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What sets you off?

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Are you aware of what sets you off?  Do you know what pushes your buttons?  Is it worth it? 

A few weeks ago, I walked home during my lunch break to find the bed unmade.  The rule in my home is one of several passed down from my parents.  The last one out of the bed makes it up.

If you have been following me for some time now, you know that I am an early riser and that my husband is a night owl who enjoys his morning snooze. 

You can imagine my surprise – okay let’s get real here, more like annoyance – when I walked into my bedroom and found the covers in a heap.

I could feel my blood starting to boil.  My blood pressure was rising.  My first notion was to take a WhatsApp picture with the caption REALLY???????

 Then it dawned on me.  If something that small can send me into a spiral, how will I manage a major crisis, or running a successful business?  I decided in that moment that I was going to release my feelings of agitation.  I remembered that I am in charge of how I feel and that I can reset at any moment that I choose.

Why am I sharing this story with you? 
Because so often we allow the simplest irritating things to totally take over our energy and ruin our day.  Been there, done that.  We rethink the same thoughts over and over. We talk about it.  Those who we talk to often share their similar downtrodden stories.  Familiar buried memories suddenly resurface.  This does not help us to feel better.

 Once a bad thought gains momentum, it is difficult to stop it.  What starts off as a small problem grows into a major inner catastrophe.  Before long nothing is going right.  We feel unbalanced and out of control.

The key is to slow the momentum.

It is much easier to slow the momentum of the feelings that you do not want than to stop them once they get out of control.  Here are three steps to help you:

Open your awareness to how you feel.  Your feelings are connected to your thoughts.  My awareness allowed me to stop the momentum quickly.  This takes practice.  You may not be aware of what you are thinking but you can always tune in to how you feel.

 Be proactive.  Do something daily to ground and centre you.  Being grounded and centred will help you to be more aware of your thoughts and feelings.  It will also help you to reset faster during challenging times.  What makes you feel centred?  What makes you feel grounded?  I know that I feel centred and grounded when I meditate and write in my gratitude journal mornings. 

Be gentle with yourself.  We all have moments when we get upset, overreact, say something that we wish we could take back.  I’ve been there – have you?

Give yourself a break.  Give yourself permission to reset.  Know that it is okay to start over. I actually laughed once I recognised what was happening that day.  I can remember thinking, “Keema, it’s a good thing that you caught this one early.”

Resetting is so freeing.  Like anything new, the more you practice it, the easier it gets.

Reclaim you power. Resetting is not pretending that negative thoughts and challenging situations do not occur.  Resetting is knowing that you can reclaim your power over how you feel.  Hit your reset button as often as needed.  This is how you tap into your inner power and set yourself free.

Keema Perry is the founder of Powerhouse Academy.  She is the go-to-guide for women over 40 who feel overworked, overstretched and overwhelmed.  She helps women to unleash their Inner Magic and reclaim their power over their lives.  You can learn more about Powerhouse Academy by visiting her website and following her on Instagram and Facebook.