What a Week in Mexico Taught Me About Healing
After years of cancer, grief, stress, and pushing through life, a quiet week by the ocean reminded me of something many of us forget. Healing does not always come from doing more.
Most people think self care looks like a tropical vacation.
Sunshine. Warm water. No responsibilities.
But the healing I experienced on a beach in Mexico had very little to do with the beach. It had everything to do with something I had been avoiding for years.
I am writing this sitting on a plane returning to Winnipeg after a week in Mexico.
For the last couple of weeks I have done one thing.
I have cared for myself.
I know that might sound privileged. An eleven day tropical vacation does not exactly scream relatable self care. For many people that kind of trip simply is not possible.
If healing were that simple we would all just book a flight south whenever life felt heavy.
But what I realized over the past few weeks had very little to do with palm trees or sunshine. What happened during this trip revealed something deeper about stress, healing, and what our bodies actually need.
And the good news is that the lesson does not require a plane ticket.
The Last Few Years
The last few years have been hard.
We moved three times.
I was diagnosed with cancer.
I tried different jobs.
And then I lost my dad.
For a long time I was simply trying to be okay.
Fighting to be okay.
Pretending to be okay.
Convincing myself I was okay.
But the truth is that I was not.
There were moments where I felt barely okay. But if we are being honest, okay is not really enough.
I have spent time in therapy. I have taken antidepressants. I told myself the exhaustion I felt was menopause, tamoxifen, or just life.
But deep down I knew something was not right.
I felt flat.
I felt tired all the time.
I felt like a dimmed version of myself.
You Cannot Outrun Pain
As someone who has spent much of my life in endurance sports and fitness, my instinct has always been to move.
Train harder.
Run it off.
Work it out.
Push through.
Movement can absolutely help us heal. Exercise is powerful medicine for both the body and the mind.
But one thing I have learned the hard way is that sometimes we cannot train our way out of stress, grief, or emotional pain.
Doing more is not always the solution.
Sometimes pushing harder simply keeps us stuck in the same cycle of stress and exhaustion.
Sometimes what we actually need is the opposite.
Rest.
Space.
Support.
And the courage to slow down long enough to feel what we have been carrying.
Sometimes We Need More Support
One thing I have learned through this process is that healing is not always something we can do alone.
We hear a lot about self care. Take a bath. Go for a walk. Get outside. Move your body. Meditate.
Those things matter. They really do.
But sometimes no matter how hard we try, it still is not enough.
Sometimes our nervous system has been under stress for too long. Sometimes grief runs deeper than we realize. Sometimes our brain chemistry needs support.
And in those moments, reaching out for professional help is not weakness.
It is wisdom.
Therapy, counseling, medication, and other forms of professional support can be incredibly important tools in healing. For me, continuing therapy and adjusting my medication was part of the shift that helped me start moving forward again.
Self care is powerful. But sometimes real healing also requires professional support.
Both things can be true at the same time.
The Moment Something Shifted![]()
When we arrived in Mexico I heard the ocean.
And something inside me softened.
I could feel the tension that I had been carrying for years begin to lift.
For the first time in a long time I had energy again.
I was going to bed early and waking up with the sun. I moved my body every day. Without trying I tripled my step count.
But more importantly I felt something I had not felt in a very long time.
I felt alive.
I felt light.
I felt like myself again.
Why This Happened
Of course part of it is obvious.
Sunshine.
Vitamin D.
Warm weather.
Fresh air.
Time away from responsibilities.
But there is a deeper truth that many of us overlook.
Our bodies do not really know the difference between different kinds of stress.
Work stress.
Family stress.
Grief.
Pressure.
Constant busyness.
To our nervous system it all registers the same way.
For years my body had been living in a constant state of stress. Always pushing. Always managing. Always holding things together.
This trip gave my system permission to finally exhale.
And when the body finally feels safe, healing can begin.
The Real Lesson
The lesson is not that everyone needs a tropical vacation.
The lesson is that many of us are living in a constant state of pressure and we rarely give ourselves permission to slow down.
Self care does not have to look like a beach in Mexico.
Sometimes it looks like going outside for fresh air every day.
Sometimes it looks like moving your body in ways that feel good.
Sometimes it looks like going to bed earlier, talking to someone when things feel heavy, or protecting your time and energy a little more carefully.
These things sound simple.
But simple does not mean unimportant.
Small changes, repeated consistently, can completely shift how we feel.
Healing Happens Quietly
Healing rarely happens in one big dramatic moment.
More often it happens through quiet decisions.
A walk instead of another hour scrolling your phone.
A conversation instead of keeping everything inside.
An earlier bedtime.
More sunlight.
A little more compassion for yourself.
These small shifts slowly bring us back to life.
Coming Home
As I fly back to Winnipeg I know the real world is waiting.
Work.
Responsibilities.
Winter.
But I am bringing something important home with me.
A reminder.
That caring for ourselves cannot just be something we do on vacation. It has to show up in the small choices we make every day.
And if you have been pushing through life feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself, maybe this is your reminder too.
You do not have to wait for a vacation to start taking care of yourself.
You can begin today.
Because healing often begins with the simplest choices. Moving your body, nourishing yourself well, and giving yourself permission to truly rest.
A Question For You
If this resonates with you, take a moment to pause and ask yourself one simple question.
What is one small thing you could do this week to take better care of yourself?
Maybe it is getting outside for fresh air.
Maybe it is going to bed earlier.
Maybe it is talking to someone who can support you.
Whatever it is, start there.
Small steps have a way of bringing us back to ourselves.
Responses