Over the last couple years, the following Tony Robbins’ quote became my mantra as I navigated many changes in my life.
“The quality of your life is equal to the amount of uncertainty you are willing to embrace”.
Up until February of 2019, I believed I handled uncertainty and emotional overwhelm in a pretty healthy way. Then my life shifted. Not only was I getting ready to medically retire from the military after 31 years of service, but I also underwent two shoulder surgeries in one year.
Talk about uncertainty, uncomfortableness and emotional overwhelm.
I used all the tools I had used in the past, and as a Neuro-Transformational Coach I had many powerful tools at my fingertips—but still I struggled. I struggled with balancing my emotions, allowing myself to be supported through two surgeries by my husband. This was a big one for me. As someone who had always been very independent, suddenly I had to have him handle all of my basic care for twelve weeks—for each surgery. I questioned my identity as I left a decades long career and the vulnerability of allowing myself to be cared for.
Lots of triggers came up for me to heal. Can you relate?
I decided to see it all as an opportunity to dive deeper, to heal and to take those lessons and insights into my coaching practice to support other women through it.
Many of us have been navigating the unknown for the last couple years. I have had numerous conversations with clients, family and friends who asked what tools I used to move through the chaos and uncertainty. I share some of them here with you. Truth be told, I still use these tools to support me in staying aligned with inner peace, joy, and gratitude
Here are 3 Sacred Strategies to Help You Recenter in Times of Emotional Overwhelm
1.Embrace Gratitude: When we can find space in our thinking and our heart to tap into the essence of gratitude, even when things are hard, it has the power to bring us back in alignment. Ideally, you can write out ten things you are grateful for. If the moment doesn’t allow that, then speak your list out loud. Some days we may be able to tap into gratitude for big things—like a new job—and other days it feels like a struggle to find even the smallest thing. That’s okay. That’s a part of the journey. If you are struggling one day to create your list—start with being grateful for your breath, or even the cup of tea in your hand. The goal is to allow yourself to deeply FEEL the essence of gratitude for whatever is on your list that day.
2.Find Your Center: We each have a place within that is our peaceful center. We can easily feel disconnected from that peace when life is chaotic, busy, or overwhelming. Those are the times that it’s even more important to tap into our peaceful center.
Some have practices already in place to find their center quickly and others it might take a little bit of practice, so be gentle with yourself. Below are a few examples for you to explore and see what works for you. Don’t get discouraged if one does not work for you, what is important is that you keep trying new things until you connect with what works specifically for you.
One of the most powerful ways is to tap into the rhythm of your breath. Here’s an exercise I use and share with my coaching clients. Take a deep breath to the count of 4. Hold it through the count of 10. Release to the count of 8. Continue until you’ve completed the cycle 5 times.
Other ways to find your center could be coloring, guided meditation, talking a walk or even sitting in nature. Again, these are just a few examples for you to try until you find that one that works for you.
3.Shift Your Focus to What You Can Control: When life is coming at us fast and hard, it can throw us off center and lead us into thought that don’t serve us. Without supportive tools, it can be easy to fall into ‘catastrophic thinking’ which is filled with ‘what ifs’ and projects of worse case scenarios.
When you feel yourself in that energy, take a deep breath and make the conscious decision to shift. The following self-inquiry questions are one powerful way to shift your thinking to possibility thinking. You can write these out as well as any other questions that come up during the process.
- What can I do right now to come back to center and release the overwhelm?
- What DO I have control of in this moment? (Make a list. When we focus on possibility, our subconscious will help us identify the steps. Once you identify the steps, take action immediately which will enhance your feeling of empowerment.)
Since incorporating these steps into my transformational toolbox, I’ve learned to embrace the uncertainty of life in a much healthier way. My clients share that, using these tools, they have been able to move through overwhelm, self-doubt and insecurity much faster. In these uncertain times that we’re in I invite you to give yourself permission to honor yourself, protect your energy and create space for self-care.
