Stress Buster Tip: Roadkill and Your Mind-There is a Connection!

My previous newsletter described how my daughter was lost in thought and not present to what she was doing. This week, it was I who was distracted.

I was getting ready to write this newsletter and needed inspiration. My pointer Kiddo and I took a walk and within moments, I had the needed inspiration. As we walked, I made a quick call, and as I was talking, another call clicked in. As I was fumbling with my phone, I looked up and saw Kiddo with roadkill in her mouth- yes an entire birdlike animal (I know this because the wings were hanging out!) I managed to put the phone down, open her mouth and shake out Kiddo’s trophy.

You might be thinking, why is Ellen grossing me out talking about roadkill? Keep reading. Here is why I learned from this experience:

1. I was not paying attention which meant I was missing my walk.

2. I was not present to Kiddo so I missed what she was doing (more than pointing!)

3. I did not keep Kiddo close to me, which created havoc.

Let’s look at number 3. When we allow our thoughts to run the show, we end up chewing on our own fears, frustrations, worries, harming us physically and emotionally- we are out of control.

When you think about it, this is not too different from Kiddos behavior- I let her out too far, did not pay attention and she ate roadkill.

The practice of noticing when our thoughts begin to spiral out of control is simpler then you might think. To harness your mind, you need to bring your awareness back to the moment. This is why on-the-spot techniques are so helpful. Picking one aspect of what you are doing to focus upon is all that is needed. For example: Walk and notice the rolling of your foot. Breathe and notice your exhale only. This will give you the moment needed to shorten the leash on your thoughts.

Give this a try or think of your own and let me know what you noticed. My biggest lessons from this experience?

• Stay focused on what I am doing
• Bring hand sanitizer on my walks!

Let me know how this worked and if you came up with a focus of your own.

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