This word has been surfacing in my mind recently as I have been experiencing more calm and ease in my day-to-day life. Calm and ease has been difficult for me to experience in general since my most serious health “crisis” I had at age 26. Even when I have actively incorporated rest, a slower paced life, and other healing modalities and therapies, my system has easily slipped back into fight or flight. There are many reasons for this but I am interested in sharing more about why I think my experience has shifted recently.
- I’m not trying to do anything that makes me feel bad. It sounds simple and obvious, but self-sabotage is a real issue for many people. Years ago, this showed up as me exercising even when I was tired, relying on that adrenaline push to wake me up which just further depleted me. More recently, it looked like forcing myself to do things just because I should—like maintaining an active social media presence for my business. Now, I’m focusing on actions that give me energy instead of draining it. Getting back into writing and journaling—including these newsletters—has been very energizing and feels aligned with my inner self.
- Improved nervous system regulation allows me to fully get back in touch with what I call true self activities. True self activities might be activities you enjoyed doing as a child such as painting or getting out on your bike. For me this has looked like writing for fun, journaling thoughts, and getting silly with my kids more often. If we’ve worked together, you know I’m a big fan of incorporating more pleasure and joy into your life however that might look for you. Experiencing more joy, quiet contemplation, or laughter, can bring us back into a “rest and digest” state. An added bonus of spending most of your time in the ‘rest and digest’ state is that the mundane parts of your day no longer drain you—leaving you with more energy to engage in what brings you joy.
- Letting go of what doesn’t serve me frees up my body and brain for clarity and connection. A lighter mind means I can get even clearer with my intentions/boundaries and connect more with my intuition to help guide me. It also means I am inviting more of what does serve me into my life – beautiful friendships, easy, healthy habits, and meaningful, empowering work.
I believe that everyone is capable of coming into alignment through physical and emotional wellness. For a long time I felt it would be impossible for me to get out of chronic fight or flight mode or even have just consistent energy again. If that’s been you, know that it IS possible and that I am cheering for you. If you’re interested in learning more about what you could be doing for an improved nervous system or what it means to be in alignment, don’t hesitate to reach out for a discovery call.