Welcome to This Holistic Life, the podcast where faith, science, and holistic wisdom come together to help you thrive in every season. I’m Tracie Braylock, a former operating room nurse and holistic wellness guide, here to offer practical tools, encouragement, and reminders to relax and enjoy the journey.

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about something tender but necessary – how we sometimes hinder our own healing. It’s a conversation filled with truth, compassion, and a gentle nudge to help you move forward.

The Desire to Heal Is Real… But Sometimes We Get Stuck

Most of the patients I’ve cared for – whether in hospitals, nursing homes, or clinics – wanted to get better. They wanted relief from pain, healing from illness, and a return to their lives. But in many cases, there were deeper issues at play – things they hadn’t dealt with that made it difficult to heal completely.

Then there were those patients who hadn’t even stepped onto the path of healing. Not because they didn’t want to, but because something inside them had convinced them that it was too hard, too painful, or just too much to deal with. So they stayed stuck in cycles of hurt, habits, and hopelessness.

Maybe you’ve felt that way too – like healing is out of reach or that something keeps pulling you back into the same patterns. You’re not alone. And today, we’re going to talk about some of those patterns that block our healing and, more importantly, what you can do to start breaking free.

6 Ways We Hinder Our Own Healing

1. Unforgiveness
   Holding on to resentment is like carrying a weight that slows your healing. Whether it’s someone else you haven’t forgiven – or even yourself – unforgiveness keeps your heart and body tense. Forgiveness doesn’t mean excusing harmful behavior. It means choosing to release the burden, so you can heal.
2. Denying Dysfunction
   Sometimes we’re so used to chaos or unhealthy environments that we convince ourselves it’s ‘just the way it is.’ But healing can’t happen where there’s constant dysfunction. You have to be willing to see things clearly before you can change them.
3. Unresolved Trauma
   Trauma doesn’t go away just because we ignore it. It lives in our nervous system and in our cells. If you’ve experienced trauma – big or small – it’s worth finding support to process and heal. Healing trauma isn’t about reliving the pain – it’s about releasing it.
4. Unhealthy Habits
   From what we eat to how we sleep, from how much we move to how we soothe ourselves, our daily habits shape our healing. You can’t pour healing into a lifestyle that constantly depletes you. Small changes add up to big healing.
5. Withholding Information
   “This one is common and often overlooked. Withholding key details from your doctor, therapist, or even trusted loved ones can block your ability to get the support you need. Healing requires honesty – with others and with yourself.”
6. Lack of Self-Compassion
   You are not a machine—you are a human being. Healing requires patience, grace, and gentleness with yourself. If your inner voice is harsh and critical, it can slow or even sabotage your healing process. You don’t have to be perfect to be worthy of care.

How to Get Out of Your Own Way

So how do we get out of our own way? It starts with awareness. You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.

Here are a few gentle steps to help you move forward:

Start with compassion. Notice your inner dialogue. Is it harsh or kind? Begin to replace criticism with care.

Be honest – with yourself and others. Journal what you’re truly feeling. Bring your full self to your appointments. Let someone in.

Ask for help. Whether it’s a friend, counselor, spiritual mentor, or healthcare provider—healing often requires community.

Forgive and release. Even if it’s just the beginning of forgiveness, open your heart to the idea. Pray, breathe, and take one step.

Shift your habits, one small change at a time. Healing doesn’t require an overnight transformation. It requires intention and consistency.

Acknowledge the dysfunction. You can’t heal in environments that keep reopening your wounds. It’s okay to say, “This isn’t working for me anymore.”

Segment 4: A Final Word of Encouragement

You are not broken beyond repair. You are not too far gone. Healing is still possible, even if it’s been delayed, even if it feels hard, even if you’ve hindered your own progress in the past.

You don’t have to do it all at once. Just begin. Start by being honest with yourself, showing yourself compassion, and taking the next small step.

You are worthy of healing. And around here, we believe in healing—body, mind, and spirit.

Closing Thoughts

Thank you for being here today. This was a deep and meaningful episode, and I pray it brings clarity and hope to your heart.

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Subscribe to the show, leave a review, or share this episode with someone who may need it.

And don’t forget – you can always connect with me at traciebraylock.com or on Instagram @traciebraylock.

Until next time, be kind to yourself, forgive what you can, speak your truth, and remember to relax often and enjoy the journey.

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