It’s a new year and many people are talking about doing a cleanse or a detox. Many of these programs entail fasting, juice cleanses, enema cleanses or perhaps Beyonce’s Lemonade Diet that became a popular rapid weight loss and detox remedy. I am not a fan of any of these to say the least as some can do more harm than good. I’ve seen people lose muscle mass, get really hangry, bloated or constipated. Who needs that?!
I’m writing this on January 1, the time to make all those resolutions for the new year that honestly, are destined to fail.
Literally everyone I know is tired – physically, mentally, and emotionally. I am so very, very tired of the pandemic and all that goes with it – I’m sure you are too! Nothing is simple right now and so much is unknown, and that is draining. So “ are we tired are burnt out? Read on to explore the nuances.
We have all been on an emotional roller coaster ride the last few years. Rates of anxiety and depression are higher as stressors pile up. As the pandemic continues, it’s been hard to let our guard down and relax. However, for the sake of our physical and mental health we must find a way to regulate our nervous system. It sounds simplistic, but a powerful way to do that is through savoring moments of joy and peace that can be found during our everyday lives.
Healing from the Center begins with identifying who is behind the steering wheel of your life. It begins with you at Your Center “ not your diagnosis or your problems. How are you relating to yourself and your life? Let’s begin there as this post explores what is meant by the Center and how it feels to operate from it.
Sure, life can knock us off-center. But what if we operated in our lives from our Center? From the Center, we can reframe our illness and challenges as opportunities for learning and growth. These challenges present us a reflection of where we are coming from (choices, perception and beliefs) and are guides to getting us back on track.
Are you feeling brain fog, fatigue or lack of motivation? Or maybe you feel energy again, giddiness after walking with a friend without a mask or adrenaline after eating at a restaurant after you’ve been fully vaccinated. Many have anxiety about re-emerging and being around other people.
We become out of balance when we don’t honor the natural flow of these energies throughout the year and in ourselves. We can get stuck in dominant or destructive patterns of both of those energies and can experience the following imbalances:
Anxiety, Burnout or Adrenal Fatigue = too much Yang or masculine doing/pushing energy.
Sloth or inability to motivate and take action, depression, fatigue, confusion = destructive Yin energy.
Both of these are stress responses to fear.
The extreme times we are living in are accelerating personal and spiritual growth for many. In 2020, I had the honor and pleasure of reaching thousands of people with the message of relaxing the nervous system, turning within for peace and meeting yourself and experiences with acceptance and compassion, with a process I’m calling Relax Into Presence. I saw how powerful and nurturing it was to come together online in a group format to learn, relax and rise above.
I have been reading a lot about resiliency and why some thrive in a crisis and others don’t. I came across a theory by psychologist Dr. Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg that describes 3 stages of responding to a crisis that I found rang true and hope you will find it helpful as well.
After working with a client recently on his emotional stress reactions, he had an image of being at peace in the eye of a storm with a growing white protective bubble around him and the dark clouds receding farther and farther out.
Everyone I talk to these days is tired, distracted, and anxious. There is much uncertainty in our lives and much continued disruption. The definition of stress is: A response to any pressure or demand, requiring change or adaptation. Sound familiar?
Schedule a free 20 minute consult to make sure working together is a good fit. I look forward to connecting with you.
