We must learn to tune in, and listen to our body to discern when we need to rest and replenish our weary body, mind and soul. Sometimes doing nothing is necessary to move us forward, and renew our motivation, inspiration, and shift us to the next level in our healing and growth.
While this can be helpful, at times, letting it drag on for days on end can lead to more difficulty in climbing back out of a deep hole of despair. People who are depressed feed the depression by staying in those low feeling energies, which only make things worse.
Sometimes, life can feel like a constant struggle. We work so hard, we try to do everything right, we fall down, get back up and keep trying. We fail, we fall, we lose, we get hurt, we are exhausted from the struggle, and feel like we want to give up. But something moves us forward, that quiet inner whisper says, "keep going"...
Sometimes these low energy moods come into our experience to prepare us for our next level of growth. I have seen this in people I have worked with, and have experienced this on my own personal journey.It is preparing you for a 'growth spurt' or a shift in consciousness.
I have learned to just accept and roll with those bad feeling days with self- kindness and self-love. In the past I would beat myself up for feeling badly- which seems crazy to me now. Those days I just want to pack it all in, say screw it, and just go back to being unconscious of everything around me. Including my own inner process. While I have had many of those days, and even weeks and months feeling like this, now it is only short periods of a passing funk. I have built the self - mastery around moving through these tough times, and have the awareness I didn't have before to connect with what I am feeling, and what I most need in the moment.
Being conscious, sensitive and aware of everything going on within us is the first step on the healing journey. It is gritty and raw and real, but what comes from the other side of going fully into those times of deep despair, is what makes this journey so worth it.
Life has deeper meaning, we see the beauty in it all, our heart bursts with Gratitude and appreciation. We love deeply, we make a difference in others lives because we embody this real truth. We appreciate the light because we have known the darkness. The truth that we are human, and with that comes the ups and downs, the sorrows, depression, anxiety, fear, sadness, loss, hardship, bankruptcy, health issues, illness, conflicts and things that are beyond our control.
When in times of darkness,
it is time for some extreme Self-Care.
When you feel yourself sinking into the 'black hole', or going down that downward spiral-- assuming you are self-aware enough to know when this is happening-- there are steps you can take to shift out of this place. If you want to stay in it for awhile, and that feels like what you need to do, please go right ahead and marinade in it. Cry, punch a pillow, write all of the ugliness that is inside of you on paper and burn or tear up the pages. Feel it, honor it, accept it, love it, and transmute it through to completion. Once you are done with that, here are some tips to get you unstuck from the muck.
1) Move. Just get up and move your body. Crank the tunes, go for a walk or run. Life weights. Do some yoga. Get out into nature. Vacuum the house, scrub the floors, whatever it is..just...move. Once we start to move our body, we also move the stagnant energy and emotions within, and things start to shift. It can be common to have an emotional release after this step. When I was deep into my emotional healing journey, I would often have an emotional release during my run or walk. It is healthy to feel and allow your emotions to move through - you are doing something wonderful for your mind,body, heart and soul when you allow emotions to flow through.
2) Reach out. Connect with a supportive friend, talk to your partner, hug your kids (or anyone who is near by) it is OK to ask for support! Find a counsellor, coach or healing practitioner you resonate with, and do some inner work. When we ask for support, things shift and move faster than you can imagine.
3) Meditate. Just sit, in silence with eyes closed. If you have some healing music that relaxes you, go ahead and have that playing in the background. Listen to what messages or emotions surface. It doesn't have to be complicated. Just be still, breathe, and be with yourself and whatever is present.
4) Write. Repeating the above (sorry) . Write in a journal., write a blog, write a book, whatever- just get whatever is inside of you out onto the page. If you are worried that someone will find your writing, burn the pages right afterwards (this is my #1 favorite way to release negative emotion) and is highly therapeutic. I assign this to every single client I work with, and they always report amazing results!
5) Make a smoothie. Yes, really. Put something nourishing into your body, because live food is healing down to our cells. Make some tea afterwards, read something inspiring, rest. Nurture yourself as you would a child or friend that is not feeling well.
6) Use essential oils. I am so grateful for doTERRA essential oils. They have shifted my energy and mood on so many occasions. Serenity, Balance Grounding blend, Elevation, Clary Calm, and In Tune are all highly healing, 100% pure therapeutic grade blends that work at the cellular level, and are effective for mental and emotional healing.
Healing can be uncomfortable at times to be sure, but avoiding and denying our feelings and emotions over a long period of time, will eventually begin to create illness and disease within the body. We need a healthy outlet and a few tools under our belts to move the emotion through so it does not become 'stuck' somewhere else in the body to create disease.
If you would like to learn more about shifting to a better feeling place, managing your stress, and getting healthy from within, join me for my next Whole Health talk. Next session is:
November 30th 7-8 pm. Please follow this link for your FREE Tickets.
I hope to see you there!
In health,
Leanne Oaten Registered Professional Counsellor, R.P.C
Visit: leanneoaten.com for upcoming events and download my free stress guide while you're there.
E: info@leanneoaten.com
