With all the changes and busyness in my life this year, I've had to remind myself many times to JUST BREATHE! Even though, sometimes it was harder or took longer to remember, as soon as I started to focus on my breath, I would instantly start to feel more calm and relaxed. Allowing myself those moments, meant I could get back at the challenging task I was trying to complete with a clear head and come up with alternate solutions as needed. If we continue to stay in those feelings of stress and overwhelm, it is so much more difficult or even impossible to see other options.
During one of my stressful moments this summer, as I was explaining to a friend what I was trying to accomplish with great difficulty, she said to me, "So it sounds like if you just did (this), it would solve the issue you are having." It was so simple, yet I couldn't even think about a possible solution as I hadn't taken that moment to clear my mind. Turns out her advice was exactly what I needed to do and once I had done that, everything else became so much easier! It's that time of year where the craziness of the holidays causes a lot of stress and anxiety for most people, just a reminder to take those moments to close your eyes and breathe deeply!
Linley Valley