You are a cool person.
(Some ideas about staying in the present moment.)
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but…..
You are not defined by your lowest moment
You are not defined by your pain
You are not defined by the way others treat you
You are defined by the way you value yourself.
If this is something you struggle with, these simple practices can help you focus on the present moment and the current, amazing version of yourself.
Resurrection Breath
Resurrection breath can be very helpful when you are having anxious thoughts, when you are focusing on your pain, when you are ruminating or worrying about the past or the future. Resurrection breath is meant to help resurrect yourself to the present moment and rid worries about the past or the future.
Sit up tall in your chair, lengthen through the spine.
Ground your feet on the floor.
Turn your head to the left and exhale two breaths that sound like a soft “ha ha” to keep the past in the past.
Inhale the head back to the center to the present.
Exhale to the right, purse your lips and blow out (an extended whoooo) to keep the future at bay.
Inhale back to the center.
Just this is enough. Repeat through a few cycles of breath if it calls to you.
I am exactly where I need to be.
This simple mantra can be an affirming way to remind yourself that you are enough, exactly as you are right now. You don’t need to worry about the future, or the past.
Gently reminding others that you are a new version of yourself.
If someone is bringing up painful memories from the past, or a version of yourself you’ve left behind, it is okay to gently say, “that’s why I’m so thankful to be a better version of myself today.” This gently redirects the conversation away from the past and reminds the other person to move forward.
Allow others to reintroduce themselves to you.
Just as you have likely shape-shifted into a new version of yourself, be mindful of allowing others to reintroduce themselves to you. If you haven’t seen a family member or friend for years, be open to learning about their current interests and be mindful of not focusing on the things they were interested in or good at a few years ago. People change.
You don’t need toxic or cruel people in your life.
If there are people that are constantly belittling you, making you feel othered or less than, criticizing you, making you feel uncomfortable, or holding you to a past version of yourself, TIME TO MOVE ON. I cannot emphasize this enough. Just because they are related to you, or you used to be connected in some way, or your kids are in the same class, you do not need to dedicate your precious time to them.
Check in with your values.
I like to do a tune up, or a check-in for myself on where I’m spending my time and putting my energy into. Am I spending my time on the people, places, things, hobbies, etc. that I value in my life? Am I dedicating time and space for the activities that make me feel my best? Are the people that I love and help me to feel like my genuine self “on my calendar”?
