Tag: health

Facing your fears

Hannah TelluselleLeave a comment

Now in the deep seat of winter, our kidneys are the most sensitive of our organs, alongside feeling fearful, according to Chinese Medicine. This is why it’s important to keep your lower back warm, and drink warm drinks. It’s also here our essence of energy is located.

One of my biggest fears most of my life, have been to put my head under water, due to an almost drowning accident when I was five years old, and due to being brought up in a family where nobody liked to, or even could swim. I went to swim school growing up of course, but it was either too cold or too stressed to try to learn something that just produced a deep fear and panic.

But, after receiving a lomilomi massage and a week’s vacation in sunny Portugal in 2015, I just decided to take the plunge, literally speaking. After that, I nowadays can put my head under water with ease! However, I’m still not comfortable in deep waters and can still panic. So last winter, I went to adult swimming classes to see if I could learn now instead. I attended them all and tried my best. While I made some progress, I still need to hold onto something or I panic to get up. We even tried wearing lifejackets one time, and that even freaked me out more, interestingly.

There was a blessing in disguise in all this though. I came closer to myself and my original feeling of fear of water than I have been for several decades. I’m sure that with great fears like these, they can spill over into other areas of our lives, or brew underneath the surface making us live with a heightened stress level all the time. Practicing in a swimming pool, allowed me to meet my fear head-on (pun intended). And this got me thinking, it’s all a matter of trust, including in myself, to just float. So that is what I need to practice, not only how to kick my legs. And therefore, I’ve signed up to get some CBT sessions, that I hopefully will receive during spring. Actually feeling the feeling of fear at its source of origin, made me more present with it and more understanding and self-compassionate. And that in turn, helps me overcome some of it.

Which are your deepest fears and how are you working on overcoming them?

Forming a habit

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Have you ever felt a need in your body to do something more than out of reflex? I think, this is where the secret to forming a good habit lies. We set out to practice once a week for example, and then sometimes we can’t, or don’t want to, and we become upset as well as lose our practice. Then we try again to hopefully be able to stick to our new routine. And while this can become a positive and life-giving routine, we can lose touch with our bodies’ actual needs, whether that is to rest more, to be outdoors more, or to exercise more. If we don’t listen to this, our practice can become something negative rather than positive for us, which is why it’s so important to be flexible. But at a certain point, our practice becomes an inevitable need that our body craves and tells us.

By beginning practicing at home more, because of Covid, I’ve become more in tune with my body’s needs. One day, my back is feeling tight and that means I need to do yoga. If I feel cranky, shrinking inwardly and almost in a slump, it’s definitely time to dance more. If I feel overwhelmed with unwanted emotions and stress, I do qigong. This more fluid way of practicing, adapted to what we go through, can be an alternative, when we live in circumstances that prevent us from practicing on a regular schedule. Then our way of meeting these needs, can become the good habit that forms a good routine.

We live with lots of routines – whether that is in which order we get ready in the mornings such as whether we shower and get dressed, or eat breakfast, first. You’d be surprised how much difference that can make for your physical wellbeing as well as your emotional stress-level. The same thing for how we go through emails or what we do online and when. Setting our own boundaries can start with getting to know our own routines and habits. How do we do now and how is this working for us? What would we like to change, why, and to what? What is a must and what is your own preferred way?

If you’d like to have me as your sounding board for forming habits, I can coach you through zoom in Swedish or in English. Just send an email to hannah@telluselleliving.com to set an appointment. The first session is complimentary!

The change model

Hannah TelluselleLeave a comment

When it comes to creating change, there are many similarities with how to reach a goal. Often a goal implies a desired change at some level, or many even. This is a model I’ve created that you can use, based on my coaching:

1. Define why a change is needed

The only way to solve a problem is to understand, clarify and define what the problem is. First then, will you realize the need for change. Example: You want to lose weight but can’t muster up the energy to get going on your new health regimen. Understanding why you need to lose weight is paramount, such as you have gotten diabetes. Then the real problem is not your weight, that would be the cause, but what you want to focus on is your need to deal with diabetes.

    2. State the desired change

    Spell out your desired change. Example: I’d like to eat better so I can control my diabetes.

    3. Communicate the goal of the change

    Communicate it to everybody around you to help you be held accountable. Example: Share your new diet at work and bring a sugar-free treat to everybody.

    4. Decide which steps to take

    Make a plan with set deadlines. Example: Research a meal plan, read up on recipes, go and buy groceries, make an appointment with the doctor, for follow-up tests, and start exercising twice a week.

    5. Dealing with resistance

    You will inevitably both procrastinate, doubt, and refuse some days. This is normal. By being aware of your own resistance, you can prepare by taking small steps those days, to call a friend for support and by being kind to yourself. Look at yourself like a student in training. It’s ok to make a mistake and do it again. Also know that the very resistance energy, is what you need to muster up in order to carry through with the change! Example: When I feel low and tired, I will allow myself to rest and go for a walk instead of a run.

    6. Milestones and measuring progress

    Make sure you set milestones along the way that you can measure. These can be weight loss, better results next time you draw blood, learning to eat better, and be in a better mood. Example: Three months from now, I’m going to weigh myself and check my insulin level.

    7. Receiving the reward

    Whether it’s to treat yourself to a spa-day, buy a new pair of jeans or simply feel good about your progress, make room for receiving the reward. What is the feeling you’d like to feel, when having implemented your desired change? Example: I like the sense of increased control and discipline, an improved diet shows. This calls for a celebration with friends!

    8. Evaluating and moving forward

    This final step is one of the most important ones. To sit down and reflect on the whole process, enables you a deeper understanding on how you can deal with any other changes in your life. Example: I realized that I got much more tired than I expected, so I will make sure to schedule less activities and give myself more time to relapse and recuperate, next time.

    Whether you’d like to change something that will improve your health, your career, a move or your relationships, a series of coaching sessions can help you along the way. A coach is there to check in with you regularly, to follow up on how you’re doing, and what can be done if you face any obstacles. Contact me or any certified coach in your own area to get you started!

    Walking meditation

    Hannah TelluselleLeave a comment

    There is something comforting in hearing the sound of snow, crunch lightly, when we tread on it. It reminded me of practicing walking meditation again. Have you tried it?

    This can be done both outdoors and indoors (where it might be easier) and is simply a way of walking slowly in harmony with your breath. Let each step, be in sync with your inhale, gently putting down your foot on the exhale, by rolling it from heal to toe. Inhale as you lift your other foot and move it slowly upwards and forward. Exhale again, when you put it down.

    This is an awesome exercise to land into presence!