If you could recommend one step that anyone could take towards healing, what would it be? (Part 3)

This is my favourite question to ask each of our Wag Tales podcast guests, and so far, I’ve had the privilege of posing it to 50 incredible individuals (and counting).

Some of our guests share from the perspective of working and leading in the field, while others offer insights drawn from their lived and living experiences. Together, they provide a wealth of helpful recommendations.

I feel incredibly grateful to host a podcast that allows me to learn from such brilliant people, and I’m even more thankful for the opportunity to share their wisdom with others.

In this post, I’m excited to share part 3, with another 15 answers. This is a series; and you can find part 1 here, and part 2 here.

I invite you to read through these suggestions (unedited, directly from our transcripts) and consider what might resonate with you or someone you’re supporting.

Have a recommendation of your own? We’d love to hear it—please share it with us!

Diana Nicholls, PT @dnpt_coaching DNPT, author, ultra marathon runner, Ep 32, recommends:

Showing up.

“Just keep showing up. We can throw that line around a little bit. Show up, turn up. If you are trying to do something, like going for a run, reading a book, or writing, whatever it is, if that task seems too overwhelming, don’t try to do the full amount. If you want to go for an hour run and you just can’t get out the door, just do 5 minutes. So, push yourself enough to get out the door, but negotiate the timeframe of what it is that you’re going to do.”

Adela Holmes, 52 years working with traumatised young people, Ep 33, recommends:

Don’t do it alone.

“Find the right person to help you do it, because you can’t do it on your own. And when people try to do it on their own, they fail. And that just reinforces their beliefs that they can’t. I always say, don’t take the first therapist if you don’t like them, go and find another one. Shop around. Find the right person who can help you on your journey.”

Linda Rowley, Principal Consultant, Ep 34, recommends:

“I would have go back to self-compassion, that is such a powerful practice.”

Dr Donna Lyon, Founder of Left Write Hook, Ep 35, recommends:

“Name it.”

Zinny Hunt, student voice advocate, Ep 37, recommends:

Find the next step.

“It’s different for everyone, but what has worked for me is not sitting in it for too long. Being able to move forward with things. And if you’re not ready, find out how you can move forward. Whether that’s therapy or supports. Talk to someone. Learning how to take the next step towards bettering yourself in a safe and comfortable way.”

Mike Niconchuk, trauma specialist from Salama, Ep 38, recommends:

Befriend your body.

“This is hard. But it is get to know your body, befriend your body. Get to know how to reconnect the neck up and neck down parts of yourself again. When I’m feeling feelings, I go and lift heavy things.”

Dr Lori Desautels, author, educator and leader in neuroscience in education, Ep 39, recommends:

Protection into growth.

“Listen to your body. We’ve been conditioned out of our bodies, and don’t be afraid to listen. Our nervous system is always trying to protect us and move us from these states of protection into states of growth. When your body is speaking, it will tell us what we need!”

Dr Jeremy Goldberg @longdistancelovebombs, author, coach and speaker, Ep 40, recommends:

“Be gentle with yourself. Embrace the mess. Trust that you’re being held through it.”

Gloria Masters, survivor and advocate for keeping kids safe, Ep 41, recommends:

Inner wisdom.

“Allow yourself to feel how you need to. Part of the answer is to stop looking outside yourself for truth. When you start going in, the depth of wisdom is there. And if we can trust our instinct, and trust that what we get given is wisdom beyond anything we can pay for, that would be amazing. Trust what you get. You’ll get the nudging from within. We need to look after ourselves so we can hear ourselves.”

Ashton Kline, survivor, advocate and ambassador for Alannah and Madeline foundation, Ep 42, recommends: 

Invest in yourself

“Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself.  For so many of us, we spend our lifetimes trying to please other people, trying to be the image of who we think we should be. The inner work we need to do can be done by investing in yourself and investing wisely in yourself.  For me, that has been about really good trauma-informed therapy and trying to understand how that shows up in my life. 

So, investing in yourself in ways that are practical for you, whether it be taking time out for yourself, finding what drives you, leaving a job that you’re unhappy with, whatever it is, just investing in yourself and not being afraid to grow.”

Bea Palya, singer, songwriter, actor, women’s coach and author, Ep 43, recommends: 

Out loud- say my name, say I’m here and exhale out a long “ahhhhh” sound.

“I’m Bea and I’m here- Ahhhhhhh. Repeat it 3 times in the morning, or just before you go to a specific event that may cause you stress. After all, all this healing work is about being present, and this practice can help you so much. So you say you’re own name, say you are here, and let out an “ahhh exhale”- it can help you so much. Trust your sound, open these two pieces of meat- your lips and  say “AHHHHHH something, even give a deep sigh and say “Ahhhh I don’t know what the heck I will say.” Open the channel that is inside your body.”

Richard Rose, a leading expert in therapeutic life story work and author,  Ep 44, recommends:

Tell your story and have someone hear it. So many of us are preoccupied with the past that we don’t have much for the present. If we can externalise the past, we have much more time for the present.

Margaret Thorsborne, international leader of restorative practices and author, Ep 45, recommends:

“Learn our brains.”

Dr Michelle McQuaid, author, workplace wellbeing strategist, and founder of The Good Girl Gamechangers, Ep 46, recommends:

Know that we are perfectly imperfect.

“Self-Compassion as that starting point, to come back to the fact that we are all perfectly imperfect, nature made us that way so that we could learn, grow and evolve to what is happening around us.  If we are just able to take that in at a physical, cellular level, so that we know it in every part of us, the pressure that that takes off, and the connection and opportunity that it opens is an absolute game changer.”

Dr Kerry Hinsby, clinical psychologist  and lead in the West Yorkshire staff wellbeing and mental health hub, Ep 47, recommends:

Talk about it.

“Talk about it, because that then opens the door to everything else. Because if you are just sitting on it by yourself, if you are just trying to solve it by yourself, then everything spirals negatively (generally), so be brave enough to take that first step, it opens all the doors from there.  So talk about it, connect with other people.”

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These 15 Wag Tales guests offer a variety of perspectives on healing, highlighting that there’s no single path that works for everyone, all of the time. What you need today might not be what you need tomorrow, and that’s why this list is so valuable. Whether you're looking for ways to connect with yourself, others, or something bigger, there’s a tip here that might just speak to where you are right now. Explore these recommendations and keep in mind that healing is a journey; feel free to revisit these insights as your needs evolve.

As we continue to record episodes for the Wag Tales, we will continue to explore this question with our guests. If you are curious to find out more, you can find each episode and subscribe to the Wag Tales on your preferred platform here.