Isn’t it interesting that nobody expects a baby to arrive at three months, yet many of us become frustrated when our signs and symptoms are not gone as quickly as we’d like?
We seem to understand the value of time in every area of life except when it comes to our own health. Pregnancy takes nine months. Children attend school for over a decade. We understand that career progression takes dedication, that relationships deepen over time and that mastering a skill requires repetition, setbacks and persistence. Yet the moment our own bodies present us with a whisper, an opportunity to “pay attention”, we become remarkably impatient and this microwave mentality creeps in.
Why is that?
In practice, we’ve observed over the decades that people often want change at all costs, and they invariably want it rectified as fast as a reheated microwave dinner. They may have spent years living with particular physical habits, emotional patterns and chemical exposures, but somehow expect that popping some pills and doing things a little differently should immediately undo what has often taken years or decades to create. It is an interesting contradiction. We understand process everywhere else in life, but when it comes to health, we seem to forget that the body also operates according to process.
Let me give you an example.
If you break your arm, a cast is applied and you accept that it needs to remain there for weeks, even if the discomfort subsides after a few days. The cast acts as a visible reminder that healing is still taking place. Similarly, when you cut your finger and a scab forms, you understand that the body is continuing its work beneath the surface long after the initial event has passed. But what reminds us that our internal communication systems are adapting and reorganising? What reminds us that just because we no longer notice a particular sensation doesn’t necessarily mean the body has reached its fullest expression of function? The truth is, very little does. As a result, we often assume that because we “feel” different, the process must be complete.
It’s not.
The innate time of the body is vastly different to the man-made time of “I want it done yesterday.” The body does not own a watch. It is not concerned with the deadlines we impose upon it. It simply continues doing what it has always done: heal, generate, maintain, adapt, organise. Striving to express health according to the resources and circumstances available to it. The question becomes whether we are willing to support that process or whether we continually interrupt it via our microwave mentality.
Many people ignore the small whispers of the body. A niggle here, a dull ache there, a recurring headache, disrupted sleep or a change in energy levels are often brushed aside because life is busy. It is only when these kinds of experiences begin interfering with daily activities that attention is finally paid. By then, unrealistic expectations frequently emerge. People seek immediate change while remaining unwilling to examine the physical, chemical or emotional aspects of their life that may have contributed to where they currently find themselves. They want a different outcome without changing the inputs.
Years ago, I came across a paradox that has stayed with me ever since: those who spend little time on their health have little time. At first glance it seems contradictory, but perhaps it simply highlights what we prioritise. We tell ourselves that we are too busy to prepare nourishing meals, move our bodies, rest adequately or reflect on the way we are living. We promise ourselves we will focus on these things once life settles down, after the next work deadline, when the children are older or when circumstances improve. Yet later has a habit of becoming years, and years have a habit of becoming decades… like an horizon that just keeps moving.
Time invested in your health is not time wasted.
Spending time on your health is one of the most valuable investments you can make because it influences every other area of your life. It affects how you show up as a parent, wife, husband, partner, friend, business owner and member of your community. It determines, to a large extent, the quality of the opportunities available to you.
Perhaps the real question is not, “How quickly can I get back to where I was?” but rather, “What is this experience inviting me to see about the way I am living?” What physical habits require attention? What emotional patterns are asking to be acknowledged? What chemical choices have become so routine that they are no longer questioned? Most importantly, where in your life are you using a microwave mentality and expecting instant gratification from processes that have always required time?
You willingly give time to the things you value. The question worth considering is whether your health sits high enough on that list.
After all, those who spend little time on their health often discover they have little time.
Additional Reading:
- The Vital Truth by Dr Sarah Farrant, DC
- The Health Illusion by Dr Sarah Farrant, DC
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