Seeking Movement with Shannon Osborne
On Time Management, the Mind-Body Connection, & Living In the Now
Shannon Osborne of The Honor Method.
Moving Our Bodies
It’s been roughly eight months since we all found out about the severity of COVID-19. We went from highly choreographed lives to work-from-home, pajamas until dinner, kids running the house, little sleep, stressed-to-the-max lives.
What day of the week is it again?
This week I’m talking with Shannon Osborne of The Honor Method. Based out of Portland, Maine, she thinks of fitness as a daily touchstone that can help us manage our stress better.
I know I’m telling you something you already know: fitness is good. But my hope is that this article serves as a reminder to you that movement of any kind is good.
Ok but what does this have to do with clothing?
Movement and self-expression are as intertwined as grapes and wine. Think of the last time you danced your a** off in your room to Britney Spears’ “Toxic” (oh, that’s just me?).
When we move, we are reminded that we have a body. We move our hands, our legs, our feet … our heart rates increase.
Movement reminds us that we’re more than just a brain. Movement allows us to feel in our bodies, increases self-esteem, and mental clarity.
The more we feel in our bodies, the more we’ll want to adorn our bodies with clothing we love. To show off your Dynamic Personal Style, to express yourself through clothing, you have to pay attention to your body and how it moves.
That’s why I am excited to share my conversion with Shannon with you today.
So, ditch what you think fitness needs to look like. Throw out the rules about your heart rate getting above 175 for more than 30 minutes. Abandon the image of a quick sweat and deep rapid breathing. Instead let’s just focus on the implicit benefit of exercise—exercise as a stress management tool.
My goal is that you feel inspired to move during, and after you read Shannon’s wise words. I know I was. Shannon taught me that I make movement happen.
“Whenever I get the urge to exercise, I lie down until the feeling passes away.”
Don’t be like Mark Twain. Indulge the urge, it’s a call to prayer.
I think this conversation is important because whether we realize it or not, we have likely developed some prickly habits and rituals to deal with our stress during this time. Whether it’s the quarantine, the pandemic itself, or the election that’s causing anxiety, life is not normal right now, so we don’t know how to deal in a healthy way.
Do any of these feel familiar?
Negative self talk
Backlash to our kids or partner
Bottling it up and feeling ill
Drinking alcohol, using substances
… or are you
Walking
Dancing in your underwear
Processing and talking aloud with friends
Let’s do a diagnostic of how we’ve been treating our bodies. Maybe we’ll even sweat a little!
Shannon has some deep and honest thoughts, and I am thrilled to share our conversation.
Fitness can be a delineation, a milestone, in our day and week.
My Schedule Was My Sanity
I don’t know about you, but I went from having a little blue slot filling all parts of the day to having to create my own schedule and show up for myself.
I found hours could pass without even knowing what happened.
Time is something we all share, and so the question is, what are you going to do with the next hour? The next week? The next three weeks?
At the end of the day, time keeps moving with or without us.
Fitness can be a delineation, a milestone, in our day and week.
“There’s so much sameness throughout the days. There’s very little that makes Tuesday different from Wednesday different from Thursday different from Saturday.”
For Shannon, some of her time delineation comes from having a set fitness schedule: she knows Tuesday is her barre day.
“Some consistency that feels like a touchstone in the day—for me it’s moving—is such an important piece right now. Because the days when I don’t teach and know what I’m doing at each moment, I could sit on the couch and wonder where 4 hours went.”
The beauty about planning your workouts isn’t just the small win of completing something, it’s also a gift to your physical and mental state.
I realize I’m talking about something you already know, but take Shannon’s next words to heart because as she discusses, knowledge is only as powerful as its application in the most dark, horse blinder times.
“I only have great insights and moments when I’m writhing in a pool of my own sweat, it doesn’t happen when I’m sitting here worrying, or twiddling my thumbs, trying to make something happen. It happens when I get out of my own damn way and literally shake it out, and allow it to happen. Forcing vs. allowing has been a huge piece of it for me.”
Mind-Body Connection
Another quandary, in addition to time management, is the loss of connection between our physical and mental well-being.
Enter the mind-body connection.
“The mind-body connection is the link between a person’s thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors and their physical health.” (source: FloridaMedicalClinic.com)
If this sounds too out there, consider how your body feels when you talk down to yourself. Do you feel lethargic? Heavy? Conversely, how do you feel when someone pays you a compliment? You win an award? Does your body feel light? Energetic?
I’m a big believer in the connection between mind and body, and so is Shannon.
