Tips for Stability in Uncertain Times
How are you doing right now during this time? I feel like humankind is going through an array of thoughts, emotions, and experiences. In a short period, many lives have flipped upside down and there are a number of things that could be disrupting your body & mind. I am grateful for the practices I have learned over the years to manage experiences of anxiety, stress, and depressed states. I’d like to share some practices that have been helping me stay grounded and well, not only through this pandemic, but really in everyday life. Because the truth is life is always uncertain. . .
BODY
First and foremost tuning into your body, learning and understanding how to regulate your nervous system and manage stress. Developing some type of daily practice where you tune into your body and breath. Ideally you carve out time to dedicate to this practice of checking in. I like to do this first thing in the morning as it sets me up for the rest of my day.
Deep belly breaths. Deepen your breathing and send the breath to your belly. Inhale, fill up your lungs. Exhale, let it all out. *Strengthens your diaphragm ( the muscle that helps you breath) *Utilizes full capacity of lungs (upper, middle, & lower) *Helps you ease into the parasympathetic nervous system(rest, digest, heal), taking you OUT of fight or flight.
Release tension in your body. Lately I’ve noticed many bodies carry tension in the neck, traps, & shoulders. One thing you can do periodically is shrug your shoulders, tensing up (notice how that feels) - then actively draw the shoulder blades down towards the hips releasing tension.
Movement. Any type of movement you like! The challenge here is to really be in your body. Focus your awareness on engaging your muscles and your breathing. Get out of your thoughts and focus on what your body is doing in the present moment.
Mindful eating. Stop all other activity and just allow yourself to eat your meal without distractions. *no phones, computers, tv, even books, etc. Focus on chewing. Slow steady breathing.
Sleep. Get enough of it, but not too much.
MIND
Once you learn to regulate your nervous system and take your body out of fight or flight mode, you gain a stronger ability to tune into your mind. I recommend developing a practice of watching your thoughts. For me this is easiest in a seated position where I am solely focused on just that. You can call it meditation, but that word can be intimidating. So instead just try to sit comfortably and watch your thoughts. *most importantly without judgement. This may become uncomfortable as your mind may go to dark places. Remember you are not your thoughts. You are the awareness that sits behind your thoughts. Try your best to just watch. Keep taking slow and steady breaths. Notice what happens.
With practice, you start to create some space between your thoughts and YOU, the one who watches the thoughts. You can then choose how to respond to life rather that react to everything with a conditioned pattern. From that place you can experiment with all types of healing. Sky is the limit. *Let me know if you’d like more guidance on this.
TIME
Be intentional with your time. I have an “intention” weekly planner that helps me plan out each week centered around an intention, how I want to feel. There is space to write down what needs to get done, bills to pay, as well as people to connect with. Figure out what is important to you, write it down, create space for it in your life. *Have free space in your schedule. Try to give yourself the freedom to do nothing
Connect with others
Spend time outdoors/in nature
SPIRIT
It wouldn’t be fair to leave spirituality out of this, because honestly it is the undercurrent of my life. My faith in a higher power has changed everything for me. I always envied friends who grew up religious because I felt like they had this strong sense of certainty and deep understanding of life. While I grew up struggling to make sense of what was happening around me. I am deeply grateful to friends and teachers who have patiently shared their spiritual beliefs with me. To me, spirituality is deeply personal and a never ending journey that continues to evolve.
I would like to share the yogic term: Ishvara Pranidhana. This can be translated to surrender/devotion to a higher source. This is one of the “5 Niyamas” or, what TO DO on your path. One of the most helpful ways I practice this is when I catch myself worrying or trying to plan the future too much in my head. As soon as I feel the experience happening in my body, increase heartbeat, mind racing, fear arising…I take a breath and remind myself to surrender to God. I remind myself that I am not alone. That all I have to do is show up and give my best in my commitments and the rest is out of my hands. I surrender to the mysterious flow of life and trust that I will be guided along the way. This practice has helped me strengthen my intuition and ability to know what is and is NOT for me.
You made it to the bottom! Thank you for reading. I hope this helps you gain a sense of stability in your day to day. As always let me know if you have any questions or comments.
-Satchie