“Be easy on yourself”
I can say this one to others, no problem, but when it comes to myself, I’ve found it to not be as simple…
For the past month especially, I’ve been unearthing subconscious stress patterns I’ve been holding in my body, probably for the last 18 years. (Thanks to my friend Karen for telling me about the Curable app)
More and more I’m understanding the root of the headaches/chronic pain/jaw tension I’ve experienced may be the impossible standards I sometimes hold myself to… ways of thinking and being that have gotten so normal to me that I couldn’t even consciously see them.
When I see someone else being hard on themselves, shifting into fear, worry or stress, it’s easy for me to see how crazy and irrational the mind can be, but not as easy when it comes to myself.
My partner has been a really good mirror for me with this one, helping me learn to take the pressure off, to let things be messy, to remember to play and love myself when I make mistakes.
Here are some other reminders I’ve been telling myself lately that I thought you may also find useful:
It’s impossible to make everyone happy all the time
Mistakes happen. It’s a quality of being human. We didn’t come here to be perfect, we came here to learn
There are more valuable things in life than checking everything off the to do list
Our body will never be “perfect” to the ego’s standards, so we may as well start loving the one we got now
We’re exactly where we need to be for a reason. Don’t try to rush it or move faster than what is natural
Sometimes a messy home is the exact medicine we need
It’s ok to take a break and rest in the middle of the day even if it’s not done
Some things may never get done, and that’s ok, chances are it was something we didn’t really want to do anyway
Having the (enter your vice of choice here) is not such a bad thing, what’s worse is the self=punishment or guilt we put ourselves through after doing it
We’re probably not going to have a perfect morning practice every day, and that’s ok. It’s important to celebrate where we’re at
Do you ever hold subconscious stress in the body? Hold extremely high standards for yourself? What do you do or say to ease up the pressure?
Feel free to leave a comment below.
With love,
Meredith
P.S. I'll be leading another cohort of the Way of the Priestess Program this year. 🎉
A beautiful group is already forming and we begin June 10, 2021. If this is something you've been considering, I invite you to check out the program guide here.
