Checking In and Making Space
Things are really weird right now, and I hope you are finding some places where when you check in you are able to find some calmer vibes. Whether you are in an epicenter of the novel COVID-19 pandemic or a little bit removed, I hope you have taken time to acknowledge that this is something new to you—and all of us. There has never been a pandemic in our lifetime.
Let’s try to stay connected and grounded while engaging in physical distancing.
When humans, as social beings, encounter a novel stimulus (no pun intended), the first thing we do is look to each other for cues as to how to respond. Imagine you were at the grocery store and you heard a loud crash. The first thing you would do is look around for where the sound is coming from, then to your fellow shoppers to see what they are doing in response. Are they going about their business, are they moving toward the sound, or are they moving away? Your limbic system uses that information to make its own decision about what to do.
What do you see when you look around yourself today? For most of us, it’s a lot of panicking. Panicking begets more panicking. Our own nervous systems mirror each other’s nervous systems. Whether you think of it as a vibe, energy, or nerves we are all signaling to each other whether or not it is safe to relax.
The past few days have been hard for me, I’ll be honest. But I’ve culled from my toolbox of self-care strategies, and wanted to share some that you might find helpful if you the stress of the times is affecting your mental health and wellness.
If you can get outside and take in anything Mother Nature has to offer—whether it’s a sidewalk tree or a forest—please take advantage of this as much as possible. Humans give off vibes, and so does nature. Try and sync up with some of Mother Nature’s energy.
Ground yourself, either indoors or out. Engage in simple, one-minute grounding practices regularly. Set a timer on your phone for a periodic check in and then ground. People are often encouraged to do so with breath-based practices, but I am a fan of grounding through the senses.
Rest. I am seeing a lot of posts on how to maximize productivity during this time of social isolation. Clean your closets!Tackle your honey-do lists! Create and implement a schedule for your kids! This is fine if it suits you, but I wholeheartedly believe the current climate demands a change in pace. Please rest, even if that means still not getting around to your honey-do list. Even if you aren’t moving around as much as you are used to, your nervous system is likely getting a workout, which can look like anxiety, depression, worry, anger, panic, and numbness. Move. Do stuff. Engage with work (paid or unpaid.) But also rest.
Make space for your feelings - all of them. I make space for mine by intentionally being curious about them. Each morning, I have been writing about my feelings in a journal. Journaling is not one of my regular practices. I chose to start journaling because my feelings have been so great, that they are overwhelming my ability to think clearly. I name my feelings, and I explore their intensity. I note how I experience them. I write about how they feel in my body (e.g. tense shoulders, stomach pains, an opening in the chest) and about how they affect my behavior (e.g. crying, controlling, and laughing). If a memory comes up, I jot that down too. In being curious about my feelings I make space for them to rise to the surface and then pass, as opposed to pushing them down until I explode like a pressure cooker. In case you would like to practice getting curious about your own feelings, I have included a feelings chart below for your reference. The language of feelings is nuanced, like feelings themselves.
During these coming weeks I will be pacing myself. I know I will be riding waves of hope and fear. I will be getting curious about my feelings. As always, please take care of yourselves and each other.