Do you ever reach outside yourself to find comfort? Do you have any triggers leading to unhealthy or unbalanced living? I do! But, doing what I do for a living, I have learned a key to completeness.

I find myself consistently looking outside myself to fulfill what I’ve got going on inside. Usually that "grabbing" comes in the form of food (AKA sugar). What I am beginning to understand now is that I don’t need to "control" my urges, but more get to th…e bottom of why they are there in the first place! Here are some steps.

The first thing we need to do is identify if we have any triggers. Everyone has something. We’re human. Really think about where you go when you’re feeling out-of-sorts. Could be anger, seclusion, exclusion, alcohol, etc. It is whatever separates you from yourself and brings the focus outward.

Once you’ve figured that out, take a step back and reflect. For instance, before I eat, because food is my weakness, I think about how I’m feeling. Is it a negative emotion (anger, impatience, frustration, irritation, etc.)? Seems silly, but those 2 seconds of reflection are vital for mind and body, more vital than we know.

If it is, in fact, negative, we have to stop and take a deep, cleansing breath, or five.

Then we need to assure ourselves that whatever we are feeling is totally ok and completely normal. Society would have us believe that we are not supposed to feel, so we suppress. But, think about how this suppression of emotions affects us. It depletes us of energy. It leads to aches, pains, weight gain or loss, anxiety, depression. Maybe it’s easier said than done, but identifying how we are feeling is the key – identifying and then acknowledging it!

Then and finally, release it. If angry, figure out what about. If frustrated, write about it, go outside and run, do yoga, listen to music. Deliberately shake hands with the emotion and then let it go in the healthiest way you know how.

Once you start this ritual, it makes life, communication, love – everything, really – lighter. Take it from me. Lord knows I had to learn the hard way.

Sending love and hugs my dears,Jess