Insecurity and self-doubt have been near-constant companions in my life for as long as I can remember. As a kid I worried that I was “annoying”, and spent so much time and energy curating my words and behaviors in hopes of not making anyone around me uncomfortable.
By the time I became an interpreter, I was a master chameleon. In some ways this served me well in that career – being able to take on and portray the world view, affect, and opinions of others. But internally, it left me feeling hollow and empty, or worse, at times anxious and insecure.
I spent so much time trying to conform to what I thought others wanted, that I hadn’t done the real work of developing myself. Feedback was painful and difficult to receive, because in my mind it meant someone was unhappy with me.
Part of the work of healing has been to identify my core values – why I care about the work I do, and the qualities I want to embody through it – and then to seek feedback from respected sources to help me translate those values into actions and skills.
When you have a supportive mentor in your corner, insecurities and areas of self-doubt can become welcome signals and signposts, showing you where to focus your self-development and skill-building work.
If you’re engaged in skill-building and self-development, don’t miss Shanna Grossinger of ASLMentors.com as she livestreams in The Burnout Proof Collective this Thursday! June 24th at 3:30 pm pacific – she’ll share meaningful tips for getting the most out of mentorship.
Where do you hold tension and stress in your body, and what do you do to relieve it?
Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash
Whether you’re in wildfire land, hurricane territory, or somewhere in between, you’re likely feeling tension and stress in your body.
Tension is energy trapped in the body.
Potential movement that, on its way somewhere else, got stuck. Tension signifies the places in our bodies where we’re resisting reality internally, but not yet moving to act in a helpful, empowering way externally.
Internal resistance opposing external stagnancy can create a fixed mindset, sense of disempowerment, and bodily discomfort. It often feels like we’re gripping something tightly.
Stress-Relief for Interpreters: Move the Body, Free the Energy
Movement can be a powerful tool for healing, when we’re suffering from tension and stress.
This can look like: shaking – parts or all of your body – gently or vigorously, bouncing, dancing, stretching, massaging, scraping, pleasuring, flexing, and so much more.
In order to tend to our tension, we must first know it’s there. Developing mindful awareness in your daily life can help you to become more responsive to your body’s cues so that these spots don’t stay stagnant for so long.
Breathing is an accessible and easy way to bring gentle movement into areas of tension. Here’s one quick and powerful way to do it, even while interpreting.
Check out the video at the end of this post where I walk you through the process.
Triage Care: The 4×4 One-Breath Body Scan
This practice is a combination of two techniques. Let’s look at each separately first.
Part 1: Square, Box, or 4×4 Breathing
This breathing technique has many names, because it’s just that good. And it’s super-simple.
Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold that breath for a count of 4.
Exhale through your nose or mouth for a count of 4.
Hold empty for a count of 4.
That’s it.
Practice this a few times, syncing your breathing pattern with the visual, and you’ve got it. As a side note, notice how your body feels after a few cycles of this breath.
Part 2: Body Scan
Typically the body scan is taught as a longer relaxation experience – andit’s fantastic as that. When my kids were little, they would ask me to guide them through this as they prepared for sleep. A good body scan can take 10 minutes+ to go through, and can leave you feeling as soft as warm putty when you’re done. It goes like this:
Get centered and grounded. Feel your connection to the surface beneath you. Feel it holding and supporting you.
Bring your awareness to the top of your head, feel your scalp, forehead, face, jaw, ears, and back of head. Notice any area of tension and let it relax. Don’t force, just allow.
Slowly move your awareness down your body to each part, one after the other – noticing any tension and allowing it to release – until you get to your toes.
This practice can take as long as you want it to. It’s especially good during a long break or just before bed. But sometimes we need more frequent and short ways to care for ourselves.
Here’s where the triage care magic is: put them together.
While inhaling through your nose for a count of 4, let your awareness scan your body for areas of tension. As you practice this, the breathing + scanning becomes more automatic – it might feel clunky at first. That’s ok. Over time you’ll get to know the areas where you hold your tension, so you can hone in on them more quickly and easily. When you find those areas of tension, start directing your breath right into them, like a funnel. Find the center of the tension and imagine that you’re filling it like a balloon with healing, supportive oxygen.
Hold that breath, letting the oxygen do its work in each area of tension, for a count of 4.
