| We all have it – that voice that keeps saying, “I should…” I should fold the laundry, I should be able to do more, I should get out of bed. And it goes on all day. This inner critic is continually telling us all the things that we should do. And it’s true. We do have many things that we’d like to accomplish during our day. But have you ever noticed how you feel after you’ve gone through that list of all the things that you should do? For me, I just feel burdened and life feels heavy. There’s no joy or gratitude. My day just feels like work. We think that pushing and striving will help us get more things done, but actually, it has the opposite effect. When we push ourselves, our limbic system feels the pressure, can interpret it as a threat, and releases stress chemicals. We may be able to get some things done, but we’ll end up tired and stressed out. The continual triggering of the limbic system can snowball and keep us in a constant state of fear, stress, and even panic, not to mention contribute to chronic emotional and physical health challenges. Now, think about those shoulds again. This time, replace them with “I choose…”. I choose to do the dishes, I choose to pick the kids up at school, I choose to get out of bed. Feel the gratitude for having dishes, for your kids, and for a safe place to sleep each night. Now take a couple of deep breaths. How does that feel? When we choose to do things, the limbic feels the lightness, freedom and power of being able to make a conscious choice. Instead of feeling burdened or weighed down, focusing on the choice actually does the opposite – it allows us to reduce our stress and find more joy and peace in our day. What are your shoulds today? Take a few minutes to write them out. Then one by one, cross out the word “should” and replace it with the word “choose”. Read the new sentence out loud. You may actually decide that some of those things really aren’t that important after all, and the things that you do decide to do, you’ll feel so much more freedom! The photo above is from my 30 Days of Neural Retraining Tips and Tools – 30 days of daily tips to encourage and inspire you in your retraining journey. I’ve been posting daily on my FaceBook page and on my Instagram – I’d love to have you join me! |
Eliminate the “shoulds”
