Let’s see if you can relate to either of these scenarios.
You walk in the front door after a long day, and after a sigh of relief, you change your clothes, get ready to find something in the refrigerator for dinner, and realize the only vegetable in there is a jar of olives. You snap! After a day managing mind-fields, it’s the one thing that sends you right over the edge.
Or perhaps after your get home, you jump in for a long hot shower before switching gears into home life. The warm water covers you like a warm blanket, and before you blink, your mind starts racing about things you need to do, the patient or your loved one that got so frustrated with you earlier – it’s like a podcast of “This is your life!” but it’s not a soothing one.
Chances are, both of these are the last straw. Somehow you are sure you’ve taken those deep breaths, taken walks, and indeed have things in manageable control. Yet the vegetable reaction is a clear sign you’ve been sweeping emotions under the rug, and likely for more than just the day.
Your mind is a powerful tool, and the more you ‘feed’ it with racing or negative thoughts, the more you fuel it to race even more. Energy creates energy, good or bad. So, by reacting to your inner voice by yelling at it to STOP! only ramps it up—Tempting reaction perhaps, but never a great solution.
You are someone who steps into the thick of situations with the ones you are giving care to, often giving when you don’t have an ounce left of internal fuel. Not problems you can avoid, you continue to give to because you have to. We can’t always change our reality, but we can change how we view our life, our reactions, and ways to simplify to ease stress.
Peeling back the layers to reveal what’s hiding in your emotional or mental closet that keeps you up at night is vital in creating balance. What to do – what to do? Here are a few simple ideas for you:
Plan your meals for the week:
I know, another thing for the to-do list, but I can guarantee planning reduces the chance of just seeing that olive jar. Turn on music that lifts your spirit and make it part of your mindfulness routine.
Shower or bath ideas:
- Interrupt that crazy brain of yours by turning on soothing music when you get into the shower, or simply PAUSE.
- Close your eyes, take a few long deep breaths.
- Pause again.
- If your mind races, close your eyes again and breathe.
Uncomplicate your life in small places to help create building blocks of calm. It’s practice, this life of ours; give it love. You deserve that.
Hugs,
Cyndi