A few weeks ago, I noticed I was feeling especially stressed.
Stress itself isn’t negative – it’s how the nervous system responds to new or unfamiliar situations and experiences, whether we perceive them as positive or negative. But, too much time spent in the “fight or flight” stress response has harmful effects on mental and physical health, so recognizing when it is dominant and learning how to shift to “rest & digest” is an important skill.
There are a couple of challenging things I’ve been dealing with over the past few months, some exciting changes and growing taking place, and an adjustment to the change in seasons – in short, life, as usual, offers no shortage of opportunities to experience stress.
When I experience stress, I often:
- grit my teeth
- clench my fists,
- tighten my butt and my gut
- hold my breath
- pull my shoulders up towards my ears
Phew. That’s a lot.
Games my mind often plays when I experience stress:
- wishing I had a time machine
- going into victim mode and seeing everything as negative
- pushing back, trying to fix everything and everyone
- going into hiding and hoping everything will magically resolve itself
- distracting myself from what needs my attention by making something else suddenly more important
Unsurprisingly, none of these reactions actually do anything to alleviate stress. If anything, they make things worse because they keep me in my head, spiraling through old stories and perpetuating the effects of stress on my nervous system. I also don’t really enjoy living with myself when I indulge in these behaviours. (Can you imagine how my poor husband feels?!?)
What I most need to do when I’m feeling stressed is get out of my head and get back into my body – yes, actually feel. I know that seems counterintuitive – why would you want to feel something potentially unpleasant or uncomfortable? Because when you make it safe and allow yourself to feel, you get reliable information from your body and empower yourself to respond appropriately to whatever is happening, instead of reacting blindly.
Some ways I come back to my body:
- go for a walk on one of my favourite trails
- dance in my living room
- laugh out loud with someone I love
- pause and connect with my breath and sensations in my body
- a movement practice in which I make feeling more important than doing something correctly
- find a time and a place where I am safe and won’t be disturbed, close my eyes and let myself feel whatever is asking to be felt – sadness, frustration, fear, anger, joy, confusion – and giving permission for that to come out however it needs to – with tears, movement, or … ? (As Shrek would say, ‘better out than in”)
Getting out of your head and into your body doesn’t magically fix the difficult things in life, but your best tools for working with your nervous system are in your body, not your mind, and the more time you spend in your body, the more comfortable and skilled you will become at using those tools to respond to whatever life is offering you.
When I’m embodied, I am capable of feeling free, untethered, energetic, excited – and most importantly I love myself more, and can bring that love, energy and enthusiasm to my relationships.
Who doesn’t want more of that?!?!
What do you notice happening in your body when you’re stressed?
How does your mind react to stress?
Was there a time in your life when you felt free, energetic and excited? What did that feel like in your body?
What is one thing you can do today to get out of your head and into your body?
If the idea of using movement to get out of your head and into your body appeals to you, please join me for online “Mindful Movement” classes or 1:1 Yoga Therapy Sessions.
For more ideas about how to get out of your head and have fun, check out this article on play!
The Fall Session of online classes continues until Friday, December 20.
All of the classes incorporate strength, stability, and mobility while nurturing the nervous system – perfect for those of us who want to feel better as we become more active and respect our ageing bodies while doing so!
For more information about classes: https://www.joannehudspith.com/class-schedule/