“I’ve learned and witnessed that the mind-body connection is a literal thing. Before the entire world shifted, we’d talk so much about the mind-body connection as this floating nebulous topic about inner peace, but it’s real and legitimate. And if it’s not a presence in your life then it’s something that I want everyone to experience.”
Shannon has gone from professor to student in this regard.
She was forced to board up her physical studio due to the pandemic and has fully transitioned to online classes (check them out here). The studio closing was devastating. The first few months broke Shannon’s heart because it was so difficult to navigate a new landscape of fitness and forge a meaningful trainer-client relationship.
The grief of losing a business, while simultaneously rewriting how you serve your clients, all in the middle of the world crumbling before your eyes is a lot to manage.
“I don’t even remember July. I had a panic attack the whole month.”
Prior to the pandemic, Shannon talked a lot about the mind-body connection, but since actually experiencing it, she says it’s completely real.
“When I look back at how things used to be, there was very little urgent application of all of these lessons. They were nice to talk about. I thought I knew a lot about it. I had all of the buzzwords. I read all of the books. I did all of the things, and I could talk to anyone about any of these topics for a super long time, but when shit hit the fan for me back in May, and I realized that my business was done and that it wasn’t going to come back the way it was, it was such a floor-letting-out-from-beneath-me moment. I lost all of it, all of those things. I couldn’t even put a sentence together. I was so knocked down.
Knowledge gained from a book weighs an ounce, coupled with real life experience it weighs pounds. We can know something, but we only become it once we’ve lived it.
“There’s such a difference between knowing it and living it, or hearing it intellectually and understanding it or embodying it. Getting from point A, where you know those things, to point B, where you are those things involves going through so much shit in the middle. It’s a fiery mess of destruction and you come out on the other side and you’re like ‘oh, I did it!’. The only way out is through and for me, through is with my body and moving, sweating, and dancing.”
As a society, we’re getting better at understanding that the way we treat the body impacts the mind, and vice versa.
Look at the impact yoga has had on our culture, albeit more appearance focused than spiritual—but we’re getting there.
Never has the mind-body connection been more apparent and necessary than in times like these.
Under stress, we are vulnerable. We forget the body and only fulfill the immediate needs of the mind, but because the two are interconnected, isolating one leads to imbalance.
Not convinced? Consider what the smart folks over at University of Michigan have to say about mind-body wellness, “An example of this mind-body connection is how your body responds to stress. Constant worry and stress over jobs, finances, or other problems can cause tense muscles, pain, headaches, and stomach problems. It may also lead to high blood pressure or other serious problems.” (source: uofmhealth.org)
So, what’s one of the best ways to connect the two together in a productive and healthful way?
Shannon and I both agree it’s through moving. When you’re moving, your mind is in sync with your body.
The ultimate combination is movement (physical reflection), journaling (written/logical reflection), and seeking connection with others (external reflection), but let’s start small.
To put the mind-body relationship in context through fitness, look at Francine Shapiro, the mother of EMDR therapy, a life-changing therapy that helps people overcome PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
“In 1987, Francine Shapiro was walking in the park when she realized that eye movements appeared to decrease the negative emotion associated with her own distressing memories.” (source: emdr.com)
There’s a reason why going for a long walk makes us feel clear. When we walk, our arms move back and forth creating a pendulum swing which then engages our mind to begin working through thoughts, or simply enjoying our surroundings (novel).
Walking, the most basic form of fitness, can be life changing.
“I only have great insights and moments when I’m writhing in a pool of my own sweat, it doesn’t happen when I’m sitting here worrying, or twiddling my thumbs, trying to make something happen. It happens when I get out of my own damn way and literally shake it out, and allow it to happen. Forcing vs. allowing has been a huge piece of it for me.”
Movement just may be our way through “the darkness” as Shannon calls it.
“I’ve been calling it ‘the darkness’ these days because I’m asking ‘what is happening?’ ‘When is it going to go back?’ And it’s just a tailspin, and you can feel the darkness creep back in. I’ve had some really, really low days and I know that moving my body through space is going to help no matter what. It’s just the action of getting there—that’s the hard part right now.”
And this is coming from someone who has to show up. She has to make it happen.
“Whether some people are experiencing this physically or mentally, I think everyone has come to that point at least once during [2020] where it’s just like ‘what gives?’ ‘I don’t know how to keep going.’”
Shannon’s advice is to turn on your favorite tunes and dance like you’re crazy. Have some freaking fun.
“Movement at this point is like a Prozac. It’s a common denominator. It’s a set point in my day. It’s mental maintenance.”
“I think a big part of the general ‘ughhh’ that we’re feeling is because we’re not accepting the good from God, or the good from the world. It’s still there.”
Outlook Analysis
So, we book our workouts; we commit to them; we show up, and complete them. We feel good.
