I grew up in the south of France, in a small village of just about 300 inhabitants.
Always surrounded by animals, free to run through the nearby forests, the taste of this independence made me swear never to leave the countryside.
Yet the fire of my inner sun (solar plexus chakra) continued to fuel my thirst for adventure.
The need to learn, to explore, to expand the horizon of my thoughts, led me to the effervescence of London where I set my anchor. More recently, it is in Bordeaux that I challenge my bearings.
After a few trials that filled my emotional gauge and in order to tame more easily this consuming summer, I decided to return to my parents' home.
The first few days seemed strange. Even though the freedom that I was given through all this space had started tickling my legs as soon as I arrived, the walks under the trees took a while to calm me down.
After the nervous system has spent some time getting used to stimulation or shall I say even over-stimulation, regulating activities may even seem boring.
We have all met that person who, thriving in the city, boasts about the boredom of a few days in the country:
"What do you want me to do in the countryside? After three walks in the forest, I'd be restless and would be going round in circles not knowing what to do"
The lights, noise and constant movement of the city put our nervous system into a prolonged state of alert, i.e. the constant production of cortisol and adrenaline hormones (stress).
The state of alertness then becomes the state that is familiar to us and therefore appears more comfortable at first sight.
If we do not make a habit of including regulating practices in our daily lives, being exposed to prolonged periods of stress, we can then more easily declare anxious behaviours, burn-outs, addictions and others.
Yet, here we are! After a period of prolonged emotional stress, appeasement creates a sense of lack.
Enjoying a meal without having the telly on, walking without listening to music or a podcast, reading instead of getting lost on social networks for hours on end... It's like something is missing!
As Gislaine Duboc describes, from a very young age we are taught not to be bored, not to be confronted with what is going on inside us.
So much so that we end up not only being addicted to hyperactivity but also disconnecting from our body, letting our brain become the only master.
"Don't just sit there and do nothing, go and get busy"; "- I'm bored. - Just watch a cartoon, read, play, study...".
We are taught to do and not to contemplate. We end up being afraid of emptiness, afraid of being lazy, afraid that the world will stop spinning if we do nothing for a few hours, but above all afraid of sitting with ourselves in silence. What could we find there?
However, boredom and contemplation allow us to digest the information we process, to regulate ourselves and to listen to ourselves.
This communication is essential for our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual balance.
To give the impression of relaxing and clearing the air, we switch ourselves off in front of screens to just stop thinking, but the brain continues its overactivity (which seems more comfortable for the nervous system).
Later on, we find that we no longer have any patience. We may have inexplicable anger outbursts, we get tired, we wear ourselves out. Nothing is ever enough...
It's all about balance.
Learning to contemplate emptiness when we are adept at being too full and learning to fill the cups that feel too empty.
After a few days in the countryside, I long for these moments of connection with myself. The sound of the wind caressing the leaves teaches me to tame my own subtleties. In the speeches that are deposited in my ear, I hear each branch cracking and am moved by each ray of sunshine that warms souls. I dissipate the grey of the clouds in the clarity of a blue sky and welcome more easily each colour that is added.
Some ideas to balance these energies within yourself (YIN/YANG) and regulate hyperactivity:
Go for a walk in nature (a park, a forest, by the water...) without phone/music or anything else every day for at least 15 minutes. Just be there, be aware of your every step, contemplate the nature around you.
After completing a task, give yourself a moment of emptiness. Enjoy what you have accomplished without jumping to the next step. Create this space for contemplation, it will allow you to be more flexible and happy.
Establish a daily routine to start learning your body language. Is it tired, sore? Is it full of energy? What needs to circulate, what is not flowing?
And every moment a little more, pay attention to its language until you become one.
Redirect excess energy accumulated in your mind > Read this other article to help you do this.
Befriend your powerlessness and develop your trust in Life.
Understanding that we cannot control everything, that there is nothing we really own, that Life dances around us... means to allow ourselves to let go, surrender and therefore invite more ease into our lives.
Learn to regulate your nervous system. You may have a regular yoga practice or practice deep breathing exercices with long steady exhalation to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and calm the body down.
Do you want to restore balance within yourself to combine ambition and serenity while you embrace who you truly are? Let's talk about where you can start?
Recommended reading: Les 4 voies chamaniques, Gislaiine Duboc
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