Coping.
Challenges in life are inevitable. How we handle those challenges is what determines our happiness.
Life is HEAVY. We are STRONG.
Life is HEAVY. We are STRONG.
I learned early in life that sensory pleasure is a good coping tool for me. From curling up in a cozy blanket and watching a movie to lighting a candle and drawing a bath, there are so many ways to satisfy my senses. So many attainable and simple actions I can take to access wanted emotions. Our senses are our superpower.
One of the few loves I kept with me from my old life is showering. Showers have always been therapeutic to me. A place of peace and relaxation. Sensory saturation. While still a comfort, showers serve me differently now. Old Lindsay used showers as a coping mechanism. A place to cry where no one could hear. A temporary escape from my feelings. Drowning I could turn off with a knob. A place where I didn’t have to be anyone or do anything. I could feel how I felt and express it without intrusions. Old Lindsay took sit-on-the-floor-and-cry showers, and that was what she needed. New Lindsay doesn’t sulk long enough for that same shower fix. Now a shower is pure joy. The heat blending with the smells of my favorite soaps and shampoos. Inhaling soft steam while it tingles my skin. I surrender to the flood of water pouring down my body. Letting my worries wash away because I know I have the power to do so. Lindsay today gets excited about showering. I look forward to feeling good. Plus, the shower is also a great place to think up new blog posts. ;) When it comes to my senses, I prioritize indulging. Furry socks, poofy blankets, Sherpa sweatshirts. I appreciate feeling cozy. When there’s a choice to please my senses, I take it. Visually, I search for what feels vibrant. Sunsets and sunrises bring out a unique warmth. Beaming at my surroundings. Waves, mountains, clouds. New places and aesthetics bring me so much joy. Photography is my way of holding onto each of these moments. I go out and experience these visual highs and then I create my own. Lavender, vanilla, nutmeg. I’m the girl who always has candles going. Who breathes in deep when walking through an active kitchen. I smell my lavender chai latte before that first sip, and each sip after. I go out of my way to walk by a garden, making sure to stop and take a moment with the jasmine. Scents have a way of stopping time. Pulling you into a memory or a fantasy. Captured serenity. If you have been following along with my blog for a while, you already know I’m a foodie. One of my very favorite hobbies is trying new foods. If you’ve ever sat down with me for a meal, you know just how much I appreciate a good bite. Dramatically. Taste is another area I love to explore. I not only make time to properly enjoy my meals, but with intuitive eating, I never feel guilty about what I eat. Using my senses allows me to slow down my surroundings. Relax my busy mind, and mouth if I’m being honest. My senses make room for meditation, easily accessible wherever I go. Whether I’m showering or simply stopping to smell the flowers, I actively choose to give in to my senses. To unlock my superpower and create more moments of joy.
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This week I had a very intense doctor’s appointment that determined a lot of good and a lot of bad. I really believe, after speaking with Dr. William Hang of Face Focused, that double jaw surgery with total joint replacement CAN cure me. That chronic pain will be another notch added to my belt of battles overcome. But this upcoming year is going to be especially challenging. Not only do I need surgery that requires 4 overnights in the hospital, 6 weeks liquid diet and 6 months of a swollen face, but I also need adult metal braces for an entire year. I’m a 28 year old, single woman trying to put myself out there, date, be active and enjoy life already masking excruciating pain every second of every day, but now with brace face?! In preparation for surgery I will wear upper and lower old school metal braces with palate expanders for 6 months until surgery and about another 6 months post surgery. I am set up to balance self consciousness about the way I look on top of debilitating physical pain. However, only one of those struggles is truly out of my control. If I’m getting braces, I’m going all out. Make them rainbow and add some sparkles. Instead of feeling bad about the way I look and feel physically, I’m going to choose instead to feel great about the way I look. Yeah, I have adult braces and they’re awesome. They are going to cure me of something I’ve been fighting my entire life. These braces symbolize my new life. Tightly screwed into what my pain free future will feel like, confident and colorful. Just as with every other challenge I’ve overcome, I will emBRACE this journey. Do what I have to do and try my absolute best to make the rest easier on myself, not harder. While I may be stuck with this horrendous process to a pain free life, I always have freedom with how I handle my cards. How I rearrange the deck to present a winning hand. My immediate thought was another year of my life given away to TMJ disorder. My afterthought though, a year where I can rock adult braces and inspire others to embrace whatever it is they might be insecure about. Insecurity is an illusion after all, and so is confidence. How you feel about yourself is what projects onto others. Why should I feel embarrassed about braces? They’re an accessory to my character. Just another unique quality that makes me special. Braces to me means 6 months more pain for a lifetime rid of this nightmare. A success story with a hopeful map for all of those suffering from TMJ disorder still stuck hearing it’s in their head or there’s no solution. Another story to look back on when a new challenge arises. Life is what you make it and I’m making these braces rainbow. https://smileangels.com/blog/orthodontics/braces-colors-for-2020/
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AuthorLindsay Greenberg, providing perspective on how to live a magical life. Archives
September 2022
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