Overwhelment

This blog post was not originally about overwhelment at all… but I got so damn overwhelmed today as I was trying to write it… I decided to pivot! 

I would like to blame my sweetie (who needed a ride to and from work!) 

I would like to blame my mom (who needed a ride to and from Tai Chi!) 

I would like to blame the cat (who kept scratching at my leg for fresh water as I was trying to write!) 

I would like to blame my current commitment to doing a 40 min meditation Kriya twice a day! 

I would like to blame the week for being too stinkin’ busy! 

But… honestly, unfortunately and truly… I am 100% to blame for my feelings of overwhelment! 

It really is my very favorite negative emotion… I am addicted to it! 

What do I mean when I say “addicted to it”? Can we actually be addicted to emotions? We sure-ass can! 

I know this because… I have spent years studying the work of Dr. Candace Pert, a brilliant molecular biologist and the author of “Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel.” 

Dr. Pert discovered that the outside of our cell walls have ‘receptors’ that chemicals ‘dock’ to. Very much like a lock (receptor) and key (chemical) system. 🔐 

These chemicals that act like a key are called peptides and every different emotion that we experience has its own unique neuropeptide… they are molecules of emotion! 

So… here comes the addiction part! 😱 

Our cells are always addicted to certain kinds of peptides.  

I would describe my current chemical cocktail as: happy, enthusiastic and optimistic… with a side order of overwhelmed and irritated!  

Let me tell you an old story to try and make this addiction piece more clear… 

I first read Dr. Pert’s work 19 years ago while my husband and I were separating and I was moving out of our family home.  

GUILT was my predominant emotion! My cells were so addicted to it.. they would constantly call out for their drug of choice and I would be unconsciously prompted to either think a thought that elicited guilt or create a situation. 

Dr. Pert suggested that I keep track of how many times a day I felt guilt and replace it with a new emotion… this would help my cells to kick their guilt addiction and replace it with a new more positive emotional drug. 

I arrived at work at 9am and began to keep track of my guilt feelings on a piece of paper at my desk. Each time I had a negative feeling I would say “I am a beautiful, powerful goddess” in my head.  

150 marks on the paper by 12pm! I was blown away! I had no idea that I talked so negatively about myself in my head.  

I buckled down and really began to observe my thoughts and change guilt into acceptance. It took time, effort and awareness… and was it ever worth it! 

I realized today that I have gotten lazy with overwhelment! 

There are a lot of reasons that I have let that particular emotion hang around: old stories about time management, justification to say no to things, protection when I feel scared to succeed, and a few more… but I know that I have the ability to change the feeling of being overwhelmed into a feeling of adventure and excitement… One Thought at a Time! 

Today I also used several tools to help with my negative feelings because I noticed that I was starting to have body pain. Essential oils, breathwork and some acupressure... they definitely helped move me towards some better feeling thoughts. 

Tomorrow at Breath Therapy Class, we will be releasing emotions from all of your joints and muscles. Click HERE for more info! ❤️  

Much Love