Finding Center ~ Amidst Chaos
We all have lives full of the normal to dos, work and volunteer commitments to manage. We strive to juggle the work/life balance, making lists and running errands. Our bodies, homes, yards, and cars need maintenance--everyone has to do the dishes and take out the trash. None of this is particularly over the top. Experts say that a certain amount of stress is good--that by reacting and responding we enhance our resiliency.
Some days the stressors of life feel unbearable, as if someone or something kicked up the hornets nest and there are way too many angry hornets to try and track. I don't know about you, but where there is too much going on my anxiety peaks. Miscommunications, car repairs, health issues, and taxes coming due... Throw in political unrest, school shootings, climate change, and all the crazy things in the news or social media. It can feel like you don't have enough bandwidth to effectively manage all the details and buzzing hornets. It can feel crushing. I described it recently as the Weight of Being Human.
How do you shift out of this overwhelm to get out from under the crushing weight, and find your center?
I start by reaching out to my friends. I share my stories and challenges. I cry. I pray. I share my humanness with others. It helps to know that other people have challenges too. It helps to have a sounding board. Sometimes just saying things out loud can help shed light or insights when things feel overwhelming.
I do what I can to raise my vibration. What exactly does this mean? I do what I can to make myself feel better. I know I need to shift my energy. I go for a walk, I eat something, I listen to music I like. I pet the dog. I sit on my BEMER. I breathe in and out. I take a nap. I take a shower. I journal. I listen to a guided meditation. I take myself out of the distressing situation. I practice gratitude.
I revise my mindset. I find a new way to look at things--I reframe the stressors. My mother called this looking for sliver linings--Pollyanna's go to. This takes a bit of practice, and somethings may need a day or two before you can see things clearly, and find a reframe. As you practice this more frequently you'll get better and reframing when you are triggered.
Shield yourself when you can. Protect your energy. Chaos is always around us. We live in a time when we are bombarded by images and information--the internet, social media, and the news hammering us with the awful realities, and ugly side of life. The hornets can get kicked up in an instant. Stop Scrolling. Turn off the news. Take a media break.
Practice Self-Love. Be gentle with yourself. Talk nicely to yourself. Take good care of you. Honestly--you need to be your own advocate. Making ourselves feel better is an inside job. I think about nourishing my body, mind and soul. I make choices that support my physical and emotional health. I choose to spend time with people that fill me--and avoid things that deplete me.
We do have the ablity to walk ourselves through the chaos. It is imperative that we know how to right ourselves when we get knocked over. We need to put on our bee suit, and learn to walk through buzzing hornets--calmly (lol). Keep cool, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, and carry on. This too shall pass.
You are in control of your mind, and your reaction to the craziness of life.
You can find your center, stay grounded and well resourced. #yougotthis