As you exhale through your nose or mouth for a count of 4, allow each balloon to deflate, carrying with it the tension that was stored in that muscle.
Hold empty for a count of 4, focusing on the relaxation of each spot.
If you take 4 seconds with each part of the breath, this has taken you 16 seconds. Can you take 16 seconds to care for yourself a few times today?
Burnout Proof Academy Saturday School Workshops are coming!
Join us live for the two-hour workshop on October 24th, 2020 from 10:00 am – noon pacific, or watch the recording and connect with others in our online portal anytime after, for 0.2 GS CEUs.
We’ll use the Learning Zone Model to illustrate how our brains respond to stress, talk about how to create practices of rest and comfort during stress, and how to grow even during stressful times.
The Secret to Triage Care
Triage care isn’t helpful if you don’t practice it. This is where your habit-solidifying skill comes in! BJ Fogg, habit-creation researcher and founder of Tiny Habits, teaches a simple three-part approach to making healthy habits more automatic:
Make your new habit tiny – 30 seconds or less. Our 16 second one-breath body scan fits the bill!
Anchor it to an existing habit – brainstorm some current habits or things you do daily automatically. For example: turning off the morning alarm, hitting ‘start’ on the coffee maker or teapot, using the restroom, washing your hands, turning on the computer, listening to the phone ring on a VRS call, waiting for a consumer, sitting on hold, brushing your teeth, or pulling up the covers at night. There are a million more. Pick one and use it as a trigger to remind you to do your one-breath body scan. For example: When I push the button to turn on my computer, I do my one-breath body scan.
Celebrate – just like clicker-training a puppy, every time you complete your tiny habit – celebrate! This gives you a cascade of feel-good hormones that rewards your brain and brings you joy, making it more likely that you’ll remember and be willing to practice your habit again.
Here’s three resources for practicing triage care and solidifying your new habit:
In what areas of your body do you hold tension, and what helps you to soothe it?
The equitable world we are creating begins with treating ourselves well. Thanks so much for being here with me, on this journey to taking better care of your precious self.
As we were fumbling through logging into new Chromebooks, many in the Pacific Northwest faced smoke and evacuation warnings on Labor Day. Fires are spreading up and down the coast from Washington to California. 500,000 people in Oregon have evacuated their homes as of today.
Many parts of the area surrounding Portland are currently evacuating. If you’re affected by smoke or fires, please be safe and practice your triage self-care. You’re in my thoughts and prayers. May we find peace and hope amidst the urgency of this emergency.
The Red Cross is doing amazing work supporting evacuees and I encourage you to donate if you can.
Summer + Mars
This transition from Summer to Fall, in Chinese Medicine, is characterized by a shift from Fire to Earth, bitter to sweet, roaring to humming. Summer is making it known that his work is not yet finished. He has more to say.
In our personal lives we may be feeling more agitation, more challenge, more heat. Astrologically, we are approaching a period of intense “fire” energy. Chani Nicholas, astrologer/activist/badass, is one of my favorite teachers. She has this to say about fiery Mars, who’s currently in a very active and influential position:
“Mars is always here to remind us just how much power we do have; when and where we let bitterness, envy, or hatred poison our interactions; how we might learn to work through conflict without betraying our dignity; and how to stay in the battles that cry out for us to join. Mars is sharp – we can either use it to help us hone our skills or do damage. To use these tools wisely takes work, but you are ready.” – A Note About Mars Retrograde 2020
Essential Oil Self-Care for Interpreters
Anger is a tool I’m learning to wield. Like fire, it can feel unpredictable and scary.
The burning fire of rage within us can feel like a toxin in our bellies, threatening to combust. But when we can discern its message for us and let it spur us to action, it becomes a powerful force for change.
So, dear loves, I made us a protocol for this intense fire season. Use it when you need some extra love, use it daily to stay grounded and connected to yourself and your source as the (hopefully metaphoric) fires rage around you. Use it to remind yourself that this too shall pass, and that there is much wisdom, grace, and support for us here – even in the darkest of moments.
Check out the video below for more info on this protocol + support for the physical and emotional effects of the smoke and fires.
Melaleuca – strengthen boundaries, improve resiliency, and stop betraying yourself.
Myrrh – connect with nurturance, know that everything will be ok, foster healthy attachments.
