Take your mind back to your childhood and remember all the cuts and scrapes you had, possibly even the bones you broke and the childhood illnesses you navigated. There may be the odd scar here that serves as testament to your healing prowess. When you reflect on it, it’s clear that we have an amazing capacity to heal. We also take these healing powers for granted because they are so efficient and dependable. We may not be able to regrow limbs, but we have the innate capacity to repair most tissues in our body. If you cut your finger, you put a band-aid on it and magically, the next day it’s better.

So, given our ability for self-healing, why aren’t we all in radiant good health all the time? The most common reason is that we’ve overwhelmed our body’s innate healing capacity. For many, the ‘healing department’ in-tray is overflowing with requests for repair and the body simply can’t keep up.

When you’re not in good health, it’s often only simple changes that are needed to enable our body’s innate healing powers to shine. For example, prolonged stress can cause a breakdown in our nervous system’s ability to access states of deep rest. It’s in states of deep rest and relaxation where we do our best healing work. There are so many ways to tackle stress, such as exercise, better sleep hygiene, reducing stimulants like coffee, and consuming better nutrition. Start with one small shift and build from there.

What I find so heartening is how responsive the body is when we give it a little care. Like a peace lily that goes from droopy and sad looking to upright and vibrant after a much-needed watering, our bodies can shift out of pain and tension with a good stretch, dull eyes can regain their sparkle after a good laugh, and a strung-out nervous system can reset after a quality night’s sleep.

Keep in mind that if rebalancing doesn’t happen easily, it probably means you just need some support to kickstart your body’s innate healing capacity. The way natural therapies work is by restoring your body’s ability to heal itself. It’s not like you ever lose the capacity for self-healing, it’s just that like a car with a flat battery, sometimes we all need a little push to get going again.

Editor’s note: This wellbeing column provides information that is general in nature. Please always refer to your preferred health professional for advice suited to your personal healthcare requirements.