Beyond the Limits We Set for Ourselves✨ what a 5-day jungle trek reminded me about resilience

I recently travelled to Colombia…

…and part of the trip included a 5-day trek in search of La Ciudad Perdida — the Lost City — hidden deep in the mountains of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The landscape was lush, wild, and beautiful, each valley more spectacular than the previous… but also brutally hot, with over 90% humidity. The trail wound through dense forest, steep climbs, muddy paths, and river crossings. We slept in open-air camps with cold river showers and bunk beds under mosquito nets that barely kept out the insects. The terrain wasn’t the highest I’ve ever climbed, but the conditions? They pushed my body and mind right to the edge.

On day three, we had trekked 24 km in total and climbed 1,200 steps — some on all fours — to reach the Lost City. That evening, we arrived at yet another camp, with only a thin mosquito net between us and the forest. I was physically drained, mentally frayed, and emotionally overwhelmed. And just to top it off, that morning, the zip on my rucksack broke. Thankfully, the group guide found a piece of string to tie it up — and that’s how I carried on for the remaining two and a half days.

The heat was relentless. Sweat poured constantly. My skin was covered in bites. That night, I hit what I call the dark moment — the point where I truly wanted to give up. I had it all worked out in my head. I would speak to the guide and ask him to fetch a mule from the nearby indigenous community. I couldn’t face two more days of this. But then something unexpected happened. I went to take my cold shower — and I paused. Instead of giving up, I decided to stay.

I faced that internal voice — the one that pipes up when things feel too much — and questioned it: What would happen if I didn’t back out this time? What if I stayed and saw it through?

So I stayed. I kept going.

Day four turned out to be even harder. The guides had told us it would be a more relaxed hike, but the 14 km trek that followed didn’t feel relaxing at all. We followed a narrow trail through shoulder-high vegetation, crossed rivers, swatted at swarming insects, and somewhere along the way, I got stung by a bee. By our final break before reaching camp, I felt done. My legs barely moved, I was soaked in sweat, hungry, and completely exhausted. But I made it. And I was proud — deeply proud — for not giving up.

On the final day, we started with a 35–40 minute climb in direct sun, but after that, the path was mostly downhill. We had 8 km left until we reached the starting point. Only when we arrived did we find out we had walked 87 km — not the 60 km the guides had originally told us. 87 km? I couldn’t believe it.

I was filled with gratitude. I had made it. What stayed with me wasn’t just the trek — it was the feeling of doing something I almost didn’t believe I could. I had surpassed myself. Or more accurately, I had moved beyond the limits I believed were there.

This experience reminded me so much of the therapy process. So often, therapy brings us face-to-face with the very things we want to avoid. It asks us to keep going, even when everything in us wants to pull away. Not because we’re weak — but because it’s uncomfortable. Unfamiliar. Exposing. It asks us to step outside of our comfort zone, even if that zone isn’t truly comforting anymore. Even if something deep inside tells us it’s time for change.

The biggest shifts in therapy don’t usually come at the beginning, or when things feel easy. They come in those moments of doubt. When we think we’ve hit a wall. When we stay just a little longer.

Therapy — just like that trek — isn’t about instant results. It’s not something that can be fixed in two clicks, or by reading a few quotes online. Real change takes dedication. Showing up. Again and again. Through the messy moments, the quiet breakthroughs, and the internal “dark moments.”

There’s solid research behind this too — our brains are wired to grow when we stretch ourselves beyond what feels comfortable:

• Neuroplasticity shows us the brain can change. When we challenge old beliefs or try something new — like staying in therapy through discomfort — our neural pathways shift. We build new, more empowering responses.

• A growth mindset, as shown in research by Carol Dweck, isn’t just a nice idea. It lights up the brain’s learning and reward centres. When we believe change is possible, the brain becomes better at adapting and strengthening itself.

• Endurance-based challenges, both physical and emotional, activate the prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain linked to focus, decision-making, and long-term vision.

These aren’t just ideas — they’re biological truths. When we stay with something hard and move through it, our brain literally changes. Our mindset shifts. Our sense of self expands.

Maybe you’re in a place that feels like a version of my day three. The pressure. The fatigue. The quiet thought: I can’t go any further.

But what if you could?

In therapy you can explore that question. It’s not always easy, and it doesn’t work overnight. But it offers you the chance to grow beyond the limits you may have learned to accept.

If you’re ready to stay — even when a part of you wants to turn back — I’m here to walk alongside you.

I offer trauma-informed counselling, EMDR and hypnotherapy — online across the UK and in person in West London. I currently have availability for new clients this summer. Beyond that “dark moment,” there’s something more waiting for you.

🌿 Therapy Tip of the Month: Stay Curious

When something uncomfortable comes up— a feeling/sensation, a thought, or an old belief — it’s natural to want to pull away. And sometimes, giving yourself distance is the most compassionate thing you can do. Not everything has to be faced head-on or all at once.

That doesn’t mean pushing yourself into distress — it means gently noticing what shows up, breathing through it, and asking: 

• “What is this feeling trying to tell me?”

• “Where might this be coming from?”

• “Is there something here I haven’t noticed before?”

You don’t have to sit in pain to grow. In fact, growth often begins by learning to stay curious, — by noticing what comes up, without judgement, and giving yourself space to explore it in your own time, with support.

This is what builds emotional resilience: not pushing through at all costs but learning that you can face things — with care, at your own pace.