Episode 42 - Dumping Stress OUT of my Backpack

Dumping Stress Out of My Backpack.   https://tinyartvillage.com

Sometimes Your Nervous System Just Needs a Moment to Catch Up Hello, friend, and welcome back. I'm so glad you're here. Welcome back to the Real Positive Change podcast, where we explore the art of creating calm through creativity, community, and encouragement. Before we jump into today's episode, I have something I'm so excited to share with you! This month I'm launching something brand new called The Tiny Village Post—a little snail mail club created to bring a tiny bit of thoughtful encouragement and an extra ounce of love to your mailbox each month. Inside each envelope you'll discover one of my original art prints, a heartfelt letter, a Creative Reminder, a simple journal reflection, and a few tiny surprises designed to help you slow down, reflect, and enjoy a little creative calm. If that sounds like something your heart could use, I'd love for you to come join our little village. You can learn more at TinyArtVillage.com. Now... let's settle in together, take a deep breath, and get started with something that's been on my mind lately... I just recently learned from my mom about a simple breathing practice from Dr. Andrew Huberman, a professor of neurobiology at Stanford University. He talks about something called the physiological sigh—a breathing technique our bodies naturally use to help regulate the nervous system during moments of stress. Isn’t that what we all need? Absolutely Now this is not a magic solution to our stress, nor will one deep breath fix everything. But because sometimes... the first step toward peace is not about changing our circumstances. It's about allowing our bodies to remember what calm feels like. I don't know about you, but life has a way of piling things into our backpacks. You know that emotional stress you feel in your shoulders and back….all the Responsibilities.Deadlines. Not to mention those conversations that didn't actually go the way we hoped. And let’s not forget the worries we carry for the people we love. In that backpack we also stuff those thoughts of "I'll deal with this later”, thoughts that can quietly become very heavy in our mind. And We just keep adding things until we don't even realize how heavy we've become. But others can tell. They hear it in our voice, they feel it when they are in our presence, A heaviness that follows us around. That's actually what inspired this month's Tiny Village Post. Have you heard about my new snail mail letters that I send out? I love sending out encouragement and ….. This August I have created a card with the image of a tiny backpack. A gentle reminder to stop and take notice of what we are carrying. One little reminder that asks, "What have I been carrying that's time to set down?" One of my favorite lines I put on that card is….. "You don't have to carry yesterday into tomorrow.” Think about that. I sure did. How often to I take that frustration that happened the day before and continue to ruminate over it the next day? I think many of us believe that if we just keep carring these things until we can figure them out then eventually we'll feel better. But our nervous systems don't work that way. Our bodies need little moments throughout the day to catch up. To slow down. To unload. To remember that we're safe. That's where this simple breathing practice comes in. Did you listen to one of my past episodes when I spoke about how our nervous system is like a fire alarm? Let me explain what I said….Think of your nervous system like a smoke alarm. When we're under stress, it can become extra sensitive. This breathing technique helps send the message that the immediate danger has passed, allowing your body to begin settling down. The breathing technique is called the physiological sigh. Here's how it works. Take one slow breath in through your nose. But Before you exhale, take one more small sip of air through your nose. Then slowly breathe all the way out through your mouth. Let's do it together. (Breathe.) (Breathe.) Did you notice something? Do you find yourself yawning? That is a sure sign that you are releasing stress. Nothing around you changed. Your to-do list didn't disappear. The people in your life didn't suddenly become easier. But something inside of you shifted. But you gave your body permission to shift out of constant alertness and into a place where calm can begin to return. I love that we are able to do that.. Because isn't that what creativity does, too? When we paint... When we collage... When we slowly stitch... We're giving ourselves permission to pause. We're reminding our minds and bodies that not every moment has to be rushed. That we're allowed to breathe. We're allowed to notice. We're allowed to simply be. What if we began every creative session with one minute of intentional breathing? How cool would that be. Not as another task to accomplish. But as a gift to ourselves. A gentle way of saying, "I'm here now." "I don't have to carry everything into this moment." "I can set my backpack down for a little while.” You know you can always pick it back up….but for just a few short minutes give yourself the gift of putting it down. Imagine how different your day might feel if you paused for just sixty seconds. One breath. One sigh. One quiet reminder that you don't have to keep carrying yesterday into this new day. This week, I'd love to invite you to try something. Before you reach for your phone... Before you begin your work... Before you pick up your paintbrush... Pause. Take two or three physiological sighs. Let your nervous system catch up. Then ask yourself, "What do I want to leave behind today?" Maybe it's worry. Maybe it's something that you have no control over. Maybe it's fear. Maybe it's simply the pressure you've been putting on yourself. Set it down. You can always pick it back up later if you really need to. But my guess is... You won't want to. If you like receiving happy things in the mail. If you like passing along encouragment to others. Think about receving the Tiny Village post…you will find out all about it by typing into your computer, tinyartvillage.com. Thank you for spending these few moments with me today. Remember…Creativity isn't just the result of being calm. Creativity can also become a pathway back to calm. Until next time... Keep creating. Keep growing. And remember... You don't have to carry yesterday into tomorrow.