Living in a world of shifting sands, eroded by Covid
As a raging storm ravages the landscape of sandy beaches, COVID has eroded the shorelines of our lives, exposing our root structure of relationships, culture, economy, belief systems, and resilience.
Current life choices available to us may not be as we want them to be, but we are all capable of functioning in a way that is mindful and respectful of ourselves, of others, and humanity at large.
If you are feeling ‘blah’, anxious, angry, or discombobulated by the continual uncertainty of day-to-day outcomes, this is a normal reaction to an abnormal experience Everyone’s life has been impacted. It is as it is — until it becomes something different.
As human beings, we seek answers to make sense of what is happening to us. When clarity is not forthcoming our wellbeing is impacted; mind, body, and soul.
How can we nurture and nourish our wellbeing during challenging and uncertain times?
When we are feeling anxious or stressed our bodies register that there is a threat to our safety and our nervous system is designed to enter a fight, flight, or freeze stress response. Heart rate increases, muscles tense, breath quickens, and our senses are on full alert. However, if we remain in this heightened stress mode for an extended time, our wellbeing is compromised by its effect on sleep patterns, digestion, and emotional and mental health. This may be your reality, right now.
Maintaining healthy wellbeing requires self-awareness and self-care. For some that may be a soak in a bath, for others a punching bag. News updates and social media viewing will not achieve this, particularly when watching repetitive news items that arouse fear and anxiety.
What can we learn from animals?
When a wild animal senses the presence of something nearby its body moves into full alert mode. Is their life in danger, being stalked by a predator? Is it a harmless creature rustling in the undergrowth?
All nervous energy is directed to the body function required to survive — flight or freeze! Once safety is achieved, or the perceived danger is identified as non-threatening, the animal will physically quiver to release the excess energy from the stress response in its body.
Yes! They will ‘shake their booty’ to allow the body to return to a state of rest and rebalance the nervous system.
What could ‘shake one’s booty’ look like for you?
Laugh, dance, run, play golf, lift weights, jump on a trampoline, swing from a tree branch … whatever works for you. The desired outcome is to achieve a healthy release of stress-induced energy. Calming activities such as mindfulness, breathing techniques, Tai Chi and yoga are also beneficial.
There is still uncertainty of how the ripple effect of a global pandemic will impact our lives in the coming days and months. An unknown future is still unfolding, but we always get to choose how we respond to the ‘here’ of our reality.
Give yourself compassionate attention, today. Be kind to you, be kind to others, your well-being will thank you for it!
