Get Out of Your Own Way: 6 Out of the Box Ideas

Your inner critic: that not-so-kind voice [inside your head] that critiques, criticizes and belittles the essence of who you truly are. Therapy is a great way to begin to identify and strengthen your healthy voice. Therapy also helps you to identify when that not-so-healthy voice sneaks in and how you can start to talk back to it—and shut it down.

Also useful are tools I’ve talked about before, such as meditation, yoga, and finding soul nourishing activities that fill you up mentally, emotionally and spiritually. However, sometimes, when we are in need of insta-grounding, these less conventional ideas can come in super handy.

Splash icy cold water on your face. Few things will bring you back down to earth as quickly as dipping your face into a bowl of Pacific-Ocean-cold kind of water. While it may not be realistic to do exactly that, splashing your face in the bathroom sink for 30 seconds is a fast alternative. This will help to reset your nervous system, bringing a sense of peace and calm to whatever funkiness you've got going on inside your head.

Connect with your inner kid. It's kind of unlikely that you'd talk smack to your inner-child in the same way you now seem to be OK with. Can you imagine telling your 6-year-old self that she's just not good enough? Get out an old photo album, have Mom send pictures in the mail or scroll through your IG account. Find the image that speaks to you the most and stare. Stare hard and deep. Look into your own eyes and connect. Now save that photo to your desktop or cellphone for quick viewing any time you need a reminder to be gentle with yourself.

Pick up trash. Hey there! How 'bout you get out of your own way and stop with the self-judgments? Here's a thought: focus your attention on someone who really needs it, Mother Earth. When I'm stuck upstairs, I've found that picking up trash throughout the day—simply while walking from point A to B—is an instant release from my monkey mind. Showing the planet a little love does more for your psyche than you may imagine.

Pay it forward. Ever find yourself in a lengthy coffee line, running circles inside your head about [insert any number of events, relationships, self-judgments here]? You’re not alone. Being mindful enough to notice this is a great start. The next best thing? Doing something to stop the shit talker. Pay it forward—or backward. Offer to pay for the coffee of the person in front of or behind you. This is likely not practical to do on the daily, but once in a while it's incredibly uplifting to know that you've touched someone's life in even the smallest of ways. Free caffeine sounds like a blessing to me.

Feet first. Stop—take off your shoes. Close your eyes. Dip your feet into the nearest ocean or pond; place your bare feet into the sand or a grassy knoll. Finding a nurturing environment where you can connect with nature and be gentle with yourself breeds a certain kind of self-love that comes from slowing down, taking a deep breathe and observing the beauty that surrounds you.

Flower child. Treat yourself to something special. For me, this means a bouquet of bright yellow sunflowers—every time I look at them it’s a warm reminder to be kind to myself. For you it may be a back massage, a new essential oil or buying tickets to see your favorite band live. Whatever it may be, indulge a little. You deserve

And in case you need a gentle reminder: “Don’t believe everything you think.”