When life gets too much.. the busyness, the overwhelm, the self-doubts, Procrastination, overthinking, constantly second guessing, the uncertainty, confusion, stuckness..
All of this is happening because you are not giving yourself a moment to PAUSE..
The mind is constantly seeking for things to do or latch onto.. because that’s what society has taught us – Always strive towards the next thing.. be someone.. keep moving.. never stay still..
And we are flooded with all sorts of things to DO, to keep ourselves occupied. Social media, TV, overworking, etc.
So the thought of being still becomes a very alien thing.. and it can be very uncomfortable for people to sit down with themselves in stillness – when stillness is the very thing that we need in these moments of turmoil.
Here are 5 tips on what you can do in moments of overwhelm, or any other negative feelings for that matter:
1 – Sit. Turn off all distractions. Turn off the TV, put your phone on flight mode. Rather than zoning out, tune into yourself. What are you feeling? Let yourself feel, without judgement. If you need to cry, shout or scream, do it. Sometimes all we need is a moment of release.
2 – Write it down. Even for just 5 minutes, writing down what’s on your mind can be powerful. Rather than having all sorts of thoughts running riot it the mind, get them out on paper.
3 – Move your body in a new way. Trick your body through a movement that it wouldn’t expect – shaking, dancing, stretching. It’s all a way of releasing stored or pent up energy, thereby quieting down the mind.
4 – Try a breathing practise. There are so many out there – thousands for free online. Breathwork allows you to disengage from the constant thoughts, and also calms thr nervous system, allowing for energy to be released from your system.
5 – Be vulnerable. Tell someone you feel comfortable with how you truly feel. A lot of the time we hold our true feelings inside, not wanting to feel a burden, or not knowing what to say.. but this only causes further turmoil. When we speak out our feelings, we are being seen, held, and this nurture can be all we need to feel at peace.
So remember, when life is starting to feel heavy, it means you need to PAUSE – come back to yourself, and maybe try out some of the exercises above.
Make sure to honour yourself FIRST – always.