E052 | Simplicity heals: How to reclaim your energy without overwhelm

 Have you ever felt exhausted by your endless quest for wellness? 

You've probably tried numerous complex routines, diets, supplements, and self-care practices, only to end up feeling even more overwhelmed and exhausted. 

But the truth is, healing doesn't require complexity—it thrives in simplicity. 

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER: 

• Why constantly chasing wellness trends actually drains your healing energy and leaves you feeling depleted.
• How simplicity restores clarity and emotional resilience naturally, without additional overwhelm.
• The powerful role your emotional energy plays in restoring physical health and why it's crucial to prioritize it.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

That lasting healing is found not by doing more but by intentionally letting go, creating space, and trusting your body's wisdom. Because simplicity isn’t another wellness trend—it’s your body's natural path home.


OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
 

• Join our free Facebook group: Embrace Your Healing Journey.
• Blog - Words That Heal on Substack
• Learn about the "BODY WISE HEALING" FRAMEWORK

Write to me at anindita@aninditarungta.com. I'd love to hear from you!
 

Chapters

• 0:00 Upcoming Autoimmune Breakthrough Masterclass
• 2:07 Focusing on what you can control
• 5:49 The dangers of complexity in wellness
• 7:43 Recognising the need to pause
• 10:36 Practising awareness and simplification
• 15:00 Prioritising restorative practices
• 16:29 Embracing simplicity for lasting energy

Transcript

If chasing wellness has left you feeling more drained than heal, then I want you to know that it's not your fault. It's your Katrina cycle that designed to overwhelm you. But what if your body was actually asking for something simpler, gentler, and far more powerful? 

In this special episode of Embrace Your Healing Journey, we'll explore why simplicity is not only refreshing, it's the essential ingredient your body finally needs to reclaim energy, clarity, and emotional resilience. And that's why, uh, that's what we're covering today. Because real healing should not exhaust you. It should free you. 

Welcome to Embrace Your Healing Journey, a podcast for women with autoimmune and other chronic conditions to help them navigate the illness without fear of isolation and uncertainty and find relief from their symptoms. Your body is your guide and ally in healing. If you're ready to embrace this journey with compassion and awareness, then the show is for you. Tune in weekly as I, a Functional medicine certified health Coach, deliver tips and insights that demystify the healing process, guiding you towards the relief you deserve so that you can feel healthy and happy once more. 

When I first started coaching, I remember clearly one of my earliest clients, a wonderful young woman who was struggling deeply sheer with emotional overwhelm. She was suffering from a severe depression. She was a teenager at that time, and she was already seeing a psychiatrist and had been put on medication. Her mother knew me personally, and that's the reason she had approached me and asked me if I could still help her, uh, beyond what the psychiatrist was doing for her. She knew that as a health coach, I delve into modalities such as positive psychology, which are based on positive psychology, such as character strengths, emotional resilience, you know, things that the conventional approach really does not, uh, focus on. 

And at that time, I did not really have extensive protocols or sophisticated wellness routines which included supplements, etc. it was actually pretty simple thing. I kept it pretty simple, and looking back, I realized that's exactly why our work together was so powerful, because we kept things incredibly simple and without realizing it at that time, I intuitively leaned into simplicity. And as a result, instead of overwhelming her further, we began by gently focusing on the things that were under her control that she could truly control, and she understood the difference of chasing things that are not typically in your control vis a vis conserving energy. By focusing on on things that is in your control. Like her inner strength, like journaling, uh, like practice cultivating self-compassion, practicing gratitude, small things that make tremendous shifts along the way and slowly that created an environment that supported her emotional and physical well-being. Because these two are interconnected and you cannot get well physically unless you're also addressing the emotional part of it. And that's a big reason why so many people, uh, remain stuck in what I call a disease merry go round. 

In each session, I started with focusing on her character strengths and different activities. Mindfulness journaling. We did not overcomplicate things. Instead, we stripped away distractions and focused on what mattered to her. And what mattered to her, she wanted to make certain changes in her diet. She wanted to make it easier for herself to deal and feel better, improve moods for longer periods of time, to deal with the challenges that came her way, that that was her focus area. And over a short period of time, something incredible happened. Her energy started returning. Because energy again is not just physical energy, it's emotional energy which often remains stuck. She became a brighter person, more vibrant, more positive and more hopeful. I

 find that hopelessness and losing hope is one of the things that happened as a unfortunate side effect, I would say as a result of dealing with chronic health conditions. We lose sight of things that, you know, as a result, we are not able to take the decisions that would actually help us get better because we've lost all hope that we can get better. And that's something that I weave into my coaching sessions and my writing. 

I actually have a Substack publication on Substack called Words That Heal. It's all about hope. It's all about healing. And the same thing that I do with each and every one of my clients. And it was the same with this client. Her overwhelming fog lifted, she had more mental clarity, and she began to thrive in simplicity. And the girl who started the sessions, replying in monosyllables, started to actively participate in them. We also made other changes. I helped her mother and with the help of a nutritionist at that time, to devise a more ketogenic diet that would help her brain function better. We changed other lifestyle changes like moving to non-toxic products. And the end result was that her mother was very happy with the results that her daughter had seen. In a short period of time, and the girl herself was a different version of more upbeat and more hopeful version of herself when we ended. And today she's a vibrant young woman in the States.

