“Stress isn’t something that happens to someone. It’s something someone feels about what’s happening. Your capacity to deal with any outer situation is based on your inner perspective. . . How we see ourselves determines everything.”
There is a lot about the holidays that can impact people’s wellness. One of the biggest culprits is stress.
Holiday stress can come from overeating, or feelings of depression or overwhelment, or challenging relationships, or just too much on your to-do list.
Now I’m going to be perfectly honest and authentic with you.
I’ve been stressed the last couple of weeks.
Oh, it wasn’t the holidays. I’ve learned how to manage getting ready for the holidays in a healthy and balanced way.
None-the-less, for the first time in two years, I found myself stressed and I didn’t listen to my body when it was telling me to slow down. As a result, I’m just now getting over a cold that I had for weeks.
Believe me, the irony of that was not lost on me every day when I was writing my blogs!
The thing is, your wellness and finding balance in your life is never done. You’re not likely get to a place where you can slap your hands together and say, “Woo hoo! I can check wellness off my list of things to do. Thank goodness I’ll never have any more stress again.”
New things will come along that you have to make adjustments for and that require re-finding your balance. That is part of the evolution of life.
So what threw me into serious stress mode?
It was taking my business to the next level by launching my new brand and website last week, getting ready to launch a new coaching program on January 7, and planning my first ever Love Your Way Slim beach-side retreat in April.
What I forgot is that stress is not created by the situation I am in. What I forgot is how powerful I am.
We are the creators of the limitations—and the success—that we experience. When we are stressed, we are not accurately seeing ourselves, what we are capable of, what we deserve, and the support we are receiving from the Universe.
When I was seeing myself as overworked, limited, tired, and overwhelmed, I was not seeing myself accurately.
My coach was able to help me shift my perspective slightly so that I could see myself as capable, confident, energetic, and empowered. She reminded me to ask for the support I needed, and to see the support I already had. And that slight change in perspective made all the difference in the world.
Not only did I immediately feel emotionally better, but I began feeling physically better, too. All of a sudden, I was able to see how to work in the rest and self-care I had been neglecting, and my to-do list didn’t seem so overwhelming.
The only thing that was different was my perception of who I was in relationship to what was happening.
We are all so much more powerful than most of us realize. Huge changes can be made with just a slight shift in how we see ourselves.
While it took my body reminding me of this—and to practice what I preach—the great news is I have the tools and have been able to get my body back in balance.
And even better news is I didn’t fall back into old patterns of reaching for comfort food or overeating. That is a huge win!
Now, I know I’m not the only one who has struggled with stress the last few weeks.
You may be having a really hard time right now. And the idea that your stress is a result of limited self-thinking and faulty beliefs may sound like tosh.
But the Truth is, Who you really are is capable, confident, energetic, empowered, and engaged. The key is shifting your perspective just enough so that you can begin to believe it.
One way to reach for a new thought and perspective is to quiet your mind. Even taking a 5-minute mental break can make a huge difference in how easily you can see solutions to your holiday stress.
Make quieting your mind—even for 5 minutes—a priority over the next few days.
Do this by:
- Meditating
- Going for a walk
- Taking a nap
- Enjoying a stress-relieving bath
- Sitting down with a cup of tea and a good book
- Taking 3 deep breathes
Even if all you can manage is shutting the door and actually going to the bathroom by yourself, that can be enough to help clear your mind.
Then remind yourself that you are capable, confident, energetic, empowered, and engaged. Harness the power of your self-perception.
I know 5 minutes doesn’t sound like much, but consistently quieting your mind for even just a few minutes a day—and then reminding yourself of Who you really are—can have a profound impact on your physical and emotional health.
When you feel better, you’re better able to take care of your family—and be the version of you that your family actually wants to be around!
Make it a priority today to take a few minutes to quiet your mind and remember Who you really are. What difference does that make in your stress-level? What difference does that make in how much you enjoy your holidays?
Together we can do it!
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