One Easy Way to Defy Gravity (Emergency Repair Tactic #2)
The heavier you feel, the faster you're going down, the more power and freedom this simple experiment holds.
Fly, be free, my friend. Do not let this harsh and heavy world bring you down. That is my best counsel for this week — and pretty much always.
Last week, I shared one my favorite emergency interventions for those who have let their Preemptive Repair efforts lag too long:
This week, I’m sharing another such intervention. I call it ..
“Put your feet up.”
I realize that to the busy, driven, Type A among us, this invitation might sound like a come-hither invitation toward sloth.
Akin to “take a load off,” it sounds appealing to those who are naturally inclined to kick back and relax, and rather terrifying to those who are not (and thus most in need of doing just that).
Let me be clear: My goal in suggesting this gravity-defying experiment is not merely to get you to physically elevate your feet.
While that is certainly a healthy thing to do (see below for technical health benefits), I’m more interested in helping you discover some even more powerful big-aha perks.
Here’s the exercise:
First, notice if you are telling yourself you do not have time for this. Ding, ding, ding! Absolute confirmation you need to shove aside your to-do list for a couple short minutes and do this instead, ASAP.
Next, look around for a place (the floor is good) where you can lie down and elevate your feet above your head. Ideal would be a place with a wall or a piece of furniture that will support the weight of your feet and legs.
Notice the reasons you are already rejecting this idea (floor is filthy, people might think you are weird, not the right time/place, you are too important and dignified to do such silly things, etc.).
Recognize that there are always going to be thousand reasons you cannot or should not do the things you need to do to take care of yourself, and that most of the ways you do choose to take care of yourself will be considered weird by other people.
Take a deep breath and give yourself permission, just this once, to do the thing that might make you look silly — or weak, or crazy, or irresponsible, lazy, or whatever — just because it is in your own best interest. And you know what? It might just feel good.
Go ahead and lie down, put your feet up in the air (shoes optional) — ideally with some support, because gravity is real and this is in no way intended to be an abs exercise.
Do not feel you need to stretch or do Kegels or Wim Hof breathing or execute some sort of yogic maneuver.
Initially, just notice what it feels like to have your normal posture and center of gravity upended in this way. Notice what it feels like to be in a position you are not normally in.
Stay in your feet-elevated position for a minute or so, longer if you feel inclined, adjusting your position as often as that feels good.
Let your thoughts wander. Allow your feelings to evolve. Listen to the voices in your head telling you what they are telling you, like …
Wow, this feels good. Or: Wow, this feels weird. Or: Gah, I have so much to do, why am I lying on the floor? Or: Sweet mercy, all I ever do is rush around; maybe I should stop and lie down with my feet up more often.
It doesn’t really matter what you inner voices are telling you at this precise moment. What matters is that you are now conscious that you have inner voices chattering at you — likely, all the time — and mostly, you are too busy to listen, much less investigate them.
This is the central point of this exercise: Recognizing that our automatic, default compliance with “normal” (normal postures, normal paces, normal choices) tends to work against us.
Disrupting those defaults can net us big insights and big benefits.
Make no mistake, the biological benefits of this somewhat strange position also abound.
Regularly elevating your feet above your heart for 15-20 minutes at a time has all sorts of recognized health advantages. Here are just a few …
Improved Circulation
Elevating your feet helps gravity move blood from your lower extremities back to your heart, reducing the workload on your veins and improving overall circulation.
Reduced Swelling and Inflammation
Elevating your legs helps drain excess fluid that can accumulate due to poor circulation, injury, or long periods of sitting or standing.
Decreased Pressure on Your Heart
With gravity aiding blood flow back to the heart, your cardiovascular system doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood, which can temporarily lower blood pressure, and may be especially beneficial for those with heart conditions.
Stress Relief and Relaxation
Lying with your feet elevated encourages relaxation of the nervous system, helping reduce stress and promoting a sense of calm.
Pain Relief
For individuals with sore or tired legs and feet, elevating them can help relieve discomfort and reduce tension in the muscles and joints.
Enhanced Fitness Recovery
After physical activity, elevating your legs can help reduce lactic acid buildup and speed up recovery for sore muscles.
I got that last one from AI, and I’ll be honest, I did not look it up to be sure it was legit. It sounds legit. But then, doesn’t so much of AI’s blather sound legit?
Also, according to the always enthusiastic ChatGPT: “This simple practice is a low-effort, high-benefit way to promote better health and relaxation!”
And yah, it is, but it is also so much more.
It is an opportunity to intervene in your own run-rate attitudes and actions, especially those related to overdoing.
It’s an opportunity to literally change your point of view and positioning relative to our unhealthy culture — a culture than benefits from you unconsciously complying.
It’s an experiment in discovering whether you are even capable — mid-day and in the middle of your usual action — of coming to a full stop.
This is one of those things that sounds easier to do than it is. And also one of those things that turns out to be easier than you thought once you give it a try.
So right now, why not try it? Just for 60 seconds. I dare you. I challenge you. I encourage you. Take a load off. Put your feet up.
Notice what that feels like. Notice the thoughts that come up. Notice the new ideas and insights and awareness that emerge.
Then write and tell me what you experienced.
Or forward this to a friend, make a date to do the experiment together, and then report back to each other on how it went.
👉 And hey, if you dig experimenting and making positive changes for yourself, particularly as the New Year approaches, I would love to have you take this little two-minute, multi-choice survey to assess your biggest areas of challenge and readiness to change.
Complete just nine li’l questions, and I’ll give you a free ticket to my upcoming “Self-Coaching Skillcraft” mini-workshop — a great opportunity to become a more competent guide in your chosen areas of change. And maybe take your life in a whole new, feel-good direction.
Thanks for being part of my weird little world, and for being willing to do things a little differently.
P.S. If you haven’t already subscribed to this Substack of mine, I would love it if you would — free or paid. It makes a big difference to me.