What If “What’s Wrong With Me?” Isn’t the Best Health Question?

When something doesn't feel right in our body, one of the first things we usually ask is, “What's wrong?”

That makes sense. If something hurts, if we're tired, if we're not sleeping well, or if our digestion has changed, we want to know why. We want to know what is causing the problem and what we can do about it.

Modern medicine is very good at helping us answer those questions. There are times when we need a diagnosis, testing, medication, or other medical treatment. Those are important tools, and I would never suggest otherwise.

There is another question, though, that I find very useful when we're trying to understand our health:

What's happening?

It sounds like a small difference, but it can change what we notice.

Looking at the Whole Person

Imagine two people who are both having trouble sleeping.

One person has been working late, drinking more coffee than usual, and dealing with a stressful situation at work. The other person has recently retired. Their schedule has changed, they are sleeping later, eating at different times, and have started exercising in the evenings.

Both people are having trouble sleeping, but their circumstances are very different.

If we only look at the symptom, we miss some of that information.

This is one of the things I appreciate about Ayurveda. It encourages us to look at the person and the circumstances surrounding the experience.

What has changed recently?

How are you eating? How are you spending your days? How are you sleeping? What is happening with stress? What is happening in your environment? Has your routine changed?

These questions don't necessarily give us an immediate answer. They simply help us gather more information.

The Symptom Is Information

We naturally want an uncomfortable symptom to go away. If our head hurts, we want the headache to stop. If we are anxious, we want to find calm.

There is nothing wrong with that.

At the same time, a symptom can give us information about what is happening in our lives.

Maybe your digestion changes when your schedule becomes very busy. Maybe you find yourself anxious after watching a stimulating tv series. Maybe you notice that you feel better when you spend more time outside.

Those observations don't tell us everything, and they aren't a diagnosis. They are simply things we can notice.

Over time, we may begin to see patterns.

What Worked Before May Not Work Now

Another thing Ayurveda asks us to consider is that our needs can change.

Something that worked well for you a year ago may not work the same way today. Your schedule may have changed. Your stress may have changed. Your activity level may have changed. Your body and your circumstances continue to change throughout your life.

That doesn't mean you did something wrong.

It simply means that what supports you may need to change, too.

This is where I think a more observational approach to health can be helpful. Instead of always looking for the one right answer, we can learn to pay attention to what is happening and consider whether something needs to be adjusted.

We don't have to figure everything out at once.

Sometimes it is enough to notice that something has changed and become curious about why.

That is one of the places where Ayurveda begins.