So often people come to treatment expecting someone to “fix” them, to solve their problems, to make them better. If only it were that easy. If only I could wave a magic wand and make your troubles disappear. I would if I could, but sadly I cannot do that.

I often tell my clients that I do not have the solutions to your problems, but you do. Let’s work on finding those solutions together. There is something in my profession called “the miracle question,” and it goes something like this: “Suppose tonight, while you slept, a miracle occurred. When you awake tomorrow, what would be some of the things you would notice that would tell you life had suddenly gotten better?”

How can you and I work together to make things better? Has there ever been a time when things were better? What were you doing then? Try that again. There are so many things we can do to heal ourselves, to take care of ourselves and move ourselves from addiction and mental illness to health and mental wellness. What are your coping skills? Can you listen to music for a while? Could you call a family member or friend? Have you tried adult coloring books? Can you read for a while? Watch a movie? What about going for a walk or a run? Have you tried yoga? Exercise is the most under utlitized anti-depressant available. Exercise gets your endorphins—the feel-good chemicals in your brain—going. Even a half-hour stroll might make you feel better.

How can you heal yourself? What are you willing to do to make yourself feel better, to make your life better? Oftentimes, it begins with making healthier life choices. What are you eating? It matters what you put in your body, how you are fueling your system. Instead of choosing a doughnut for breakfast, how about a piece of fruit and some yogurt or oatmeal? Instead of binge watching the last season of “Game of Thrones” maybe you could go hiking through a nearby forest preserve? Science tells us that being in nature for as little as 30 minutes a day gets those endorphins going and helps make us feel better.

Your life consists of all the choices you have made up to this point. Is it time to start making better choices? Is it time to start taking better care of yourself, your body, your life? If you are ready to do that, start with making one healthier choice a day. Once you start making healthier choices, it will be easier to begin doing that throughout the day and those healthier choices will start to add up and you will start to feel better, healthier. Healthy self, heal thyself.