1532: Tend to your nervous system

Today I'm sharing some practical ways to tend to our nervous systems during hard times.

Episode transcript:

Good morning, Daily Peppers, and a very happy Wednesday and a very happy hump day to you. So this week on the Daily Pep, we are diving into the ebbs and flows and what to do when you find yourself in a dip. And today we're focusing on our nervous systems. And the reason why we're doing that is because when things are feeling shit and uncertain, our nervous systems become activated. It is hard to keep ourselves feeling calm. We go into fight, flight, freeze, fawn. And while tending to our nervous system can feel like the least urgent work to do in that moment because we wanna sort that fucker out and fix the situation itself. But tending to how we feel in the moment can actually be one of the most helpful things we can do because we make much, much better decisions from a place of hope rather than a place of panic.

And I know from a lot of experience that it is really challenging, but there are things you can do. One thing that can be really helpful is really grounding yourself in the ways that you are safe, and that may be literally listing out loud 5 ways that you are safe right now, and they can be as literal or intangible as you like. It also looks like taking extra effort to really do the basics, keep hydrated, look after your body, and try and get some rest. And it also looks like trying your best to remember that this is your dream-shitter's ultimate fantasy. More than likely, you might be in a bit of a vulnerable place, and that already loud voice can get a hell of a lot louder. It knows you are paying even more attention to it than normal. And the lies are insidious, and they are also bullshit. The things that might feel like a luxury in this moment really are not a luxury.

They're actually really fucking important. And remember, it can also be really uncomfortable and disconcerting tending to yourself in moments of panic. I know for me, my body is really familiar with going into panic stations and going off in a million directions, and that is very rarely actually helpful. But it is really unfamiliar to take a deep breath, look after myself, try and get my bearings, and try and bring some calmness to the situation. That feels really fucking uncomfortable, but often it is exactly what I need, and that gets me to clarity so much faster. What I'm trying to say is you are not on your own here. It is hard work being in the dip. It is hard work trying to figure out what to do.

It's hard work trying to tend to ourselves during that time, or even giving ourselves permission to. And if it feels hard, it may be that you're not doing anything wrong, and this is just a hard season. I know that doesn't necessarily make it any better, but one of the ways that we can help ourselves is by trying to stop piling on the shame of how we're dealing with the situation while we're going through it. So here's to tending to our nervous systems, here's to prioritizing things that might feel like a bit of a luxury, and here's to knowing that if doing something in a different way feels uncomfortable, that might just be because it's not familiar. Obviously, don't do anything that actively feels awful, Just know that sometimes choosing yourself and doing the best thing you can do for yourself in the moment sometimes doesn't feel like it, and it can just feel weird and odd. Happy hump day, my love. We are over halfway through the week. We've got this. We've got ourselves, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Transcription automatically produced by Castmagic.io

ABOUT THE DAILY PEP! PODCAST

A short, snappy and sassy daily podcast to keep your internal - and external - dreamshitters at bay!

The Daily Pep! is the rebel-rousing, daily podcast for couragemakers, creative, multi-passionate and unconventional women.

If you’re surrounded by people who don’t get who you are or what you do, if you want reminders you’re on the right path (no matter how scary it feels), or you’re sick of being your very own worst enemy, this is the podcast for you.

Every weekday, your host - writer, coach and professional rebel-rouser - Meg Kissack helps you build a creative and wholehearted life, one day at a time. Through short and snappy insights, reminders and stories, The Daily Pep! is here to remind you you’re not alone, and that everything changes when you believe you matter. Each episode is short and snappy, designed to fit in with (or help you start) your habits and routines.

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