Relax Your Shoulders

Welcome to the Random and Wonderful podcast! Today is a special episode for the introverts. We are talking about finding and using your creative outlet to release tension healthily. You'll get a bonus travel tip so stay tuned.

Quick Highlights:

• Defining a creative outlet
• Benefits of a creative outlet
• Sprinkling your creative outlet in your travels

Keep up with what's happening by subscribing to our newsletter, Confidently Yours.

For more information on The Amethyst Palaver Hut LLC and travel coaching, sign up here for the latest updates and news: https://pages.amethystpalaverhut.com/profile

Episode Transcript

Grace Simmons (00:00):
In most of these episodes, I encourage you to extend
beyond the familiar, getting outof your comfort zone, especially
when it comes to traveling.
And I still firmly believe that,but today we're going to talk
about something a little different.
I want to speak to my lovely introvertswho need to recharge, tap into
something familiar to gain that energyback without the emotional stress.

(00:26):
Today we'll chat about having acreative outlet and those who have
had their fill of shot glassesand magnets from those trips.
I have a suggestion for youat the end of the episode.
So stay tuned.
Welcome back to the randomand wonderful podcast.
I'm your host, Grace Simmons, yourfavorite solo travel mindset coach.

(00:47):
Each episode, we explore waysto uplift you on your journey
to add joy, confidence, andindependence into your life.
So what is a creative outlet?
I have two definitions.
The first one is a creative outletis a means of changing up your normal
routine, stepping outside of yourcomfort zone and paying attention to

(01:10):
the present moment, which I think is themost important part of that definition.
So think about cooking a meal, writing,journaling, playing a new instrument.
Another definition, and I like this onea little bit better, that a creative
outlet is an avenue of release.
It's outside of your normal routine,and it allows you to express your

(01:35):
creative energy or your emotions.
And it opens you up to innovation.
So the important question nowis, What is your creative outlet?
So now we're going to get intothe benefits of a creative outlet.
So again, a creative outlet is thatrelease and you can see the benefits when

(01:56):
it comes to your emotional, mental, andphysical health as an emotional release.
You can focus that constricted intoa space as positive and appropriate.
Perhaps you find clarity.
Perhaps you don't physicallyattack your coworker.

(02:16):
For mental health, your creativeoutlet can be a stress reliever.
When you're overwhelmed or you need abreak, it can be a way to learn something
new, exercising those mental muscles whenit all becomes so boring or your routine
isn't difficult, but it is tedious.
And lastly, before that mentalexhaustion turns into burnout, you

(02:40):
can tap into your creative outletso that you maintain that balance.
And lastly, physical release.
Our bodies manifest the tensionand trauma that we suffer from.
So even when we think it's all handledand it's under control, our shoulders
are tight and are up to our ears.
We've got one eye twitching and we cannotget a grip on a healthy sleep pattern.

(03:05):
So some activities that you coulddo is maybe dancing, learning a
new dance, trying aerial yoga.
I need to try that.
Or even screaming something tobreak yourself free physically.
Now of course we have to sprinklein a little travel advice.
So how do you add energy?
That bit of familiarity when you'rechallenging yourself to travel alone.

(03:29):
So quick story, I have alwaysbeen fascinated with horses.
Um, I think there's like alittle picture of me in preschool
standing next to a pony.
Always wanted to ride 1.
I saw my friend get kicked once.
And I changed my mind, however, Irealized that I don't think I've ever

(03:49):
ridden a horse in the United States.
I've ridden a horse in Iceland.
I've ridden a horse in Mexico, Costa Rica.
Yeah, everywhere else butthe country that I live in.
And it's because it was that littlepiece of there's something that I wanted
to try, but I felt comfortable enough.

(04:10):
With riding a horse afterdoing it one time to be able
to try it in another country.
And I know there's some activities thatthey seem like they're tourist traps, or,
you know, they're, they're always in everysingle city that you go to, no matter
where you're going, like zip lining,horseback riding, ATVs, but you know what?
I actually enjoy those.

(04:32):
Because I know that I try to incorporatesomething else or something different.
I don't mind hopping on ATV or ridinga horse because those are something
those are the activities that I findcomfortable and I'm familiar with them.
Another example, maybe you're notan outdoorsy type of person, is
that I've always loved to paint.

(04:54):
I'm not a great painter, butI do enjoy the process of
creating something with color.
And so when I was in Portugal, I.
Got a group activity where you wouldpaint these little tiles and you're
using like the traditional paint thatthey use and you learn a little bit of
history about the city of Porto, butyou're also create something really

(05:16):
nice and neat, which takes me to thatsuggestion that I mentioned about having.
A souvenir that actuallymeans something to you.
So participating in an activity likethis, where you get to create something,
you get to take your own souvenir.
Another suggestion of that, enjoying thatis when a couple of friends and I went to

(05:42):
New Orleans, we met up with the lady whowas Doing poetry and she would ask you a
few questions about yourself and she wouldwrite out a beautiful poem about you now
Again, I like to write but I wasn't theone writing however, I was engaging in a
space that I liked that I felt comfortablein and Bonus, I actually liked really

(06:06):
like the poem that she wrote about meand my experience And so that was just me
tapping into a little bit of familiarityYou in a place that I was unfamiliar with.
So all these different thingsthat you can do to, to challenge
yourself or just to expand theknowledge that you currently have.

(06:26):
It's always helpful to startwith something familiar and
then take one step out of that.
One quick announcement.
I want to get eight women who are readyto begin their solo travel journey.
Um, if you're just curious aboutit, or maybe you travel before,
but never solo, I'm inviting youto join my program, Empowered Solo.

(06:50):
It's going to be eight weeks of confidencebuilding conversations, challenges,
plenty of growth opportunities, andwe end with an in person retreat.
Looking forward to seeing you.
There are only eight slots,so sign up as soon as you can.
Hey, I hope you enjoyed today's episode.
If you did, please rate the show so thatother people can find it and subscribe

(07:11):
so you don't miss a new episode.
As always, be bold, be curious,be ready to tell your story.
You never know who needs it.
Take care, have a wonderfulweek, and I'll talk to you soon.