I spent this past weekend moving – two 12+-hour days packing, organizing, cleaning, loading, and unloading. And there’s still the unpacking to do now that everything is in the new place. Oof.
I had forgotten how emotionally taxing moving is. We all know it is physically tiring but I think we don’t often recognize the emotional strain of moving.
We are detaching, unhooking from one place and starting over in another. It is an opportunity to clean out the old, get rid of the stuff we’ve been holding onto – both physical objects like furniture, books, and household goods, as well as non-physical things such as the emotional tie of a place.
I lost my patience more than once. Several occasions it was simply me wanting to assert myself. When you are letting go of much of what has been tied up in your identity, we can sometimes look for other ways to claim who we are. There were times where it seemed petty – I was acting like a petulant child (and I recognized this yet acted out anyway). I wanted to reaffirm I was still me even though I was letting go of my home. So what did I learn from this?
I know it sounds cliché, but home goes with you. YOU are your home. For some reason it was easier for me to realize this when I moved abroad – perhaps because it was so very different from the place I had called home previously. This time I was just moving across town so it wasn’t such a drastic change- all the more reason to check in with myself and reconnect.
So how do you ensure you are the best version of you – no matter where you are, where you live, what you’re doing, who you’re with?
I believe it starts with your connection with yourself – which sounds simple, but again it’s not always easy. I’ve shared before how I think we often disconnect from ourselves – especially when we are under stress. What I have found that helps to maintain this connection with yourself are daily practices. We can’t go through the majority of our days disconnected from ourselves and then think we will magically reconnect on demand. It takes practice. Consistent practice. Daily practice. Our society favors the go-go-go so it sometimes feels counter-intuitive to pause or take time in your day to slow down and connect with yourself.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. It can be as simple as dedicating ten minutes in the morning to a walk. Walking is a great form of dynamic meditation.
2. Bring your awareness to your breath while brushing your teeth, showering, or driving.
3. Journal for five minutes, focusing on all that is great in your world.
4. Meditate on powerful, positive affirmations for up to ten minutes.
5. Engage in your favorite form of physical activity – dancing, running, walking, etc.
Whatever way you choose to reconnect with yourself, commit to doing it daily. Put it on your calendar. We all have 10 minutes each day we can claim for ourselves and we must – it is critical for our mental, physical, and emotional health.
When we are connected to ourselves, we are better able to stand firm in who we are, regardless of what’s going on around us. This inner strength is essential as we face the constant change that is life.
What daily practice will you commit to each day? Start today. Aim for three consecutive days. Then keep going. The goal is consistency so make it a practice that is not only non-negotiable, but is also so easy to do that you really can’t NOT do it. Make it stick so that you can do it for thirty days in a row. Notice how you feel. Notice how you show up during the day when you complete your practice. Make it a life-long commitment to you. Because I’ll tell you again and again, YOU are worth it.
Sending you persistence and dedication to your best you,
Kori
P.S. Not sure where to start with a daily practice? Book your FREE Reset Session and let’s design your best daily practices.
(The pic is of the house I bought in 2008 that I moved out of this past weekend.)