Creative Katrina

Photo by kandyjaxx on Flickr

All of us need time to power down, disconnect from the world and find a way back to the space within. It’s not always easy with all the demands on our time and body, especially when so many people want more and more from us.

There is only so much the mind, body and spirit can take operating at that level. Pockets of energy build up, old emotional patterns and ways of thinking clog our perceptions and suddenly we feel run down, maxed out and anxious, not to mention exhausted. We may even become ill as our body finally tells us it’s DONE.

So as you scurry to finish all of your “activities”, have you ever thought about how to release all your old, heavy, pent up energy? Some people shop excessively, eat constantly or distract themselves by butting into other people’s lives. Others just unleash on someone else, dumping all their “stuff” without a second thought. Do any of these sound like you?

Find your Emotional Baseline

The most important first step is to tune in and really get a clear baseline of your personal boundaries physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It’s hard to know how to deal with managing stress in these areas if you have no baseline as to what is “too much” for you.

It’s also critical to get a sense of what a “yes” and a “no” FEELS like in your own body. It takes practice and relaxation, but keep at it. Practice by asking yourself simple yes/no questions that you already know. With the help of a clear way to tune into feeling this information, you can learn to make better choices about your time and stress level as you go about your day.

One of the most important things to learn and accept is the idea that not everything needs to get done right now. Really feel into the sense of relief that wells up inside of you when you truly release the pressure of “should.” Then re-evaluate with your yes/no inquiry.

Implement Healthy Emotional Release Tactics

If you strip away all the unhealthy options for unloading, do you have positive methods in place to clear out your internal energy system? If not, create a simple plan that works for your lifestyle, and work it daily. Have as many or few items as you need.

Here are 10 simple ways to get started:

• Regular exercise (a little each day or longer periods every few days)
• Meditation
• Old fashioned screaming and crying, in private
• Consult with an alternative healing professional for a treatment (Reiki, acupuncture, EFT, acupressure, massage, rolfing, etc.
• Take deep breaths as frequently as necessary
• Go for a walk
• Spend time in nature and/or with animals
• Journal daily or at least weekly
• Take a time out frequently throughout your day, and walk away from your desk or work situation
• Get off the computer, your phone and other electronic devices for at least 15 minutes each day before you go to sleep

Once you have a sense of your personal boundaries, then you can add things into your daily, weekly and monthly routine that help manage the stress of everyday life. The important thing is to not only experiment, but DO IT.  A little bit every day helps, rather than letting things build up until you blow.

Activities that are free and easy can be added to your daily routine, whereas healing treatments can become part of a weekly or monthly plan, depending on your budget. As you feel more in control of how you manage stress, anxiety and emotions according to your personal baseline, and utilize the tactics you have in place to know your own unique boundaries, you will see how much more grounded and happy you can feel.

Of course, if you feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to start, consult with a mental health professional to help get you centered, and then create a plan that works for your lifestyle.

(Source: creativekatrina.com)

Photo by bedeutet_jemanden

In my last blog post, I talked about how important it is to listen to your body, and the necessity of being aware of the insight it’s providing you minute by minute about countless things. For example, that afternoon headache could be from staring at the computer or the fact you need glasses, or your body could also be letting you know there may be some things you’re unwilling to see.

That’s what happened to me. And I wasn’t listening to my body’s infinite wisdom.

The Back Drop

I had started my writing business and had been struggling financially. I was working a few other jobs at the same time to keep me afloat, including being a pet sitter and working about 15 hours a week with a local company as a writer. Despite my best efforts, I felt like the need for money was winning above everything else.

Then, an opportunity came up through a friend for an interview as a remote technical writer with a blue chip company. At first the deal was part time, so I could still work with my current clients, grow my business and experiment with my creative ideas. After the initial interview, the offer turned into a full time opportunity AND I had to make up my mind within 48 hours. A mere 48 hours to completely change my life, basically abandon the growth of my business and totally switch gears. I was torn.

I asked everyone I knew for insight, but didn’t really listen to what my body was saying to me. I discounted it all together, as I knew this decision was a big one, and passed it off as nerves. In the end I did say yes, and I kid you not, I felt my soul leave my body when I did. It’s as if my body was saying, “Look! There is still time to change your mind!” But as “good girls” do, I stuck with my decision for safety and security reasons, and the fell victim to the shame associated with going back on my word.

