All About That BASEline

This week's conversation covers all the bases. Most importantly, what does it mean to return to baseline? An often overlooked, but exceptionally important component of mental wellness is familiarizing yourself with your own personal baseline. We like to think of baseline as ground zero, the point at which you are regulated, at homeostasis. When life throws multiple stressors at us, and we are challenged by time and/or lack of access to our wellness tools, we may quickly find ourselves above or below baseline.A small inconvenience can bump us up to a 3. A major catastrophe can push us all the way up to a +10, or plummet us down to a -10. The important part of familiarizing yourself with your baseline is to recognize when you are at the point where you need to slow down and use the tools that serve you best in your time of need. Tools like time alone, or the comfort of a family pet may help you go from a +8 to a +4, or from a -8 to a -4.We discuss ways to identify and release emotions that may feel overwhelming. Naming the emotion we're experiencing empowers us by acknowledging the feeling itself. Engaging in physical activity like a brisk walk or deep purposeful breathing may also help restore you to a more manageable level. Jordan says that restoration is a continual process. The goal is to use the tools we've learned from our experience to slow the escalation or descent away from baseline to help restore us to a more stable, manageable emotional state. At times, this may feel like a tall order, which is why we acknowledge that this is a non-linear, lifelong process. By practicing awareness, mindfulness, and patience, we will be well-equipped to make the journey, always remembering that there is no such thing as perfection, only progress. We are very grateful to all our listeners.We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected] - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…Like, Follow, Share 🧩 Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You by clicking the link below:Send us Fan Mailhttps://a.co/d/h7AQf91