Last year I read a highly recommended book by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey- What Happened to You: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing. If you want to better understand trauma, the “why” behind it, and healing… this is a great book to read!
Here’s a synopsis and a little more about it. Today I wanted to talk about something that really stayed with me though. It’s something that was helpful in my personal and professional life.
You know how you always see mental health providers telling people to go on a walk to improve their mental health? Then we see content creators on TikToker reporting that “the stupid little walk actually worked.” There’s a science behind it!
Think about babies! When they’re in the womb, the heartbeat and side-to-side motions they feel as their parent walks is soothing for them. When they are born, they are rocked when they’re upset. That rhythmic motion soothes them and helps calm their stress response. It’s regulating and puts them back into balance.
We don’t become adults and suddenly don’t need that balance. We never stop needing rhythm and regulation in our lives. It creates a system for us to feel stabilized. Dr. Perry and Oprah talk about how balance is at the very core of our health and found all around in nature.
It’s about finding a rhythm that works for you. Maybe walking isn’t your thing or it’s not accessible to you.
You can try:
Dancing
Swimming
Coloring
Painting
Crocheting/knitting
Drumming
Chanting
Tapping
Cooking
It’s all about finding what makes you feel soothed. It can become a tool that you use when you’re feeling stressed or dysregulated in your life. When we feel in balance, we can move toward healing and show up better for ourselves (and the people we love).
How do you find your rhythm this week?