The brain and nervous system weren’t built for the level of constant stimulation in our current world.

Stress, like a bucket of water accumulates as we encounter life’s challenges. When you experience consistent stress your bucket fills up. When your bucket overflows, you experience pain, anxiety and a whole host of other symptoms (things like insomnia, gastrointestinal issues or anger).

Choosing calm over chaos dumps some water out of the bucket.

When you leave a little earlier for an appointment, it’s like pouring some of the water out. If you take a break from busyness - the bucket gets lighter. When you put down your phone and do something enjoyable like taking a walk in the woods or listening to music, more water pours out.

And when you resist the urge to doom scroll or compare your life to some influencer on Instagram…magically the bucket gets emptier!

A regular yoga or meditation practice helps to keep the water level down. When you choose to sit with stillness and calm, your brain feels safe, the nervous system regulates and both you and your bucket are lighter. As your stress bucket empties, you’ll find yourself better equipped to handle life’s challenges with grace and composure.

How will you choose calm over chaos this week?

I started calling that girl back.

    The girl who  loved living,

the girl who danced

        Instead of walking.

The girl who had sunflowers for eyes

    and fireworks in her soul.

I started playing music again,

    hoping she would come out.

I started looking for beautiful     

        moments to experience,

    so she would feel safe enough

  to show herself,

because I knew

        she was in there.

   And she needed my kindness

     and my effort

          to come to the surface again.

                                       — s. c  lourie