Have you ever felt like, if just one more thing happens, you wish you could push a button and stop everything?
Though there’s no instant switch to make everything feel easier when those intense moments occur, there are different ways we can handle it to lessen the punch so it feels more like a tap.
To tackle how we can do this, it’s valuable to understand why we may react the way we do.
When we are confronted with fear or unexpected stress, our bodies are designed to physically respond to these external stimuli.
We may experience tension in our muscles, an upset in our stomach, or even an anxious feeling all over. It’s a reflex reaction that sends these signals to all parts of our bodies.
Our emotional response, what we are thinking, plays a role in how we can minimize this physical reaction.
Our thoughts can be the steering wheel that takes our physical responses in a different direction. How might it feel if we could transmit thoughts to our bodies so we feel less stress?
Just because it feels like we don’t have control over these reactions, doesn’t mean it has to be that way.
You might remember from a long time ago, a Sesame Street Talk ‘n’ Play interactive toy for kids where Grover teaches kids to avoid the incorrect answer. He’d say ‘please don’t push the red button! Whatever you do, do not push the RED button!’ There’d be hints for the right one and of course, kids would always want to push the red one! Why might we always want a quick and easy solution?
As kids, we likely had the curiosity and fearless nature to try something different. Yet as adults, it may seem easier to push a button than face frightening new ways to modify our physical reflexes.
How might we know when it may be better NOT to push that RED button?
In that moment of fear, stress, or anxiety, what if we heard an inner voice telling us “DON’T push the RED button!”?
Might that moment of pause help us feel more relaxed about what we want instead? If we feel more relaxed, might our physical reactions feel different?
Let’s get curious for a moment. When you think about what you want, do you instinctively push a red button and say “I can’t” or might you think about why what you want feels important?
What if we try not to push the red button?
How might some “ME” time improve how we feel inside both emotionally and physically?
If you could have a green “ME” Monday® button to ensure some routine “ME” time for yourself, how might it feel?
It’s “ME” Monday®! So, let’s push the green button today and plan something special for ourselves now!