I regularly do yoga and if I have a spare ten minutes I’ll stick on a YouTube video (one of my favourites is Tara Stiles). The feeling I get after I have stretched my body into all sorts of bizarre shapes is one of openness and connection that benefits me greatly. It’s my way of connecting to myself. Open up to Someone You Love
This week I was asked do a radio interview with the very open-minded and charming Nicky Byrne in RTE 2FM. I was excited to have the opportunity to speak about my work in a supportive and interested environment. Any chance that I get to reach and help people I always grab with both hands. The interview went really well and I got the message across to the best of my ability.
However, after the initial high of the interview I felt an unfamiliar low. I had this uncomfortable feeling of tightness in my chest so I did my yoga, practiced my mediation, listened to my self-hypnosis and while all of these things helped, it became clear to me that I needed to talk to someone to help me figure out why the feeling persisted. On Wednesday evening when the sun was just setting I went for a walk with my very supportive and caring husband and I opened up to him about this unwelcome low I was experiencing after the initial exhilaration of doing the interview. This really helped and gave me an incredible feeling of release similar to when I do yoga. Also the tension in my chest literally dissipated. The outcome of our chat was that I realised I had put myself under a bit too much pressure to get my message across; I hadn’t found out until late Monday that I was to go on live radio the next morning and so I had very little time to prepare.
This week and of course at any time in the future, if you feel tension building in you, please use your own self-help techniques to alleviate the tension. If this is still not enough then, if you can, open up to someone you love, someone who will listen without judging or interrupting! I realise that most of us don’t wish to burden others with our troubles and while this undoubtedly stems from altruism, by not talking about what is on out minds we indirectly, negatively affect those we love; often we can become irritable or withdrawn and our tension affects others. By contrast, talking about issues and sharing your concerns is like opening a window in stuffy room – everything feels fresher and lighter again. Talking honestly also brings you closer to the person you have confided in.
If you wish to listen to the podcast of my interview on 2FM please click here. I hope that my passion and message is clear: you are the master of your mind.
I now have a big, mental, sticky note that says: ” Be kind to yourself, you are doing great,” and next time something comes up at short notice I will make sure to refer to this note. I recommend you do the same for anything that challenges you beyond the normal.