Change It Up

Hello! Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening! One of the gifts of COVID is a heightened awareness of what I'm doing and with whom I'm speaking. Even as I sat down to write this week's blogette, I realized I wanted to "greet" everyone first and I really want to know, "How are you doing?". Feel free to connect with me anytime and especially now.

This week's Monday Quote was:

"When you're trying to change thoughts

that aren't supporting you,

begin by talking about something different."

That might sound like something Captain Obvious would say, so my first point is that if your mind is spinning and you feel like your thoughts are taking you on a bad trip, you've got to stop those thoughts. Easier said than done, right? These can be challenging times right now. All it takes is 5 minutes of network news or reading something alarming on social media and we can find ourselves in an unwanted, anxiety or even nausea-inducing downward spiral. It might be happening in our head, but it's definitely affecting our whole body.

My second point is that it's important to be aware of this physical reaction. One of the first things I teach in a mindfulness and stress reduction course is the concept of getting out of our heads and thoughts and into our bodies. All too often, over time, we develop the idea that we can think our way in or out of anything. There has been a lot written and broadcast about the mind/body connection, especially in the last 20 years or so. It's as if we somehow separated the two which is impossible. What we've done is lost our consciousness and recognition of their link. Through meditation, we can get back into our bodies, allow our brains to calm down and rest, reunite the two and live a more responsive, centered, and purposeful life.

I highly recommend developing a meditation practice and I won't get into the many, many reasons why in this particular essay. What I will say is that it will help you to know when your thoughts are getting out of hand. While taking some time to meditate might help when you notice negative thinking, especially if you are already comfortable with that strategy, sometimes we need something a little more vigorous. Taking a dance break works really well. However, if while you're bouncing around you notice that you're still stuck in stinking thinking, you might have to try something else.

Call a friend and tell them that you want to talk only about upbeat, positive things. Start off with some gratitudes and share with each other. See if you can remember some silly jokes. Take a minute to compliment each other and make sure you take it in. Receive the accolade and simply say "Thank you". In Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts we learn how to brag and appreciate each other. The main thing is to take those silent but deadly, negative musings and replace them with out-loud, cheery statements. I know you will feel better and your friend will be so glad that you reached out. This is how you can turn things around and this is what I wish for you.

Sparkles and Love,