I ain't here to turn your Wednesday sour,

But I do, however, want to bring up the topic of suffering (just for a hot second!)

I promise it'll lighten up...

Typically when the word "suffering" gets brought up, the brain tends to go to the extreme, like the loss of a loved one.

But in reality, there are many different levels of suffering. And you go through moments of it every day. Moments of hardship, distress, angst, frustration, fear.

Maybe the suffering is triggered by an event? Or something someone said to you? Or remembering that a big project is due soon? Maybe it’s a self-deprecating thought you had?

Whatever it is, the important piece to understand is how you speak to yourself in these moments of suffering.

Are we being kind? Or are we judging ourselves & putting additional pressure to “make it stop”?

If it's helpful, I've outlined below 2 exercises to test out when you feel yourself dipping into a state of suffering:

1) Pause... Take 1 breath in. Hold. Take another breath in. Then release. (Inhale, Inhale, Exhale. Repeat 3x. It's called "Physiological Sighs")

This tells your brain to chill the f*ck out essentially. It can help you objectively observe the situation that caused the suffering in the first place.

Then, ask a couple of questions...

2) “Why might I be feeling this way?” // “What is something kind (and true) that I can say to myself right now? // “Is there something that I can do right now (or at least schedule later today) that will help resolve the current issue I’m facing?”

If you practice those 2 exercises, you may find that it becomes a whole lot easier to dissolve that state of suffering, giving you the confidence & drive to actually curate an action plan to move forward with purposeful progress.

Much love,

Haylee Kalani

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