The River of Energy: How to Get Out of Anxiety's Fast Current or Depression's Deep Stagnation and Get Back into the Flow of your Life

So, this metaphor is totally cliche, but it works, and that's why I use it. I feel a bit like Forrest Gump saying this, but here goes:

Your energy is a River, like this River.

When it's flowing smoothly and moving along, that's when we feel energized, grounded, strong, and happy. But when we get going too fast, doing too much, our minds and bodies spin out of control, floating too high towards the surface of the river and we experience anxiety and stress.

And when we are moving too slow, dragging our feet in the flow of life, like heavy sediment and river debris, we sink to the bottom, stuck in the drudge of despair, lethargy, and depression.

In order to get out of the state of imbalance and confusion, we must figure out where we are in the river.

Those stuck at the bottom of the river need to gather gumption and momentum in order to get out of the mud and back into the flow of their lives.  People who are depressed need to move and move as fast as they can; running, hiking, biking, rock-climbing and more are some of the things that can you out of the mud. But getting out of the mud and into the flow is just the first step, the hardest step of the process.

Secondly, we must figure out ways to stay in the flow throughout our day and to notice when we are starting to sink back down into the mud. Walking to work, walking on lunch breaks, stretching at your desk, eating regularly, and drinking lots of water are all ways to stay in the flow. But move too much,
and we might get anxious.

And if we get caught in the rapids of anxiety, we need to slow down and float for a while. We need to sit still, get a massage, meditate, read a book, have a cup of tea or just take a break to let our hearts and minds slow down to their natural pace, not a rushed one we are imposing on them. But again, that is just the first step.

We must then figure out what we need to do every day to slow ourselves down, things like doing less at work and home and having smaller "to do" lists, and more "to be" lists.

Once you notice where you are in the River, you'll have a general idea of how to work with your energy to get back into the flow and ease of your life.

Speed up or slow down? What do you need to do right now?

©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay 

www.knottedwordscelticart.com, Twitter: @AngelaDMac, www.angelamackay.com

The Cranky Princess: An Enchanted Tale of Depression and Woe

Once upon a time, in a land far away, far beyond this dimension, living a princess named Cora. One morning, Princess Cora woke up and didn't want to do anything. She did not want to go for a ride on her pet Dragon, Grimmel. She did not want to eat in the pancakes in bed. In fact, Princess Cora didn't even want to get out of bed. Some might say that Princess Cora was a bit more than cranky, that maybe, just maybe, Princess Cora was a tad bit depressed.

But the King would her none of it. "My Cora is not depressed," he would say, "She is just having one very bad day."

But a week went by, and Princess Cora still didn't want to get out of bed. "It's too much bother!" she would say, "And why would I get up, when there's nothing to do? It's so boring being a princess!"

Although the King and Queen did not believe that there was anything seriously wrong with Cora, they were starting to get worried about her, so they sent for the Fairy Godmother.

The Fairy Godmother sat on the side of Princess Cora's canopy bed. Princess Cora looked up, and then rolled over. She pulled the green and yellow blankets over her head and groaned.

"What is it, child?" the Fairy Godmother said. "What's wrong? Why won't you get out of bed?"

"Oh, Fairy Godmother," Princess Cora said, sighing. "I just don't want to be a princess anymore. It's just no fun at all."

"Well, my dear, I can grant you one wish," the Fairy Godmother said. "What is it that you wish for?"

"I wish that I was a caterpillar in a cocoon, so that I could stay in bed as long as I want," Princess Cora said.

"If that's what you wish for, so be it," the Fairy Godmother said, smiling.

The Fairy Godmother waved her magic wand and Poof!  – Princess Cora turned into a caterpillar. The green and yellow blankets turned into her cocoon and she hung high above in the canopy of her bed.

"Ahhh, this is perfect!" Princess Cora as she rolled over in her new caterpillar body. "It's like being in a hammock in here! Thanks, Fairy Godmother - I am finally happy!"

Well, the King and Queen were not too happy that the Fairy Godmother turned their only daughter into a caterpillar.

"What are we going to do with her now? How can she be a princess when she's all bound up in silken blankets?" the Queen asked, frowning.

"Just wait, Your Majesty, just wait," the Fairy Godmother said, nodding her head. "Soon Princess Cora will be the best princess she could ever be."

So the entire Kingdom waited and waited. Then one day, the Princess' cocoon started to crack. Princess Cora started to fall, but somehow she did not fall far. She was saved by beautiful yellow and green wings. A caterpillar no more, Princess Cora was now a butterfly.

"Weeeee!" she said, as she fluttered about. "This is fun!"

Princess Cora was not only out of bed, but she was flitting this way and that, flying here, there and everywhere.

The King and Queen were so happy to see Princess Cora out of bed, that it didn't matter to them that she was a butterfly. But most of all, the King and Queen were happy to see Princess Cora smiling and laughing again. The cranky princess wasn't so cranky anymore.

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay 

www.knottedwordscelticart.com, Twitter: @AngelaDMac, www.angelamackay.com