If you feel stuck…
Sometimes, no matter how great things are, you might feel a little stuck. A little stagnant.
Maybe you’re feeling stuck physically: stiff muscles, clenched jaw, holding your breath. (You know that thing where you exhale really fully, for no reason? That happens when you’ve been subconsciously holding your breath.) Maybe you’ve been sitting in one place for too long, or eating foods that aren’t easily digestible for your body.
Maybe you’re feeling stuck emotionally or mentally or energetically. You just need to jolt yourself out of a pattern that isn’t serving you. Or, if you’re feeling more tender, you might need to simply begin to move the energy up and out.
If this sounds familiar, try these simple self-care practices:
Literally shake
I’m serious. Stand with your feet hip distance apart, bend your knees a little, and just shake out the stagnation. It’s good for your circulatory system and lymphatic system. But really? It’ll make you feel like a little kid.
It breaks up the monotony. It kicks up the silly.
It’s kind of like unplugging yourself and then plugging yourself back in. Plus, if you sit at a desk, your shoulders and wrists will thank you.
I do this in between tasks or calls, to create a break between one phase of my day and another.
Go for a walk around the block
Get yourself outside. It doesn’t have to be a long hike. You don’t even have to go to the gym. (I will never tell you to go to the gym.)
Just take yourself for a stroll. Move more than 20 feet from your desk.
Look at the trees. Notice the sounds and collect the imagery you see. Gather up inspiration to take back with you. I get all my best ideas outside, looking at the world. If I’m spinning out, that’s a clear sign that I need to get myself into the trees.
Try an inversion
Please know your own practice first, but turning yourself upside down can give you a whole new perspective. It can also stimulate your circulation and other systems to brighten you back up.
You could try a standing forward fold.
Legs up the wall pose is a really therapeutic and easeful pose that’s appropriate for most bodies.
Other poses that invert you:
-
- Downward-facing dog
-
- Headstand
- Handstand
Inversions are another body-based practice that acts like a reset button. They’re simple and (if done in a healthy way) encourage a mind/body un-stuck-ing.
Have a glass of lemon water
Stand up, make yourself this glass of water with as much love and care as you can. Room temperature to warm is best. Add some lemon juice.
Sip it slowly.
First, hydration is your friend.
Second, the lemon juice is alkalizing and anti-inflammatory, which is fabulous and great for your body. It feels fresh and bright.
Third, this small act breaks up your day. Take just a small amount of time to focus on your own well-being for a few moments. You might turn this into a mid-morning ritual like I have. You might start your day with this healing act.
Take an internet hiatus
For five minutes, for a weekend.
Put your phone on airplane mode.
Designate a blog-free day.
Or designate only one day a week where you’ll read all the blogs or do all the social media. (Friday is now blog day. I’ll be saving up my reading for the rest of the week for Fridays.)
Create boundaries that serve you and keep you unstuck. The Internet can be a black hole of “stuck” and “unworthy” and “not good enough” and “might as well give up”. It can keep us mired in what we aren’t. Consume Internet wisely.
Celebrate small wins
Kind of the opposite of being on the Internet. Celebrate whatever it is that you accomplished today. Whoever you are, whatever you did today, you deserve to be celebrated.
It doesn’t have to be a big celebration: just a moment of recognition of your own innate brilliance. Whether you did everything on your to-do list or you just kept breathing, you’re awesome. You did it.
High fives. Seriously.
And you know? You get to try again tomorrow, too. So celebrate your own very existence and your wins – no matter how small they seem to you.
Oh, and please breathe!
If you do nothing else, take some deep breaths. In and out, evenly. You might lift your arms up overhead on the inhale and down toward your sides on the exhale. Just make sure you’re getting enough oxygen.
That stuff is important.
If you’re feeling stuck?
Maybe it’s time to step away.
If you’re feeling stuck in the stuff that doesn’t matter, it’s time to get yourself unstuck. Move, tend to yourself, and get a new perspective. Your heart might just need a little clarity and freedom. You can give that gift to yourself.
