3 new things I have been trying (and the 1 I am giving up)
I have been trying out a couple of different things lately.
Below are 3 new things that I have been trying recently to help manage my response to my anxiety and combat my own personal emotional eating.
I can’t wait to share with you what I have discovered that works and what hasn’t helped at all because it just got to be TOO MUCH.
1. Give my heart a high five!
Mel Robbins is an influential, inspiring, authentic, and powerhouse of a woman. She has changed my life and doesn’t even know it. If you haven’t heard of her yet. Let me tell you a little more about her then I will get into the give my heart a high five habit.
Mel Robbins is an international bestselling author. She wrote “The 5 Second Rule” and “The High 5 Habit” more recently. What I love about her is how open, honest, and completely authentic about her struggles, her successes, and her self-improvement. Check out her Instagram!
Now to the habit of giving my heart a high five.
I was listening to a podcast the other day. On this podcast, the host interviewed Mel Robbins. She started talking about a habit that she refers to as “Give Your Heart a High Five”.
When to do this habit?
When you feel yourself being triggered. When emotions start to get a little high. You can feel them getting the best of you. When anxiety starts to creep in. You can feel your shoulders tensing. Your breath starts to quicken. Your heart starts to beat faster.
Whatever signs you recognize within yourself during that shift in emotions.
How to do this?
Place your hand in the center of your chest.
Take a deep breath.
Then repeat the words:
“I’m okay. I’m safe. I’m loved.” (Note: These are the recommendations from Mel Robbins. I add in the words “I’m enough.” )
Repeat as many times as you need to.
What I learned about myself?
By doing this, I can comfort myself. Bringing myself back into the present moment. It helps me to recognize that whatever I am currently feeling or experiencing is only temporary. I can handle whatever life has to throw at me. Because I have made it this far and I am not stopping now!
2. Reading before sleep!
By the time I crawl into bed each night, I am exhausted, but then my brain is like “Hey, remember all that stuff you didn’t have time for today! Let’s chat about it.”
It’s the WORST!
So each night, I sneak away into someone else’s world before going to sleep. I read anywhere from a page until I can't keep my eyes open anymore. It helps me to ease whatever is running through my mind as I prepare to fall asleep. Escaping for a little.
When to do this habit?
Every night before falling asleep.
How to do this?
Open a book and read. A BOOK, not social media.
I downloaded the Kindle app on my phone and use a black background with white wording. So that I can read while my husband falls asleep and I am not disrupting him.
I typically read a book that I am enjoying but doesn’t require a whole lot of brainpower. Insert cheesy romance novels or as my husband calls them my “sexy books”.
I also always have a book or two next to my bed! This is in case my husband stays up and I can have the light on,
What I learned about myself?
I have always loved to read. Often I find myself without enough time to do it.
Ending each night with something that is just for me helps so much to ease my mind, reroute what it is thinking about, and just decompress. I have been doing this for months and will continue to do it.
3. Playing games on my phone!
I started this habit a while ago as a way to ease my mind and do something completely mindless. And I mean mindless.
I started it as a way to also avoid my emotions. Avoid snacking. Avoid life in general.
I kept telling myself that I was doing it to help my anxiety.
Boy was I wrong.
When to do this habit?
Whenever you want to or feel you need a mental break.
How to do this habit?
Find an app or two of something that you enjoy and can get lost in. Play whenever you are trying to avoid feeling or thinking.
What I learned about myself?
I spent too much time on this. I started to only want to play these games and use them as a way to distract myself from the world and not face uncomfortable things.
I created a riff with my kids and husband because I was always staring at my phone. I was ending the day feeling guilty.
Continually checked my game to see if I could play. Always just aiming for more playtime.
Downloading different forms of the same game.
IT GOT BAD!
This is the habit I am going to give up. When I started it was working. It gave me a break from the day and helped me to clear my mind for just a little. Until it didn’t. Until it started to consume my mind. Where I can no longer sit alone without reaching for my phone. It took away from the things that I love and those that I love.
It started to make things worse for me, which completely defeats the purpose.
I am walking away from this habit. I learned that I don’t need these games anymore. I learned that it made my anxiety worse.
Sometimes you need to try different things to find out what works and what doesn’t work.
It’s all about you!
With this, I am going to plug my new Facebook Group offering.
Called “Love Yourself, Darlin’ and the Wine You’re With!”
This is a Self-improvement/self-love Book and Wine club for the average/busy women. You can read along with me or simply pop into your newsfeed to get the awesome knowledge from the book I will be covering!
On the first of each month, I will choose 1 self-improvement/self-love book and 1 bottle of wine to feature!
If you have time to read the book with me, Awesome!
If not, that’s ok too. I got you!
Can you take a guess at the first book I am going to cover! 🤫
Can’t wait to see you there!
And remember, you got this!