Our souls’ journeys are different. We’re growing through diverse problems, but at some point, you’ve probably felt like me and just wanna slam the door and shut everything out. Well, not everything. Just the problems, right? Growth is usually uncomfortable – stretching us, like growing pains, outside our current comfort zone.
Discomfort often triggers disempowering emotions like anger, frustration, overwhelm, disappointment, sadness, or fill in the blank with your favorite go-to flavor. When our girls were younger, I’d hide out in our bathroom when I got triggered. The problem is, you can’t hide out forever! At some point, you have to re-open the door – re-open your heart – and solve the problem as best you can.
STACK GRATITUDE
If you want the quickest way out of any disempowering emotion (fear, anger, frustration, self-pity), focus on someone or something you’re grateful for. You can’t feel gratitude and self-pity at the same time. Try it! Close your eyes, take a deep breath in, and exhale. Place your hands on your heart. Focus on someone or something from your past or present that you’re incredibly grateful for. Bring that person or experience into your heart. Now focus on another person or experience you’re thankful for from your past or present. Bring that into your heart. Keep stacking the images and feelings of what you’re grateful for in your heart. As you stack one on top of the other, watch how it’s impossible to hold onto your fear, anger, frustration, or self-pity. Practice stacking gratitude daily in this priming meditation and Fill Up with More Joy in Under 15 Minutes.
MOVE YOUR BODY
I love real food, but I don’t love making it. The kitchen can trigger all sorts of disempowering emotions in me – anger, frustration, and overwhelm. But, it’s just a kitchen, right? Isn’t it funny how we can go through similar experiences, in this case cooking for our family, and experience completely different emotions? For some, cooking equals joy! They’ve attached an empowering purpose to cooking. I’m working on that, have made significant progress, and can still fall into the cranky cooking pitfall.
My daughter sous-chef knows the fastest way to get me out of a bad mood is to put on a great song and dance! Movement helps our emotions move – flow – outta us. Emotions are energy in motion and need directive – steer them to release in a way that feels good for you and others.
If dancing isn’t your jam, yoga has many heart-opening postures like the cobra, upward-dog, camel, and bridge pose. If you’re willing to risk looking silly, try Kinrgy. It’s kind of like a dance yoga hybrid. Some of the Kinrgy movements feel awesome. Others feel downright strange. Either way, it’ll get your body moving, your emotions flowing, and you laughing!
PLAY!!!
As a recovering stressed achiever, play is not something I valued in the past. My MO was: Life is a test, and I gotta pass! There was no time for play in that story. On the other hand, my daughter’s story is: Life is about having fun! If we’re not having fun, why should we do it (math, for example)? She’s been a shining reminder to uplevel my play game – spend more time doing anything that brings me more joy.
Whenever we’re in a joyful state – regardless of what we’re doing – our hearts soften and open. So doesn’t it make sense that if we spend more time doing what brings us joy, we’ll feel more fun, love, and abundance in our lives? And from that empowered place, we’ll come up with a better story and better solutions? So what do you do just because you want to (not because someone else wants you to do it)? What fills you up? What makes your heart smile, your soul happy? Write those gems down and create your PLAYlist, food for your soul.
Here’s my first PLAYlist from April 13, 2014:
- Dance!
- Heart melts with daughters
- Walks with hubby
- Meetups with girlfriends…LAUGH
- Coffee by myself
- Take random pictures
- Scrap art a vision board
My playlist continues to evolve. Over the years, I’ve added some things (writing) and removed others (bye-bye coffee!) It doesn’t matter what you choose. Choose something and keep adding to your list, so when you fall into a slump, you have many ways to get back to your creative playFULL self.
There you have it! Three ways to open your heart so you can get back to being your bada** loving self again. Have fun as you find your best way to re-open your heart. ’Cause one thing is for sure. You’re alive, which means you have problems. Coming from a heart-open-loving place, you’ll be a more effective problem-solver. You’ll also see life – even the difficulties – as gifts growing you to connect deeper with yourself and others. Miracles unfold when you see problems as gifts wrapped in challenging packages. Solutions you never thought possible rise to the surface for you and those you love.
#WeAreInThisTogether for #HealthyChange
P.S. If you find yourself hiding out in the bathroom, know you’re not alone. Close your eyes, breathe, and start stacking that gratitude – bringing that person or experience into your heart. Then, take a deep breath and re-open the door. The next time a problem surfaces, repeat after me: “I am a professional problem-solver,” otherwise known as a mom, wife, or {fill in the blank.) You got this, sista! Keep growing.
About the Author: Dr. Sue
Sue McCreadie, MD (aka Dr. Sue), is a Pediatric Physician and Breakthrough Coach for Midlife Mamas. For over two decades, she’s helped thousands achieve vibrant health as a wellness expert. Bringing three daughters into this world, she lost four along the way, and crossed the pregnancy finish line a digestive–hormonal–emotional mess. But, over the following decade, she found a deeper meaning for miscarriages, reclaimed vibrant health, and grew emotional resiliency. Dr. Sue is obsessed with living her soulFULL purpose and helping other growth-minded Mamas do the same. She believes we are in this together to rise up, realize our dreams, and feel fulfilled in every facet of our lives.