Peace of MIND, Tips to Quiet the Mind and Relieve Stress
Have you ever felt like your brain will not be quiet? I’ve had a real struggle with this for a lot of my life. Whether my mind is obsessed with worries or involved in creative brainstorming, sometimes it will not leave me alone! While I get a real high when my brain starts off on a creative spiral, I’m not so crazy about the nervous system overload that comes with it. Anxiety and sleeplessness get old very fast. Over the last few years, I’ve done a much better job of stopping myself before I get caught in a mental frenzy of activity. Today, I have a confession to make…I fell off the wagon.
Thankfully, Spirit intervened, bringing me a vision to get me back on track. As I’ve talked to many others who have been suffering with the same problem, I thought I should share what I learned.
So here’s my vision…The first thing I saw was a nest of sea turtle eggs. I watched as they all hatched and these adorable, tiny turtles started making their way to the ocean. I felt this wonderful elation followed by panic. How could I possibly get all these wonderful creatures to the ocean safely?
The message was that I couldn’t. The reality is that only a few sea turtle hatchlings actually live to become full grown sea turtles. The same is true for my ”brilliant” ideas. Only a few of those ideas are meant to manifest right now and I’ll have plenty of time to nurture them to fruition (at least I will if I stop running frantically around the beach trying to scoop up baby turtles!).
In case you’ve found yourself with an unending to do list and a brain that won’t turn off, I thought I’d post a few tips to bring back your peace of mind. Give them a try!
TIPS TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE WITHOUT ANXIETY AND STRESS
Pay attention to your body. The best defense to help yourself avoid moving into a stressed out, anxious state of being, is to notice how your body feels. Get in the habit of regular check ins. Ask yourself: How does my stomach feel? How about my muscles? Is my jaw tense? If you are feeling any discomfort, then take a deep breath and work on relaxing your muscles. Make yourself set aside what you are working on until your body returns to a more relaxed state. Believe me, it is worth the time.
Turn off your work mind by 7PM. It is really important to get a good night sleep. One of the keys to sleeping well is to avoid giving your mind lots of juicy things to think about right before you are telling it to shut down for the night. Make a firm cut off time (at least a couple hours before you go to sleep) to drop any serious topics or work items and stick to it. Do something relaxing before you fall asleep. I find it helpful to visualize all the stresses of the day washing off me in a gentle lake or at the beach. Pick something that is soothing to you and make it part of your nighttime ritual.
Exercise. I’ve never been a very gung ho exerciser, but a couple of years of living with anxiety completely changed my opinion about its importance. The bottom line is that exercising reduces stress hormones. A walk outside. Time on an exercise machine. Yoga. Playing a sport. All of these things help to get you out of your head and into a more relaxed and comfortable body.
Yoga Mudras. I think Sabrina Mesko should hire me to handle her publicity. Honestly, I am a HUGE fan of yoga mudras and I own all of Sabrina’s products (check out my Amazon store in the blogroll if you’d like to get your own copies). Her three minute hand postures are amazingly powerful. They really do help to shift the energy, calm the body and the mind, and bring you to a peaceful state of being. I can’t recommend them highly enough.
Listen to Relaxation CD’s and/or peaceful music. I escaped my two years of anxiety Hell through the wonders of a technique called nervous system settling. When I finally understood that what was happening was simply nervous system overload and my constant mental gymnastics to bring it under control were actually increasing my anxiety, I had what I needed to end the cycle. I learned about this technique from Gary Peterson, an author and nervous system expert. He has a great CD to help you settle your nervous system. You can purchase it at http://www.Energiabooks.com or learn more about it on his website: http://www.StarInstitute.us. Besides his CD, I find relaxing music to be very helpful to soothe my overactive mind. Enya is a favorite artist of mine. Find something you enjoy and put it on the next time you find yourself overthinking.
Get some help. Sometimes it helps to talk with someone objective to get things back in perspective. Talk with a good friend, a counselor, or make an appointment with me! As I’ve explained, I’ve had lots of practice with this, not only with myself but with many clients. To purchase a life coaching reading, visit my website: http://www.EmpoweringLightworkers.com.
Here’s to peace of mind for us all!
Nancy
Nancy Nicholas is an Intuitive Life Coach who empowers her clients to overcome feelings of powerlessness and to make changes to create a life they love. To learn more about her services and products, visit her website: http://www.EmpoweringLightworkers. Nancy is also the owner Sanctuary at the Crossroads and Crossroads Coaching.
