Are You Even Aware of It Though?

OK, here we go…

Yesterday, I was supposed to be taking my eldest for a haircut in town. I had the day planned out in my mind. We’d walk to the tram station, go for the haircut (where I’d work for an hour doing a few odd bits I wanted to tie up), lunch together (always research where the food section of the day will happen before the event. One has to optimise every opportunity for the best food available in my opinion). Then she was due to meet a mate in the afternoon, and at that point drop me like a bad smell. So we were going to bumble around town together, lots of walking, then I’d get the tram home, more walking, more outdoors, lovely connection with my precious eldest and a good old town mooch, which I love. People watching. In the hubbub.

However… Alas plans changed. Sadly she was up in the night with a sore throat, painful ear, and really not feeling great (she’s really not one to fuss). So a day indoors was required. She’s 14, so didn’t want mollycodling. But nevertheless I wanted to be home to nurture as much as I was allowed.

It was a drizzly, wet Manchester day anyway, so I decided my movement for the day would instead be courtesy of my indoor Watt Bike.

It was on the bike this email was inspired.

I did an hour of steady state, aerobic, easy peddling intervals, during which I caught up with part of a nervous system course I’d been working through. Not an academic course, not something my brain had to be “on” for. It was much more about feeling into my body, becoming more aware of my own nervous system, and what it was telling me.

That’s the beauty of nervous system work, it’s all about ease, awareness and improving the feelings in the moment of whatever you’re already doing… Feeling better incrementally as you become more and more aware of how you feel and how gorgeous easing yourself gently back into regulation feels. LOVE.

I’ve gone off on one again about the nervous system haven’t I? Occupational hazard 😉

Anyway… That awareness of my own nervous system, the ability to make space to tune in to myself, to the sensations in my body, whilst spinning the pedals around, was truly beautiful…Moments of taking my mind completely away from the effort and profuse sweating (too much?) and into my own inner self.

But as happens with us humans, we so easily go from a sensation feeling lovely and being really tuned into it in the moment, to finding ourselves back in the thinking brain again: 'How much longer have I got left of this interval?' 'How much longer until this hour ends?' 'What will I do when I get off the bike—grab a tea or get straight in the shower first?'

(Just enjoy the bloody moment Georgie!)

Yep, just my brain unconsciously started running away as brains tend to do.

I caught myself thinking of all the jobs I could now get done now I had ‘spare’ hours I didn't expect to acquire.

But why?

Why do our brains immediately jump to “doing” something productive rather than ahhh, I’ve just acquired some precious space to LIVE?

The answer? Really this is the factual answer… Because that response, that urge to fill every gap with something productive, it isn’t just the ‘kind of person you are’ It’s your nervous system. It’s all down to the ‘state’ your nervous system is in.

Now, If I had been in my ventral state (calm, safe, fully present), I would have allowed myself to be in that space. To enjoy it. To live.

But I was in sympathetic; that activated, ‘must do, must achieve’ mobilisation, go-go-go mode. And when your nervous system is in that state, slowing down doesn’t feel safe to your system (and as we know the nervous system’s sole function is to keep you safe - alive). Slowing down doesn’t feel good (of course not, if you’re in danger that would be… dangerous!). Resting feels wrong (again.. Of course). Because your body thinks it needs to be doing something to stay ahead of whatever unseen ‘threat’ it’s picking up on.

We have the power to change and recreate our whole ‘experience’ of life when we take a nervous system-centred approach and build that awareness.

When we understand our nervous system, we realise we have a choice to change the ‘state’ we are living from, and that in itself, right there, affects the whole way we create and experience our life.

And awareness, why did I make that the focus of today’s email? Well, awareness is the very thing that gives us the choice to do something differently.

Are You Even Aware of It, Though?

So in today’s email subject line, what was it I asking if you’re aware of?

Well, funnily enough, I wasn’t entirely being specific. So many things popped into my head when I questioned where that came from (things just come to me, I don’t think up these emails - they kind of come to me - so I often have to build the awareness of what that piece of inner ‘stuff’ that has bubbled up means too).

I guess I was meaning a whole number of things…

Are you aware of your thoughts? As in, are you conscious of the internal chatter constantly running in your mind? The narrative that shapes how you view things?

Are you aware of which place in your nervous system you are? (Maybe, likely not yet, but I’m here to help you with that.)

But I guess actually, what I’m asking is, are you aware that YOU are the thing creating your whole experience of life?

Are you actually aware that it’s always YOU getting in your own way?

It’s always YOU reacting how you react?

It’s always YOU creating the life you want to create?

Now slow down, stay with me, don’t start shouting at the computer or your phone in rage telling me you didn’t decide for your kid to be poorly when you had a million deadlines looming, for your website to crash during your biggest launch yet, your car to break down, that client to complain and threaten cancelling your biggest contract or for the government to be the sh*t show it is etc …"

I get it. Of course you didn’t choose those things.

But what you do get to choose, every single time, is how you respond.

And when your nervous system is dysregulated (in that sympathetic survival stage we talked about earlier), that response is often reactive, not intentional.

Are you now becoming more aware that - your nervous system - is THE thing that is the absolute foundation for how you experience everything in your life..?

And that’s what I want to help you with.

Because, understanding and working with your nervous system, rather than against it, is about regaining control of your life in a way that feels good. Not ‘controlling’ in the gripping-on-for-dear-life trying to foresee every worst case scenario before it happens kind of way. Quite the opposite. Gaining back control of your life from the inside out, the kind of control that lets you exhale, yet make progress in a way that feels fulfilling - aligned. That lets you live with more ease, clarity, and genuine presence.

We are doing it already over in REGULATE (For just £5 per MONTH!). Have a nosey and see what it’s all about here. We’d love you to come in too.

Want to know why it is I am so incredibly passionate about this?

Find out tomorrow morning! Part Two of this email will be with you early Monday - watch this space.

Until then, make this a fabulous, flow-like Sunday.