There are some words that seem overused in the world of self-help these days.  Words that roll easily off of the tongue, as if they are magic bullets for healing and growing.  One that comes to mind for me that fits this bill is:  empowerment.  It’s a word that I hear often, and when I used to hear it I would usually either roll my eyes or cringe.  If this word made it through one of my ears, it quickly exited right out the other.  If someone was giving me advice and recommended that I “empower” myself or make “empowered” decisions, I ignored it, and if I’m honest about why, it was because the task of empowering myself simply felt too BIG.

When I began noticing the overuse of the word empowerment, I had already been experiencing chronic pain and mysterious health issues for multiple years.  I felt lost, stuck, and beaten down, and I didn’t know what I really wanted to do to move forward.  When I considered being more “empowered” all I could wonder was – how would I go about being empowered when I felt so powerless?  I knew that feeling powerless was part of the problem, but how could I make the right decisions when I couldn’t get in touch with that part of me that knew what it wanted?  How could I make the right decisions when everything looked so gray?

It wasn’t until just recently that I gave this word another try.  I let it move into one ear, bounce around, and stay a while inside my head.  That’s when something clicked.  Empowering oneself doesn’t have to be so BIG that you can’t face it.  Empowering oneself does not require you to have total clarity about what’s “right” for you.  It doesn’t mean you have to march into situations, make sweeping changes, and “fix” everything.  Instead, empowerment is the small steps you take everyday.  It’s the way you show up for yourself moment to moment.  It’s the allowing of emotions when you are vulnerable.  It’s the asking for help when you need it.  It’s not an earth-shattering or unreachable concept at all, and that’s the beauty of it.

I have found empowerment in many seemingly minor ways over the past few months.  And it feels good.  Here are some ideas to get you started, no matter where you are.  See which of these resonate with you:

• Pause and ask (of the task, thought, emotion) – is this true for me? – and if it’s not – let it go
• Set intentions that feel good
• Allow time for a short mind-body practice each day
• Take five minutes before bed to think of and feel gratitude for one or more things that occurred that day
• Notice when you need help and ask for it
• Notice a negative spin and ask – is this thought really helping right now?
• Notice something unwanted (a thought, situation, or feeling) and create a visualization for its opposite
• Choose to spend 10 minutes in nature, breathing in fresh air, after a long day
• Notice things you may not be wanting to experience (thoughts, feelings), and choose to show compassion to yourself around having them. (One tip for this would be to put the words “of course I’m thinking/feeling” or “it’s ok that I’m thinking/feeling” in front of the obsessive thoughts or sticky feelings)

The possibilities to reclaim your life, in tiny increments at a time, are in fact endless.

The act of empowering myself turned out to be neither a going-through-the-motions experience of a mere catchphrase nor a huge undertaking.  And, interestingly enough, the effects of empowering myself ended up being pretty BIG after all.  What small steps will empower you?

Natalie Kittell is an endorsed mind-body coach who specializes in promoting health, vitality, and connection to self.  Natalie helps clients who feel stuck, stressed, or in pain release what’s no longer serving them.  If you’d like to setup a free consultation to learn more about how she can help you feel lighter, contact her today!

Email:  nataliekittell@gmail.com