… but then we see that our screen time is up, and we’re spending more time on social media and news applications.
“Sometimes I think, ‘It’s everywhere. No matter where I look, there’s bad news.’ Then I’m like, ‘Hold on, is it everywhere? Are there screens all around me blasting this information? Or can I just not put my phone down?’ It’s a choice. I’m just as guilty as anyone else.”
I’m tattooing this quote on the inside of my hands, so I see it every time I pick up my phone.
When we make excuses about why we can’t enjoy life, we’re determining our own future. We’re making ourselves miserable.
I think each of us is in desperate need of an outlook analysis. An evaluation on the amount of negative, positive, and neutral thoughts and actions we think and do within a day.
If the sum over the course of a week is more negative than positive, I suggest a real introspective analysis because as the driver of your destiny, it’s you who is responsible for the losses and the gains in your life.
So much of this comes from our perspectives and what we choose to see, read, write, and talk about.
“I think a big part of the general ‘ughhh’ that we’re feeling is because we’re not accepting the good from God, or the good from the world. It’s still there. It doesn’t feel like it most days when you look at the news and think, ‘Holy shit. It’s on fire,’ but then you go for a walk, and you see the neighborhood mother cat and her kittens playing, or you have a really good conversation with your boyfriend or your mom. I think we’re missing the good because it doesn’t seem like this big slap in the face: here’s everything you’ve ever wanted. For me, choosing to see the good even if it’s just a mother cat and her kittens playing in the field that day helps.”
Shannon, nor I, are saying that you have to be ignorant to what’s happening in the world. Information is power. But how much? How often? At what point does information begin to impact your mental health?
Without question, making a mental list of 10 things you’re grateful for will boost your mood. Do this while walking, and sister, you’ll feel 50% better than before.
On the same hand, checking in with what’s happened, what’s hard, and how events have impacted you is also important, but the work can be done mentally and physically to get to the root.
“I’m a believer [that] where you put your attention is what will compound in your life. If you’re looking for something, you’re going to find it. If you’re looking for the bad, here it is. Because when everyone is looking for the bad they’re getting, seeing, and expecting the bad. So when we start getting, seeing, expecting the good, I only see positivity there.”
Let’s seek more of the good in the world.
“Your heart is beating in your chest. You’re taking inhales and exhales. What are we waiting for? Life is happening, now.”
Photo by Shannon - @TheHonorMethod
Choosing to Live NOW
All of this is to say that if you’re feeling stagnant or like you’re spinning, I challenge you to do any combination of these bullet points below and check in with how you’re feeling afterwards. I believe you’ll be hard-pressed to answer, “worse than before.”
Put down your phone. THROW YOUR PHONE.
Drink 8 ounces of water.
Put on your favorite song and walk, move, dance.
Make a list of things you’re grateful for.
Ask yourself why you may feel a certain way, good or bad, and process through those feelings (while moving, while journaling, or while talking with a friend).
Make inspirational lists of things you want to accomplish in the next hour, day, week, month, year.
The point is: time isn’t stopping. The bullet points above are meant to help you realize that you have ownership over your time.
“There’s this idea that we’ve become insular in this moment, and life has somehow paused while we’re waiting for whatever is going on to shake itself out, and whether it changes back to normal tomorrow, this afternoon, or in two years, what are you waiting for? Your heart is beating in your chest. You’re taking inhales and exhales. What are we waiting for? Life is happening, now.”
The line of sight can become so narrow when we’re spinning that we almost need a bulleted list of options like the ones above in order to even remember that we have options other than spinning.
“We had our 6 months on our couch in our pajamas, but guys, shit’s still going!”
Again, there’s knowing all of this information in theory, and then there’s embodying it. The only way to embody it is to recognize the spinning, or the depression, or the free fall into a bad habit, and make a decision to do something else.
Embody the information. Make the best of your time.
“I think people are just burnt out. And when burnout happens, there’s always that crucial moment when it’s like you’re either going to continue on and scratch and claw the whole way through in this new strange time, or you’re just going to spin your wheels.”
Let’s scratch and claw our way through it, shall we? Stagnation isn’t an option, so let’s get moving.
The Honor Method
A big thank you to Shannon. Wow, she is inspiring. I recommend checking out her workouts –– they are the best I’ve found and she keeps you motivated the whole way (thank God, because without her I would’ve collapsed like a Water Buffalo 5 minutes in).
Shannons has 2 great offerings to get into her workouts. Check them out below!
A Free Trial
Please check out her classes here, and be sure to sign up for the free 3-day trial. You won’t regret it. She has all of the energy and inspiration you’ll need in order to fully show up.