Hey friends, it's Dora here.
Let's be real, bedtime can feel like a constant battle.
The tantrums, the stalling, the screen fatigue, it's a lot.
That's why we created Wiggle to Wind Down, a brand new kids sleep podcast from Headspace and Cocomelon.
Each episode helps your little one move, breathe and settle into a soothing bedtime story so they can relax and you can finally exhale.
Search for Wiggle to Wind Down wherever you get your podcasts and make bedtime a little easier for everyone.
Hey, it's Dora here.
I don't know about you, but for me, this time of year can get really overwhelming.
Trying to juggle work, family, and the holidays.
The good news is Headspace is offering our biggest sale of the year, 50% off a year of Headspace.
So whether you need to sleep better, reduce stress, or feel less anxious, Headspace helps.
And now's the perfect time to sign up and get 50% off today at headspace.com.
Hi there.
This is Radioheadspace.
I'm Dora, and I'm so glad you're here.
So last week I walked into my local coffee shop and immediately I felt heavy.
Like someone had draped an invisible blanket of anxiety over my shoulders.
Nothing had changed about me in the 30 seconds between my car and the front door.
But the barista looked stressed.
There was a tense conversation happening at a corner table and I could feel this cloud of overwhelm hanging in the air.
I ordered my usual latte, but by the time I had left I was carrying this weird emotional residue that had absolutely nothing to do with my actual day.
And that's when it hit me.
If I shower every morning to clean my physical body, What am I doing to clean my energetic body?
Okay, I know this might sound a little woo-woo, but stay with me for a minute.
You know how.
You walk into a room after people have been arguing and you can feel the tension, even if no one says a word.
Or how some spaces just feel peaceful and others feel chaotic?
Or how being around certain people leaves you feeling drained, while others leave you feeling energized.
That is energy.
And just like we pick up dust and dirt on our clothes throughout the day, we pick up emotional and energetic residue as we move through the world.
The thing is, most of us are really good at physical hygiene.
We brush our teeth, we wash our hands, we shower regularly.
But we've never been taught that our spirits need cleaning too.
We can observe other people's stress, anxiety, anger, and overwhelm.
We carry it around like invisible backpacks, wondering why we feel so tired or anxious for no apparent reason.
But just like we can clean our bodies, We can learn to clean and clear our energetic selves too, by practicing what I like to call energetic hygiene.
I learned this lesson the hard way during my third year of psychiatric nursing school.
I was working with patients all day, listening to heavy stories, holding space for pain and trauma.
And I thought being empathetic meant absorbing it all, feeling everything they felt.
By the end of each day, I was emotionally exhausted.
I'd go home and feel anxious about problems that weren't mine, worried about situations I couldn't control, carrying anger that didn't belong to me.
My supervisor at the time noticed I was overwhelmed and asked me Dora, what are you doing to care for yourself between sessions?
How do you take care of your energy?
Care for myself?
Take care of my energy?
I was confused.
She explained it like this.
When a surgeon finishes an operation, they don't just walk into the next surgery wearing the same protective gear.
They scrub down, they change their clothes, they clean their instruments.
Your work is energetic surgery.
What's your scrubbing protocol?
I had no idea what she meant, but I was desperate.
So she taught me this simple practice.
After each session I'd go to the bathroom, wash my hands mindfully and imagine washing anything that wasn't mine.
I'd take three deep breaths and visualize releasing whatever heavy energy I'd absorbed.
Then I'd set an intention for the next patient.
It sounds so simple, but it changed everything.
I stopped carrying my patient's pain home with me.
I could be present and empathetic without drowning in emotions that weren't mine.
So if you find yourself feeling affected by other people's energy, it's real and you're not being too sensitive.
You're being human.
But you don't have to carry everyone else's emotional baggage around like it's your job.
So let's talk about some basic energetic hygiene practices.
Think of these as like spiritual soap.
Number one is the hand wash reset.
When you wash your hands throughout the day.
Imagine you're washing away anything that you've absorbed that isn't yours.
It takes literally no extra time, but it's a powerful reset.
Number two is the doorway practice.
Every time you walk through a doorway, take a conscious breath And imagine leaving behind whatever energy doesn't serve you.
Doorways can become natural transition moments.
Number three is the evening clearing.
Before bed, take a shower or bath and imagine the water washing away not just physical dirt but energetic residue too.
Set the intention that you're only keeping what belongs to you.
And number four is the invisible bubble.
When you're about to enter a challenging space like a stressful meeting or a crowded place, imagine putting an invisible protective bubble around yourself.
You can still connect with people, but their stress doesn't automatically become yours.
I know this might sound unconventional, but you already know that this stuff is real.
Again, you've probably already felt it when you walked into a room full of tension.
You've experienced how being around certain people affects your mood.
You've noticed how some places feel peaceful while others feel chaotic.
You're not imagining it.
Maybe you're just finally paying attention to it.
And just like you wouldn't walk around all day covered in physical dirt, you don't have to walk around carrying energetic residue that doesn't belong to you.
You get to choose what you carry and what you release.
Your energy is precious.
Your peace is sacred.
And you have every right to protect both.
So tonight, when you wash your face before bed, imagine you're washing away anything from the day that isn't yours to hold.
You might be surprised by how much lighter you feel.
I will leave it here for today.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
And I'll see you tomorrow.
