Here’s Why Acupuncture, Yoga, Essential Oils, and Crystals Aren’t Working For You

You’re doing all the right things — you go to yoga, drink plenty of water, take your CBD, get (roughly) eight hours of sleep nightly, and are totally on top of your healthy eating. But something’s still off . . . you’re getting sick, crippled by a sense of overwhelm, and totally zapped for energy. You’re stumped, and even your doctors can’t figure it out.

What gives?

If you’re doing all the right things and still not seeing a difference, it’s time to take a step back and assess the stressors in your life.

Don’t Stitch Over an Infected Wound

Think about it: if you have a lesion, you need stitches to heal the wound. Stitches are excellent tools for healing, and they give your body the extra boost to heal itself. However, if the wound is infected — and goes uncleaned — you end up with complications and could even die of sepsis. Fun times, fun times.

It’s not that the stitches failed, it’s that the wound wasn’t cleaned thoroughly. The same goes for your stress. Acupuncture, kale salad, Pilates, and CBD Oil are all excellent healing modalities — but they can’t actually work to their full potential if you’re dealing with a bigger “infection.”

In this case, the infection is chronic stress.

Stress: the Silent Killer

Unfortunately, stress has become normalized, even glamourized — sometimes it’s used as a marker of success. The more stressed we are, the more successful we must be, yes?

Alas, that idea is so very, very wrong. And with every meme and joke you see on Instagram joking about “current stress level,” you may find yourself deadened or desensitized to the effects of stress. The reality is, chronic stress blocks you from receiving the profound healing you need.

Because it’s so “normal,” we suffer the consequences and are left wondering why. How is it possible that we could devote so much time and attention to health, yet still need constant sick days from work? Why would someone who meditates daily still suffer from panic attacks? We’d never guess that something so common as stress would be the culprit.

Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the United States. The top two causes? High blood pressure and high cholesterol. Guess what: chronic stress contributes to both of these.

Create a Healthy Foundation

It’s time to get to the root of your stress. KonMari your life, and eliminate what doesn’t serve you. Kick chronic stressors to the curb. Assess your life: does your job detract from your self worth? Perhaps a toxic relationship burdens you daily. Maybe you live in the wrong climate for your mood, and switching up your scenery would benefit your health.

Take ownership over your life and set things in motion to create the healthiest, happiest, most stress-free version of yourself.

One of the best ways you can try this for yourself? Give yourself a break — a real reset. Can you take time off work? A little PTO, or perhaps a health leave? Maybe you need a staycation, or to spend some time with family. Turn your phone off. Delete your social media apps. Break up with that person who hurts you, and ditch that friend who makes you feel like garbage. If you need to, quit your job outright. Your health is more important than anything else, right?

Add Things Back In

Now that you’ve eradicated the toxicity in your life, it’s time to give these incredibly healing tools another go. Sign up for yoga again, or hit the reformer at Pilates. Take your CBD supplements. Get plenty of sleep. Journal. Make a smoothie and eat kale to your heart’s content. Do all those things you were trying before, but with your new healthy foundation — and take note of how much better you feel this time around.

Above all, remember to always put your health first. Nothing — repeat, NOTHING — is worth sacrificing your wellbeing.