Depleted? Stuck? It makes sense.
According to the yogic life science, Ayurveda, this season is the one where we would naturally see folks feeling depleted, stuck and/or depressed. When you add a one year anniversary of the massive chaos that 2020 put us through, we are going through a LOT.
In 2020,
people through
an economic crisis, a global pandemic,
a politically polarized election, earthquakes,
a racial justice movement, fires, riots,
chronic uncertainty, anxiety and depression.
With no preparation, no warning, or any special training all
If there was ever a time to honor and value yourself, it’s now.
You are my unsung hero.
So how do we recover or get "unstuck"? Let's keep it simple:
Transition!
I can't emphasize this enough. Change your clothes after work (especially if you work from home), talk a short walk around the block, lay on the floor and play with your pet/kids, sing or dance (research shows why this actually works) or do some yoga. When you do one of these MOVEMENT based activities, tell yourself you are TRANSITIONING out of work. Within a week you'll notice a huge difference. I take a yoga class every weekday at 4:30 and say as I'm driving there "I'm now done with work". When you add some sort of mindful transition that you acknowledge, you'll find a new habit of leaving work behind. It can take 5 minutes or one hour. It doesn't matter how long, just create a mindful routine and watch the magic happen!
Keep It Spicy
Eat spicy foods and watch the metabolism rev up and the foggy brain disappear. Spices will get things moving. Just watch your sinuses for the proof. It will drain things that are literally "stuck", mentally, physically and emotionally. Slightly cooked foods are so much better than raw right now. Your body has less energy for digestion, so steam or cook your foods and get spicy.
Do Something New
This is super balancing for that stuck energy. Take an art class on Zoom, learn an instrument, learn martial arts, do a hot yoga rather than restore or anything that sounds like something you've never done but would like to. Intimidated? Ask a friend to join in (another way Ayurveda tells us to balance this season).
Don't just think about these 3 steps. Do them for 2 weeks and tell me what you think!
~ Corena Hammer