Just for Today…Loving the Day You Are In
Jones Gap State Park, SC
My husband and I just took a short trip South this past weekend. Usually, I spend a lot of time anticipating a vacation which makes it especially hard when the trip is over and it is time to come back home. I didn’t have as much time to anticipate this time around (we weren’t 100% sure we were going until the last minute), but I still found myself reluctant when it came time to head back to responsibilities and snowy weather!
This got me to thinking. What is the spiritual lesson to be learned here? What occurred to me is the importance of living in each day, instead of living in tomorrow or yesterday. Below are a few simple ideas to help you make the most of each moment. I hope you find them helpful!
1. Just for today… This statement came from my Reiki training. It asks that you do a series of things “Just for Today.” I find that this serves me well in moments when I feel sad or unsettled. I ask myself, can I get through this moment I’m in? Can I get through just this day? I may not relish the moment, but usually I find that it isn’t the moment or even the day that is causing my sadness. It’s tomorrow or yesterday. So step one is to ask yourself to do just the moment you are in…just this particular day…and let the future days be dealt with when they arrive.
2. Daydream: When one thing ends and I can’t see what is coming next, it often helps to let myself dream. Try asking yourself, What would I like to have as my reality today? Even if you can’t bring it into being in this moment, you can feel the joy of it through your imagination. Have you ever felt like you can’t dream? When that happens to me, I know that I’m not letting myself admit what I truly want. Ask yourself if you lived in a world without limitation, what would your world look like? Where would you live? Who would you be with? What would you be doing? Then let yourself daydream. Feel the joy of it and trust that even if you have no idea how that could ever exist, that somewhere out there, the Angels are working to bring you the feeling you just experienced. They are guiding you gently towards exactly that which you seek…even if it is something you haven’t thought to seek. It’s the feeling that matters….the joy…let yourself rest in that in whatever form it comes. And more will come to you.
3. Do the Day: My dear and wise friend Lori Byrnes (http://www.thehealerstouch.com) often says this very thing to me. When you don’t feel that things are the way you want them to be and you find yourself frustrated or sad, one thing you can do is just “do the day.” What needs to be done right now? What is before you to do? Do that. After all, we each get only the moment we are in and it is up to us what type of moment that is. We can sit and feel miserable, or we can get up and do what is before us to do and look for the joy to be found in that. The choice of how we respond to our day is always ours, no matter what our outer circumstances.
4. Find Simple Pleasures: Did you notice the bird sitting outside your window? How about the tender new wildflower growing up out of the ground? What about the silly show on tv or the warm cup of tea you are holding? There is always something to love. Sometimes we just have to look at the small things to find it. Love the people around you. Love the Earth. Love God. Love yourself. Loving is the path to peace and to joy…and it isn’t as hard as it sometimes seems.
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC
So here is to a beautiful day…TODAY!
Blessings to you and yours!
Nancy
Nancy Nicholas is an Intuitive Life Coach. She offers Life Coaching Readings, Divinely Guided Messages by email, Divinely You Readings, coaching clubs, and other products to inspire and empower. For a free Divine Purpose Survey and to learn more about her services, visit her website: http://www.EmpoweringLightworkers.com.
Body Wisdom
Body Wisdom
Have you ever had one of those times when you are considering a course of action and find yourself experiencing a lot of physical distress? For years, I simply saw this as nervousness on my part and proceeded to override my fears and forge ahead anyway. Usually, I’d end up sick or in a situation that was not good for me.
Finally, after a couple years of polarity therapy, I learned a very vital lesson. My body is wise. In fact, it is the wisest part of me. What I’d taken for weakness was actually a sophisticated warning system trying to let me know that the course of action I was about to pursue was not highest and best for me.
This month, I encourage you to try listening to your body. When you notice that it is under stress (heart flutters, tension, stomach ache, tense), instead of pushing forward, stop instead.
Here is a simple procedure to help you start listening and understanding your body’s messages:
1. Return your body to a place of peace. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds. Continue this patterned breathing for three rounds while repeating, “I am safe and all is well.”
2. Imagine the action you are considering. See yourself doing it. How does your body feel? If it is tense or you feel a sudden pain, this is not the highest and best course for you to follow.
3. Continue to imagine different options until you body reacts with peace. Try to think creatively and come up with gentler ways to go forward with your plans. Can you do it on a smaller scale? Is there a way to get the help of others first?
4. Follow through and thank your body for helping you pick the best choice for you. Now that you have gotten the message about what you need, follow through! Don’t be tempted to override this knowledge. You’ll find that the more you do this, the easier it will be for you to select only that which is in your best interest.
Nancy Nicholas
Holistic Life Coach/Intuitive Healer/Medium
(330) 416-6184
http://www.empoweringlightworkers.com
http://www.crossroadscoachingonline.com
http://www.sanctuaryatcrossroads.com
