Setbacks are frustrating and challenging to navigate. I have encountered many of them along my journey to finding wellness. I learned how to navigate setbacks through changing my mindset, listening to my body, and having a plan. 

The first major setback in my adult life was in my career. After a few years of clinical work as a physical therapist, my body started falling apart.  My mindset back then was to not change the direction of my  career and to keep going until I could not work any longer.

I experienced multiple periods of being unable to work due to flares of severe fatigue, joint pain, and gut issues. My body was telling me to change my mindset - I needed to change the direction of my career. By listening to my body, I made a plan to pursue a career in academia. I applied to a PhD program for Rehab and Movement Science. 

Soon after entering the PhD program, my mindset was challenged again. My fatigue and gut issues worsened and I began to have issues with dizziness and memory. I tried to force myself to keep going, refusing to accept another setback in my career. My body continued to fall apart and needed me to listen to it.  I reluctantly withdrew from the program and changed my mindset again. 

My mindset shifted from finding the direction of my career to finding wellness. I began listening to what my body needed: time to rest, heal, and recharge. I encountered many more setbacks in figuring out what direction to go. Multiple tests, specialists, and treatments did not give me the answers I was looking for, but they did guide me to plan and seek the direction I needed to go to find wellness. With the help of loved ones, I kept a mindset to not give up and keep moving forward.

I did successfully find answers through changing my mindset, listening to my body, and having a plan. I learned that my joint pain, fatigue, and gut issues were due to having a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or EDS. My memory issues, dizziness, and severe fatigue flares were from a condition affecting blood flow to my brain called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS. 

At first, getting diagnosed with EDS and POTS felt like another setback limiting me from moving forward. It has taken time to find my direction and navigate these conditions. I continue to encounter setbacks. However, I now see my setbacks as guideposts as each one helps me navigate and plan my course in some way.  

My setbacks remind me that I need to listen to what my body needs and adapt my mindset to be well. Having such a mindset has led me to finding acceptance, gratitude, and resilience for wellness. 

What is your mindset about setbacks? How have you navigated your setbacks? Please share in comments.