Doing nothing helps me eat less

Being frazzled.  Feeling like you're moving in a million different directions.  Jaw wired shut with stress.  100 different things on the to-do list... and an antsy feeling in your gut.

Feeling this way is such a trigger for me!  If there is a candy dish around when I'm feeling this way, watch out.  That sweet melting piece of chocolate or sugar is a momentary sweetness to combat the sensation that I'm a cog in the wheel, who better get the job done, AND FAST, and doesn't deserve sweetness, respite, or relaxation until the (never-ending) task list is complete.

The other day, after speaking with my yoga therapy training mentor Mary Hilliker, we discussed my energy.  I had been so spread thin in service to others (clients, day job, and family) that I was feeling like a husk of myself.  I felt dry, from my lips to my heels.  I felt burnt out by the pace and demands I had put myself through.  And, I had gotten very sick from a cold.  All of this shows me that my Ojas is depleted.  Here's a little on OJAS from Joyful Belly:

Ojas is the poetic term used in Ayurveda for heartiness. If a person has a healthy skin & flesh, is resilient to disease and injury, and has "juiciness" Ayurveda says they have good ojas. Ojas is associated with mental stability and an earthy strength to endure. It nurturing presence is calming and grounding. It brings quality and peace of mind. It satisfies the flesh, bringing with it the confidence needed to protect the body, mind and spirit from burning desires. Ojas may be compared to a cement or glue that binds and contains the body, mind, and spirit into a functional whole.

Mary encouraged me to find a way to nourish myself, not just in my morning practice, but also by taking breaks during my work day.  I've instituted a little ritual at 10:30am every day that I'm in my office.  I stop what I'm doing, rest quietly in my body, and watch a calming video.  There are many wonderful pit stops on youtube for you to enjoy.

By giving myself this break, I'm acknowledging all of myself.  I am NOT just a cog in the wheel.  I am a human who takes up space and needs nourishment to feel balanced.  And balance is exactly what I'm searching for!

This break is not only for the super efficient me.  It's for the dilly-dallying, dreaming, intuitive me.  It's for the part of me that will turn to food when oppressed by excessive over-scheduling.  It's for the part of me that is so strong in its desire to protect me that it will add on layers of fat to protect me.

I'm peeling back the layers and taking off the armor with small nourishing breaks like these.  What do you do to protect your humanity?