Just Breathe.

Are you ever just overwhelmed with emotions? Like you really don't know where they come from or what they are for, you just have them? Okay, you're so totally not alone. I can vouch and say that before I was more regulated, I was constantly overwhelmed with emotions. Stopping to really process what's happening around you, in the moment is hard but absolutely necessary. My therapist calls it "stimulus. pause. response." You identify the stimulus (stressor), you pause to address your emotion, and then you respond. And you'll see that when you do this, you respond with a much clearer head and sound mind. It's easier said than done, yes. But its so vital..

On many occasions, I have just reacted and it usually lands me in a pile of you know what (shit), because I've just made a situation worse, for me and whoever is on the other side. And that's not fair to either party. So, when you take a breather before you respond, however long it takes (respectfully and with communication), you set yourself up for success. I believe this allows your mind to step away from the cortisol, the stress, the bad feelings that I know come with a stressful situation. And then you can navigate the situation at hand, im it’s entirety. But you say “Bekah, what if I still want to say the same thing as before the pause”? Bestie, as long as no one dies or ends up in jail, I’ll support it lol.

Seriously though, there is hope for regulating your nervous system. How ever you have to do it, go in search of what works best with you. I’m not a doctor but I am a nurse with anxiety (all of us) and if you need to take meds, do yoga, see a therapist, or take mental nature walks, or all of the above, make sure you’re taking care of you. It’s a rough world that we live in and we have to prioritize ourselves to make sure we survive out here.

Okayyyy, enough of me preaching to the choir, I’m gonna go read a book until I fall asleep.

All my love.