The Mind Loops Blog, March 2023
It’s not a surprise we feel stress:
The world we live in is complex, fast-paced, toxic, and devoid of much time in recuperative nature.
Stress causes relationship turmoil… lowers our productivity… brings on back pain, digestive issues, skin eruptions, abnormal heartbeats…
And disconnects us from our heart, inspiration, creativity, and spirit.
It disrupts our joy in life.
Let’s turn the Stress Ship around with a few simple questions.
The next time you feel stress…
ASK YOURSELF:
Where am I?
Literally:
I am standing on my couch in the living room.
I am in my car at a stop light.
Ground yourself in space and time.
Feel your body. You are okay at this moment.
Am I hungry?
First: When did you drink water last? Often hunger signals are actually thirst signals.
If you are truly hungry, notice you are not starving. Food is nearby. Eat something!
Much stress comes from forgetting to eat (or eating too much).
Carry nuts with you so you don’t drop your blood sugar so far.
Did I get enough sleep last night?
This is so important, it cannot be emphasized enough.
• Sleep is the time when you “de-frag” your brain.
• Your body removes toxins, viruses, and waste when you sleep.
• Your short-term memory gets washed from the current chalkboard so you have room for new experiences and memories tomorrow.
• Countless, stunning healing and organizing mechanisms take place when you sleep.
Does your phone work well on 18% battery? No. You’d plug it into the charger, right?
Then give your mind and body that generosity too.
Tell yourself: “The kitchen closes at 9pm” – so that you stop eating at least 1 hour before bed; 2-3 hours is better. This gives your body time to digest so it can do all its other tasks when you sleep – including getting rid of “zombie cells”! (yes that’s real; look it up if you don’t believe me!).
“Enough” sleep varies from person to person – but at least 6 hours, and hopefully 7-9 hours.
Honestly: Getting enough sleep is like a magical button that gives you resilience in the midst of stressful situations – and makes everything better.
You might even laugh at the situation instead of blow your top.
What was I just thinking about?
Here we are in Mind Loops Land. When we’re stressed, we’re in our minds. We have transported ourselves outside of time and space into the past or the future.
We’re creating scenarios based on old, internal programming. As a result, many of those assumptions and conclusions are FALSE.
These false stories are creating your experience of life.
Ask yourself what you were thinking about. Notice that the thought created stress in your body.
Remember where you are in time and space.
Breathe.
As you breathe and look around you and listen to what sounds are ACTUALLY being heard (not the replay of conversations, or what your boss just said, or internal dialogue criticism, or fear)…
You will see that:
Everything is fine in this present moment.
You are alive. No one is running after you with a club. You’re not starving (far from it) and food is nearby. You can breathe. Look at the things around you. You exist.
And actually… all is well.
Xo Barbara
Barbara Ireland
Author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, How To Stop Negative Thoughts
Contributing author of the #1 Amazon Bestseller, The Transformative Power of Near-Death Experiences
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HOW TO STOP NEGATIVE THOUGHTS 