Shifting Perspectives: Movement as a Catalyst for Change

Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody. - Stephen Chbosky

Change happens through movement and movement heals. Joseph Pilates said that.

Movement heals. When you feel stuck, move. The age-old dictum in psychotherapy is “Do something different”, anything at all that truly isn’t a variation on what you have (or haven’t) been doing, with the emphasis on “Do”.

When you feel depressed, I know it feels impossible to move. And yet, even if you walked around your room for a minute, something inside you begins to change. If you feel stuck or overwhelmed, doing the simplest thing can give you some space to consider options that weren’t open to your awareness a few moments ago.

I am not an expert on depression – it isn’t something I’ve experienced for long stretches of time in my own life. But, I do know about feeling stuck, anxious and overwhelmed. What I’ve learned in my own life and in the lives of those I’ve worked with, is that these feelings often are our body’s way of letting us know that we are struggling inside between 2 opposing ideas or desires. One is what you deeply want, the other is either what you’re convinced should happen, or something based on fear (or both). Taking a moment to shift your perspective by doing something different can help bring that struggle into your awareness, so that you can have a chance to reach resolution and move on.

Not long ago, I had to make a decision about where I was headed: I wanted to nurture my relationship and take the time to be with him no matter the cost, I wanted to build my business, and I wanted to continue to train and learn. I thought I could do all three – had convinced myself that this was perfectly doable – and it nearly killed me. My desire was to be intimately involved in all three at the same time, and yet I couldn’t. So I had to choose.

How I resolved this impasse was really taken out of my hands by fate, I’m sorry to say. The good news was that I was astute enough to recognize this turn of fate as an opportunity, and I used it to move and change my circumstances, and to resolve all three in a way that spoke to my heart.

What I learned from that lucky chance was to notice the signs much earlier and to take them seriously.

My wish for you is that you’re able to recognize the signs earlier than I did.

I hope you enjoyed this article. When you’re ready to take the next step on your life journey, book a free 20 min consultation with me.