Hi friends,

Y'all I hope you're taking care out there. I've started noticing people exploding lately - quick to react, quick to anger, quick to reach their limit. It's been people I know, total strangers, even myself some days.

And I get it. Things are wild. This is a hard part of a hard year and we as a society aren't really taught how to hold empathy for others (or, frankly, ourselves), especially when we're in the throes of our limits. And though my initial reaction is sometimes frustration or disbelief, I don't want it to be that way. I want to meet people with compassion - to be a light instead of fanning the flames of a tense situation.

So if you are feeling overwhelmed, perhaps to the point of exploding, I want you to know you're not alone. I've been there, too. And since I often share practices for self-regulation and reflection, I thought it might be helpful to dedicate the next few newsletters to the tools I turn to when emotions run high.

Tools For When You Might Explode

These are some of my favorite techniques for releasing tension, regaining calm, and finding perspective when life feels a little too much. I'm grateful to have these practices in my toolkit for grounding myself — and I hope they can serve you too.

• EFT Tapping - a powerful way to interrupt anxious thought patterns and bring yourself back into the present moment.
• Grounding - a way to reconnect with your space, both physically and cerebrally.
• Assigning Meaning for your Highest Good - A practice to help you pause and consciously choose a meaning that supports your peace — not your panic.
• Getting it Out of Your Body - The goal isn’t to suppress the feeling — it’s to let it move through you.
• Rampage of Appreciation - Gratitude shifts your frequency faster than almost anything else.

I'll go into more detail of each in the coming weeks - stay tuned!

Book Recs
​These babies have truly changed my perception of myself and the world.

• ​How to Do The Work - Dr. Nicole LaPera. This book made me feel seen and gave me solid steps to take to be more present in my body and more understanding of the parts of myself I've been critical of. And the hardcover is only $8 rn 🤯
• ​Quit Like a Woman - Holly Whittaker. I quit drinking back in 2020 (highly recommend) and this book was a turning point. My main takeaway: at it's core, alcohol is poison - and I realized that I didn't want to consciously poison myself anymore.
• ​Ask and It Is Given - Abraham-Hicks. This book completely changed my life when I first read it in 2005. It's a foundational guide to manifestation and emotional alignment, complete with exercises to help you shift your vibration no matter where you're starting from. This hardcover is under $7!

Big believer here that different things work for different people at different times. Wherever you are right now, whether you're feeling calm or on the verge of combustion, I hope something here helps you reconnect with yourself. And if you ever need support or want to share what's been helping you, I'm all ears <3

xo,
Christen

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