🧠 Our brain prioritizes our senses and breath over any type of motor activity…or movement. Our senses are integral to our safety…and keeping us alive is the brain’s job. When we let our nervous system know the senses are on board it is an instant calmant. How we do anything through the day (output) is only as good as our input. And even that can be misconstrued—if we’re not aware of the brain replaying old “soundtracks” over today’s stories.
In a world that is always awake, with information and disinformation to be sifted through constantly, where boundaries are blurred by 24/7 availability of almost everything—how do we ground ourselves, stay sane?
First, we Start. By stopping. 🛑
Yep. Before we have the coffee, tea.
Before we glance at ANYthing on a screen.
✨What if…before our feet hit the ground:
We Allow our senses (top priority to our nervous system) a moment?
Breathe. Deeply. Repeat 5x.
👂 Listen. What do we hear?
👃 What can we smell?
👀 What can we see that’s close? And now, further away? Focus close and then far 5x.
💆 What do we feel? How does the surface that we are on feel to our skin?
👅 Does my mouth feel dry? How does that first drink of water (before coffee or tea) taste?
This may seem like a silly usage of precious time but it’s vital to all of our body’s systems, because EVERY system is dependant on our nervous system. Think for a moment to that headache after a stressful call, how our GI system went wonky right before that interview, how our dog drools 🤤 when he sees food, how our hearts thump at the thought of a special someone…I could go on.
So, still in the spirit of beginning our day in a Present state of mind that informs our body, after our morning necessaries we can stack in some life shifting habits.
What if:
-We practice balancing on one leg while brushing teeth.
-We Roll down the wall to “wake up” our spine and morning stretches while coffee/tea brews.
-We take a 5 minute breathing meditation/prayer time. 🧘
(Still no screens! So far we’ve made it through the first 10 minutes of the day!)
And then, what if we make the time to feed our brain and soul with a short and inspiring read, maybe a bit of journaling. And we can either do this in morning light outside or at a window OR follow it up with intentional morning light for the circadian rhythm—key to setting our awake:sleep cycle. Of course, all of this can include our favorite furry friends. 🐾
👋 Before WE listen to that “voice” tell us there’s no time for this in our morning routine…we can make the commitment to make the time and tell it to pound sand.
Because choosing to show up for our day this way can be a high yield life changer.
If we think of anything built well—it’s dependent on its foundation. No different with how we build our days, weeks, years and life. We get to decide. No excuses. Challenges abound. So does opportunity.
Let’s ground our day in a routine designed for success. Whatever comes our way—we will feel better prepared to meet it.
The first chapter of my book, “Aging Redefined” addresses Mindset because it is the filter through which we experience our world. And understanding how our brains work is a crucial component of forming new habits to reduce alarms that can present as anxiety, chronic pain, depression and overall poor state of health.
The world needs what only can provide in the way that only you can deliver. You’ve got this! 💥
Aging Redefined: Simple Shifts for a Robust Lifestyle can be found on Amazon or message me directly at myriam@elementalfitness.net
Aging Redefined
Simple Shifts for a Robust Lifestyle
Aging well is an art and a science, uniquely tailored to individual mental, physical, and spiritual health needs. Delve into the transformative insights of this book, guiding you to make shifts that redefine the experience of growing older—robustly and with purpose. Uncover the why, what, and how behind the inevitable physical and emotional challenges, providing practical strategies without the B.S.