Do You Know How to Emotionally Surf?

Last week I was talking to a client about surfing. Not literal surfing, but emotional surfing. 

Let me explain. 

Imagine you’re at the ocean, standing at the water’s edge, toes sunk into the sand. Out in front of you is beautiful, blue, expansive water as far as the eye can see.

You decide to go further into the water, about waist-deep. Maybe you feel a little nervous, but also excited to be in the ocean. 

Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, a HUGE wave comes knocking you over. 🌊

You’re swept under and spun around like clothes in a washing machine. 

Loosing all sense of direction you have no clue what’s going to happen next. 

Scary, huh? 

This, my friend, is how it feels when we get hit by BIG emotions.

Out of nowhere a tidal wave of feelings can knock you over, leaving you lying on the metaphorical beach gasping for air. 

After all, it is the holiday season. 😉 

But, for some of us, that's just what an average Tuesday can feel like. 

So, what do we do about these unexpected, inconvenient tsunamis of emotion that leave us questioning if beach-going is even worth it any more? 

We learn to surf. 

Surfing is a beautiful tool to help navigate choppy waters. It allows you to sit on top of the surface and not get sucked down into the depths below. 

And, after a lot of practice, surfing's even FUN!

One of the first steps to surfing strong emotions, is to calm your nervous system. 

When we feel BIG feelings, the body senses something is drastically wrong. 

But in reality, we're safe. 

By doing a few simple techniques we can remind the body that we're okay. 

These basic tools can be the difference between drowning in the waters and pulling yourself to safety.  

In the video below, I’ll lead you through TWO short exercises that will leave you feeling calm and relaxed. 

When our body is calm, it diminishes the emotional waves, making them manageable and even surfable. 

Once you try these techniques, hit reply and let me know how they work for you!

Also, if you know anyone who could use a free emotional surf lesson, send this their way. The more emotional safety in the world, the better.