
Hi friends,
Its that time of year where everything starts speeding up… Traveling to see family, holiday parties and gatherings, “end of year” pressure to “finish the year out strong”, shopping for gifts, decorating, making special recipes.
Maybe you are in the rushing whirlwind.
Maybe you are just exhausted getting through the day to day of your life and feel stuck while sensing the rushing around you.
Maybe it’s a little of both.
Nearly all of last week, I found myself caught in “not enough time” land - the whole day felt like one thing after another, the todo list only seemed to get longer, I blinked and then the day was over in a blur. I woke up out of this haze after hearing myself say three times in one day, “I’m just surviving this week.”
Do you ever feel like that? Surviving and not really enjoying, living, relishing in, appreciating the days. For me, rushing and trying to check as many things off the list really makes it difficult to be present and actually enjoy what is in front of me.
I am not present. I am in task master mode.
I hear this a lot from my clients who are managing energy limiting conditions and tend the flare around this time of year. They are just trying to get through the doctors appointments, the childcare, the basic self-care and daily routines.
The more I see the world through the lens of Polyvagal theory and the more I dig underneath the behavior to investigate the nervous system state, the more I see this rushing trap for what it really is.
Rushing is the behavior my body exhibits when I am in sympathetic overdrive. Rushing is a response to feeling overwhelmed, to feeling fear. Rushing is a way to try to control what feels uncontrollable, what feels like too much.
I call it the rushing trap because our brain tricks us into thinking and believing that if we can just get through the tasks, if we can just grit our teeth and push through, then we can relax. Then we will feel “better.”
Now I don’t need to blame myself for rushing and I certainly don’t blame you for it. You, just like me, have had very good reasons for rushing. It’s a behavior that somewhere in the past helped me, and you, feel safer, more secure, more in control.
Rushing can show up in our efforts toward healing, too. In my own life, rushing and “just get it done” energy has robbed the joy from things that I know are “good for me.
Does that feel familiar? You’re doing all the “right” things - moving your body, meditating, cooking nourishing meals for yourself, screen-free evening routines… And you’re just moving through all of it in a daze of “not enoughness.”
The thing is rushing keeps us separate and disconnected from our bodies. One of the biggest disservices that rushing does for me is that it makes it very difficult to listen and hear the wisdom of my body. If I’m going through my days like a bulldozer, it is very challenging to tune into what my body needs and offer myself that.
That reciprocal conversation with my body requires that I create space, that I create a container where I can slow down and direct my energy more mindfully.
But how? Practical tips to reduce rushing
Literally slow down. Walk slower and move slower. This is so simple but it is incredibly helpful for regulating your nervous system and beginning to signal to your body that you are not in danger (think about it… you would not move slow a bear was chasing you…)
Do 1 thing at a time. Rushing and multitasking tend to go hand in hand. If this is really hard for you, I invite you to try this for a specific portion of your day - like your morning routine.
Prioritize, baby! You cannot get everything done and you do not need to. If prioritization is hard for you, check out this quick read and practice.
Schedule time for joy - it can be as simple as smelling the flowers in your yard or watching your favorite holiday movie or whatever else would make you feel like a joy-filled 5 year old. Let yourself enjoy this activity guilt free.
If you’re still reading this, then I’m willing to bet something here struck a chord within you. You see yourself in these examples and you’re ready to slow down the rushing and tune into more presence this holiday season.
Upcoming free masterclass!
I am hosting a FREE masterclass on December 4, 2024 that is for all the rushers and overdoers out there, specifically those of you that feel like you are constantly pushing and overdoing as it relates to your healing.
It’s called Rebuilding Body Trust: Move Into Safety This Holiday Season. In the 60-minute free virtual masterclass we will explore how to create an environment that sends signals of safety to your body, how to retrain your brain to reduce fear around movement, and how to get started building a safe movement practice that builds strength and supports nervous system regulation.
Register here, and if you can’t make it live, I’ll send you the replay.
Go slow and easy, love. You are supported and there is enough time.