Hello, joyful community!
What a whirlwind the last few days have been. Noah (my husband) and I towed our camper across seven states in 22 hours. We’ve happily landed in Dallas, TX, our new home for the next few days.
That long drive made me tired.
Every day, we changed landscapes and time zones, not knowing where we’d sleep until night. We love the freedom of “winging” our travels but uncertainty is tiring.
Change is tiring.
Just like a tough workout at the gym exhausts our muscles, our brains get tired from weighing decisions and anticipating the unknown during times of change.
If you’re currently experiencing a significant change in your life or career, chances are, you might have days when you’re tired too.
How can we feel more energized as we experience change?
Last week, I shared Step #1 to embracing change:
Understand how you’re self-sabotaging.
When we self-sabotage by letting our saboteurs run our brains, we deplete our energy through stress, anxiety, indecision, and insufficiency.
Today, I want to share Step #2 to embrace change.
I also want to invite you to join me for the next Positive Intelligence Pod - it’s all about helping you navigate career changes with less fear and more energy!
Registration to join the Pod closes in three days, on Friday, September 22nd. Next week, we kick off!
Secure your spot and be one of the six people to join me in a 7-week journey to experience change feeling less drained by fear and more energized by curiosity, playfulness, creativity, and wonder!
To tell you about Step #2, I want to share an article I wrote a few months ago, on a day I was feeling tired and afraid of uncertainty:
Interrupt Fear
Today, you’ll probably spend a lot of time in your head.
You’ll worry about something you said or did. You might spend time in anxious energy about the unknown future.
When you notice that anxious energy, pause and connect with your body’s senses.
Your body is the best mechanism to interrupt fear and return you to the present moment.
Yesterday morning, my brain was living in fear: I have a busy week and my brain wanted to get caught up in my meetings and to-dos, having me believe that I won't have time to get it all done.
As I watched the clock tick, my thoughts began to spin:
“Should I tackle this task or that one first?”
“If I do this task first, will I have time for the one after it?”
“What if I don't get everything done on my list today?”
“I haven't been working at the fast pace I had planned. My day is ruined.”
By 11 a.m., I felt drained.
Fear about not completing all my tasks robbed me of the energy I needed to work on those exact tasks.
My thoughts about the future had stolen away the energy I needed to work in the present.
This is how fear works: it robs us of the energy we need right now.
Fear is the anticipation of a negative outcome.
While we might logically know that fear is “False Evidence Appearing Real”, when it shows up, it feels real. Because fear feels real, we succumb to emotions that drain our energy, like anxiety.
Our bodies can help interrupt that fear-FULL path by helping us build self-command over our brains.
Here’s what I did at 11 a.m. when I noticed my anxiety growing due to my spinning thoughts:
I stopped.
I closed my laptop and told my husband I'd be back later.
I walked into town, sat on a bench, and engaged my body, not my mind.
I looked at the orange tree in front of me with careful detail, noticing the intricate designs of the fruit’s skin.
I breathed deeply, pinpointing the exact scents around me.
I listened for the farthest away sound that I could and then noticed what I could hear right in front of me.
I noticed how the bench underneath me supported my body.
Every one of these actions interrupted my thoughts and brought me back to the present moment.
My heart rate slowed down.
My brain quieted down.
My shoulders relaxed.
My mind cleared.
My energy returned.
I was ready to start over.
I opened my laptop and began typing.
Everything flowed from there.
Connecting with my body for 30 seconds allowed me to begin again, re-energized and focused.
***
The negative emotions you experience today are coming from fear.
When you notice these emotions:1. Stop.
2. See, smell, hear, taste, and touch (notice the details).
3. Breathe deeply.
4. Continue with your day.Fear doesn’t exist in the present - it’s connected to the past or the future.
Your body is the one part of you that truly lives in the now.
Connect to the now through your body’s senses.
Your energy will thank you.
The article above illustrates what Step #2 is about:
To quiet fear and embrace change with more energy, build self-command over your brain.
We practice self-command when we:
Interrupt our self-sabotage in its tracks
Get out of our heads and activate our bodies
Connect with the present moment
Instead of letting your brain run you, building self-command helps you notice when you’re self-sabotaging and snaps you out of that self-sabotage quickly, before it drains your energy.
The faster you get out of fear and other unhelpful emotions, the faster you can get back to enjoying the present moment and creating your future with more energy!
In the PQ Pod launching next week, we’re going to strengthen your self-command skills through exercises that take 10 seconds to complete.
Why?
Because while practices like meditation are helpful for building self-command, they’re not always available to us. Imagine that someone says something hurtful to you, activating your saboteur response. Will you think to say “Excuse me, I’m going to go meditate now”? Probably not.
The PQ Pod is going to help you command and interrupt the hijacking of your brain’s saboteurs on the spot and quickly.
Through the Pod experience, you will literally rewire the neural paths of your brain to redirect yourself.
Christina C., a Non-Profit Director, shared her experience after joining my Pod:
"I've developed an ability to stop myself mid-negative thoughts or reactions and hold myself accountable, label what I'm feeling, and redirect myself. This is a powerful skill that I know will help me better navigate sticky situations, self-regulate, and redirect more quickly than before in my personal and professional life."
Just like Christina, you will also learn to redirect and command your brain to stop draining your energy and instead direct it to think and act in service of your goals.
You won’t want to miss it.
P.S. Curious about the science behind the Pods? Learn about the research here.
P.P.S. In a few days, I’ll tell you about the last step, Step #3, to stop feeling so much fear during times of change. In the meantime, if you’re experiencing a career change and haven’t yet joined my free Open Hours, join me this Wednesday at 2 p.m. Register here.
P.P.P.S. Why are you waiting to feel better? As soon as registration closes this Friday, you will receive access to the PQ Pod App with access to the “PQ Gym”, a place where you can practice mental exercises to quiet your energy-draining saboteurs immediately.