Soild Steps for Uncertain Times

I think for all of us the current political and cultural climate is a bit unsettling right now to say the least. For many of us, myself included it goes beyond that to very disturbing. Even those who do not typically get inolved in these things are being hit with constant coverage of dramatic changes,  impassioned opinions and conflicting facts, these are uncertain times.

In my lifetime in this country there really is nothing that compares to what we have witnessed the past few days and whether you are cheering the changes or fearing the worst it is hard to know what to do. We must answer tough questios from our young people, grapple with our faith or that of others, work with or live with people on opposite sides of current issues. We may know or encounter folks being targeted and not know what to think or say about any of it.

I am extremely fortunate to have had a beautiful vacation the past week during which I did my best to avoid the news and keep my mind off what was going on in the real world choosing instead to be fully present to the beauty of nature and total stress free living.

 When I arrived home Friday things sure changed fast. I caught up on the news watching clips of the inauguration, marches, speeches and executive orders for longer than was wise I am sure. I had long discussions with my coworkers, friends and family about what was happening, what it all meant and how we felt. It really helped to have intelligent, informed and thoughtful people to sift through a lot of this, I am glad it was my weekend to work, grateful for their listening and sharing of ideas.

I must admit, I have been unhinged and deeply troubled by what is going on. It is difficult to know what to do in times like these and I can only imagine many feel the same way. I believe though that in stressful times it is critical we take steps to manage that stress so that we are at our best to manage our lives and be ready for whatever comes our way next.

Step One: Be informed ... just enough.  Choose news from varying credible sources and try to remain open minded. There is plenty of good coverage but it can be very difficult to discern what reality is when we are openly offered "alternative" facts and just about anyone can post anything and make it look legitimate. If you find yourself agitated or overly distresssed consider carefully if you are digesting too much information. There are endless stories, articles, interviews and reports vying for our attention, watch your diet.

Step Two: Care For Yourself Wherever you fall on the issues our environment is extra stressful right now. It is a good time to develop stress reducing techniques and self care routines or up the frequency of your currrent rituals. These may include whatever activities refuel you or bring you peace and joy. Meditation or prayer allows time to decompress and connect spiritually, exercise is proven to increase serotonin levels which helps us feel good emotionally. raises our heart rate to burn off extra physical tension, calories and improve cardio- vascular health all at the same time. Yoga can be a great way to find mind body synergy and deeply relax. Connect with nature, spend time with good friends or family in lighthearted conversation and laughter, read things that inspire or uplift you. Journal your thoughts as a way to release or sort out feelings. Seek a therapist or confidante if you feel the need to talk things through in a safe environment. If you do not have some of these habits now it can take some discipline to start. Chose things you actually enjoy and put them on your schedule, arrange your day so that it is easy to fit in your activity and then do not cut it out. Remind yourself that making time to care for yourself is the best way to ensure you can care for others well, be more productive and creative. Stick with it, habits typically take 30 days to synch in. Try adding some healthy happy habits for 30 days as an experiement and see how you feel.

Step Three Take Some Action: Doing something feels more powerful and proactive than doing nothing. Be involved in community groups or support causes you believe in. Make your representatives aware of how you feel on issues if you have an opinion and are so inclined.
 One of the most powerful things we can all easily do is to increase our acts of kindness and cultivate more compassion for others, especially folks we do not know. Be aware that stress can make fuses short and tempers flare, confusion and uncertainty is rampant which can lead to impulsive behavior.
Be kind. It is amazing how powerful simple acts of kindness and respect de-escalates a situation, creates instant good feelings and builds bridges between people. Being courteous, smiling, lending a hand, listening do not take a lot of time and may make someone elses day, as a bonus it will lift your mood instantly as well.
Try to imagine how someone may think or react differently than you because their life or perspectives may in fact be different from yours. We are all unique individuals and do not think the same. However, we are all the same human race and share the desire for safety, love, dignity and respect. One need not agree to offer understanding or tolerance. As Stephen Covey says,”seek first to understand then to be understood."
Empathy alows us to feel the emotions of others, it is a skill we have in varying degree or maybe not at all. If you are an empath chances are you are on sensory overload right now and really need to be vigilant with self care.
Compassion on the other hand, is the ability to recognize and have concern for the feelings and troubles of others which we can all cultivate more of in ourselves, teach to our children and model for our peers. Finding a way to make a positive impact in a manner that feels right to you no matter how big or small is empowering when things seem out of our control.

For more resources on meditation or journalling see last weeks blog post here.

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