Picture this….You’re on the ride home from work and you’re getting a moment to decompress after a crazy day. Suddenly, this vague feeling of discontent comes over you but you can’t figure out exactly why.
You’ve been on the hamster-wheel of “busyness” and just DON’T HAVE THE TIME to think about what’s under the surface. One thing you know for sure, you’ve been having fantasies about packing up the house, quitting your soul-sucking day job and taking off on a spiritual sabbatical like Elizabeth Gilbert in her book “Eat, Pray, Love” indulging your soul’s deep craving for quiet contemplation. You smile in genuine ecstasy at the thought….
But then…as soon as you get home you almost trip over the kids’ toys in the hallway and realize you need to come up with something to make for dinner.
The experience is akin to Marlin in the movie “Finding Nemo” when he’s mesmerized “by the pretty light” and then realizes it’s attached to a scary deep-sea creature.
You find yourself muttering, “Good feeling’s gone.”
Sigh
Time to crash back to reality.
While you fantasize about “finding yourself” (as opposed to “finding Nemo” ha ha!) in Bali, the practical voice in your head explains why that’s just not going to happen. You dutifully tick off your to-do list full of crap you don’t want to do but feel obligated to do.
Once again that feeling of discontent comes over you but now it’s starting to gnaw at you. But….you’ve got “shit to do” so you stuff the feeling and plow on through the rest of your evening chores.
After dinner and night-time routine with the kids all you can manage to do is throw on sweats, contemplate drinking an entire bottle of Moscato to numb the lack of true pleasure in your life and binge-watch Netflix. Ah, distraction at its finest!
If any of this describes you in part or whole you are in a serious state of disconnect from your spirit and the time is NOW to start nourishing yourself. It’s time to answer the call of your spirit before it starts showing up in your life in more dramatic ways but maybe that’s the whole point anyway? I digress….
So, in a crazy-busy life, where do you even begin to heal the disconnect from self that is pervasive in our culture? It might feel like stopping horses in mid-stream but here are 7 simple ways to start reconnecting with your spirit when everyday life tries to take over:
1) Make time to slow down and be in quiet reflection.
Seriously, if you do NOTHING else on this list this is the easiest and most important. Teach yourself to SLOW DOWN. The dishes will still be there afterward but right now your spirit is suffering. That mini-high you get after cleaning the kitchen isn’t enough to give you what you really need. You’re actually just responding to anxiety. Make this quiet time NON-NEGOTIABLE.
2) Avoid toxic people
This might seem like a no-brainer but maybe you’ve grown so tolerant of putting up with crap and feeling bad that you forgot you have a choice. You definitely do. Show yourself some love and become INTOLERANT of feeling bad. The less toxic people you hang out with the less you’re likely to be pulled out of your happy place.
You have the right to say no to things that don’t feel good.
3) Get more sleep
For some of us, this is next to impossible to achieve. Our brains are on overdrive and we don’t listen to our bodies’ cues for proper rest. When you’re constantly in a semi-comatose, irritable state of sleep-deprivation it’s really hard to even IMAGINE feeling good and finding our inner zen. Set yourself up for success and get more sleep. Which brings us to the next suggestion….
4) Reduce screen-time on electronics
Break your addiction with your cell phone, tablet, or any other electronic device that is hardwired to fire up the reward center of the brain. Why do you think it’s next to impossible to get a teenager off the XBOX? The constant mental stimulation keeps us sucked in the distraction zone and not connected to what we’re truly thinking and feeling. This is especially detrimental at bed-time when the brain’s cues to wind down are being interrupted by whatever you’re watching. Let’s not even get into the supposed health risks of all the radiation coming off these electronic devices.
5) Spend time in nature
If electronics drain you then getting out in nature (a.k.a. ecotherapy) is the quickest way to replenish your spirit. I’m not kidding. There are numerous scientific studies to support all of the health benefits of getting outside. It’s like an instant recharge for your personal energy. Here’s just one article extolling the virtues of getting outside.
6) Stop seeking advice from others
Many people have our best interests at heart but they may not know what we truly want and need deep inside. Only we have those answers for ourselves. Developing your sense of intuition is like being connected with your Higher Self on instant messenger. The guidance you receive is immeasurable.
7) Consider experiencing a nutritional detox
The more connected to my intuition I was the more I received messages about adjusting my diet. The toxin in food can put us in a state of disease and further disconnect or what author Julia Ross refers to in her book The Mood Cure as “false moods.” Ever notice how cranky you get if you don’t have your coffee in the morning? That alertness you get after drinking caffeine is a false mood and can lead to adrenal burnout. When you detox the body you also become more sensitive to intuitive messages.
This might seem like a lot of information at once but reconnecting with your spirit is a process so be gentle with yourself. As with any new beginning, it’s often awkward at first. The trick is to keep getting better over time.
If you need some support reconnecting with your spirit message me! I’d love to help CLICK HERE to schedule a free discovery call.
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