I took a de-stress break from blogging because my brain was yelling, "Stop the world, I want to get off!" Is yours screaming that too? This year will go down as one of the worst, if not the worst, the world has ever known.
An Empowered Spirit - Image for - Nine Ways We Can Tame Anger and Stress to Restore a Bit of Peace and Calm
Everything that's happening around us has taken a devastating toll on our psyche, and the stress of it can make living with chronic illness a complete and utter nightmare.
My body's been rebelling in ways that if I didn't notice I'd be a complete idiot. Over the years I've paid a heavy price by ignoring unusual symptoms. Our bodies are brilliant machines designed to tell us if something is wrong.
Listen closely to yours.
Since the pandemic began have you experienced anxiety? Stress? Depression? Aches and pains? Unrelenting fatigue? Lack of focus? Unusual bowel or bladder dysfunction? Loss or increase in appetite? Lethargy? Insomnia?
If you have you're not alone. I hope you take time for some self-care. We're being hit from all sides in 2020 and if you don't address your physical and emotional needs things can get pretty messy.
As we crawl through 2020 the trick is to learn the best way to survive. Staying as healthy as possible is the most important goal you can have.
When anxiety and the madness of outside forces gnaw at my spirit I do what I always do. I turn inward. Since March I realized how much I needed to reclaim whatever inner peace and calm I lost, so I looked for ways to work on the three C's I felt I needed most:
It's so damn hard to rise above the brutal noise of 2020 while avoiding the dreaded coronavirus.
Here's how I'm trying to fight the insanity and recapture some calm, clarity, and confidence:
Reading - I'm reading more, which I find difficult to do these days. Scattered thoughts creep in to distract me. Power on, I tell myself. Power on.
I'm currently reading two books:
⇒⇒ SIDENOTE ⇐⇐
Both books were recommended by my heart-centered business mentor and amazing human being Sarah Walton. I signed up to join her workshops/groups because I want to find a new direction in my advocacy work.
Sarah helps women entrepreneurs realize their goals while leading with compassion. As her tagline says, "I put more money in the hands of more women."
She, and the group of women I met through her, entered my life at exactly the right time. During the pandemic. They supported me when I needed it most and provided a safe place to fall, one filled with compassion and creativity. I found a new sense of purpose and clarity for the work I do.
Now I have a new group of friends along with a sense of belonging, something that was woefully missing from my life. But that's another story...
You can check Sarah out and what she offers for women by clicking here.
Gone are the days when businesses are solely about the bottom line. Meaningful businesses should also be about the heart.
Friends for over 50 years!
Community - As I mentioned above, I found a remarkable community through Sarah. I've always found comfort, solace, and lots of laughter in the company of women friends. It's important to nurture our relationships! I believe this so much that I've written about it several times.
During the pandemic, it's particularly important to have a community to lean on, one where others have your back, and you have theirs.
If you have 1, 2, or even 3 good friends, you are truly blessed. I know I am...
Meditating - I meditate every night for at least 10 minutes using the free Insight Timer app. My favorite meditation is a poem I share at the end of this post.
Yoga - I finally returned to the practice of gentle yoga when one of my dearest friends offered to conduct Zoom sessions with me. She's an amazing instructor who knows exactly what I need. My creaky joints are sore but I don't care. I'm deeply grateful for every stretch. And for my friend.
Exercise - I'm devoted to taking daily walks on flat nature trails, legs permitting. I've gained weight during the pandemic, some of it due to MS flares, and I'm determined to lose weight and feel better at the same time.
Whether I can walk 5 or 55 minutes the sense of accomplishment lifts my spirits. Keep going! Keep going!
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - I'm doing my best to allow negative thoughts to flow through me by replacing them with positive ones. I learned this years ago in therapy. It really works for me. You can click here to learn more about CBT.
Letting go of anger and resentment- It's important to let go of anger and resentment as much as we can. With all that's looming over us, it's not only a tall order - it's a humongous one!
When I hold on to anger and resentment (and honestly, who doesn't?) anxiety and stress appear at my door.
We have to let go for the sake of our physical and mental health. I'm working on it with a combination of CBT, meditation, and keeping busy with projects and hobbies.
I want to live as joyful a life as possible. How about YOU?
Fighting fear- Fear in the time of the coronavirus is real and can't be wished away. Staying on track with social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing my hands helps me feel I'm doing all I can to keep me and my family safe.
Fear also appears when seeing and hearing about others who don't take the virus seriously. It frightens (and bugs) the hell out of me. Are you taking precautions?
I hope you find some peace and calm in the midst of this storm. Let's all hold onto hope and faith that we will get through this.
Before I go, I'd like to share a poem by Safire Rose that I found on the Insight Timer app mentioned above. I meditate on it over and over again. The words bring me a sense of calm and inner peace.
I hope it does the same for you.
She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of the fear.
She let go of the judgments.
She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.
She let go of the committee of indecision within her.
She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.
Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
She didn’t ask anyone for advice.
She didn’t read a book on how to let go.
She didn’t search the scriptures.
She just let go.
She let go of all of the memories that held her back.
She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.
She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.
She didn’t promise to let go.
She didn’t journal about it.
She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.
She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.
She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.
She just let go.
She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.
She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.
She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.
She didn’t call the prayer line.
She didn’t utter one word.
She just let go.
No one was around when it happened.
There was no applause or congratulations.
No one thanked her or praised her.
No one noticed a thing.
Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.
There was no effort.
There was no struggle.
It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad.
It was what it was, and it is just that.
In the space of letting go, she let it all be.
A small smile came over her face.
A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore…
Love you Cathy, you are always inspiring me and helping me to be a better person. xoxox Bo
Thank you so much for your insights, Cathy.
It’s really helpful and inspiring in this weird times. Always actually!
🤗
Happy 🍁🍂🍀🌞🌈
Stay healthy and happy!
Ditto! I love to meditate on She Let Go. I deactivated Facebook and uninstalled Twitter. At the Equinox, I realigned my unrealistic expectations for exercise and food, and am letting my body rest with no guilt. So THANK YOU for this great blog post. May you continue to enjoy blogging! Love, Joan
Cathy. I love this write up! The tips are amazing and I can feel your calmness through your words right off the page! Thank you for sharing these tips.
Missing my daily gym trips and my gym community since the shut down, I’ve been practicing daily yoga and meditation. It helps, but the layers of stress seem to keep building. I love ‘She let it go’... thank you so much for sharing that... a new intention for sure!! Thank you Cathy!