Shake it Off!

What do you do when your mind sends you on a wild goose chase?

I've been on one of those for the past couple of days. Most of the time, I am aware when my mind starts getting away from me and I perch up like an owl and stay alert. However, a few days before the start of my period, my mind takes me on a fun mental and emotional ride to the point when I start doubting my own name. If you are a female reading this post, then you are all too familiar with side effects of PMS. No matter how varying these side effects, the underlying quality of this state is diminished alertness or presence. You're rearranging every life decision you've ever made before you know what hit you, at least I do.

If you suffer from excessive thinking and you can't turn your mind off whenever you want, then practice the following along with me:

1. Shake it off - Whenever you find yourself in states of anxiety, worry, confusion, emotional turmoil, unexplainable anger, or any other state that does not equal peace, than literally stand up and SHAKE IT OFF! For 5 to 10 minutes straight stand there and shake every part of your body. I learned that technique from Kim Eng's Retreat and now all I have to do is do it.
2. Change locations - If you are at work and anxiety or excessive thinking plagues you, then get out of your workspace completely, even if it's for 10 minutes or so.
3. Go to your breath and stay there for as long as you need to.
4. Choose the opposite - if someone asks you a question and you usually say yes, say no. If you're on your way home, go the other way. If you're in the middle of an argument, stop arguing or say something loving to the person you're arguing with, throw them off guard.
5. If you're home bored or feeling worthless like you're not contributing, go one of two ways: 1) do something, anything, even if it doesn't make sense and you have no idea how this applies to the rest of your life 2) do nothing - I know, I know, it's contradictory, but hear me out. Stay with it; see what feeling bored or worthless feels like. The mind controls boredom as well. It's putting stories in your head that don't serve you and you can hear those stories when you listen to what your mind is saying. But if you can't take it anymore, then perform one of the above exercises.

Join me in shaking it off no matter what the mind is telling you!

Thank you!