#159// Underneath the myriad reasons we give for why we can't take time to rest right now lurks a common root cause: We simply do not feel safe to slow down and rest. Ever.
Have you ever considered that, underneath that pile of "really good reasons" for why you just can't slow down right now might be hiding a root cause of fear? Specifically the fear that, if you stop and stay still for any amount of time, you won't be safe. Something bad will happen. I know, it's uncomfortable to think about.
Years ago when I was wrestling with a bout of severe postpartum anxiety, I suffered from a symptom called akithisia -- a constant felt need to pace and keep moving with a severe sense of dread and heightened anxiety when you try to sit down and be still, even for a minute. I began to research the root cause of this condition and came to understand that my body actually thought I was in danger 24/7 and needed to keep moving. My nervous system kept sending signals to "MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!" I literally didn't feel safe to rest.
But even when I got my PPA worked out and was feeling better, I still experienced moments of dread and heightened anxiety when I thought about being still, sitting with my thoughts or simply "doing nothing." And I began to realize that I was stuck in a cycle of hypervigilance that never really left me. And the roots I uncovered beneath hypervigilance are what prompted me to record this podcast episode. Hypervigilance becomes a lifestyle when you don't feel safe to rest and trust God in the moment, and it'll run you ragged.
On this episode of the Positioned to Prosper podcast, we're digging into the protective coping mechanism called hypervigilance and how it perpetuates a lie we've learned at some point in our lives that we "really aren't safe if we stay still and rest." I'll start us off with some Biblical truth around rest and our capacity and need for it, and then I'll share four practical strategies for helping you to step out of hypervigilance and into the kind of trust in God that *makes* you to be able to lay down in green pastures (Psalm 23). Are you ready to rest without stress, my friend? If so, Grab your Bible, your journal and a pen, and . . . Let's Go!
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
If you want to apply what you've learned in today's episode, grab a tool below:
• If you need to start by setting aside a block of time each day to be still and rest, come download a copy of my Trello Block Schedule Template + Tutorial here: ericapyle.com/blockschedule.
• If you'd like some help digging into the roots underneath the fear of taking time to rest, grab a copy of the Four Questions Prayer Template here: ericapyle.com/4questions. These are four questions you can ask God in prayer that will help you to hear Him better (and faster) as you endeavor to see what's at the root of an issue.
• Once you've identified the lies and/or fears that are messing with your ability to rest, you'll want to grab the Thought Exchange Worksheet here: ericapyle.com/thoughts. This worksheet will help you to give the unproductive, negative thoughts to God so He can give you something better.
• A perfect way to practice resting daily is to have a quiet time with the Lord first thing in the morning. Want to know how to structure a 30-minute quiet time that'll set you up for a great day? Find the Quiet Time Blueprint here: ericapyle.com/quiettime.
• If you'd like to see my essential oil aromatherapy suggestions for establishing a restful environment, check out this blog post
