[Original post 1.13.2020]

I don't know about you, but my mind is ALWAYS on overload. I feel like there's a mini version of The Flash in my brain that bounces from thought to thought in hyper-speed. It's exhausting! After my miscarriage it seemed like the mini superhero in my head was in overdrive. Between all the what-if's and replaying of scenarios, I feel like I never really slept. I needed a switch for my brain and I needed to turn it off asap!

That was a big part of the reason why I made the decision to go back to therapy. I needed to unplug my brain but I knew there was no point in unplugging if I wasn't going to unpack. Did you catch that? There's no point in unplugging your brain if you aren't going to unpack your thoughts because those same thoughts will still be there when you plug back in.

Well, I made a decision last month to stop going to therapy. Mainly because I switched jobs and I couldn't afford it outside of my insurance. I was nervous to tell my therapist because I've never been good at breakups and I hate feeling like I'm letting people down. She was so sweet though and made sure to tell me that I needed to keep a safe space for me to express myself. It's so important to have that safe space because if you can't express yourself, your thoughts ultimately become louder and it'll drive you insane.

So, let's talk about what I'm doing to quiet my thoughts by expressing myself. For starters, talking to y’all! I can say whatever floats my boat & feel confident that this is my safe place. [ Thanks friends :) ] I've been painting. I'm no artist by any means, but it's something about seeing my little ideas come to life that brings me joy. I've also been coloring. A couple years ago, my sister got me an anti-stress coloring book. It's very intricate but it allows me to focus and helps to relieve tension.

You ready for my 5 life tips to help you quiet your thoughts and find some peace?

Here you go:

Unpack before unplugging. Process your daily thoughts before going to sleep at night. Phone a friend. Confide in your partner. Pray. Meditate. Doesn't matter how you do it (as long as you aren't hurting yourself or others), just let go of the day somehow.

Get enough sleep. Now, I know I refer to this a lot but it's important. Getting an adequate amount of sleep can not only help you to have more energy but it also puts you in a better mood, therefore making you more tolerable to others..and let's face it, you attract what you put out in the world.

Find a creative way to express yourself. You don't have to color or paint like me. You could go for a drive, turn the music up, and sing as loud as you possible can. You could go dancing and let all your worries trickle through your sweat and disappear. You could pick up a sport like bowling or something.

You need to cry. Okay, hear me out. I know a lot of people hate to cry, but that's because they've been taught that crying is a sign of weakness (especially for men). To me, crying is just purifying the soul. You're releasing all the pain and frustration you have built up. All those negative feelings are taking up your mental capacity, therefore not allowing there to be much room for all the good feelings. And ya'll, there are sooooo many good feelings!!!

Do something you love everyday.  Read a book. Listen to your favorite podcast on your way to work. Exercise for 30 minutes. Take a long shower. Do at least one thing that makes you smile from the inside out every single day!

So what have we learned today friends?

If you quiet your mind, you can protect your peace and ultimately soothe your soul. 

That's all most of us really want. When your soul is soothed, you're happy. Remember though, happiness is not a destination.. it's a journey. It's a road we're traveling on and veering off of. All we can do is try our best to stay on the path.

Until next time; Be YOU. Do YOU. LOVE YOU💜