Get rid of the stress

We are mammals.

Sure, we have some additional parts to our brains that make us different from other mammals, but we’re mammals nonetheless.

One super duper important behavior that’s vital to our mental and physical health, has been socialized out of us and we’re suffering unnecessarily. 

That behavior is completing the stress cycle.

And this cannot be done through thinking.

It’s a physical act.

When our dogs, Carolina and Ginny, get done with playing they’ll often do a full-body shake. That’s them releasing any pent up energy that builds while playing.

When a gazelle is chased by a tiger and manages to get away, it will also shake its body to help its nervous system move the adrenaline and energy through.

We are not meant to hold onto our emotions and when we do, we will adopt maladaptive behaviors and or we will get sick. Our body will find a way to get your attention. It’s up to us as to when we’ll finally listen.

Let’s start sooner rather than later.

So when you heard about the horrible murder in Minneapolis and you wanted to cry, scream, or get up and punch something, that’s your nervous system encouraging you to move your emotion through you. 

It’s completely normal, nothing is wrong with you. Something is very right when you get that inkling. 

The important thing is to listen!

Don’t ignore it because you think you’ll look dumb if you do what your nervous system is suggesting. Who fucking cares?!

Your emotions are moving energy and it’s our job to help ourselves move it through so it doesn’t stay stuck and start festering and rotting us.

We’re not moving it to “get rid of it or run from our emotions,” we need to be willing to sit with them for just a few seconds and allow them to metabolize.

When you read a quote and it starts to unlock an old wound and suddenly your legs start twitching, that’s your nervous system encouraging you to just move the energy through.

You’re not weird, broken, screwed up, or having a mental crisis, your nervous system is working beautifully and the more we follow its lead the better we’ll feel mentally and physically.

Have your emotions, please! And ask them and your precious mammal what it wants you to do to move it through.

Maybe dance it out, dancing is legit a fantastic and scientifically proven way to help release stuck energy.

Maybe go for a walk, sing at the top of your lungs, hit some pillows or smack ‘em against your bed, stomp your feet, kick the air, punch your fists in the air, just do whatever you feel called to do.

Just fucking do it, no hold barred and see how much better you feel after. 

And when you realize how much better you feel you won’t give a crap who sees you.

Let’s normalize this process so we can stop stuffing our feelings and suffering needlessly!

I’ll go first! So when you see me doing one of these things you can be like, “oh Jenn is just completing the stress cycle, no big whoop…”

Try it, in small ways to start cuz kitten steps, and go from there.

We cannot only think our way through this. 

We HAVE to include the body!

You got this, Sunshine and i’ve always got your back!