Anxious, to Calm, Positive and Focused in a Moment

I’d been waking in the early hours for a while—a pattern I wanted to change. After two natural health consults, first with a naturopath and then with a BodyTalk practitioner, both referenced the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) wood and earth elements and their influence on my body, particularly my liver. According to TCM, the liver is most active between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.

Was my liver waking me up?

Looking at my body holistically, I long ago let go of preconceptions about my health and well-being, preferring to self-guide and intuitively make choices that keep my physical body functioning well.

I noticed that when I stayed with friends or family, it wasn’t a problem. Hmm… interesting!

Routine can be a joy killer, yet we need it to feel safe and secure. Repeating patterns anchor us into a life we generally live on autopilot, which works well—until it doesn’t.

Curious, I decided to sleep in a different room, where I had always slept well. The recent hot, humid nights weren’t helping, and this room didn’t catch the evening sun like the master bedroom—more evidence for my mind to attach meaning to.

It started well—I fell asleep easily after purposely staying up later than usual. The next thing I knew, I was slowly gaining consciousness. Hmm… it's still dark. This isn’t good.

And before I could say boo, my mind started talking to me. Nooo… stop it, I told myself, gently breathing and focusing on going back to sleep.

Of course, that didn’t work.

So began an internal storytelling session, initially reflecting on some research I’d been doing into hair coaching. Online, I’d found a seemingly highly successful, younger blonde woman offering business coaching, and suddenly—self-doubt crept in. How can I possibly be good enough?

In seconds, I had created an emotional rollercoaster. A cascade of emotions triggered my body, pulling me toward a place I didn’t want to go. Am I confident enough? Do I know enough? Am I experienced enough? Every enough narrative I could grasp pulled me deeper into doubt. Classic self-sabotage!

What to do?

I reached for a book beside me—an inspirational Deepak Chopra book I had been enjoying. After reading a few pages, I felt uplifted, inspired, hopeful, and excited. I had successfully stopped my downward spiral into self-sabotaging introspection—one I had created a few moments earlier.

It was still early—6 a.m.—much earlier than I would normally choose to be up, I was looking to feel different today. After my usual routine of stretching, tapping, and focused intent, I set off on my morning walk—in the opposite direction.

The sun hadn’t risen yet. The air was cool on my skin. The street was quiet, heavy with dew. The stillness felt expectant.

Had I followed my usual routine, the traffic would have been busy, the sun already risen, embracing me in its familiar warmth. But today was different. I felt the energy of the day flowing through me, bringing an intense sense of positivity. Anything is possible today!