Awareness & Empowerment

The Journey to Awareness & Empowerment

How can we achieve unconscious awareness? How can we gain a thorough and complete understanding of ourselves, emotions, needs, wants, motives? How do we find the way and the support to get there?

I have identified a pattern that I endure every time I feel deeply stressed. As you know it's a cycle that spirals out of control when dealing with depression and anxiety. I face each day now knowing that when I feel funny, weird, guilty, bad, anxious or insecure, I need to find it, face it and deal with it.

It helps me to know at least that this pattern will get me through the tunnel and that I can do it. I get stuck too and it impacts everyone around me, but I am getting better and faster at identifying the real issues.

Here are my steps to self awareness & empowerment

1.   I feel like something is wrong, 

2.   I get cranky, (In our house we say "I have my grumpies on")

3.   I search for answer, not know it, get antsy, 

4.   I feel low, 

5.   I ponder, ponder, ponder, 

6.   I feel anxious, can't sleep, can't relax, can't focus,

7.   Identify the real issue, 

8.   Find a solution, 

9.   Understand the behaviour and that it is not ME

10. Talk about it with someone I trust to help it transfer to other situations.

Seems simple right? Text book right? I have described this activity as a mind plank for me. You know, a plank we do in core training. Well that's it. Every time I do it, I imagine that a physical plank for a beginner must feel like my mind plank. It hurts! But when we train more, we do eventually become stronger, more efficient and more confident.

Try it and tell me what happens. I warn you, it is not easy ...unless you are already incredibly self-aware and experience no struggle with depression.

But if you've fought hard for a long time like me, steps 7-10 could save your life.

Let's help each other 'cause every step is worth it!

Until next time....

Cindy