Nothing Missing, Nothing Broken (Part 1): Your Physical Self
I really do not like trying to do work on a table that wobbles. It’s bad enough just with me and my own tasks, but once another person sits down and puts their things down, their pressure on it at different times makes everything unpredictable. My handwriting gets all wiggly. Honestly, it irritates me more than it should. All it takes is one leg on that table to be slightly shorter, and it’s no longer stable.
What Wobbly Tables Taught Me About Wholeness
Each one of us is kind of like a table. We are composed of four complex and interconnected parts: spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. If just one of our “table legs” is not functioning properly, we aren’t as stable, predictable, and sturdy as we can be. Whole healing takes place when each part of ourselves is addressed. As a counselor, I am consistently keeping all four parts of my client in mind as we talk and process life, grief, victories, trauma, and current struggles.
Over the next few posts, I want to explore what it looks like to care for all four legs of the table—the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual parts of ourselves. Because if even one of those is shaky, everything wobbles. And healing that only targets one leg won’t hold up under pressure.
Shalom And The Table
I’m sure you’ve heard the Hebrew word shalom. A literal translation is more than just “peace”—lexicons (Strong’s H7965) define shalom as “completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.” One of my favorite modern ways to express this beautiful word is the phrase, “nothing missing, nothing broken.” I think of this often as I counsel God’s priceless people, praying that in their mind, spirit, heart, and body there would be nothing missing and nothing broken.
Elijah’s Divine Counseling Session
Addressing all four components of a person is not new or modern. The Great Counselor Himself demonstrated this throughout the Bible. One of the first examples that comes to mind is Elijah in 1 Kings 19. He was emotionally distraught and physically drained (putting it lightly). God addressed multiple aspects of him by having him:
1. Sleep (19:5)
2. Eat (19:5-6)
3. Drink water (19:6)
4. Hear His gentle voice (19:9,12)
5. Receive new purpose (19:15-16)
There was no yelling, no shaming, no harshness. Instead, God cares for Elijah’s physical needs and speaks to him in a whisper.
Wobbly Part 1: Shalom In Your Body
I am not a medical doctor or a psychiatrist. I do not diagnose or prescribe medication. However, I do address some basic physical aspects of my clients that I believe impact their mental health in very real, major ways.
Sleep, for example, is vital for our emotional regulation and mental processing. Drinking water is also vital, especially if we are in the middle of a crisis or processing trauma. I often end heavy sessions with clients by suggesting they find something funny and light to watch that evening. The Bible doesn’t say “laughter is good medicine” directly, but Proverbs 17:22 does say that a cheerful heart is good medicine-and laughter is one of the most beautiful expressions of a joyful heart. I truly believe that purposely not thinking about the heavy things of life and laughing, with friends, your kids, or with a silly movie or TV show can really help our mental health.
Sustenance, Not Sabotage
Another physical aspect I address with clients is what they’re putting into their bodies-not just water, but food. I am not the healthiest-looking counselor, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know factually that the food we eat makes a significant difference in how we feel physically and emotionally. Eat whole foods, eat protein, and your body and mind will thank you.
I also encourage some kind of exercise, because time and again it has been proven in studies to improve mental health. I challenge my clients to go outside, get in the sun, feel the earth on their feet, and gaze at the beautiful land and water God has put around us. Being in nature has also been shown to support our mental health and help us connect with our Creator.
It’s not just about what we can do or add, sometimes it’s about what we need to eliminate. Too much alcohol, processed food, or sugar can really impact our mental health. Of course, drug abuse is in its own category of damage to the body and mind.
We may already know these are things that impact our physical health, but my goal is often to explain how they also impact our mental health, and how shifting even a few of these habits can help us as we work through anxiety, depression, and trauma.
Suffering Isn’t a Spiritual Failure
Two final aspects of the physical “table leg” I want to touch on are medication and chronic pain.
First, I do believe medication can play a helpful role in managing and recovering from mental health struggles and disorders. I’m not quick to suggest this, but medication has its place. I don’t prescribe, but I may encourage a client to talk with their doctor or psychiatrist if I believe their medication needs to be adjusted, or if they might benefit from starting medication. I don’t believe everyone with depression or anxiety needs meds, but some do, and I am not the person to decide who does and doesn’t.
Finally, if someone is living with chronic pain, it absolutely impacts their mental health. Chronic conditions like migraines, fibromyalgia, or arthritis can carry deep emotional weight. And if a client has a family member who is in chronic pain, that too can take a serious toll on their emotional well-being. Having a counselor to help navigate those dark, heavy, sometimes explosive emotions is vital. A counselor is not emotionally enmeshed in the situation and can offer outside support.
Wobble Check-In: Are You Paying Attention to Your Physical Needs?
Take a moment to check in with your own physical “table leg.” What might need a little more attention, care, or grace today? What is one small action step you can take today to improve your mental health through a physical adjustment?
I hope something in this first part of the series was helpful for you. My desire is that every reader and every client experiences true shalom-nothing missing, nothing broken.
In the next post, I’ll be exploring the emotional side-the heart. I’d love to have you join me as we continue moving toward healing and wholeness together.
