I awoke one morning feeling incredibly stressed about life. I found myself judging everything especially myself. “You should have put away the laundry last night. You should have worked on your budget instead of watching the news. You shouldn’t watch so much news, it just brings you down. You should have meditated this morning, but instead, you hit the snooze button too many times, and now, you’ll be late for work. Again.”
The Ladies in the Attic
I refer to this self-talk or critical voice as the “ladies in the attic”. It sounds like a bunch of women nattering away at me. As the chatter got louder, my anxiety got worse. By the time I arrived at work, I was feeling annoyed, and agitated. I knew I had to shift my thinking so that I could feel better about myself and the day that lay ahead. But how?
And then, I served Alice
Alice is a delightful woman who creates ways to enjoy life. We used to bump into each other at the Music Circus. On her last, four-month check-up, Alice had shared that she had been struggling with vertigo and it was definitely getting her down. She had seen a couple of doctors to no avail.
I asked her how she was doing with the vertigo to which she replied. “A few weeks ago, I realized that my shoulders were tight and raised, that I was feeling stressed. I thought to myself that this is probably contributing to vertigo. So, I decided to do something about the stress. I started laying down a couple of times a day, taking ten, long, slow, and deep breaths. Within a few days, my shoulders and my whole body felt so much more relaxed. And the vertigo went away!”
Alice was like an angel sent to me with an important message
I can’t begin to tell you how relieved and grateful I felt for Alice sharing her story. Slow, deep, breathing helps to release the stress we carry in our bodies AND quiet our minds. I immediately started breathing more slowly and deeply, and within a few moments, I felt calm and at ease. Even the ladies in the attic got quiet!
I thanked Alice and acknowledged that she was a wise woman to which she laughed and said, “A Wise, Old Woman!”
Alice, thank you again for sharing this uplifting story, and for allowing me to share it with our Avalon Family! I just realized that the next time the ladies in the attic get loud, all I need to do is slow down, breathe deeply and ask the Wise Old Woman to show up!
May you be safe, be healthy, and connect this week. And remember, breathe!