For the last two weeks, I have spent a lot of energy on worry and doubt.
The things I worried and doubted about felt completely necessary to worry and doubt about and I think my brain was sure that the worry and doubt was helpful.
But after two weeks of this, I felt miserable, defeated and quite hopeless. I simply noticed what I hadn't been noticing for two weeks:
My focus on worry and doubt was creating more worry and doubt. This focus held me from the minute I woke up in the morning and caused me to set aside the daily practices that build my mental stamina. Everything on my to-do list felt bigger, heavier and overwhelming.
I've been here before and so I recognized the pattern. A tip for you: That simple recognition is the beginning of a beautiful turn around.
That's all it was: a pattern, not a problem. Not a character flaw. Not a sign that I'm a failure.
I immediately prioritized returning to those practices that I find so beneficial, and I want to share them with you today.
Feed Your Spirit
Move Your Body
Stimulate and Educate
Double Detox
Get Good Sleep
FEED YOUR SPIRIT
Figure out what this means for you. Meditation, Being in Nature, or Gardening are a few things that come to mind. But for me, it is reading Scripture. I find little nuggets that leave me feeling lifted. Most recently I read these verses in The Book of Mormon, Helaman 14:30-31 and it changed my attitude and outlook immediately:
To me, this was a reminder that I am free to create the life that I want and that if I don't have the life that I want, I can create something different by changing what I'm focused on (goodby worry and doubt!) . "God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free". Amen!
MOVE YOUR BODY
I went on two walks today, it just felt right. On my walk this morning I happened to see a friend out for a walk. I had been thinking of calling this friend. She shared some information with me that was so helpful and gave me some direction to answers I've been looking for.
Moving your body releasing feel good hormones. When I lift weights I repeat to myself, "I am strong getting stronger" and it makes the hard parts feel empowering! At my age, building muscle is also beneficial for the years ahead. Women who lose muscle also lose speed, balance, insulin resistance, bone density and increase chances of diabetes and heart disease. I move my body to feel good now AND in the future.
STIMULATE AND EDUCATE
Prioritize activities that challenge your mind, promote creativity and teach you something. I love to garden and right now my okra is ready to harvest. Tonight while listening to a new podcast (that I LOVED) I made refrigerator pickled okra. You guys, this stuff is DELICIOUS!
And here's one of the podcast episodes I listened to while bottling these beauties.
DOUBLE DETOX
I created this practice that I call the Double Detox. It is simple yet so powerful for checking in with yourself and cleaning the junk out of your body and mind.
Step One: Grab a journal and some markers.
Step Two: Fill your bathtub with warm water and a cup of epsom salts to just above your ankles.
Step Three: Soak your feet while you draw, color, doodle and journal on what's mentally weighing you down. It doesn't have to be beautiful and Pinterest worthy. Just get it out of your head and into the journal. Write a phrase that inspires you. Make it colorful and fun. As you clean out your brain, your feet are soaking up the benefits of magnesium, which reduces stress and inflammation and flushes toxins.
GET GOOD SLEEP
This is no doubt the hardest one for me to be consistent at. I write it here because I know it makes a difference and because I'm still working on it. I do set guidelines like turning off electronics around 9pm and storing them outside of my bedroom. Sometimes I'll have a cup of herbal tea before bed to help me relax.
If I'm in bed but can't sleep, EFT (Tapping) helps me quiet the chatter my brain sometimes struggles to turn off at night.
These practices wire my brain in ways that build my mental stamina. It doesn't take long to notice a difference when I stop, and improvement when I start back up again. Try some of these activities, or identify the ways that help you stay in good mental-health condition.
And let me know if you love pickled okra too!
Xo,
Meredith
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