The longer I continued fooling myself that financial security was enough, soon I had multiple health problems. My body started having a holy fit of fits, as I kept pushing through emotions, pain and ignoring the messages I was getting all day long.

At first it was just fatigue, then it was losing weight. Soon it was high blood pressure, and then I was on medication — just like old people. I forced my body to chug along, doing something that felt terrible without really seeing the truth behind my body’s messages. I felt ill most of the time for countless reasons, and doctors and alternative healers had no idea how to help.

I was just so cut off from relating my health issues to my emotions, I didn’t know until it was very painful and obvious that something was really, really out of sync. It took almost two years to figure out what was really going on after I left behind that writing gig for good. And yes, I started over from scratch. Yes, income was scarce at times, and yes, I was super stressed. But the stress relief I felt knowing I was finally free from doing something that turned my soul inside out was so much better. The writing job that was supposed to keep me safe and offer prestige and recognition just ended up making me ill, BECAUSE I did it for the wrong reasons. Fear.

The Next Few Years

The challenges that lay ahead in those first few years after I left were something I could contend with because I new in my heart I had made the right choice for my soul. Even though I was scared, I knew once I had time to get my mind and body more aligned and in sync, I would be making choices that resonated and made things simpler as I regrew my business.

Now, I’m not saying to eliminate the use of logic or reason in your decision making process. What I’m saying is use the instrument most readily at your disposal, your body. Get it tuned up, healthy and clear so are ARE able to tell what you’re really wanting in your soul, not a false idea of what you think that should be doing based on a collection of fears, societal pressures and family programming. Believe me, your body will let you know.

In many ways I thought my body had failed me. Now I know its just providing information and it’s up to me to decide if I’m going to listen.

Photo by teo_ladodicivideo

Healing is about the journey, like anything else in life. It takes more than vitamins, exercise and eight glasses of water a day to get you there.

If you take the drugs, therapies, doctors, alternative health practitioners, healthy eating habits and everything else in between out of the equation, you still have a vast majority of folks who are so out of touch with their own body, they have no idea what it’s trying to tell them. Ever.

Your body is the best instrument you have for relieving stress. I say that because when you’re mentally clear and your body is in tune, you’re automatically guided to make choices that feel right, do things that bring joy and you are able to be present in the moment. No stress. No decision making required by the mind. No brain frenzy — just clear, obvious intuitive thoughts that lead you to a natural decision making point and bring you to the next thing. On the other hand, when your body is doing its job and showing up to tell you something isn’t right, don’t ignore it. That is where the problems start.

How the “Must-Do’s” Do you In

As people grow up and into their “responsibilities,” they are so focused on the goal of accomplishment they forget why they are doing the work in the first place. Often they don’t even feel fulfilled in the long-term once the goal is “accomplished”. They trudge, push and angle, trying to move through the commitments they’ve created, when in reality, they can always choose differently. It’s just not always an easy, obvious choice, especially when you’ve been pushing through the fog without a beacon for so long.

The truth is, being blindly led by responsibilities can blot out the body’s ability to feel, so all the signs and signals the body is sharing are devoid of meaning. In this foggy state, people are just unsure of HOW to choose differently.

Making choices based on what feels natural isn’t always practical of course — we all have obligations that are less than exciting. Like paying taxes, changing diapers or paying for gas. However, if you are really in tune with what you want at a deep core level, you move through those less than exciting pieces in life with greater ease and they don’t seem nearly as arduous. You move through them with confidence, peace and clarity, knowing you are going through them for a reason, and your body will tell you what you really need to know better than anything else.

Pay Attention To Your Biggest Ally

The best thing you can do for yourself and your overall health is to pay attention. Put down the electronic device, stop making plans every five minutes and don’t take an aspirin every time you get a headache. Instead, stop and think about what happened in your day up until that point that might have led to how you are feeling. Or, retrace your patterns of thinking to see if you are stressing yourself out with your own thoughts. Find a way to feel grounded, to get out of your mind and tune into the pain or discomfort to see what it’s trying to tell you, gently leading you to a different choice.

Don’t believe it’s possible? Well, it is — because I’ve done it and continue to do it every day. Growing up in a family of worriers and being a natural, chronic over-thinker, I naturally followed the path of doing all of the things I mentioned. After years of this entrenched behavior, was it easy to change? In some ways yes, in others, no. Come back next week to read how my body finally told me, enough is enough — stop drowning your light and gifts in the guise of responsibility and get on the road to health.