What to do when you just can’t
Acknowledge the biggest mistkae we make is trying to fight out thoughts and feelings.m Stop fighting. Acknowledge and let it go.
Agree The Minds say “I can’t do that” You say: Ok, All good… So what can we do?
"I know what I should do, I'm just not doing it."
We've all been there. I hear it on calls with clients on a regular basis, and in casual conversations all the time
In fact, this exact problem was what got me started in my work over a decade ago.
I was a certified yoga teacher, I knew all about the benefits of breathing, exercise, healthy diet and supportive relationships - but I wasn't doing any of it.
I wanted to - I really did. I had problems that needed fixing - anxiety, major panic attacks, brain fog, obsessive behaviors, and I knew logically what I should do to get my body and mind back on track. But I just wasn't.
I would stop to take some deep breaths and my whole body would tense up. I would make a plan to get outside and get exercise, and my body would feel so weak that I could barely get out of bed. I would think about reaching out to a friend, but I just couldn't bring myself to pick up the phone.
So at first I got really frustrated. Why can't I do the things I know will help me feel better?
And then, when I was tired of feeling frustrated, I got curious, and I decided to just listen.
When I sat still and listened without judgement, there was a tiny, weak but insistent voice that said "I just can't."
I could have chosen to argue with this voice or bash it for being lazy, but I'd tried that already and it was a dead end.
So instead, I kept being curious. I learned to move with that little voice instead of moving against it.
"Ok, I hear you. You just can't. Got it. That's ok! ....
Hypothetically, if there was one thing you could do, what might that look like?"
And that's how I found my first "I can." And I kept adding to that "I can" little bit by little bit until eventually I was back on my feet, meditating for an hour every day, running mountain trails, diving into a powerful breathing and cold immersion practice that put my nervous system on a path of deep healing.
In resilience,
Caitlin