WEEK 3: REST
“As long as you keep suppressing emotions and live with a negative mindset, you are fundamentally at war with yourself.”
Q: What can trapped emotions do to your nervous system?
A: Dysregulate your nervous system.
Q: What can lack of rest cause?
A: Dysregulation within your nervous system.
Q: What happens within the body when negative thoughts become a pattern of thinking?
A: The nervous system struggles to regulate.
Q: What happens when your spirit isn’t connected to truth?
A: Disconnected nervous system.
Each question basically encompasses each week of this e-course. You’ve tackled releasing a negative emotion and 1 week of being intentional with boundaries + rest. As we move into week 3, open your mind to what happens within the nervous system when the body has continued stress. In this e-course, I’m narrowing it down to the type of stress caused by emotional suffering, heavy mental loads, physical exhaustion, and lack of connection with self + God.
As you saw with the questions above, each answer is the same. Listen, when the nervous system isn’t regulated and working like a well oiled machine, the body short circuits. The chemistry in the body becomes imbalanced. It would be like the measurements for your favorite dessert being wrong. Another word for the body’s chemicals is “hormones”. Most women would say that their “hormones are imbalanced”, and I wonder if a root of this has to do with our dysregulated nervous system due to high amounts of emotional & mental stress mixed with hardly any rest with a topping of not loving yourself.
Gulp. Yeah. This is why we have a 2nd full week of rest because learning about yourself requires loads of rest! Ha! Let’s move into this week’s topic: What are your thoughts and language saying about yourself and others?
What are you thinking about yourself when you look in the mirror? What are you silently whispering negativity to your body as you go about your day?
Your thoughts not only directly affect your behaviors/motivations, but they also signal negative chemical responses within the body (which end up dysregulating your nervous system!).
When a thought is negative, a negative chemical reaction occurs contributing to a hormonal imbalance. When a positive thought occurs, happy hormones are released into the bloodstream.
The truth of the matter is, your thoughts must align with the goal you’re envisioning. Your thoughts must align with the version you are becoming. Otherwise, it’s like brushing your teeth while eating oreos. Negative thought patterns contribute to higher levels of stress hormone which connect to inflammation levels, weight gain, insecurity, and so much more.
For example: if I think about dragging my nails down a chalkboard I shiver and get goosebumps. If I think of licking a sour lemon, extra saliva pools in my mouth. Reality is: there was no lemon or nails screeching on a chalkboard…but THINKING about both created a response within my body.
TRUTH: Your body chemically responds to what you think. Your body is listening. When the nervous system continues to operate in a state of dysregulation, overtime the stress begins to create a symptomatic breeding ground for disease in the body.
THIS is why you are doing this work.
Having a completely “regulated nervous system is impossible (on this side of heaven) and isn’t the goal here. The goal is learning how to to be aware of your emotional/stress triggers AND what feels soothing during a state of dysregulation. It’s not about being perfect and never experiencing stress but rather learning how to be comfortable with your own emotions while connecting and embracing the seasons your body & mind goes through.
Loads to “think” about this week!
When you’re ready, push play on audio 1. Looking forward to a conversation with ya on “check in Wednesday”!
IMPORTANT LINKS
100 Bible Verses about the power of our words
LOTS of stored emotions tend to land right in our hips. Try this christian based yoga flow to stretch the hips. Her entire “yoga for when you're a hot mess” is pretty great!
Hormone App with nutrition, mindfulness tips, and guided exercise shaped around your cycle. YES. Your cycle tends to dictate much of how you feel emotional & physically, so you mind as well be in tune with it. This app helps SO MUCH! I use the free version! Seriously, please check it out.
REMINDERS & HOLISTIC TIPS!
Continue to utilize your rest days this week as you work through your thought patterns! :-)
You take 20,000 some breaths per day. Might as well make a few count! Try the 4-7-8 Technique. Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and slowly exhale for 8. This is such a good way to help calm nervous system and kill stress before bed.
This week I want you to go stand barefoot next to a tree. Yep, you heard me. ha! Being around trees help our body naturally reduce blood pressure AND boosts immunity! (read more here about how trees are so good for your mind/emotions/spirit/body!) Take some time to thank God for the beauty trees provide, especially during their “release” season.
Valor oil: this essential oil has been nicknamed “courage in a bottle”. Valor’s ingredient list (Frankincense, Black Spruce, Blue Tansy, Camphor Wood, and Geranium) helps the body chemically rebalance the electrical system and frequency in the body helping CALM the nervous system. Folks who have suffered from abuse, emotional/mental trauma or PTSD enjoy using this blend. Find it here.
Homeopathic remedies for stress (tasteless tablets take orally, you can find at most health food stores or amazon):-
Ignatia: related to feief or anguised emotoial pain
Aconite for anxiety of panic
Nux vomica for emotional stress arising from workign too hard or under too much pressure
Chamomilla for anger especially if headaches or tension in body is induced by anger
Coffea: busy mind lack of focus or insomnia
And again, just a friendly reminder to stay hydrated. Water is so so good for your brain, and I am sure you have a lot of processing happening right now.
