Underlying tension in your body often creeps in without you knowing the source of that tension. What challenges are you facing that your body is picking up on that you are subtly burying?
Recently, I had been fighting a headache for several days, ignoring the pain as best I could. I vaguely wondered what was causing it but I kept busy. Finally, the headache turned into a migraine and I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
It dawned on me that I was awaiting news of a pending job offer. I had had a low level hum of questions going on in my head for a few days. Would I get the job? Did I say the right things? When will I know? How was I perceived?
I had worked at turning off the voices but evidently I had not been successful. My body was still picking up my tension of waiting impatiently. Finally, I could no longer keep my challenges at bay. My body and migraine won.
Seeking Rest and Answers
Before going to sleep off the migraine, I took time to pray and read Scripture. What did God want to say to me? The verses of the day were from Deuteronomy 6:
24 The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
Great words to go to sleep by! I needed to let go, rest and turn my challenges over to Him!
After sleeping for two hours, I felt much better. My husband asked me about my migraine. I told him about my worries. He knows me so well. His philosophical response was, “You’ll either get it or you won’t.”
What I love about his black and white approach to life is that it takes much emotion out of responses. I can get caught up in emotions and he cuts to the chase. Which do you do – cut to the chase or get caught up in the emotional swirls?
3 Reminders
This incident reminded me of three things:
1 Stop and assess the tension by moving into an observer mode. By standing back and looking at the situation at a distance, what do you notice? What tension are you feeling, where is it in your body and what is causing it? For me, when I stopped to reflect, I could then let the tension dissipate by praying, resting and letting it go. I had to acknowledge it first, instead of ignoring it.
2 Stay in the day. What is in front of you to do today? Futures can’t be rushed. I can’t hurry a job decision. I can’t worry my way to an answer or plop myself into the future. I can stay in the day I have and do what is important right now and enjoy my day.
3 Talk it over with a friend. Who can you talk to about what is on your mind? By verbalizing it with my husband, much of the emotional impact lessened. I could move into a learner mode in my brain, I could ask myself better questions. What are the opportunities in front of me at this moment? How can I spend my time while I wait? What are my options here?
The Take Away
What about you when you have challenges facing you? How do you recognize tension building up in your body? Where does it display itself?
When you find yourself negatively projecting into the future because of challenges you are facing, what steps will you take- stop and assess, stay in the day, or talk it over?
I hope you will find any of these strategies to bring nourishment back into your day. If you are finding that challenge difficult or hard to build a habit, I’d love to walk alongside you to build up the well-nourished life you want. Contact me for a free coaching session to see how coaching can make a difference in your life..
Nancy Booth helps you discard chaos and uncertainty as you journey towards a well-nourished life after 50. She helps you embrace wellness, purpose and intentional connections in your life. Her coaching process helps you design your own personal roadmap to help you build a healthy, purposeful and peaceful mind, body and soul. She would love to walk your journey with you.