Knowing your limits
While the modern world can make us feel capable of accomplishing so much, building a sense of your limitations and honoring them is actually the counter intuitive truth that will allow you to flourish.
Pushing past your limits is a recipe for burnout.
Honoring your limits and living into them will enable you to thrive.
When you sense the overwhelm that can take over, that is a good time to check in.
Your brain isn’t meant to solve all the problems all the time.
Don’t forget your body. It is moments like these where your body can be a real asset.
Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels
Here are five ways you can use your body to help you regain presence.
1. Connect with your breath
Deep belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing) helps regulate your nervous system.
Try the 4-7-8 breath: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8.
Place a hand on your heart or belly while breathing to deepen the mind-body connection.
2. Engage Your Senses and practice grounding
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 method: Name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
Walk barefoot on grass or the floor of your home, hold a warm cup of tea, or use grounding essential oils like cedarwood or lavender.
3. Move Your Body
Shake out tension (literally shake your arms, legs, and body). Animals in the wild do this naturally after escaping a predator. Physiologically, stress has the same affect on you as being chased by a predator, and you can shake it out.
Do slow, mindful movements like yoga, stretching, or even swaying to music.
Take a walk, focusing on the sensation of your feet hitting the ground.
4. Speak or Write What’s True in the Moment
Say out loud: “I am here. I am safe. I can feel my feet on the ground.”
Write a stream-of-consciousness journal entry to move emotions out of your head and onto paper. When your emotions know that you have acknowledged them, they can dissipate a little.
If grief is present, let yourself name and honor it instead of pushing it away.
5. Practice “Micro-Presence”
Instead of trying to calm everything at once, focus on this moment. Then the next.
Eat mindfully—notice textures, flavors, and smells.
Do a "30-second reset": Pause, take a breath, feel your feet, soften your shoulders, and notice what is around you.
You weren’t meant to be in your head all the time.
Let your body be a gift to you and help you regain presence.
If you’d like some support with this, reply to this e-mail and we can have a conversation.
Love,
Audrey
