Sooooo Tired

Visit Your Internal Library

Liminal change is unsettling; having resources you can turn to makes coping easier. One resource is your own internal library, memories you can call up for yourself or share with others. These include your own experiences, lyrics or poems you have memorized, prayers you know my heart, and storylines from books or movies.

Building a Library

You can build and strengthen your library through recall and memorization. Then when you need them, they can be a resting spot within chaos, a grounding place when the way is uncertain, and courage when life is challenging. When you deliberately replay helpful memories, you activate the collection of neurons that make up that memory in your brain. The more often you do this the denser and faster that neural path becomes. You create a resource you can return to anytime you want. In this case the goal is not accuracy in recall, it is building internal resources that support you on your journey.

There are so many times and places where you can turn to your internal library: while waiting, when you are unsure of what to do next, when you need to find a way to calm yourself, or someone else. You can deliberately choose a story, a poem, or a memory to “play back” silently or aloud. Here are a few examples:

Rest

One way to lull yourself to sleep, or to settle your nerves at the dentist, is to bring up a memory of a peaceful event. Recall, in slow detail, a walk at the beach or the details of a favorite movie. You could string together a series of fun memories of pets. You don’t have to get all the specifics correct. The goal is to have a few peaceful storylines to replay for yourself. The more you play this memory over in your imagination, the easier it will be to pull it up when you need it.

Grounding

At times you lose sight of where you were heading. Overwhelm becomes the primary emotion. A poem, prayer, or saying can help you ground yourself and remind you of your intention or purpose. Another option would be the memory of a friend or mentor saying something encouraging. You can print out the words or use a picture as your screen saver to help you recall it when needed. Choosing and using your own internal resource tailors your grounding to your own needs. Repeating a phrase or memory that helps causes it to become more powerful and automatic over time.

Courage

You have been through some stuff. Give yourself credit for the hard times you have been through and take time to remember the moments when you knew you had made it. Some of those times are public – a graduation ceremony or court date – others are very private. Some may not seem like much to anyone else, but you know how much it took for you to get to that turning point. Remember those moments and replay them for yourself to remember your own courage, strength, and resilience. There might be a song or movie scene that reminds you of how you felt. Replay these moments so that you can bring them up when you need courage on the journey.

Focusing on your internal resources and building strong memories that come easily to mind allows you to care for yourself at any moment. You can turn to your internal library for calm, grounding, or encouragement. It can be as quick as a phrase or image or as detailed as an entire movie or a great trip. You have a lifetime of memories to curate a handful of resources to strengthen you on your journey.

Peace,

Laura

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