Transcript:
Hello, Hello and Welcome to Inklings with Irena…The Weekly Energy Show connecting you to your Intuitive Guidance System. Today I want to talk about why distractions are not helpful. And in fact, they kind of hurt when we’re feeling stressed and anxious. A lot of my clients, a lot of my friends have been feeling the anxiety. Maybe you have, too. There’s a lot going on around us, including the sirens that have been on the first of every month here in my neck of the woods. But that anxiety is in the air and distractions, they can only hurt in the long run. So I want to talk about why and what you can do to actually help if we haven’t met yet. My name is Irena Miller and I’m an Intuitive Energy Alchemist.
And I have been guiding visionaries and empaths for over two decades by creating very specific recipes and practices, bringing together sacred tools to help them get through these intense moments of anxiety and stress, through these moments of heartache, through these moments of big changes and transitions. And that’s what I want to share with you today. What you can do and know that I draw on this from my almost 30 years of practicing yoga. I’ve been doing yoga a long time. I love it, but also as a Reiki master and energy healer and someone who has dove into a lot of other spiritual studies that we can get into it in another time. But for now, let’s talk about why distractions don’t help. And as you pop on, let me know if you do have a fun distraction that you love because distractions can be fun. They’re not bad. It’s just if we’re using them as a healing tool for what we’re experiencing in the moment. So I know for me, distractions that I love, definitely movies, definitely books and then also chocolate.
So do you have a favorite distraction? Let me know in the comments below. Distractions can be fun.
Yes, but if we’re anxious and we’re stressed, then I find that distractions are actually hurtful. I don’t know what I don’t want to say harmful, but I definitely won’t say hurtful. And here’s why. No one will use distractions as a substitute for time and space. And what do I mean by that? We usually when we’re stressed and we’re anxious, we’re under the gun. We’ve got to get something done or we feel like there’s this pressure. Maybe it’s completing a project, maybe it’s an assignment for school. Maybe it’s like what’s going to happen with an election? We’re under the gun. We don’t know. We’re uncertain. We need answers and we don’t have them. And we’re feeling this pressure and it’s building the anxiety and the stress. Time and space is what we need. And sometimes those distractions, we feel like I’m going to give myself a little bit of space. You know, I’m going to distract myself with this great movie. OK, that’s great at times. But creating a safe space for yourself to process what’s going on is a better helper and healer in the moment. I’m going to talk about that in a second. When I get to the three things that can really help in the situation. So often distractions are used as a substitute for time and space. The other thing that distractions are used for, I wanted to write this down. What was the elephant in the room?
I know when, you know, like, I’m trying to ignore maybe a deadline or I’m giggling because I have a great friend who’s an amazing bookkeeper who is talking about wrapping up year end, like wrapping up your books, getting ready so everything’s in order and in alignment for taxes in the New Year. It’s something that I could easily be like. Maybe I’ll ignore that elephant right now and I’ll pay attention to it in a month or two. I’ll distract myself with something else, but that’s only going to hurt me in the long run. So distractions can be a contributor to ignoring the elephant in the room.
The other thing when that happens is it takes our power away from us because then distractions fall into that, hoping that things will just magically kind of heal themselves or go away.
I have a crazy story about that with a puppy hair and a foot. I’ll have to share that with you another time. But, oh, sometimes things resolve themselves.
Yes, but more often than not, when we’re waiting, when we’re hoping, when we’re wishing, it puts us into a place where we have no power. And when we have no power in that uncertainty, it becomes very scary and anxious. So in a moment in time like that, it is so healing and helpful to take note of what is in your control, what is in your power, where can the action steps start to come in? And this segues into the three most important things that you can do to help yourself when the stress and the anxiety is building, knowing that you don’t have to go to the distractions of food or shopping or television or movies. Those are all wonderful and great in and of themselves. But they’re only going to hurt in the long run if you’re not working with what’s in the way of that wonderful saying. What’s in the way is The way. So I really encourage you to give yourself that moment to practice these three steps, these are the ones that I’ve been sharing with my clients that have really helped them over the years. The first one is validate. Take a moment to say hello to the emotion you’re feeling. The emotion in and of itself is not a bad thing. Emotions are there to warn us, to give us a little moment like, hey, pay attention, pay attention to me and think about it.
