Does your body ever manifest your mental health into physical symptoms?
Mine does.
This week, the symptoms were extreme exhaustion, and my eyes being itchy and watery all week. (ok, the eyes was probably just allergies.)
My mental state has been on a slippery slope for a while now, and I finally decided to address it this week.
I added a daily meditation and some yoga to my morning routine in an effort to calm my mind and move my body.
I took care of some wants I had been putting off like buying a new blanket for my bed. (I didn’t have a good summer blanket)
I got my hair done, that always makes me feel better.
I tried to get extra sleep, but that is always a challenge for me. I managed, and I consider that a success.
And I did a couple of good cry sessions this week. Because sometimes what you really need is a good cry. I slept really good on those nights.
I woke up this morning feeling positive for the first time in weeks. The exhaustion is lessening, I can feel it letting go.
And I don’t know if any of the small steps I took this week helped. Or if it was larger steps like visiting friends that helped. Or even just reasoning through problems while I drove places in the car. (I talk to myself a lot in the car)
What I do know is that I am on the upswing again. It feels good.
I also know that everyone’s life is different, and my small steps are not going to be the same as your small steps. But I want you to know one thing, what you are feeling today will change tomorrow. Our ability to recognize our feelings and understand them helps us in the world. Because once you understand the feeling, you can move to keep it or change it. You will know how to increase the good feelings and how to survive bad feelings. And this understanding helps us thrive.
So this week, I wish you a clearer understanding of your feelings.
I will be working on my feelings, one small step at a time.
🙂
I’m glad that I’m not the only person that talks to myself in the car. Seriously, some of the best time for me is the bubble of my car – I can have a full blown concert in my car (usually at night when I can’t be laughed at), I have great conversations and could probably solve most of the world’s problems by talking it out in my car!
Small steps are good, I’ve made quite a few of them over the past couple years, and they are finally making a significant change. I have more changes to implement as I’m trying to balance spinning plates delicately – School, a new jobs on the horizon (I haven’t told anyone about just yet), being a caregiver -which is multifaceted and challenging as that role divvies up into smaller ones (wife, nurse, chef, housekeeper, chauffer, lover, etc). and then there is just me- some of my needs take a backseat and I’m now starting to put them at the forefront. I’m almost there to being truly happy with myself as the person I envision to be – so my small steps are continuing.
I’m proud of you for taking small steps, my dear. I think when you look back at this post in six months from now or a year from now, you will look at yourself and think “DANG!!! Look how far I’ve come!!!” … Celebrate both small and large victories because it’s a great motivator for the next step.. and the next one.. and the next one.
I love you dearly <3 Keep your head up and keeping on truckin'!
Kristen, I have always said we are soul sisters, talking in the car is just one of those traits we share.
Thank you so much for your support and for sharing your own journey. I am amazed and inspired by you every day because there is no way that I could even attempt to do half of the things that you do.
And thanks for reminding me that all this stuff adds up. It helps to have a little higher perspective when you are lost in the low feelings. I can look back today and think about where I was 6 months ago and there is a ton of growth so I will keep doing my small steps to grow even more.
I love you too! Keep you your awesomeness!