Black Pepper – uncover the root of the issue, unmask, see through the BS.
Wintergreen – release control, surrender to the process, open to new possibilities.
Arborvitae – tap into security and strength, trust the emotional process.
Cardamom – be with anger, harness patience, see the big picture.
Juniper – dispel fear and anxiety of the unknown.
Bergamot – foster hope and courage during times of despair, see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Eucalyptus – embrace self-care, raise your standards, don’t give up on yourself.
Clary Sage – clear creative blocks, embrace your highest gifts + purpose, expand your vision for the world.
Cedarwood – receive support, feel emotionally connected to others.
Lime – harmonize and integrate all of the oils, seal with expectant joy.
Join me in Burnout Proof Academy for a simple + potent one-hour Burnout Proof 101 webinar. You’ll get 0.1 GS CEUs and you’ll be on your way to taking better care for your precious self. This workshop is happening soon, so don’t wait!
Today I want to talk about the stories we tell, how they actually serve to get us more stuck where we don’t want to be, and 3 steps you can take to gain traction toward thoughts, feelings, and outcomes you actually want.
Do you ever find yourself telling a story that doesn’t even feel good to tell? Maybe you’re talking to a friend over coffee, a cashier in the checkout line, or your partner during dinner. You feel compelled to describe in vivid detail what was said and done to you, in what ways your totally appropriate desires were thwarted, and all the reasons why you’re right? And when you’re done with the story, you feel all worked up, you feel more sure of your rightness than ever, but at the very same time you feel like crap.
Retelling these stories only serve to spin our tires and get us more deeply stuck in the mud. Not only do they lock us into our position, but they spin muck all over everyone within earshot (or eyeshot) of us. You’re not any closer to a resolution that FEELS good to you, and those you love who have listened to your saga feel like they were just vomited on. This is a lose/lose scenario.
Use your oils. Essential oils are a fantastic tool to help us uncover the underlying message of an emotion and allow it to move through more quickly. Here’s a protocol for setting down the story:
1 drop each
Lemongrass on the back of the neck
A powerful cleanser of emotional energy
Helps to release limiting beliefs
Eucalyptus across the forehead
Helps reveal patterns of thinking that lead to feel un-well
Encourages taking full responsibility for your well-being
Cardamom on top of head
Helps regain self control and mental clarity when frustrated with others
A great oil to use when you’re angry
Helps to stop blaming others
Asks us to take personal ownership and responsibility for our feelings
Leads to feeling more peace, calm and emotional freedom
Lavender on heart (center of breastbone, at the nipple line)
Aids in self-expression
Addresses deep fear of being seen and heard
You may believe it’s not safe to express yourself–this fear of rejection paralyzes your true voice
Frankincense on solar plexus (where ribs meet a few inches above belly button)
Reveals deceptions and false truths
Invites us to let go of lower vibrations and negativity
Helps us break down the walls from the mind and heart
Connects the soul with its inner light and reveals truth
Balance on soles of feet
Like the trees it’s made from, helps you come down from your overactive mind, into your roots
Gives stability and inner strength
Meditate. Put on comfortable clothes, sit in a comfortable spot, close your eyes and breathe–ideally for 15 minutes each day. The goal of meditation is not to be without thought. The practice is to come back to your breath and stillness, without judgement, each time the mind gets distracted. When you give your nervous system this experience on a consistent basis, you may start to notice more peace, more patience, and more happiness seeping into your life. There are great resources to help you start a meditation practice: I love Abraham’s Vortex meditations, which you can find on youtube. School of Self has a great visual breathing meditation. Headspace and Calm are 2 great apps.
Get curious. Now that you’re in this calm, centered place, hold space for yourself to explore. Think of this like holding space for a friend or a child to process and learn, or how a coach would hold space for a client–asking open-ended questions and sitting in empathy. It’s great to journal as you do this, so you can look back on what you’ve learned. Some questions to consider:
What am I feeling?
What am I thinking or doing that’s causing these feelings?
What is my responsibility in this situation?
What is the guidance from my higher self or higher power?
Some resources I love for asking helpful questions are
As you begin to make your relationship with yourself a nurturing, loving and wise one, you are more able to interact with the world around you from a more nurturing, loving and wise place.