How do you stay resilient in hard times?

It’s late. My crazy neighbour above won’t stop.
Replaying the conversation from earlier today, then jumping to the to-do list.
I feel like knocking on the ceiling. But from experience, I know nothing will happen.
And there is no off button, so I can’t make it stop.

That crazy neighbour is my mind.
If you have one too, you know that on a good day, he’s a great help.
He creates ideas and helps bring them to life.
Writing the grocery list, organising the days, paying the bills.

But when hardship knocks on the door, a different tone starts playing.
He starts affecting our emotions, and emotions affect the body.
The crazy neighbour wants to fix things quickly, out of habit.
When he doesn’t know how, he starts pacing. Round and round, above our heads.
Then we get stuck with him, and start to feel the effects.

I know this loop very well.
I have seen its very different faces through various phases of my life, and felt how it affects me.
Maybe you know it too.

But my experience has also shown me that hard times always carry some gold.
In the middle of them, I couldn’t see it. Looking back, I can.
Those moments have taught me how to move through them.
And because I have done it before, I know I can do it again.

And what helps me most? Movement.

It can shift what talking alone cannot reach. That’s the heart of my work as a holistic movement guide.

When I move, my neighbour above quiets down, and the pacing slows.
And I can meet what is in front of me from a different point of view.

Science sees it too: in one study, women who stayed active seemed protected from the stress effects of a looping mind.

That’s why I’m sharing this video with you.

In my program Intentional Movement, you set an intention, then move with the music. Even music you don’t like. Notice how that shows up in your body, and move with it instead of getting stuck in not liking, or in your head.

So today, try this.
Take a moment. Slow down.
See where you are now, and how your mind is acting.
Set an intention. Put on a song, and give it a few minutes.
Then listen to how your crazy neighbour changes his tone after some free movement, with your intention as your anchor.
And if you try the Intentional Movement video, I would love to hear about your experience.

Prefer something slower today? Try this simple spinal flex practice for stress relief.

And I’m curious: how do you stay resilient in hard times? What is your way of moving through them?

By the way, I’m in the last phase of creating a small online course, Intentional Movement.
Three short practices, about 10 minutes each, with breath, dance and writing. A pocket of time where your crazy neighbour can rest.
If you’d like to hear when it’s ready, write to me at parisa@parisaradpey.com

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Thank you for visiting my site. Some patterns can’t be thought through. Only walked through.
Curious what I mean? It is in my book The Silver Route — now on Amazon.

I am Parisa Radpey, the writer of these pages and founder of Dhyana Donya Movement & Health. You can read more about me here my background.

How do I work with people? Read my free guide, or book a free 15-minute call to see if we are a match.

I would love to understand the people I am creating this work for a little better. If you have a few minutes, take my short survey here — it truly helps me understand the needs of real people and what they face on their journey, so I can shape my work around what I hear, rather than simply assuming what might be needed.

You can also find me across social platforms, or let my Spotify playlist move what words can’t. And if you want more, I also write for Wise and Shine Zine, where you can find my other pieces.