The preliminary results are in!
Thank you to those of you who have taken my survey so far.
While many of the responses were very positive and honest about how women want to live a more fulfilled life without fear or anxiety, one of the most alarming, but unfortunately not surprising to me, is the number of women who shared how they feel experiences from the past are holding them back from living life on their terms today.
Over 70% said things they did or had happen to them in their childhood or choices they made as a young woman is something they want to let go of. Many mentioned regrets, shame, fear, denial, frustration, and more.
We all have things from our past that affect us in our present lives – some positive, some negative and some stuff we have packed away to keep it invisible to us. Why? Because it isn’t necessarily in our conscious mind and instead lives in our subconscious.
For me, I know these things influenced who I was, how I thought about myself and how I acted and reacted to things that happened as I was growing up.
Many of us had some trauma, to some degree or another, growing up. There’s really no way to get out of childhood, teens or young adulthood without making mistakes, experiencing trauma (high school, right?) and having some regrets.
BUT – what would it feel like to let go of the weight of the past? Mistakes, poor choices, regrets?
Sometimes we don’t recognize when issues from the past are affecting us in the present moment.
Here are some steps that have helped me and other women that you may want to consider:
- Identify and acknowledge things from your past that may be preventing you from moving forward
- Be in a quiet place where you have a few minutes of private time.
- Sit comfortably in a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
- Close your eyes and breathe slowly, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
- As you become more calm, begin to notice what comes up in your mind and what feelings you might be experiencing.
- You may want to write for a few minutes about what came up.
This is the beginning of a process to acknowledge your past. This is a key step because you can’t fix anything you aren’t aware of.
Note: You may be in a situation where this process might be overwhelming for you. In which case, please do not dig into this until you have a safe environment with the right support (a trusted friend, family member or licensed professional).
These results are just the preliminary answers from one of the 5 questions in this survey. I so appreciate everyone who took the time to take the survey as your input is invaluable. I’ll share more insights as we finalize and close the survey on Monday, August 19th.
If you haven’t taken the survey yet, you may want to. Many women mentioned how the questions caused them to pause and evaluate what they want out of life at this stage and who they might become in the future. What you say makes a difference – in your own growth and how I can help you and this community going forward.
Are you ready to share your thoughts, anonymously? Here’s the LINK to the survey
With gratitude,
Elaine Stewart, CHC
This document is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please click Here.
