STOP
- a cessation of movement or operation.verb2. (of an event, action, or process) come to an end; cease to happen.I was recently in Puerto Rico and feeling a little lost not knowing one Spanish word. Growing up it was either take French or Spanish in my high school. Of course you can guess which one I chose. (French). I have been in a few Spanish speaking countries lately and one of the frustrating things is not knowing one ounce of the native language.(totally my fault)Luckily the sign had a familiar shape to it and the PARE sign in Puerto Rico I knew what that meant! I finally after driving on the roadway and seeing so many signs in Spanish I could recognize something familiar to me. It was kind of comforting.
This really parallels my life lately, making changes, exploring , opening Journey of You, The Joy Foundation of NC. I have been rediscovering new found interests through curiosity. Trying to keep in my child- like state of discovering, trying things out with curiosity and wonder.
Buttttttttt……I have also been at a cross roads, or a standstill. Ever get there and just hang for awhile? Kind of a deer in the headlights place? You are not sure where to go what to do next?
Everyone gets into a stop or standstill at times. It’s what you decided to do or not do that may get you moving again.
Here are a few tips for getting you unstuck and moving again.
1) Gratitude– take time to STOP (PARE) and journal about the things you are grateful for, it may sound silly but try it out and see how you feel after a few consistent days of writing down things you are thankful for.
2) Switch things up a bit- ever get in a rut? We’ve all been there. I have been dreading the same old workout with weights, so I decided to switch it up a bit and really listen to what my body needed and wanted. I’ve been pushing hard with weights, my hip flexors are sore and I decided I just needed to go for a walk. Walking lowers stress hormones, get out into nature, go to a local park, crank some tunes on your iPhone and walk!
3) Get more sleep- sometimes we lose sleep by being anxious— go to bed an hour earlier. Start off with turning off electronics at least 2 hours before bedtime (iPhones, iPads, tv, computer). Take a bath, read, put lavender on your pillow, drink sleepy time tea. Start a bedtime routine to ease yourself into sleep.
4)Talk to a friend , counselor or minister- if you are really stuck maybe it’s time to get some help. There is nothing wrong with going to a counselor or minister to get another perspective to help you out of the rut. Life happens and sometimes in order to get “unstuck” you need a little help from a friend, counselor or minister.