If you know you’re walking on the street and you see a dark alley and, you know, I’m going to get to my car much faster if I go that way. But you get this little anxious feeling like, don’t go that way, let’s take the long way because it’s lighted. I think that’s a better approach this time. And some people are like, no, I’ll be fine. I’m going to go that way. And then they go that way and then maybe something happens. So when you get these feelings of anxiousness or stress, pay attention to them. Simply say hello, I hear you, I see you. And when you do that, you’re practicing. What’s in the way is the way. It’ll take the power, out of the fear, out of the anxiety. You’re saying hello to it. It’s just trying to get your attention for a reason. After you validate it, And that’s just saying hello to it. It’s acknowledging it versus I know in the past what I’ve done is sometimes if I’ve had a big feeling and I don’t want to deal with it, I go straight for the chocolate. I want that sugar rush. I just want to feel better. I want to feel good because I don’t feel so good.
The emotion hit, but I’m aware of that now. So I have other practices and tools in place to help me navigate the moment. That’s something that you can do too simply by saying hello. Oh, I’m feeling a big emotion. What what am I going to do now? Listen, why is that emotion popping up? That’s the next step simply to listen. When you’re listening, what you’re doing is you’re creating I wanted to say safe space. So when when you validate that emotion, what you’re doing is you’re giving yourself time and space. I wanted to highlight that and come back to that, because that’s the time and space that the distraction isn’t allowing you to have validating and saying hello to the emotion that’s giving it time and space to be heard. That’s where the listening comes in. When you listen to the emotion, it’s kind of like if you have a friend who’s really upset something has happened in their life, you’re not on the phone talking to them, being like, oh, OK, I’m so sorry. And like, oh, don’t do that, doggy, get down. And like, oh, you’re yelling at your kid over here and oh, did you see that on the news? Your friend’s heart would be broken because they’re going through this traumatic event and you’re distracted.
You’re not listening to them. And in order for them to open up, they’re also going to have to feel safe like they’re in a safe space. So when you sit down with your emotions, I encourage you create a safe space to just simply listen. And what does that look like? That might mean getting outside and just taking a few deep breaths. Breathing practices are wonderful to help process the emotion as it’s coming up to create a safe space for them to be heard. And then the final thing is do it’s action oriented, because part of that stress and anxiety is our power is we feel been taken away from us. Reclaim your power. Take that moment when you do to move out of that, OK? I’m not going to hope it’s going to magically go away. There are things that I can do that are within my power to make a shift right now. And one of the best ways to move into that action is to feed your spirit. And when you feed your spirit, what does that mean? What do I mean by that? I mean you go to a place for me, it definitely is being outside, being in nature, walking, going to sacred places. I had the wonderful good fortune to experience the vortexes in Sedona, very sacred sites. It’s great music. It’s connecting with loved ones. It’s laughing these things. And it might be a movie that brings on the laughter that feeds my spirit, but it’s not being used as a distraction. It’s being used as a way to light myself back up with a kind of hope that sees a silver lining, that opens up a pathway to actions that I can take in the moment that are within my control.
So I know that when the stress and the anxiety hits distractions, you know, it’s one way, but a better way is to validate the emotion, create an area like time and space, just like you could be like five minutes on your calendar. I’m going to say hello to this stress, gosh darn it. And then listen to it. What does the stress have to say? Do breathing exercises to help you through that listening process. But that’s going to be creating a. Safe space to hear the emotion and then finally take action, do something, whether it’s just moving your body on a walk, but it’s the action of feeding your spirit. It’s knowing that you’re not powerless in the situation no matter what is going on. All right. So I know I shared a ton with you today. Holy cannoli. If it’s brought up more questions than answers, definitely click on the link. I’ve got so much to share. My intention is that you connect with the peacefulness and the joy. So I’m going to close on this. This is a poem that I grew up with, the Desiderata. I don’t know if you’ve heard it. Some people say does it desiderata say desiderata, but maybe you’ve heard it once upon a time and who knows, maybe it’ll bring you peace today. So here it is. Go placidly amid the noise and the haste.
And remember what peace there is in the silence as far as possible without surrender. Be on good terms with all persons, speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the to the dull and the ignorant. They too have their stories. Avoid loud and aggressive persons. They are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter. For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is. Many persons strive for high ideals and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection, neither be cynical about love for in the face of clarity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as a grass take kindly the council of years gracefully, gracefully surrendering the things of youth nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. I do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are borne of fatigue and loneliness beyond a wholesome discipline. Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should therefore be at peace with God, whatever you can see with him or her to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sheer drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful, strive to be happy. And this is by Max Ahriman, nineteen twenty seven, so may find peace maybe if I enjoy, maybe find freedom from suffering, may you find happiness. So much love to you all my. All right, I’ll catch you all. On the flip side, make sure you click the link and continue the conversation with me. Bye guys.
Oh hey. And this is a P.S. if you found that this was helpful to you, I’m just being kind of inspired to have you share it with your friends, with others, anybody who needs picking up or has felt stressed or anxious.
Ok, catch you guys later. Bye, guys.
Watch
Read
Listen