I don’t know about you, but I’m struggling right now. I’m reminded of that hilarious Seinfeld episode Serenity Now!
When we’re stressed it’s difficult to be clinical about how we’ll take care of our situation. Rage seems like an option, but it really isn’t. Me? I’m collecting dozens of comfort food recipes!
Experts identify several levels of self-care, including emotional, practical, physical, mental, social, and spiritual. For me, these look like the following:
Emotional—Identify what I’m feeling and acknowledge that emotion. Then (and here’s the tricky part), let it go. If you have difficulty naming emotions, consider reading Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart. I make it a habit to return to this wonderful book from time to time and I always learn something new.
Practical—What can you do to decrease what’s stressing you? Ok, maybe we can’t change the news cycle, but we can turn off our devices. That’s what I’m doing. We can take a problem within our control and break it down into smaller pieces so that managing them is possible.
Physical—I put my Spotify “liked songs” playlist on about 4 hours ago and I keep breaking out into dance! This is not normal behavior for me, and I’ve decided it should be! Plus, I’ve gotten so many chores done as I boogie my way through my favorite jams. Alice Walker was right, Hard Times Require Furious Dancing.
Mental—Positivity can go a long way in decreasing stress (which for me translates into depression pretty quickly). I’ve been joining webinars for storytelling and working on creative projects more intentionally. This helps me refocus, play with themes, shapes, and colors, and offers me the satisfaction of completing a project. Again, I’m keeping these small, so that I don’t stress out about finishing things.
Social—I have made an intentional effort to be with more people than is my usual practice. Sometimes it’s a little people-y, but I’m enjoying meeting new folks, hearing their stories, and building new connections. Even if the interactions are brief, I try to make them genuine and meaningful. I’ve also been reaching out to old friends and just saying Hey, I’m thinking about you.
Spiritual—If you have a faith or spiritual practice, consider stepping into that more deliberately right now. Here in Mexico, we’ve just concluded
Day of the Dead, which is a beautiful time to connect with ancestors and loved ones who have passed. My altar was filled with people (and cats) I love and it was a comfort to invite them into my home for memories, laughs, tears, and conversations.
What are you doing for a little serenity? Please share with us at WonderCrone.com. I’m sharing this blog early because on Tuesday my metal art crew will be dumpster diving to find awesome recycled metal from which to build more sculptures (see “mental” and creativity above).
Breathe. You’ve got this.
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