How to Remember Your “Resource States”

I was sick a few years ago with an upper respiratory illness and couldn’t get rid of my cough. The worst part was…I couldn’t remember how I’d successfully gotten rid of my cough the last few times I’d had one. (I forgot one of my important “resource states!”)

So, I looked through my supplements and homeopathic remedies and tried various ones, but nothing was doing the job.

Then, several weeks into the cough, I remembered a homeopathic cough syrup I used the last time I had this and that shifted it. I remembered that my body responds really well to herbs and I found an herbal apothecary store and they recommended a miracle herbal combination that did the trick!

This episode reminded me of the countless times this has happened to me and of the countless stories I’ve heard working with clients…when we are sick, stressed, traumatized, tired, anxious, etc., we forget to access our resource states.

Our resource states are the things we know to do that work for us…like tapping, meditating, deep breathing, getting a massage, exercising, drinking more water, calling a friend for help, specific remedies that we know work for us, or recalling what we’ve done in the past to solve a similar situation.

What happens to us that we forget to access our resource states?

I believe we’re not in our “right mind” when we’re sick, stressed, traumatized, tired, anxious, etc., and therefore we can’t remember clearly what we’ve done in the past to resolve a similar issue.

Here’s my remedy for this…

I took a 3×5 notecard and wrote a little note to myself — “Stacey, the next time you have an upper respiratory illness, especially with a cough, start taking your homeopathic cough syrup immediately, then go to the herbal store and get the Deep Cough herbs.”

I put this note in my basket with my supplements so I’ll find it next time exactly when I need it.

I’ve written notes to myself regarding other issues and what I’ve successfully done to resolve them in the past as a reminder, so I can access those resource states when I need them.

I teach my golfers to do something similar. We take a 3×5 card and write down specific things they need to do when they find themselves feeling anxious, nervous, lacking focus, or off track during tournament play.

Then, they laminate the card and carry it with them in their golf bag. All they have to do is pull out the card and do what it says.

Think about what you can do to remind yourself about your resource states when you are in your “right mind” so that when you are sick, stressed, traumatized, tired, anxious, etc., you’ll know exactly what resources to access.