What is normal? A standard; usual, typical, or expected.
What is common? Occurring, found, or done often; prevalent.
Ok, so why do you care that these two words have different meanings? Here is a story that will shed some light on the topic of why understanding the difference between what is actually normal vs what is common in our society, our behaviors, and how we feel.
Have you ever heard that common sense is not so common? After being a massage therapist for over 2 decades, I found out that knots in my client’s shoulders, neck, and back are extremely common. At the beginning of treatment, we have a discussion about their chief complaints and when asked what they are doing or why they think they are having these challenges, they share something like…
“I think most of my challenges are related to stress, it is just stress” or “It’s mostly stress, like everyone else I guess.”
“I have so much stress, that’s all” or something similar.
The commonality around accepting all of these ailments, challenges, and symptoms as a “normal” part of what we all have to deal with seems to be prevalent.
Today, we are here to discover if that is actually true. Are stress and ailments actually “normal” or is it just more “common” and we have been accepting them as normal?
It is not normal for any beings to live in a constant state of stress, the feelings of painful knots in the muscles, the constant noise in the mind playing negative tapes over and over, and an overall feeling of being unwell.
✋ No, it is not normal. So what steps do we take to alleviate some of these prevalent challenges for so many people, perhaps the majority?
Here is the top 3 hit list to un-normalize stress and its ugly symptoms and start on the journey to more Self-Loyalty.
👉 1. Awareness is key. Becoming aware that it is not normal and that you do not have to accept it is the first step on the path to healing- not just the symptoms but healing the root of the cause of the challenges.
👉2. Get connected. Stress starts with disconnection, whether it is disconnecting from your breath, quiet time in meditation, writing, or practicing gratitude. Come back to your peaceful place so you can train yourself to find a new normal.
👉3. Stop multi-tasking- if you are doing the following, stop now. ✔️ eating while working, ✔️splitting your focus on a Zoom meeting while working on a project, ✔️texting and talking with someone, ✔️bringing phones to the dinner table, or any practice where your energy feels split.
✨ When you are not loyal to your energy, allowing focus and letting go of clinging onto everything at once, you can tap into the ever-flowing river of peace. Becoming more Self-Loyal to what makes you feel well, and being more loyal to what serves your energy all lead to you letting go of some of that abnormal amount of stress, fear, panic, and anxiety in the body.
✌️ See you on the inside,
Stay Gangsta, Your Mentor Sheila
