WELLNESS--We’ve all been there. Perhaps it was a difficult divorce, an illness or death in the family, financial struggle, or simply our hectic day-to-day schedules. At one point or another, we have felt overwhelmed and burdened by our preoccupation with a stressful condition and unable to sail through it easily and effortlessly.
So how do we move forward while in the midst of a pressuring situation? While there are no hard and fast rules, from a wellness approach, I suggest taking action both physically and spiritually. The physical deals with any practical steps that are required to help us move forward and the spiritual helps to alleviate any undo stress and heavy emotions that we’re dealing with from the inside out.
Physical
Physical activity is all about taking action towards solving a problem. If for example, you’re dealing with financial pressure, these steps may involve investigating a group such as debtors anonymous or a debt consolidation program. If it was a recent death, organizing the practical details around the funeral, settling of the estate, and any other pertinent planning are vital. If our stress is due to a job that we detest, then taking small steps each day to apply for new positions or to find a qualified recruiter is key.
When we take proactive measures, even when we don’t want to, it helps us to move out of our funk and into action. Such action brings us a sense of accomplishment even if those steps are small in comparison to where we want to go. Inactivity on the other hand, keeps us paralyzed.
Exercise is also important to help you get out of a rut. Even taking a short walk will get the blood flowing and the feel-good endorphins rushing to your brain. Some type of movement is better than none at all.
Spiritual
The spiritual work is what we do inwardly in order to reduce stress and move forward. Meditation, prayer, and journaling for example, are great ways to lower the pressure and help us to get centered. These are great practices to get our agonizing thoughts out of our head. Finding a therapist or good friend who you trust also brings in the spiritual and emotional support we need.
Stressful times can make us feel alone but we don’t need to go through these periods in isolation. Although reaching out is often the last thing that we feel like doing, it is important to our healing process.
Total recovery from any life-changing event requires a combination of going inward while also working from outside in. It is a fine balancing act ensuring that you are not neglecting key areas of the body, mind, and spirit that call for your attention.
You WILL move through your difficulties. It may seem as if the pain, stress, or obsessive patterns will never dissolve but change is inevitable and time does heal. Be gentle on yourself and remember during this period to go inward while also taking small steps towards shifting into an inevitable place of positive growth and evolution. Better days are ahead, this much I know for sure.
(Jay Bradley is a Youthful Aging, Wellness & Lifestyle Expert Living in Los Angeles. http://www.jaybradleylifestyle.com. He is the Best-Selling Author of LIVE LOOK FEEL, The 12-Week Guide to Live Longer, Look Younger & Feel Better!)
-cw
