Emotional Stimulus Package via the LifeQuake

Yesterday I was interviewed by a news anchor and was asked the question, how do you prepare for change if you don’t know what change is coming? I pondered this question, (not because I didn’t have an answer) but I had so many answers that I didn’t know how to put them inside a sound bite for TV. People are in fear of the unknown and are creating for themselves paralysis through too much analysis. So, I ‘ve decided to write a five part series designed to be my own version of the stimulus package. rnWhen you can remove the subconscious belief that change means loss, you are more apt to listen for the signs that a cycle is completing in your life. When change is experienced as potential gain, even if you don’t know what that specific change is going to be yet, you will be more curious and open. In your childhood, if change always brought crisis or pain, you may have a deep subconscious resistance to major transitions. The irony is, that if you don’t change the belief around this, it can become a self-fulfilling prophesy. If your coping strategy for adapting to change is to avoid the warning signs by numbing yourself out through substances or outer distractions, then what you bring in is crisis driven transition. A slew of parking tickets becomes a major car accident, for example. rnIn order to transform the fear of change, the first step lies in calming your nervous system. If your diet consists of substances that tax the nervous system like caffeine and sugar, you will only be feeding your brain the substances that wire you up in the morning only to end in causing your blood sugar to crash in mid afternoon. So in times of uncertainty and transition, make sure you start the day with a high protein breakfast and forego the simple carbohydrates like donuts or bagels. A good B-complex vitamin supplement can also support the neuro-transmitters in the brain that affect mood. rnOne technique for transforming the fear of change is to spend a few minutes every day with your eyes closed. Ask yourself the question, “Is there some area of my life that has become defunct, no longer functioning for my greater good, ie. Your job responsibilities, the form of exercise you do, your sex life, etc? Now focus inward toward your body. When you think about changing that routine, what feelings does it bring up? Where are those feelings located in your body? Now, take five minutes to simply breathe into it by placing your left hand (this is governed by the side of the brain that elicits our intuitive creative self) over this area. Allow your hand to get warmer. Now send an intention into your hand of caring. Think about all the times you have used your hands to express love toward family members or a pet and then transfer that same feeling of complete acceptance you have toward loved ones into the place in your body where you hold fear of change. Then end this practice by repeating to yourself, “ I am safe and secure. Change now brings me gain.” Do this repetitively, for several weeks until the anxiety on making a big change has reduced significantly. rnDr. Toni Galardi is a licensed psychotherapist and life transitions coach who has written a new book that assists people in overcoming the fear of change and creating a life of meaning and joy. The LifeQuake Phenomenon: How to Thrive (not just survive) in Times of Personal and Global Upheaval is available through her website, www. LifeQuake.net For those seeking personal consultation, she can be reached at 310-712-2600.