Being Balanced

Matilda and I are out for a walk when suddenly she stops. Her ears perk up, her body becomes alert, and something has clearly caught her attention.

I may not know what she's noticed, but I can see that something has changed.

Our nervous system does this, too.
Maybe your shoulders suddenly tighten. Your breathing changes. You feel irritated, anxious, or have the urge to walk away.

Often, we're so quick to push through, explain away, or try to change what we're feeling that we miss an opportunity to get curious.

What if, instead, we paid attention?
“Hey, nervous system. Something has your attention. What's going on?”

Notice what you're experiencing in your body, your emotions, and your thoughts. Then take a look at what's happening around you.

Is there something that needs your attention? Something you need to respond to? Or is your nervous system sounding the alarm over another squirrel?

Our nervous system is constantly gathering information to help protect us. When we ignore those signals, we miss an opportunity to understand what it's responding to.

Curiosity helps us bring together what we're feeling with what we're actually experiencing.

And that gives us more information about what to do next.

Slow Your Pace with Matilda Grace 🐾

Matilda would like everyone to know that she did NOT volunteer to be an avocado. 🥑

But she's willing to wish you a Happy Halloween anyway! 🎃

Ever get so focused on what you're doing that you suddenly realize...

I don't think I've been breathing.

Okay, obviously you have. But maybe you've been holding your breath without realizing it. Or your breathing has gotten short and shallow while you've been concentrating, rushing, or dealing with something stressful.

Take a moment.
Notice your breath before you try to change it.

Then let yourself take an easy breath in through your nose and allow the exhale to fall out. Nothing forced. Nothing you have to do perfectly.

Just a moment to breathe, notice where you are, and slow your pace before you keep going.

Sometimes the pause really is that simple.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲… 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿

Anger. It's one of those emotions many of us have a hard time with.

Sometimes we push it down, tell ourselves we shouldn't feel that way, or try to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Other times, we let it take over and react in ways we later regret.

I've caught myself doing both.

But what if, instead of fighting the anger or acting on it, I simply acknowledged it?

*Okay, I'm angry. And that's okay.*

Then I can ask myself something I often encourage my clients to explore:

What does my anger need right now to feel safe and accepted?
Maybe it's some time alone. Maybe I need to move, take a walk, intentionally shake my body, or even find something to laugh about.

The answer isn't always the same.
And once I've given myself some space, I can get curious.

What brought that anger up? Was a boundary crossed? Did something feel unfair? Was I already overwhelmed? Or did something remind me of an earlier experience?

I may not have the answers right away. And I may not be able to change what happened.

But I can learn something about myself by listening.

𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣.

I don't have to push it away, and I don't have to let it run the show.
Sometimes I just need to give it room before deciding what to do next.

Sometimes we get so involved in what we're doing that we forget to move.

And it's not just an office problem.
Maybe you're curled up watching TV.
Working on a craft or project.
Reading.
Doing something on your computer.

Before you know it, you've been in basically the same position for a long time—and your body can start to feel a little locked into that pose.

Stretch it out.
You don't need a stretching routine. Just take a moment for one or two simple stretches.

Reach your arms overhead.
Stretch your legs out.
Open through your chest.
Move your body in whatever direction feels good.

You're simply giving your body a chance to open, move and relax after being in one position for too long.

Use a commercial break. Or if you tend to lose track of time when you're working on something, set a timer for 30 minutes as a reminder to move.

A minute or two is enough. Then go right back to what you were enjoying. 🐾