How Do I Stop Feeling So Stressed?

That question echoed through the cavernous halls of my thoughts for years...

not amidst stillness...
because there was no stillness...
instead there was only chaos of one thought slamming into another...

That being shared...
are you and I two peas in a pod, having experienced chaotic stress running the show of our lives?

I'm really glad you're here to take a slow, deep breath with me.

Not because one breath magically fixes everything...
but because this moment is different than all the moments that came before it.

Two peas in a pod together across the cyber miles...
sharing a virtual moment infused with LOVE...

For the next few minutes...
you don't have to carry everything by yourself.

Let's simply sit together and talk about what's happening.

Living with constant stress can begin to feel... normal.

Not peaceful.
Just ---- normal.

You try to rest...
but your mind doesn't seem interested.

And if you do get to sleep...
you wake up already thinking about everything that needs to be done...
your shoulders feel tight and your body clenches before your feet even touch the floor.

And your mind...
it keeps replaying conversations.
Planning tomorrow.
Worrying about next week.
Wondering what you've forgotten.
And your body doesn't even understand the meaning of relax anymore.

If that sounds familiar...
you're not failing...
this narrative doesn't have to be your life story...
and you're certainly not alone.

A huge percentage of Mother Earth's population is feeling the stress...
but let's talk about you.

Stress isn't who you are.

It's where you've been living - and you can move - you don't even need movers.

When life becomes pressured, your body does something extraordinary.

It tries to protect you by releasing chemicals that move you into a state of:
high alert --- watchful --- prepared.
This protective state is called **survival mode.**

It's a survival design that's perfect...
when you're facing real danger.

The challenge - is that your body doesn't always recognize when the danger has passed...
or it misinterprets high stress experiences as physical danger.

There is no velociraptor chasing you down the street...
instead it's disguised as a financial issue, conflict with your boss, partner or friend...
or some other experience you have no control over.

So the body stays prepared....
on high alert...
watchful...
feeling unsure, untethered and unsafe.

Then the moment that triggered the stress...
slides into another moment and another...
till days become weeks...
weeks become months...
months become years...
until being shackled to intense feelings of stress locked into survival mode begins to feel like...
who you are.

But being paralyzed like a deer in the headlights of stress and survival mode...
is NOT who you are.

It's simply the place your body has been standing for a very long time.

Here's where the light comes in...

The body learned to live in survival mode...
which means...
it can also learn to achieve relief and live in peace.

This transformation doesn't happen because you force yourself to "think positive."  It happens because you bring your heart and mind back into harmony...
quieting the thoughts that were slamming into each other...
and finding stillness in the storm.

It happens when you confidently, yet gently remind your mind and body that...
you're safe....
safe enough to breathe.
Safe enough to release the tension in your shoulders.
Safe enough to pause for just one moment.
Safe enough to remember there is power within you to elevate out of the stress.

Not power to control everything happening around you...
but the beautiful power to influence and consciously choose what is happening within you.

And that's where lasting change begins...
from within.

Let's take one gentle step...

Let's release the need to worry about tomorrow - what happened yesterday - and what's going on later today...
and just feel this moment.

Place one hand over your heart.
Take a slow breath in through your nose...
and gently release that breath by dropping your jaw...

... did you do it? ...

C'mon.... let's do it together...

Deep breath...
and exhale by dropping your jaw to release the air...

Again.

This time imagine your breath flowing directly through your heart space.

One more time.

As you breathe...
simply acknowledge...

"I accept what my life IS... in this moment."

Breathe into that statement...

"I accept what my life IS... in this moment."

Notice - what - changes.
Exhaling by dropping your jaw releases the tension in your face, you jaw and your neck...
continuing the deep breath and simple release brings...
relief...

It's easier to breathe...

Accepting what "IS" without judgment, excuse or argument...
relieves the internal battle of energy within you.

Opening the way for you to feel...
a little more...
...here...
a little more...
empowered.

Savor this feeling.
You aren't trying to fix your whole life in this moment - but you're beginning a movement of energy that when followed will lead to improving your life.
But in this moment of now...
you're feeling relief and remembering what vibrating in a more peaceful state feels like.

What becomes possible?

When your heart and mind begin working together instead of pushing and pulling against one another...
something remarkable happens.

The racing thoughts stop slamming into one another...
anxiety begins to de-escalate...
the intensity of your internal emotional storm begins to find some relief...
and clarity of thought...
quietly returns.

You begin making decisions from wisdom through your heart and breath instead of feeling pressured by anxiety and worry.

Not because your circumstances suddenly changed...
but because **you** did.

The power within you has always been there.  Stress tipping you into survival mode simply made it difficult to engage with that power.

Today you're accessing the power to consciously choose something different.

Two experiences from the village...

One student shared: “I was able to recognize my fear and make a choice of HOW I want to feel, then shift it.”  She also said: "I feel different, too -- empowered."

Another student shared: "I feel much lighter with increased feelings of peace and calm.”

The power within you is stronger than anything else...
all you have to do is access it and consciously use it even when it feels scary.

Continue exploring...

When you look deeper into the shadows of your subconscious...
you may learn that you're also wondering...
💜 Why do I feel overwhelmed all the time?
💜 Why am I so Anxious?
💜 How do I stop worrying?
💜 Why do I feel so stuck?
💜 How do I improve my life when I don't even know where to begin?

The 1:11 Lodge is where you want to go if you're looking for even deeper insight.  When you're ready...
click in...
the light will be waiting.

Explore What's Possible →
Self-paced classes, journals, and experiences you can explore whenever the time feels right.

Remember...

No matter what your life looks like today...
no matter how long you've been carrying the weight of stress...
you have the power within you to create a higher outcome.

Your new journey begins with something as beautifully simple...
as one deep breath.

With each deep breath... may you feel your power grow within you.