Five Signs that You May Need a “Forced Restart”
Summer Smith, LCSW
We all understand the term “Forced Restart”, because most of us have to engage this function on all of our precious electronics at least once a week! However, did you ever consider that you, yourself, might occasionally (or frequently) need this action as well? Let’s continue with the technology analogy and explore five reasons that your iPhone and your self might need an intentional reboot!
- You’ve got “too many apps running in the background”. How many things are you thinking about at this exact moment? How about now? What about when you lie down to try and sleep at night – how many thousands of “apps” are running in your background at that moment? If your brain tends to remain on overload, attempting to maintain and remember more than a dozen thoughts per minute, it’s time for a clean out! Remember this quote, which is a spinoff of something Einstein once said: “The pen is for remembering, the mind is for thinking.” Use Siri, or phone reminders, or your calendar or to-do lists to help you remember things Oklahoma City anxiety attack. Use your mind for thinking! Practice mindfulness! If you don’t know how to practice mindfulness, Google will help you!
- Your system is operating slowly. This is the absolute worst! I’m in a hurry to finalize that Amazon purchase in time to qualify for Prime, and my system is moving in slow motion behind that little circle of death! Ahh! Guess what? Our human operating system can do the same thing. If you’re sluggish, exhausted, or completely worn out, chances are your mind, body and spirit are moving slowly! (Your battery is trying to run on 2%.) When this happens, it’s time to rest! Relax! Recharge! Do nothing! Go on vacation! Any of those actions can serve as a forced restart for your slow system.
- Your system is frozen or stopped responding. I was kidding about number two. Number three is the absolute worst! But how can a human be frozen or stop responding? Perhaps your frozen in the wrong job, the wrong relationship, the wrong behavior! Maybe you are putting off a big decision that needs to be made or a change you’ve been avoiding for months. (I wonder how long it’s been since you went to a medical check-up or dentist appointment?) If this is your system malfunction, then deciding to decide is your function for recovery! Take the leap of faith, regardless of how scary it may feel, because remaining frozen is even scarier than that Oklahoma City anxiety attack!
- Your system is disconnected from other sources. It’s beyond frustrating when you’ve worked so hard to put the finishing touches on your writing assignment and now your printer has magically become disconnected from your computer. They aren’t communicating at all anymore! Well guess what? If this is happening with your relationships, I can assure you that your heart is frustrated as well. Our connection with other humans is our lifeline! It’s our soul food! Consider if you’re disconnected from anyone who is important to you, and if you are, then reach out today! Schedule a coffee date or a lunch! And if it’s God or your spiritual relationships that you’ve lost track of, then start praying or reading immediately!
- Finally we’ve reached the point of “system overload”. That’s when you’ve reached your breaking point. You might be crying frequently, or having Oklahoma City anxiety attack, panic attacks, or feeling depressed or irritable or detached from yourself. You’ve been going hard for months with minimal self-care and it finally caught up to you. If this is happening in your life, admit that it’s time to pause and restart the system. Tell someone you love or call a therapist. Say no to a few things! Reorganize your priorities and intentionally participate in them, while distancing yourself from (or removing) all the other stuff. You cannot (and should not) do it all! If your system is overloaded – Take a breath and start fresh!No matter what is happening within your system, the most important thing you can do for yourself is NOTICE it! Pay attention to what your mind, body and spirit are telling you. Stop and scan your body for signs of stress, anxiety, fear, pain or overload Oklahoma City anxiety attack. Use this technology analogy to consider what might be going on, and then make that decision for a “Forced Restart”. There is no time like the present to reengage with that healthy version of yourself. As a wise woman once told me, “You can take time now, or time will take you later if you have a oklahoma city anxiety attack!”