Should I?
Should I?
What do these 2 words mean to you? How do they feel in your body? In your mind?
As my mom says, "don't should on me." ☺️
People say, " you should walk 10,000 steps, you should do yoga, you should rest and read a book! You should stay late at work. You should get the laundry done, the toilet paper purchased, the kids lunches made!” AHHH! So many should's being thrown at us all day.
What if you reframe this word?
Perhaps changing the word "should" to I "want" to: walk, do yoga, read a book, stay late at work, pack my kids lunches, do the laundry! In my classes I often talk about changing a negative thought pattern to a positive pattern. I don't think the word "should" is so much a negative word, but FOR ME it feels negative in my body and mind. As a woman, I hear so many other woman say "I have too" or "I should."
But do we though?
Does this make the day more joyful? or just chore filled? Are others telling us "we should" or is this coming from our own minds? Do we feel like each task we do is filled with an "I should" or an "I want"?
This week, like most, I've been doing a lot of research on the vagus nerve. So many of us are living in this sympathetic nervous system (SNS) state of fight or flight or even now a 3rd state call "freeze".
Our mind and body is constantly trying to get to homeostasis.
So how can we find the balanced state between should and want? and SNS and PNS (parasympathetic nervous system)?
Please click on this link for a great video on activating the PNS. They are easy to do and "should" give you some great results. But, I want you to "like to" give it a try. If you have any other questions on this, I have many more resources for you. Or if you have resources for me, please pass those along. In a past newsletter, I wrote about adult temper tantrums. I have it on my blog post if you want to read for more resources.
So?
Let's get going doing what we need to do, but with a "liked to" joy. Then rest your weary head when you need to, and take a big deep breath!
If you're up for a few want to's this week, head to my website to sign up for pilates reformer or take a meditation, shoulder opener, ankle strengthener, or restorative yoga, or core class with me. If you are looking for any type of class in particular, let me know and I'm happy to help.
Movement, love, and laughter to you!
Mary
