When It’s Tough to Move
I am an extrovert. That’s what most people will tell you. Truth is I am, and there is also a side of me that is an introvert. I guess that technically makes me that fancy term, ambivert. Whatever the term, I’m a mixture.
There are times when I need the energy of people around me to be able to function well. Seeing people smile, hearing the vague sounds of conversations between friends; basically seeing other people being involved in life is one of my happy places.
There are other times when I need the quiet of being alone. It’s my own kind of quiet. It’s a quiet in my head not necessarily quiet around me. As I write this, I am in a Starbucks which is not the quietest place in the world. There is a group of friends at one table happily chattering. A mom and daughter picking up their drinks. Sounds of coffee being ground and baristas talking through orders. In my head, this is still a quiet place to think and write. Being in my Starbucks, in my headspace with my headphones playing my favorite music, is another of my happy places.
In the past few years, I have come to believe that we can all find our places that bring us peace and calm. They are all unique to us. One person’s calm place can seem like chaos to another and vice versa.
I hate when the volume in my head gets so loud and distorted that all I can focus on is how overwhelmed I am. It is one of the most frustrating places for me. When even my places of calm and happiness become neither. Thoughts, anxiety, fear, sadness creep in and grab those places from me. Sometimes those things get so loud and “in my face” that my focus gets blurred. You too!? Exactly…we all have those times. Those “tough to move” moments.
It helps to know we aren’t alone when those times hit. It’s a whole different thing to know what to do with them, how to get through them or out of that negative headspace.
Can I be honest? Sometimes I have a tough time getting out of that headspace. I journal, talk it through, or cry, and it still hangs around. Being gentle with myself is what’s needed even though my mind usually does the opposite.
These are times when we can lose the opportunity to connect with ourselves. To know that even the really crappy places can be places where we can help ourselves and grow. A place that even when we feel powerless, we can still get through and use it to teach us. Maybe the lesson is how to power through it better next time, or how to be gentler with ourselves, or what technique didn’t help. Another honesty moment…I really suck at this…often. I’m still gonna keep trying because I know the more I do it, the better I’ll get at doing it.
The last time this mood hit me, I took a few steps I hoped would help. Step one, I took a few moments to stop and think through what may have effected my mood. I realized I had forgotten to take a supplement that has a huge impact on my emotions. Step two, I did something to change the situation. I took the supplement and set a daily reminder on my phone to keep me on track.
Sometimes the thought of connecting with yourself can be scary. You may be afraid of what you’ll find or that you won’t find what you need. Truth is sometimes you will and sometimes you won’t. There is a greater chance that you will discover something to help. Why? You’ve probably been in the same or a similar situation before, and you got through it then. You have the courage and ability to get through it again. If you don’t find something, then you can look beyond yourself and connect with someone you trust.
Your turn. Think back to a moment when it was tough to get through those times. When you needed to stop and connect with yourself? What lesson did you learn and what steps did you take?
Tell me about yours below.
