Ix Chel Wellness

Many of us have “stories” that circle through our head with each life experience. Some of these stories are generative, while others can be destructive. Ultimately, we want to keep and maintain the positive or generative stories. However, the destructive stories can negatively affect our self-esteem, our relationships, and our outlook on the world around us. Not only may these stories affect our ability to function in the world, they impact our ability to stay present to what is happening in the moment.

Each story that runs through our head may be initiated by any number of events: a specific word, a friend’s reaction, the death of a loved one, someone cutting us off in traffic, receiving an unexpected bill, or any number of minor or major moments in life. One of the keys in dealing with our stories is to become aware of them – especially those stories that negatively impact our world view. Another key is to discover a creative way to bring the story out of the depths in our mind, bringing it into the light, and empowering us to change the story we tell ourselves. Sometimes, this might entail creating an entirely new story or it might just mean transforming the negative story into a positive one. The final stage is about maintenance – to continue telling ourselves the new or modified story until it becomes automatic.

Finding balance between work, a social life, physical fitness, and the activities we enjoy can be a difficult struggle for many of us. Many times we respond with comments like: “I don’t have time”, “It doesn’t fit into my schedule”, “Let me check my calendar”, or “How can I possibly fit in another [fill in the blank]”. This approach to time is linear and finite because it fails to recognize the value of activities that nourish us on multiple levels.

I will use a recent event in my own life to articulate my point. I have a fairly standard routine each week to include activities that nourish my mind, body, and spirit as well as provide me with some rest and relaxation. I swim a minimum of 3 times per week, I perform Qi Gong/Tai Chi daily, I hike outdoors weekly, and I write poetry and paint weekly. All of these activities consume approximately 10-15 hours per week which is minimal in comparison to running my business, working on a graduate thesis, attending classes, and completing clinical requirements.

I saw an opportunity to finalize some coursework and clinical requirements in one of my graduate programs as well as finishing writing and editing my book for publication. In other words, I decided to sacrifice the previously mentioned activities in the short term but for long-term gain. There were days in which I left my home at 7 am and did not return until 10 pm.