I was stuck in my head today and these 3 things helped

Left to my own devices, I would never have cleaned the bathrooms this morning. I would have tackled my to-do list.

This story started on May 16, when I got on a plane to go visit my daughter.

I love spending time with her, but she has a different lifestyle than I do. Less movement, more video games. When I visit, I do as much as I can to keep my head and heart connected.

And it usually takes me 24 hours to feel like myself again after I come back.

The day before I flew home, I started coughing. It wasn't COVID, but it took me out.

So much for getting grounded.

A week later, I resumed doing all the things I rely on to feel connected and present in my life. Walking, eating well, meditating, yoga, being outside.

But I was only going through the motions. Because I was also:

• Feeling irritated when my partner wanted to talk

• Reading voraciously

• Avoiding tasks I needed to do

• Playing games on my phone

• Aimlessly browsing the web

• Scrolling on social media

All dead giveaways that I'm in my head, along with feeling perpetually bored-cranky.

I was frustrated. I'd done all the things. I shouldn't be in my head for days on end.

Aren't I over this by now?

Nope.

Admitting to myself I was stuck

The first thing that helped was admitting to myself that nothing I'd tried was working. I wasn't tired from being sick or suddenly burnt out.

My inner critic believes I should spend no more than 10 minutes in my head. Not 3 days.

Then I remember that I lived like this for years without knowing why or how to stop.

It's OK that I still get stuck in my head. I'm human.

A 35-minute morning guided meditation

The second thing that helped was a guided meditation. It's a compilation of clips from Joe Dispenza that I've been doing daily for a few months. A 35-Minute Guided Meditation for Gratitude and Abundance currently has 6.6 million views on YouTube.

I don't have a long history of following his work. I read BecomingSuperNaturaland did the accompanying meditations. It's a good read and was helpful background for the daily meditation when I stumbled upon it.

The meditation gently guides you to draw your energy upto the top of your head, reconnect with your body, identify something you want to release, and explore the embodied experience of releasing it.

I highly recommend it.

Most mornings, I release figuring everything out. My overthinking superpower no longer serves me. The inspiration and creativity I experience when I let go of this goes far beyond anything I've ever "figured out".

This morning, I released trying to figure out how to get out of my own head.

As I've come to expect, I felt far more grounded and enlivened afterward. Usually, I feel inspired about writing a post on social media or content for the program I'm launching on June 12th.

Cleaning the bathrooms

The inspiration this morning was crystal clear. I needed to clean the bathrooms I'd been avoiding.

It was perfect.

Getting my hands wet. Smelling the lavender-scented cleaner. Squeezing out the yellow sponge from Trader Joe's. Accidentally spraying water all over the floor, stepping in it and getting my socks wet.

A cornucopia of sensory experiences guaranteed to remind me how much better life is when I'm here for all of it.

Being present with myself began with lavender cleaner and wet socks. The details are the whole deal.