Ever since that time when...
Things have not been the same ever since...(fill in the blank here with a time when you were overwhelmed physically or emotionally). Since then you have not slept as well. Maybe you've put on weight. Noticed you're just strung a little tighter, harder to find times when you really feel at ease.
It's different for each person what started it. For some it's a particular event. An accident. A work crisis. A death in the family. For others, it wasn't just one thing, but maybe a series of hits too close together. You were holding up against the storm for a while but then it got to be too much. At some point you went into survival mode, and parts of you haven't come back since.
But by now you barely notice. All of that is pretty normal, isn't it? You've gotten used to this pattern and don't really expect it to be any different. But your body remembers. When we experience an overwhelming situation, our body gets us ready to respond by shifting into fight-or-flight. That works really well if the challenge is one that we can physically run from or wrestle with. But if it's an ongoing emotional stress from which there is no where to run, our stress response can get stuck.
And over time that can begin to feel like the new normal. But in the background, our heart is still a bit elevated, and our breathing shallower. Our muscles are chronically tense, and we might get headaches, insomnia, digestive problems and stress. These are a lot of the reasons that people come to me for treatment. And often we find that there is some underlying stress that also resolves or calms down during the course of our work.
Five Element Acupuncture and Zero Balancing are so good at helping you find balance and calmness again after the storm. I know they've helped me through many a tough time. I love to be able to help people reset their stress response cycle and bring more peace!
Here's one thing you can do for yourself right now: If reading this made you remember a time when you were overwhelmed, take a moment to feel your feet on the floor. Now take a breath and remind yourself that you made it through that time. You survived! Take a few moments to appreciate that. You already have an innate tendency towards being balanced - otherwise you wouldn't be here.
So with appreciation for your innate balance, and with the offer to help you deepen and tune it up when needed, I wish you a happy fall!
All the best,
Doren