Take Back Control

It’s 4:30 am and it’s the second time I’ve had to get up in the night to go and let my old dog out for a poo. 
.
He’s almost 13 and nearly every night without fail he now needs a 2am and a 4am trip to the loo. This has been going on for months and months.
.
Except this morning at 4:00am he saw a cat out of the corner of his eye, and forgot he’s almost 13 and chased the cat.

So picture this: here I am in my PJ’s, half-awake chasing my dog who’s chasing a cat (who I’m sure was just having an early morning stroll) and I’m not particularly happy about the whole thing. I’m also now very awake and I have two choices…
.
A) I can accept that I’m now awake, grab my favourite cup of tea and savour the 2 hours before the household gets up
OR
B) I can get very cross with the dog, yell at him under my breath and feel really, really annoyed that he’s ruined my sleep.
Believe me, I’ve tried both approaches.
.
The difference between option A and B is my reaction. Reaction is the absence of pausing before you act and this happens normally when you are triggered.
A trigger is an emotional response that causes you to feel a strong emotional response and they’re usually very personal to the individual and linked to some emotional wound that is unhealed.
.
🔅When we REact instead of act, it causes much damage to ourselves and the people and things in our environments. 🔅
.
The number 1 thing most of us want more of in our lives is deep connections with people and ourselves. A Reaction without pausing causes emotional separation which is the total opposite of connection. The more you REact instead of pausing first, the greater the separation and void between you and those around you becomes. That feeling of being lonely gets bigger and bigger. 
.
This is also true for emotional eating since the absence of pausing when triggered equals satisfying that emotional craving with food. A vicious circle starts of self-loathing and self-hating and it damages the soul.
.
🔅SO WHAT DO TO ABOUT IT?
.
The answer is much more obvious that it would seem: Breathe. 
.
The moment you become aware that you are triggered, breathe. Breathe in for the count of 4 and out for the count of 8 and repeat until you find there is an emotional moment of space being created between your thought and your action.
In the moment you pause to breathe you allow yourself the opportunity to choose how you want the situation to unfold… for the highest good of everyone.
.
🔅THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC LIES. This is the moment when you gain the control back of your life and with that along comes peace.

So, choose option A today and tomorrow and the next day…
​
Don’t forget to breathe.