If Healthy is Weird, Let’s Get Weird

I remember the fun I had as a teacher many years ago whenever I would assign my students the article “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema.” It’s a masterwork of stepping back and looking at our own culture through the innocent and fresh eyes of an anthropologist. The conversations that ensued were always filled with surprise at how odd some of our cultural conventions really are, that we take for granted. (One of my favorite student comments, which I still remember almost 30 years later is “Why are sneezes, which spread disease, blessed, but farts, which are smelly but benign, taboo?”)

Anyway….

I’ve been thinking a lot about that article lately as I’ve had conversation after conversation with clients, sharing with them simple yet uncommon ways to help them feel much better in their body and their minds – right in this moment. And while it’s not the end of the conversation, the initial response is often this kind of squirm, and the look in their eyes that says “you don’t really expect me to do that thing if people would see or hear me, do you?”  

As it turns out, there are lots of little practices supported by neuroscience that help soothe our nervous system, release tension that we may not even know we are holding in our bodies, and allow resisted emotions to move through us. 

Shaking my whole body – arms, legs, hands, head, cheeks, booty, the whole thing – helps me when I’m feeling anxious or fearful.

Opening my jaw wide releases tension in my face and head that sneaks up on me during long calls or meetings. 

Gently pinching my eyebrows releases tension that I often feel after too much time on screens (or worrying).

Throwing my arms down to my feet while letting out a big “HAH!” or “NO!” (sometimes called axe-cutters) is just the thing to move some anger or frustration. 

Go ahead. Try one, or try ’em all. 

So often my clients really want to feel better, but they don’t want to look weird in front of others. That got me wondering…

Back in the early 1960’s, it was highly unusual to jog in public. (See this article “When running for exercise was for weirdos”) 

How did it become so ordinary?

And the current “athleisure” trend in clothing has made it commonplace for people to wear exercise clothes all day and everywhere. It’s not hard for me to remember when seeing someone at the workplace in yoga clothes would have struck me as odd. 

Why is it, then, that these noises and movements that are so easy to do to feel better in our bodies and minds, and to take care of our nervous systems, are still weird? 

I want to make this kind of healthy behavior as cool and ordinary as jogging and athleisure. 

So, let’s start a little revolution. 

Here’s my offer. Text me or email me and we’ll find a time to FaceTime or Zoom or whatever it takes for just a few minutes to be healthy weird together. We’ll figure out one or maybe a few of these little practices for you to experiment with. I’ll do ‘em first so you can see what they look or sound like. Then try ’em out for 2 weeks, and tell me if you’re on Team Healthy Weird or not.