Recently I found myself with a BAD case of the Head Races. This is when my to do list, my fears, and my insecurities all join forces forming a massive tornado that sweeps me up and swings me around like my dog destroying one of our throw pillows.

An emotional description is overwhelm, panic, and eventually being stuck like Anxiety in Inside Out 2 (if you haven’t watched this maybe sneak a viewing of it into your schedule when you take Chill Pill #2 below).

Symptoms include*: Crying in random places at random times, feeling constantly on edge like I’m about to scream or burst into tears…or both, irritation at both animate and inanimate objects, procrastination, exhaustion/fatigue, making up excuses about why I can’t do something or why it won’t work, racing thoughts and a brain that won’t turn off, tightness in my stomach, neck, and shoulders, bloating, digestive system that seems to be there for show, many, many, headaches and migraines.

*Symptoms were amplified because I was also experiencing my period. Double whammy. A two-fer.

If you didn’t already guess, this was not fun…like at all. I felt so dysregulated and overwhelmed then I made a misstep that I think is the most tempting and easy to make: I tried beating my dysregulation into check with Love and Light.

Meditating and doing visualizations of what I rather be experiencing more intensely. Turned up the affirmations. Take in more self-help content. More intense self analysis and evaluation. More doing and no being.

If like me, you already tend to go hard at achieving, excelling, and accomplishing - this habit can 100% crossover into when you begin your journey of self-discovery via holistic health and living. I joke frequently but it is true that I can fall into a mindset of “I’m going to heal so fucking hard! I am going to be the best that’s ever healed. No one has ever healed like THIS.” While the commitment to well being, healing and growth is admirable this is a quick route to burn out which is what we are trying to develop ways to minimize in the first place.

When I get swept up I found it helpful to try and accept that my way back to balance would be a gradual descent and not a sharp return. The first way I began to find solid ground again was that I stopped for a moment. I took time out to rest and relax. I shared my honest feelings with people close to me that I trust. I let myself cry a river.

Next, I had a session of art coaching which was awesome. We used art to express feelings and be vulnerable about what was coming up for me. I put my emotions on paper and into colors and engaged with them externally. It was fun and gave me a huge sense of relief and validation. We did some grounding like vagus nerve healing with ear massages and deep breathing. Our action item at the end was that I do as little as possible. So I watched Netflix all day on the couch and rested which did wonders. I moved my therapy appointment and didn’t take calls or do tasks. I just let myself be. I let myself be tired, I let myself be moody, and I let myself be in sweatpants.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing at all.

Sometimes you don’t need to be fixing something but instead accepting where you’re at and showing yourself love even when it’s not where you wish you were. It’s okay to not be done, it’s okay to slow down, it’s safe to take your time.

If you find yourself with a bad case of the Head Races know that you are not alone. You also are not stuck forever. Everything is temporary even the seemingly never-ending rat race. If you’re swept up into the storm, i hereby prescribe you two chill pills:

1. In the morning when you wake up before you do anything or start thinking about everything you need to do, first ask your body/mind/soul what does it need. Literally silently or aloud say “what do I need?” I like to sometimes ask while I have one hand over my heart and one on my belly. Then listen to the first things that pop up…and give it to yourself. Whatever it is.

2. Focus your attention on only what needs to get done that day. If you are really having a bad case of the Head Races then maybe even focus on one half of the day at a time. Do an overview of what is needed: appointments, meetings, phone calls, payments etc. then see what less time sensitive things may need to be done. Resist the urge to fill up the day with tasks because you may likely realize that despite the all-consuming feeling that a million things need to get done right this second…you actually have only a few things to do today and have plenty of time to do them. Schedule time for food breaks and time where you can rest either with a full on nap or just a few moments to walk or sit.

I wish you rest, renewal and joy! Happy healing 🪷.

If you want to work together on building the kind of life that embodies more chilling, fill out the email form to connect on working with me one-on-one!