Permission to Slow Down in a Busy Season

We’re moving rapidly toward Thanksgiving and the busyness that comes with this time of year. The holiday season pulls us to do more — to be more social, spend more time out of our homes, do more things and potentially be stretched thin. While this time is praised as being a joyful time of year, I’m find it helpful to notice what you enjoy about the holidays. And also to notice what you don’t enjoy. Is there ways that you can support and care for yourself to make this time of year feel good in your body?

It always seems notable to me that the outward pull of energy the world encourages this time of year is directly opposite to what the natural world is doing — shorter days, more darkness, cold weather, hibernation and going inward. I’m always interested in finding balance between enjoying the festivities of this time of year while finding space for quiet and stillness.

If you find this time of year challenging, I encourage you to carve out time to care for and nurture your body in ways that feel supportive and good for you. Do the holiday things you truly want to do and skip the ones that you don’t want to do. Take time to move your body. Sleep enough. Drink enough water. You have permission to care for yourself the way that you need.

Tips to Support Yourself When Life Throws a Stressful Situation at You

Life throws all kinds of stressful situations at us. Here are some simple tips for when you’re dealing with a particularly stressful time. These tips are also super helpful for times when things aren’t feeling stressful, and they can be easier to implement when stress is lower.

1. Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing your best. You really are. When things feel especially hard, some of us can be hard on ourselves when being gentle is the most caring and loving approach.

2. Reach out to trusted support. A therapist, coach, trusted friend who can hold the space for what you need can be so helpful.

3. Sleep. Sleep helps everything all the time. But when you are stressed, it can be harder to sleep so anything you can do to support this is helpful! Taking melatonin and epsom salt baths are both tools I’ve used and enjoyed.

4. Eat. Small meals with protein, healthy fat and carbs. Stress can make us not feel hungry but keeping blood sugar balanced and energy levels up will only help you be more resilient.

5. Hydrate! Hydration is so important for many aspects of our body and health and is a simple way you can make sure you are taking the best care of yourself that you can.

6. Track your nervous system and support what it needs to down regulate (grounding, orienting, singing, walking, dancing). When you are stressed, the nervous system goes into fight or flight. Some of the effects of that can be to feel wired, anxious and increased heart rate. Moving that energy out of your body can help you feel more like yourself. While you might not feel completely regulated, try to notice the small subtle shifts.

Remember that everything shifts and changes and so will this experience that you’re in! If you are navigating longer periods of stress and would like support, please reach out if you’re interested in how nervous system work can support you.

We Are Not Defined by Our Histories and Stories

We all have histories and stories. They can feel like they define us, but these stories aren’t who we are. In fact, it can be harmful if we think these stories that we (and others) may believe about ourselves are actually who we are. The experiences we’ve had through our lives make an impact and sometimes leave a wound, but they don’t need to define us.

It’s really normal to feel like we ARE our pain. Our experiences of trauma, our challenges and our hardships can start to feel like they are the most important part of us and take center stage.

But what is your experience like if you separate who you are from what you’re experiencing?

For example, if you have back pain, it is different to say “I’m experiencing back pain right now,” rather than “I have back pain.” When we say “I have back pain,” it feels like we are identifying with this pain, like it is us. What is it like to have a little bit of space between what you are experiencing? How does the experience feel different?

How we might identify with back pain is just one example. You might find you notice this pattern in other areas of your life.

If you’d like support around unwinding you from the stories about yourself or who you have been, or you’d like to explore how to find more space between you and a symptom you’re experiencing, please reach out, I would love to support you.

Mint-Watermelon-Feta Salad: The Sweet, Tangy, Easy Super Salad of Summer

This salad is so easy and doesn’t really even need a recipe! The tangy feta balances the sweetness of the watermelon, and mint adds a bit of complexity to the flavor that makes it all come together so nice.

Ingredients:

watermelon

feta cheese

chopped mint

I don’t measure the quantities but add feta and mint until it looks good! You can start with a smaller amount and add to taste, but keep in mind the flavors of the feta and mint will get more intense the longer the salad sits in your fridge. If you don’t love mint, you can try basil or pretty much any summer herb you love. Many people will also add thinly sliced red onion to this salad, which is great if you want a flavor with more kick and less sweetness.

Directions:

Combine cubed watermelon (roughly 1/2 inch cubes), chopped mint and crumbled feta into a bowl. Mix lightly and enjoy! This salad is best chilled and tastes great the next day, too!

A Little More Nervous System Regulation Is What We Need

Life (and stress) happens. Daily, we are exposed to situations and experiences that elicit a stress response. Our nervous systems and bodies are designed for those responses; we are supposed to be alert to danger and to fight or flee to keep ourselves safe. There are many ways our modern lifestyle is stressful and continually activates this stress response. Over time, these continuous responses can become unhealthy for us.

Our response to stress (which can include increased heart rate, anxiety, trouble sleeping, compulsion to ‘fix’ the problem, etc.) is going to happen regardless, but we can facilitate more regulation to help our systems come back down to the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system state. Why is this important? We aren’t meant to be in that heightened stress response state all the time. Being able to go up and then drop back down is really healthy. We want our nervous systems to be responsive and move into and out of stress states with ease.

There are different ways to support this process of more regulation, but a great way to start is by noticing:

• Can you notice when you are stressed?

• What does it feel like in your body?

• Can you notice when you’re less stressed?

• What happens when you take a few deep deeper and slower breaths? Does that change anything?

• Is there someone or something that feels supportive or calming? What happens in your body when you think about that person, thing or experience?

• Can you notice the difference between an easier, calmer and more relaxed nervous system state and a state that feels more triggered and stressed?

One of the most annoying things (to me) is when you are super stressed and someone tells you “just relax”. If you could, you would, but it isn’t as easy as just telling yourself to do it. Even though being able to relax may be the end goal, I like to think about what you can do to take one step down toward being relaxed, and then see and notice how you feel.

So much of learning about your unique nervous system is about slowing down and observing yourself and what changes moment to moment. If you’re curious to learn more, I’d love to have you come in for a Somatic Experiencing session!