Stop Practicing the Same Behaviors That Keep You Stuck!!

Does it feel like Ground Hogs Day?

The same predictable things happening again and again.

Do you ever ask yourself why?

Do you find yourself blaming fate or bad past choices?

Do you believe you have no control of it and that you are endlessly stuck?

First, take comfort in the fact that you are not alone in your experience. We have programmed ourselves to live in a routine that is safe and provides a certain result that ensures our survival from day to day. It's human conditioning.

Now that we understand that, let's take a few minutes to move above this hopeless feeling and consider something new.

The best thing to do here is to get curious and start asking questions.

What if you are having the same daily experiences simply because you are choosing to spend your energy in the same ways?

I understand that you must work and stick to certain routines, but what if you were able to implement small changes each day that led you to feeling better and having better daily experiences within your necessary routines?

What if these small changes, eventually led to bigger changes that brought you satisfaction and fulfillment in your day-to-day experiences?

Would you be willing to give it a chance?

The first thing we must do to start this process is to begin to become more aware of ourselves. Asking these questions helps us to pay attention to how we are affecting our experiences and our reactions to them simply by not paying attention!!

So, let's look at noticing and taking note.

-Begin to notice how you feel when you wake up each morning.

What is your first thought? How do you feel when you think this thought, how does it start your day out? Do you find yourself thinking this same thought throughout the day and how is it affecting your mood?

-The energy we start our day in creates the momentum for the rest of the day. If we are dragging into our day already dreading what is to come, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment first thing.

Simple Ideas to Create Change:

*Wake up earlier, but don't jump out of bed. Take time to let your body wake up, Stretch, massage yourself, take some deep breaths, drink some water. Take some time to wake your mind up, say a prayer for the day, find something to be appreciative of, find something you are looking forward to, journal.

*Use your routine to be mindful:

-Meditate in the shower or while drinking your coffee.

-Pack things to take with you that will support you throughout the day: a healthy lunch, a supportive snack, tea, water.

-Take time on the ride to work to notice how you are feeling and to address any anxiety that you have about the day to come.

-Take a few deep breaths before you go into work and notice how you are feeling and what you are telling yourself about what is waiting for you inside. Set some intentions and look for what you can do to create the best experience for yourself, even in uncomfortable situations.

-Check in with yourself throughout the day. Take these opportunities to notice what you might need and how you can meet those needs in order to improve your experience.

Simple Ideas to Create Change:

*Set a timer on your phone for mid-morning, mid-afternoon, the transition between work and home and sometime before bedtime.

-Use these timers as a reminder to check in with yourself.

Take a couple of minutes to breathe deeply and relax, let go of the tension you have learned to create in your body as a response to stress and discomfort, consciously relax your jaw, brow, shoulders, back, chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs and feet.

Notice how you are feeling, what you are thinking and how you are reacting.

Notice if you are thirsty or hungry or just need a quick break. (Sometimes a quick trip to the bathroom to splash water on your face and wash your hands can help you to relax and respond differently to what is happening in your environment.)

-Give yourself space to unwind before bed. During the day we are absorbing energy from everywhere. Taking the time to let go of anything we no longer need helps us to rest deeply and restore our energy more completely.

Simple Ideas to Create Change:

-Experiment with what helps you relax.

*Taking warm baths or showers, with salts and oils.

*Meditation

*Journaling

*Connecting with Nature

*A reflective conversation with a trusted person.

*Spending time with pets.

*Reading a book for Pleasure

*Doing something that makes you laugh

*Doing something creative that you enjoy and is not stressful.

When we start to pay attention to how we feel and implement changes that support our needs, we notice that we start to feel better and when we feel better, we respond better to outside stimuli and when we respond better, we get better results that lead to a better outcome. Soon we don't feel so stuck anymore.

Getting started and sticking with these changes will be challenging at first. You may even find yourself wanting to do these things and simply not doing them. This is normal. Be patient, but persistent. Change is challenging for many reasons, practice and persistence are key. It's okay to start over as many times as you need to and don't be afraid to try something different if you find that what you're doing simply doesn't work for you. This is a process of getting to know yourself on a deep level and patience and flexibility will keep you from feeling that old familiar stuckness.

Be present, what worked or was needed yesterday might not be what you need today.

Don't be afraid to reach out for support as you work through this process. Sometimes having an accountability partner or just someone you reflect with can be very helpful. Remember, this is a journey and every day is another milestone.

Sending Love & Blessings of Healing,

Crystal*

Visit www.crystalclarity5.wixsite.com/awakening for information on Reiki Sessions and Training as well as Private Meditation, Reflection Sessions, Card Readings and Classes to support you on your journey.