Learn the 6 actionable steps to heal from chronic illness and autoimmune disease with Sharissa Bradley’s guide to reclaiming your vitality and joy.

We are officially nearing the conclusion of the “Journey Back to Health” series. After weeks of discussing mindset, stress, and nutrition, host Sharissa Bradley is getting into the “meat and potatoes” of recovery. In Chapter 18, she outlines a clear, six-step strategy for anyone living with chronic illness or autoimmune disease who is ready to take their agency back and find their way to a life of bliss.

Step 1: Find a Doctor Who Will Hear You The first step in building your healing team is finding a medical professional who views you as a partner. Sharissa emphasizes that you shouldn’t settle for a 15-minute appointment and a prescription. It took her seven or eight attempts to find a doctor who would listen to her research and work with integrative pharmacies to get to the root of her symptoms. Your doctor should be in your corner, offering referrals to specialists who can help with hormones, nutrition, or acupuncture.

Step 2: Experiment on Yourself Scientific studies often report on “averages,” but your body is unique. Sharissa encourages listeners to be their own “guinea pigs”. Does a bedtime routine help? How does your body react to cutting out gluten or dairy? By experimenting, you can see exactly how different tools and habits impact your specific physical and mental state.

Step 3: The Time of Healing One of the hardest truths about recovery is that it takes time. Sharissa references Hering’s Law of the Cure, which suggests that for every year you have been ill, it takes about one month of active healing. For Sharissa, 26 years of illness meant a 26-month commitment to the process. Understanding this timeline allows you to set realistic expectations for your longevity and energy.

Steps 4 & 5: Repairing and Rebuilding Once the healing begins, the work shifts to repairing the damage and rebuilding your life with new skills. This might mean learning how to cook nutrient-dense meals at home rather than eating out. It involves creating new habits and patterns that support a healthier version of yourself, ensuring that you don’t slip back into the cycles that caused the initial breakdown.

Step 6: Go Out and Live The ultimate goal of this work is Step 6: actually living your life. Whether it’s rock climbing, hiking, or simply having the mental capacity to complete a thought, this step is about enjoying the stamina and joy you have worked so hard to regain. Sharissa recalls a time when her brain fog was so severe she couldn’t remember her own children’s names; today, by taking care of her body, those struggles are a thing of the past.

Your Guide to Accountability To help listeners implement these steps, Sharissa has provided a free workbook at sharissabradley.com/book under the “extras” section. This guide includes questions for health professionals, a baseline quiz, and tracking sheets for your experiments with food and sleep.

Healing is challenging work that requires a deep commitment to yourself. However, by taking full accountability for your health and celebrating the small wins along the way, you can stack the cards in your favor and reclaim the high-energy life you deserve.