This experience showed me firsthand the transformative power of simplicity. Because real healing does not have to be complex. It just has to be deeply aligned with you and your unique needs. So you may have noticed the harder you chase healing, the more exhausted you become. Or perhaps you found yourself drowning in wellness checklist. Expensive supplements, complicated protocols, rigid routines. And they promised relief, but they actually leave you feeling more overwhelmed and confused. This is so common and maybe you are feeling chronically drained, unable to recharge.

You are trying all the things and simple tasks like getting through the day have become so hard for you. Or you are tired of waking up feeling already exhausted and you are dreading the, you know, the unpredictable symptoms that come during the day. Uh, and your it's a, it's a lingering fatigue that never seem you can never you know, you're not able to shake off. And you might even feel guilty that you are, you know, maybe that this is all this is because you're not trying hard enough. But here's what I want you to know. Here's the reassuring truth that I want you to take from me today. 

More complexity is not the answer. Simplicity is. And in today's episode, I am actually covering why truly lasting healing does not come from adding more to your already heavy load. And I don't want you to feel guilty. So many of us dealing with complex chronic health conditions like autoimmune conditions, start feeling guilty that you know we should be feeling better already. Uh, you know, our family members are taking up so much of our load, you know, and then we are not doing enough. So all these guilt actually is not helpful at all. And it's about releasing the unnecessary, uh, you know, whatever, whatever is unnecessary in your life, including this guilt and intuitively choosing on what truly serving your mind and your body. In other words, you're conserving your energy and that's what's going to help you in your healing. 

Because the hidden truth is that many experts will not tell you is that chronic exhaustion, your emotional fatigue, and persistent overwhelm aren't just symptoms. They are actually signals that your body is desperately asking you to pause, not at more to your plate, but to pause. And this constant pressure to do more, learn more, be more, uh, by more. You know, it really keeps us drained. And it drains us of us, of our most precious resource, which is our energy. So it's draining you of your most precious healing resource, which is your energy. So the the minute you start letting go of these, you will find your energy. Most especially emotional energy starts to improve. 

So if you feel like you're stuck and I call it stuck in a disease Merry-Go-Round. If you're always chasing a moving target of wellness advice, this is exactly why. Your journey seems so draining because the harder you push, the further healing slips from your grasp. The real problem is not that you're failing at wellness, it's that conventional approaches haven't really taught you how to conserve and nurture the energy that you have right now, so that you can actually start healing, so that you can start supporting your body and do all the things that are necessary today. 

In this episode, I'm showing you a gentler and more sustainable path. And that's what I'm talking about because I want to change your the way you're approaching this. Because when you simplify, you just don't feel relief. You actually create space for genuine healing because you may have tried it all, haven't you? I mean, if you've listening to this episode and you found me and you've seen some of my resources, you've already tried some of these things. So endless wellness routines that promise clarity but brought confusion, maybe of meticulously tracked calories, followed restrictive diets, chase supplements, And you've, of course, tried a plethora of self-care practices, whether it's meditation app, whether it's journal detox cleanses, expensive workshops, but they only left you feeling more exhausted and feeling like healing was beyond your reach, right? It's not just possible for you. It may be possible for the other person, but not really for you. And you know that's not what that's not actually true. And maybe you've doubled down on your willpower and you know that using and you thought that using willpower was your way out and you tried. And if you tried harder or if you followed someone else's more complicated routine, it would help you. 

However, every new approach brought you temporary relief. You really did not find what you were looking for, and they left you. I mean, more importantly, they left you, leaving you questioning yourself. And that's what I want to address today as well, because the reason that these have not worked is, is because they all rely on the myth that more equals better.

 Because the reality is that your body was never asking for more. It was craving simplicity, gentleness and restoration. In other words, your body was asking you to pause, to reflect and to reassess what was really going to work. So instead of chasing complexity and piling on yet another wellness routine, I invite you to do just the opposite. I invite you to gently step back and simplify. If there is one thing that you take away from this episode, that is, this is this is it, I want you to step back and simplify. 

So whatever you are doing, you need to just reassess that and letting go of this constant pressure to do everything at once. And, you know, is is really important because that's when you can tune in to what really matters to you and your body. This is something that I struggle with. Make no mistake about that, right? I love trying out new things. And one of the one of the things that happens as a result of that is that. I keep on chasing the shiny new things, shiny new trends, the latest, you know, a particular type of, uh, mushroom matcha drink. And I keep doing this. It's it's something that I, I know that I myself do because I'm listening to so many other wellness experts, so many other influencers. But the only thing is that I have trained myself also to, uh, you know, stop and pause from time to time. So I'm becoming better at this. It's just that we are bombarded by, you know, so much of information, so much of different shiny new objects, if I can call them, not everything will work for me. And I know that. And I find it hard to actually stop myself. 

