4 ways to feel better right away!
My husband was struggling on Sunday. He felt anxious, jumpy and overwhelmed. His brain was so flooded with stress hormones he was useless and he didn’t know what to do. Ever been there?
Stress can interfere with cognition, focus, problem-solving, memory and mood. When we reach the point of complete overwhelm we need to stop everything and re-set.
The fastest way to do this is through somatic practices (somatic = engaging the wisdom of the body).
Here are the things I do (and advise my clients, family and friends to do) when we need to feel good FAST:
- Try earthing. Reconnecting with the earth’s electrons can have enormous physiological and psychological benefits. I recommend lying on your belly on a blanket in the backyard for at least 15 minutes, ideally longer.
- Lower anxiety and promote good sleep with legs up the wall. Usually 10-15 minutes is all you need. Many report feeling like a new person after this yoga posture. An awesome re-set!
- Walk around the block. I’m a huge fan of incremental self-care. You don’t need to power walk or run a marathon to feel the benefits of moving. Pick a new route, unplug and take a 15-20 jaunt. Breathe in the fresh air and imagine your worries releasing through the soles of your feet as you hit the pavement (or trail!).
- Shake it off. Trauma specialist Dr. James Gordon has found 5 minutes of vigorous body shaking (and dancing) can generate long-lasting relief from stress and trauma. Read about his research and process.
After getting my husband to join me in the backyard on Sunday for some earthing, he was a convert. The issues are in the tissues. When we remember how connected our minds and bodies are and decide to do something new and different, we can find healing and release. Ahhhhhh, yes!
Want more? Check out my recent posts on Radical Self-Care and Connection = Medicine. And drop me a line. I’d love to hear how you’re doing and what self-care practices are supporting you during the pandemic.
Does my blog help you? Please share it! I’m happy to continue to provide these timely self-care practices, tools and resources to all during this challenging time. And I make my living from traveling/speaking which unfortunately I can’t do right now; if you’d like to make a donation to support my work I’m at renee@reneetrudeau.com on PayPal. Either way, I’m here for you.
SEEKING SUPPORT FOR YOURSELF OR YOUR TEAM? HERE ARE TWO OPPORTUNITIES:
- Consider hiring me to create a workshop to help your team, organization or employees feel less stressed and more resilient, energized and focused. My primary work is speaking to professionals worldwide on how to find balance through practicing the art/science of self-care. Whether it’s an in-person workshop, keynote or via a Zoom session, I’d love to support your team now or in the future. Learn more here.
- It’s OK to look ahead! Envision yourself with me at a 2020 self-renewal retreat. Come fill your well, get clear on what’s next for you and sink into connection & support with like-minded women (my next retreat is July 17-19 in CA). Learn more.
Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by life balance author/speaker and self-care evangelist Renée Peterson Trudeau. Passionate about helping men and women find balance through the art/science of self-care, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, US News & World Report, Spirituality & Health and more. She and her team have certified more than 400 facilitators in 10 countries around the globe to lead self-renewal groups and women’s retreats based on her work. She’s the author of two books on life balance including the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and 18-year-old son. More on Renee here.
