Stop Fighting Yourself: 10 Tiny Shifts That Actually Feel Good

It's been a moment since I've been here writing.

I had a long stretch where I was hosting guests on the podcast, and I just didn't feel the need to sit down and write.

But I do miss it. Being able to share what's going on in my head and in my life and put it all on paper. First, because it's incredibly therapeutic. And second, because I hope some of you can relate and share the experience with me.

This week, I want to share a shift I'm making in my business.

The first thing is the podcast.

While I'll still focus on different self-care practices to help ease stress and burnout, the main focus will shift more toward changing your entire lifestyle to support your nervous system and your purpose.

Here's what I've learned in the last couple of years, from my own ongoing transformation and from interviewing various experts:

You can do all the self-care things you want. But if the lifestyle you're living doesn't shift along with it? Nothing really heals or changes.

It's just an ongoing battle. You're kind of fighting with yourself and the status quo of what society expects us to do. The norm. Which most of us realize does not support us as human beings.

So along with the self-care, I want to talk to women who have made the shift to a supportive lifestyle. One where they listen to their intuition and their bodies. Where they work in flow rather than pushing and hustling.

Women who are following their passion and living in their purpose. They are tuned in to their needs and not trying to live up to someone else's expectations.

So, I'll be speaking with women who have always done this, and some who have gone from the hustle-and-people-pleasing culture to listening to their own personal calling. We will learn and see how they made these shifts.

I hope this sounds interesting and you keep tuning in. It's a subtle but powerful shift that I believe will support all of us as a whole.

This Week: 10 Small Shifts You Can Make Right Now

This week, I want to talk about some small, unique shifts you can make right now to support your nervous system and help you move into a life where you are more tuned into your needs and your purpose.

I'll give you ten different ways you can do this. Embrace what feels good. Leave the rest behind.

Let's get into it.

The things I'm sharing with you today are all things I do in my own life and also use with my clients. These help calm the nervous system and support your ability to live with purpose.

1. Hum in your car (or wherever feels good)

I do it in my car because I feel weird doing it loudly in my house, as if anyone can hear me. And why do I care, right?

Humming directly supports your nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve the body's primary pathway for calming the "rest and digest" response. When you hum, the vibration in your upper airway activates this nerve, which helps lower heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and shift your body out of fight-or-flight mode.

Additionally, humming increases nasal nitric oxide levels up to 15-fold. That's a compound that promotes blood vessel dilation, supports immune function, and may enhance oxygen exchange in the lungs.

I have major sinus issues, so I do this to help keep my sinuses healthy.

2. Hold the gratitude

I love doing this at the end of the day. I ask myself what I am most grateful for that day, and then I hold onto the feeling of gratitude as long as possible.

The most important part of a gratitude practice is consistency over time. Regular repetition strengthens neural pathways associated with calm and positivity, quieting the brain's natural "negativity bias."

3. Name the future version of yourself

When you give her a name, it solidifies her existence.

You can use a feeling more than a name change, because after all, it's still you. But a nickname might help.

Try "Empowered [Your Name]." Or my nickname that good friends use is "T", which feels very positive for me.

When you're in a situation where you don't know what to do, just ask: "What would [Your Name] do?"

This makes that version of yourself very real and slowly helps you step into her.

4. Use the sun to cleanse your energy

I think we should all normalize this any time the sun is out.

You can also do this whenever you're having a bad moment or can't escape a bad mood. Go out in the sun. Close your eyes. Let the sunshine on your face and body.

Imagine the healing energy of the sun shining away everything from your energy field that is slowing you down and affecting your mood. Imagine it all burning away and being released, as if anything cluttering your energy system now just blows away in a gentle breeze.

5. Allow yourself to feel the feelings

You might say, "What does this mean?"

Let me explain.

In the past, when I would experience something negative, I would try not to let it get me down. I would kinda force the feeling away. But I discovered that when I did this, it would stick around for days, and sometimes longer, kind of haunting me.

When I allowed myself the time to just feel sad or angry? I moved through it so much quicker.

I call this my "pity party." I say to myself: "Just feel sad for the day. It's allowed."

Then I discovered it never lasted that long. Because I wasn't fighting against it.

6. Go to sleep as the best version of you

At the end of the day, pick a part of the day that was your favorite.

Then, allow yourself to fall asleep as that version of you. Maybe you had success with something that was hard. Maybe you had a great moment with a loved one.

Feel into that feeling and fall asleep while embodying it. It allows for good sleep, good dreams, and waking up as that version. I feel like you get more and more aligned with yourself as the days pass.

7. Slow down during pleasurable activities

When you're doing something you love to do, slow down.

Notice every moment. Feel all of it. Embrace it.

This just allows gratitude and more pleasure into your life. What a great thing to focus on.

8. Take a few deep breaths before meals

When you do this, you move your body into "rest and digest."

This allows you to slow down a bit, chew your food, and digest your food better.

Better digestion equals less gas and bloating, better absorption of nutrients, and better sleep at night because of all of the above. Plus, you enjoy your meal more.

9. Honor your body

Check in with yourself a few times a day especially when you're transitioning to a new activity. Ask yourself: "How do I feel?"

Then honor that.

For example, when I'm getting ready to work out, I check in. If I didn't sleep well the night before, I'll honor my body by doing some yin yoga rather than hot power yoga. Or if I'm really stressed, I'll go for a walk in nature instead of scrolling on social media.

Honor the rhythms of your life and your body.

10. Accept yourself as you are in this moment

Look at all the ways things have worked out in your life instead of judging where you think you should be because of someone else's expectations or comparison.

Look at yourself and truly accept who you are right now, instead of moving into what you think you should be.

Things come in time. We are where we are for reasons we can't always see in that moment.

Love and accept yourself now. Not some future version of yourself.

These things help my nervous system regulate and also help me step into the best version of myself while accepting where I am right now. They just help me feel good.

I hope they do the same for you.

Be sure to get on the email list so you don't miss future blogs, the Soul Aligned Life Podcast, and get notified for the next Soul Aligned Life Retreat! >> https://www.tinastinson.com

Xo,
T