Leveraging Our Changing World To Be A Stronger You
While we may not control the world around us, and current events can be daunting, we can control how we respond to these experiences, and most importantly, must temper our emotions. Poorly managed negative emotions are not good for your health. Negative attitudes and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can create chronic stress, which upsets the body’s hormone balance, depletes the brain chemicals required for happiness, and damages the immune system.
Negativity typically amounts to spending an unwarranted amount of time thinking and obsessing in an unproductive way. This energy is best used when channeled into something that can bring a positive return, rather than commiseration. Focusing on the negative creates catabolic* (unproductive) energy. It is an energy that cannibalizes our internal systems. Carrying negative energy can also be exhausting and very distracting, taking your focus away from the areas in your life you should be enjoying and cultivating.
So, let’s get back to how we can prepare our minds and bodies to harness the winds of change to create anabolic* energy. To aid in processing your emotions and reaction to change, it is helpful to know that adapting to change creates a healthier brain. Change requires us to solve problems, and solving problems makes the brain work harder, creating new neuropathways.
“Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult,
but not more difficult than remaining in a situation,
which is not nurturing to the whole woman (man)”
-Maya Angelou
Take a step back and allow yourself time and space to heal. Are you also listening to your body and addressing its needs?
1. When we get to the point of feeling overwhelmed, depressed, confused, ….., it is often due to a lack of clarity on how our day-to-day lives align with our values. Many of us feel conflicted between the things we have to do (what others expect of us) and the things we want to do. When this happens, it is necessary to allow yourself time to rest & reflect.
2. Keep your body nourished and hydrated. The effects of poor nutrition and dehydration are profound.
3. Move your body. Just simple stretching has a significant impact on emotions. The link between fascia and emotion is supported by research.
4. Connect with those who are important to you. Tune into the blessings of your close relationships. It is not necessary to have the interaction simulate a therapy session. Your mind can release healthy amounts of serotonin (the feel-good hormone) just by allowing yourself personal moments of connection with someone you appreciate and respect. Your friend’s energy can be contagious and uplifting. There is a scientific concept of entrainment at play when two or more independent systems interact. Often the higher level of energy, when strong enough, will uplift the surrounding energies.
5. Try something new. Break your routine. One of the most crucial reasons to learn something new is that you gain power when you do. When we succeed in learning something, we feel better, more confident in ourselves, and can tackle all sorts of new tasks. Knowledge is power.
Adjusting to a new path and a new direction will require new & different qualities and sharpening your strengths, and these qualities are always exactly what we need to acquire to accomplish the great things ahead in our life.
We have all been placed on this earth to discover our own path, and we will never be happy if we live someone else’s idea of life. It can be beneficial to avoid the path most traveled. Create a new path and leave a trail.
Anabolic Energy
Anabolic energy is constructive, expanding, fueling, healing, and growth-oriented; it releases endorphins. Anabolic energy helps you move forward and achieve long-term goals, supporting the achievement of successful results.
Catabolic Energy
Catabolic energy is draining, resisting, and contracting; it releases cortisol and adrenaline. This energy can narrow your focus and thus make you less open to different points of view. It creates the fight-or-flight situation. It’s great when you need to exit a burning building, but rarely needed in everyday life. Frequent and unnecessary bursts of cortisol puts undue stress on your body and can compromise your immune system.