel contentment with this new groove in life, and may even notice the new behaviors shifting daily mood, personality, and outlook.
Thus, "it takes 90 days to shift the bio-rythms (and blood chemistry)."
🥑 By this point, a great number of benefits are coming to the surface. The next step is really making the new behaviors solid, habits for life.
Persistently pursing a change for a year brings it to the deeper layers of the body, making these new behaviors second nature - meaning they continue nourishing what's best in life, without us having to give them much attention.
This does not mean it is not work or not effortful at times; it simply means we have given the new habits enough time to show their benefit, and to stick around; that the work to maintain health is extremely clear, and the benefits so apparent that we cannot but be committed to continuing.
Thus, it takes "1 year to change the body."
Change and the Emotions
Sometimes it is not fear of change, but fear of feeling certain emotions, or fear of success -
that prevents forward change.
This may be related to unresolved traumas from the past, or to early life conditioning. It may relate to the way your parents related to their mental or emotional self.
Substance use - too complex to cover here - outside of ceremonial or healing environments - may create stuckness.
Eating and moving with consistency and mindfulness* can create the space to naturally feel through these emotions, allowing for the presence of clarity, and tranquility.
Cultivating this strong connection to calmness and clearness - naturally strengthens what you need to stand in your power. To create the change you desire. To live your dream life!
*We speak more about in our practice, and in our practitioner guide (referenced below) about proper nutrition and movement - how precisely to bring nourishing goodness, genuine humanity - into life.
Change: An emotional journey
Change is not easy, and may require moving through various emotions including but not limited to fear of self, fear of change,
fear of losing love or approval of others,
fear of loneliness,
fear of success.
Change requires moving through discomfort,
and returning the mind continually to place of most benefit.
We have written a book chapter discussing change-dynamics, available for free download.
👉🏻 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JCl8ZkL4Ac7bJlASIDju97LdueAgugsi/view?usp=sharing
It is quick and easy to read.
It is meant to be read until embodied,
instilling perspectives that encourage moving forward in the best possible way.
One reading that describes change, also included in the chapter -
is Portia Nelson's "Autobiography in 5 chapters."
AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE CHAPTERS I
by Portia Nelson
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in.
I am lost ... I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
II
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I'm in the same place. But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
III
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
V
I walk down another street.