There is an elephant in the room. He’s HUGE, yet we somehow seem to overlook him. No doubt we can feel him as his heavy stomps abound, yet somehow we don’t turn to acknowledge his existence.
The elephant is our stress. Something so monumental that it’s undeniable, yet somehow we don’t honor that it’s there.
Stressful moments and situations happen. We’ve been living in a world where it feels like it is at every turn we make. Add caregiving on top of that? Or perhaps the recent loss of a loved one? Understandable if it feels monumental.
The first step in resolving is acknowledging. Stress is real, and one of the many complications of that is saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. We’ve all done it, responded so quickly that you gasped hearing the words come out of your mouth.
Left unaddressed stress will spin itself into a snowball headed straight downhill. Your health, relationships, work all take an edge where balance is challenging to achieve. You can stay in the muck of it and get even more stirred up, or you can find a way to release the energy so that you can refocus.
A straightforward solution that doesn’t take a lot of time nor cost money; B-R-E-A-T-H-E! Whether you take yourself out for a walk or do this right where you are, this simple technique can take the negative energy out of an agitated or anxious situation:
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Inhale slowly through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand and your chest to rise slightly
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Hold the breath for a few moments
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Exhale slowly through your mouth (you may hear a whoosh) until all of the air is released
Repeat at least three times or several minutes if you feel the need. I often find that three of these breaths will recenter me and take the negative energy away.
Will it ‘fix’ everything? No. But your perspective will be a bit clearer, and your body will thank you. Perhaps you’ll even see the elephant walk out of the room.
Hugs,
Cyndi