Restoring my soul.

Full recovery doesn’t end with the physical, there is a need to retrain our thoughts and self talk. Calming our monkey brain is easier said than done and can take double the time to correct than it does to train our bodies.

Our brains are wired to always keep us safe, and in doing that they see the negative situation first. How do we hot wire the brain to quickly change pace from negative to positive responses? It does require us to be present in every moment, to take stock of where and what the situation is in the now. Reigning in our runaway catastrophic thoughts by immediately saying to ourselves “stop”, take a breath, taking stock of the moment. Anxiety comes from worrying about things that have not happened yet and may actually never happen.

It is important to practice strategies to help yourself be mindful and in the moment at all times. It requires self discipline and self care, putting the phone away or turning it off altogether. Opening our eyes to what is around us and feeling the air, hearing the noises and processing our emotions in the moment.

Practice is the key and it may take a while so be patient with yourself. Use yogic breathing techniques to help you take notice of your body and how it feels. By concentrating on the breath and feeling the air pass through your nostrils, taking note of the temperature of the air on the inhale vs the exhale. Feeling your stomach expand and deflate or your rib cage spread and the skin stretch. Challenge how long you can hold your breath on both the inhale and the exhale. How does your body feel after a round of long breath work? Take notes in your journal of your progress.

When we control our breath, we can control our emotions and reactions in situations of heightened negativity. Is there a positive outcome from the situation? If so focus on that, if the other party is escalating it is ok to walk away from the danger to your psyche and to your physical body.

Self talk can be damaging or it can be healing, talk to yourself as you would to a small child or a close friend. Be kind, be peaceful and be compassionate in all situations. Even when you feel like you have failed or have hurt someone’s feeling; forgive yourself and make amends as soon as possible. Admit the mistake without excuse or explanations, a simple “I’m sorry” is enough.

Everything in life is a practice, there is never perfection. Remember Practic = Progress.

You are loved, your are worthy and you are valued.