Clearing your mind : indulgence or necessity ?
New technologies , the race for performance , the constant pursuit of recognition , the omnipresence of social media , the infamous FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out , the uninterrupted flow of information … How can we not be overwhelmed ? At a time when our thinking patterns are shaped by the inflexible standards of performance , efficiency and competitiveness , clearing our minds and refocusing on ourselves have become a luxury on the sideline , which does not tally with our self-absorbing devotion to keeping up appearances . “ Our lifestyle leaves us short of the necessary space to rest , recharge and refocus on ourselves and our true needs ,” explains Sabrina Puddoo , Clinical Psychologist and Chief Operations Officer at Lovebridge .
But the more we stifle our needs , the more likely our body will take over and break into signs of distress : burn-out , psychosomatic diseases , nervous breakdown … Such signs are meant to shake us up and redirect our attention to our suffocating , supplicating soul . “ Taking care of ourselves has become a challenging , hard work , which requires us to redefine our mental schemes and perceptions , to learn to feel our body and understand its signals , and to be present for ourselves ,” she adds . Improving your physical and mental health is not only about reducing your stress levels , but also making yourself more available for yourself , reconnecting with your needs and wants , and exploring your creativity . This will lead to multiple benefits !
When the body influences the mind
The health crisis has shattered our comprehension of the world . Some have had the opportunity to rediscover themselves , while others have got carried away by the lock-down and the contingencies that come therewith . How can we learn to let go ? According to Sabrina Puddoo , “ Most often , the mind – the intellect – has a hard time switching off , because it is hooked on everything that is going on , which it strives to understand or interpret … We need to use another channel to learn to unwind : the body experience .”
How does our body come into play ? According to Daphné Amaya , a Dance and Movement Therapy ( DMT ) practitioner , it is not so much a question of getting disconnected from something , but reconnected to something : “ We realise today that we cannot control the outer world . We can no longer find the sense of stability and security we long for there . We then turn to the one sure thing : our body . Learning to listen to our body and feelings is to cultivate the art of living in the present .” Creating a space dedicated to the expression of the body is one of the DMT ’ s pillars . It allows one to re-establish the link and the dialogue between the mind and the body .
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