Things have gotten bit crazy lately. Not just our daily lives, bills to pay, challenges to confront, adulting in general, but the general state of our world, our politics, climate change to name just a few things, changing lives across the globe. Things are happening on such a connected global level , especially among some very bad world leaders committing human rights violations, & inciting violence using a megaphone, that we can’t help but be affected as we watch uncertainty, tempers & anxiety flare around us.
The Positive: Remember, there are many more people on the planet doing good things than bad. Think of all the people working hard behind the scenes, without recognition right now, keeping us safe. Here’s where you can read about some of them. https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org
and as promised,
here are five things you can do right now to work towards calm, and mastering your immediate environment .
- Breathe. Stop , Sit , be still for a moment, & breathe….deeply, fill your diaphragm (in your belly area) up thru your lungs, keeping your shoulders and neck relaxed, while filling and raising your chest….in through the nose, out thru the mouth.
- Ask “What do I I need right now?” Not “what do I want” but “What do I need?” And then just listen. It might be something as simple as a glass of water or it might be intuition guiding you to a specific more complicated action, or to trust in the Universe that everything always works out . For better or worse we are the creators and there are no accidents. Embrace your part & responsibility in the situation and ask for guidance.
- Move your body if you’re able, workout, run , walk , stretch, and get your blood & your thoughts flowing. Sweat if possible. If you’re unable to move or just plain tired, listen to a meditation tape or favorite music and /or rest. I usually gravitate toward my favorite chair or comfy spot inside or outside. Colors and materials matter to me too. The last few years I’ve been using diffusers with organic essential oils, cinnamon or lavender during the winter, orange during the summer along with fresh cut herbs.
- Distract yourself. Remember how we would distract our kids when they’d feel upset? If you can break away, do something fun, something relaxing (a hot bath), a book or a movie, something beautiful (an art museum, the beach, or a park), a walk around the neighborhood, a funny movie, time with a nurturing friend. If you only have a few minutes grab your favorite picture book, magazine, or a youtube video of your favorite comedian or listen to your favorite music. You can also find a mundane task to work on that you’ve been meaning to get to.
5. Let it go! Sometimes the best thing you can do , if possible, is to let the worries, & concerns causing the chaos and stress go, walk away, and give it up to the Universe. Remember , it’s not what happens, but how you deal with what happens. If you’ve done what you can, let go. If theres still some action to take, or something you can do however large or small, and it feels right, and causes no harm …do it! Otherwise, give it up to the Universe. “Let go and let God/Goddess” then repeat steps 1 – 4 above as needed.
What are some of your constructive coping skills? Please share them with us in the comment section so we can add them to our list!
Wishing You ,
Peace, Love & Calm
Deborah 