So I want you to give yourself grace, not judge or criticize yourself if you are struggling with this, too. Uh, but what will happen is that, as you know, you become more aware of the way you are doing certain things. You will become better and better. It's like any other muscle when you practice it. You just become better at it. So when you start practicing this muscle of awareness around what you are chasing constantly and why. You will find that you will stop doing that, and you will become better at not chasing the next best thing. 

So the first thing that you can do, I mean actually where you start is by intentionally creating space. So just choose 1 or 2 practices that genuinely replenish your energy, like daily journaling. It may be that you know you need to release some emotional weight, and journaling is a no brainer for that. It's one of my go to practices whenever I'm feeling a bit low.  I tend to do it more, more often than that. But in especially when you're feeling low, journaling can help you a lot. Uh, maybe it's a brief, mindful breathing exercise to help you reset your nervous system. It can be just a box breathing where you breathe in for four, hold for four, breathe out for four, and hold for four. That's called a Box Breathing can be as simple as that. Or consciously setting boundaries to protect your peace. That's something by that you do by saying no to certain things. You say no to people, you say no to situations. 

And as I said, you become better at it as you keep practicing it. And for me as well, some of these things, it's, you know, what I'm teaching today, what I'm talking about today is something that I am trying to practice in my own life for my own, you know, own health. Because, as I said, I also tend to chase different trends, try different things. I am naturally, you know, I naturally take action, but sometimes it backfires because I do so many things at the same time. So this year, as far as my health is concerned, I have consciously decided to focus on, uh, my, you know, there is a foam rolling exercise that I do. There are different kinds of foam rolling exercises. I follow this lady called Lauren Roxburgh, and she has this superb array of exercises. So this I want to make sure that I take care of my flexibility, balance, my stretching, etc. I am also doing something called bar three, which is. Mix of Pilates, yoga and ballet and they have excellent exercises again. But this is more cardio, more weight. And last but not the least, but I am planning to start from next month. Is joining um, you know, and that's something that I'll have to see how it goes. Joining an aerial silk class where we do aerial aerial silk,  aerial hoops, pole dancing, these are all exercises that are incredibly difficult, but you can build up to it, uh, you know, and this, you're using your own body weight. And I'm not one who likes going to the gym, so I need to find ways to develop muscle strength, develop endurance, stamina. And this is one of the, uh, one of the ways of doing it. It's like gymnastics but in a different manner. And I am signing up for it in a few weeks. So we'll have to see how that goes. 

But that's something. So I'm simplifying my routine for this year because I am guilty of that too. I try too many different things at the time because I love trying out new things. So, uh, coming back to what I was sharing that prioritize practices that feel calming, restorative and sustainable for you, rather than which is something that exhausts you. For that, you have to pay attention to what you're already doing and what's going to help and allow yourself permission to slow down and make. And, you know, just trust yourself, go with your gut, trust yourself, and know that as you start tuning into yourself, you will know what is working and not what is not working. And to keep it simple, focus more on what's working than what's not working for you. 

Because what will happen is that when you embrace simplicity, your body finally gets the message that it needs, that it's safe to heal. And that's when healing starts to happen. So whether it's by improving your sleep, uh, because you're pausing through the day, you're getting better sleep. And during sleep, a lot of healing starts to happen. Uh, so your because what happens is during the day for energy is constantly scattered chasing multiple solutions, 

Conflicting advice you're trying to sift through contains conflicting advice. You are unintentionally blocking your body's natural healing response because your sleep also gets affected, your whole day gets affected. And the you know, this whole layer of complexity not only drains you, it actually clouds your judgment, your intuition, and it you know, it adds to emotional exhaustion. So you are not really getting the restoration that you need. Your body's not able to restore itself, repair itself. And that is why embracing simplicity is crucial, because it is the gateway to clarity, peace and lasting energy. 

This is going to be the starting point. This is not the end. So you will find ways to, you know, to you will get the clarity. You will get the know how because your body will let you know. So you will know exactly what you need to do in terms of your diet. So you keep building on this. That's the beauty of this kind of an approach, because imagine what your life would look like if instead of feeling constantly drained and overwhelmed. You felt genuinely nourished, calm and empowered day after day. Because when you simplify, that means you stop fighting your own body. And when you partner with it, you restore the very energy that you have been chasing. That's that's the that's the magic. And this gentle shift can completely redefine your healing journey. And the beautiful part is that you already have all this wisdom. It's already locked in inside. You have to just find a way to access it. So understanding your body helps you to do just that. And it helps you to understand where you are stuck and how to move forward. 

I will be delving deeper into this topic and getting into more practical details in my upcoming Autoimmune Breakthrough Masterclass. This is your step by step guide to getting unstuck, understanding your unique body, and finally building a healing plan that works for you. So if you're tired of guessing, hoping, and spinning your wheels, this is the, uh. You know this is where the real breakthrough will happen. I'll be sharing the link below for the Autoimmune Breakthrough Masterclass. You don't really need another wellness trend. You just need a strategy that's going to actually work for you. So if you have any questions, you can connect with me on Instagram at the rate and in this room. Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of Embrace Your Healing Journey.