#19: The Antidote to Stress: Choose Peace

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[00:01:01] Natalie: You can check out my Instagram at Natalie Mullin for my speaking engagements, and if you'd like me to speak to your organization or facilitate a wellness workshop please inquire via my website, natalie mullin.com.

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[00:01:28] Natalie: So if you know someone that you think I should invite on the podcast for a conversation, please let me know. Or if you know a podcast that should have me on, well let them know. Okay, so before we get into today's episode, it is the take action segment where we celebrate friends, clients, and listeners.

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[00:02:08] Natalie: She didn't actually make it to the yoga class. She took a picture, sent me a picture of the booking, but when it came down to it, she didn't make it. And I told her I would share this story with you guys because I think that this is what happens to a lot of us. I think we intend to do something, we even put our best foot forward, but then we don't follow through.

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[00:03:06] Natalie: Because by nature people, we don't like to disappoint others. That's why accountability partners are so important and so powerful, and also it helps us to hold our word. And if we are people of integrity, we want to hold our word. So if you feel like you're struggling in an area, I would really suggest you find an accountability partner or just someone that can support you in the things that you want to do and help you keep track as you keep moving forward.

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[00:03:55] Natalie: I had way too much going on. I was working all the time, and I was always overwhelmed. I felt like I was being pulled in a million different directions and like I always had to say yes to everyone. I completely neglected my wellbeing. I complained a lot. I was miserable and pretty low vibe. My marriage was on the rocks.

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[00:04:40] Natalie: And it was a slow buildup of just a bunch of drama, and it got to this point of such high intensity. It's like a kettle coming to a boil, and then you hear it shriek and scream. And I remember reaching my breaking point and just saying, I've had enough. This lifestyle wasn't serving me and it wasn't an alignment with what I wanted for myself and how I wanted to feel and how I wanted to live my life.

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[00:05:13] Natalie: In today's fast paced and demanding work environment, so many people are facing challenges of high workload or pressure. They're trying to balance all these multiple responsibilities and rules. They have deadlines and expectations, and a lot of that's leading to stress and overwhelm.

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[00:05:49] Natalie: Maybe you're in a new circumstance where you have to make an important decision and that is just causing stress.

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[00:06:23] Natalie: Studies have shown that chronic stress and anxiety can have detrimental effects on both our physical and mental health. According to a study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, individuals who actively choose peaceful responses to stress have lower blood pressure, reduced heart rate, and improved cardiovascular health.

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[00:07:14] Natalie: When we think of how we wanna feel, choosing peace allows us to create a foundation for healthy relationships, effective problem solving, and overall wellbeing. And it helps us to respond to difficulties rather than reacting impulsively, which leads to more positive outcomes in our personal and professional lives.

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[00:07:57] Natalie: But this is simply not true because peace has to come from within. You have to be intentional about choosing it, and you have to make specific decisions that are going to support welcoming peace into your life. It's a conscious choice and a mindset shift that we have to embrace regardless of what our external circumstances are.

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[00:08:48] Natalie: The third belief is that choosing peace can be selfish and controlling. Absolutely not. Okay? You are not controlling anyone except for yourself. You are dictating what type of energy is allowed into your life. How will you allow the people to treat you? What types of relationships will you have with people?

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[00:09:11] Natalie: I really want you to think about that, the kind of life you want for yourself. What is your vision? How do you wanna feel? What is in alignment for you? Do you enjoy stress? Would you be happy if life continued the way it currently feels for the next 10 years? And if not, what would you want instead? If while you're thinking the word, peace comes up, while keep listening, I have some tips for you.

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[00:10:03] Natalie: I'm gonna give you four different scenarios with practical tips that you can use to find peace, and then I'll give you three tools afterwards. Scenario one. Let's say you work in a high pressure corporate environment and you feel overwhelmed by the demands of your job. You feel constantly stressed and anxious and burnt out.

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[00:10:49] Natalie: My friend. You're gonna have to get comfortable saying no and establish boundaries around your working hours and working activities, and simply don't respond afterwards. Scenario two. You notice certain people around you are always complaining or they're negative, they're stressing you out and they're just lowering your vibration, but you don't wanna cut them off completely.

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[00:11:39] Natalie: Scenario three, you're in a toxic relationship with a significant other, a friend, a family member, or a colleague every time you talk to them. Negative feelings, swirl. You might be experiencing physical, verbal, or emotional abuse, and you know that it's time to choose yourself, to choose peace and walk away solution.

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[00:12:15] Natalie: Scenario four, you've had it rough. You've experienced a lot of trauma in your life, and you feel a deep bitterness and resentment for the deck of cards that you were dealt. You decide, you know what? You no longer wanna continue going through life this way because those feelings are weighing you down and they're keeping you from enjoying life solution.

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[00:13:05] Natalie: Now I just wanna talk about three tools that you can use to help you in choosing peace.

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[00:13:32] Natalie: The second tool is a sound bath. The Sound bath is a type of meditation experience where you listen to a variety of sound waves. You can just go on YouTube and search for sound bath track, or you can find an in-person event at a yoga studio or a wellness center or a community center, et cetera. They're very calming and peaceful, and this can be an alternative to meditation that you might prefer if you find it hard to focus during a guided meditation or a solo meditation.

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[00:14:50] Natalie: So this is gonna be your go-to song for when you are feeling dysregulated or stressed out, and you need peace. So spend some time on it because you are gonna come back to the song over and over again to the point where as soon as you hear the first instrumentals or the first lyrics, your body will naturally, over time come into a peaceful state Because you have now trained yourself to welcome and expect peace based off that song.

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[00:15:29] Natalie: Chaos can transform to calm. Trauma can transform to triumph. Stress can transform to serenity. Anxiety can transform to assurance. Panic can transform to peace. It starts with choosing yourself. So please, my friend choose you.

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[00:16:10] Natalie: In closing, peace is vital for our overall wellbeing as it reduces stress, improves our mental health and enhances our resilience. Remember, peace is not an external destination. It's an internal choice that we make regardless of our circumstances. If this episode resonated with you, post a quote from it on Instagram and tag me at Natalie Mullin so I can see.

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[00:16:46] Natalie: Start a free trial by clicking the link in the show notes. Until next time, continue to serve yourself, your loved ones, and your community from a full cup.