Every day makes me more anxious” I saw on Facebook.
I hear you!! Anxiety, fear, stress and despair are at an all time high and rising exponentially every day. Understand though, slipping into a pit of despair is not going to help our country and it is not going to help us individually.
I’m not suggesting looking through rose colored glasses by any means, ; but now more than ever self-care needs to be a priority. If you’ve ever travelled on an airplane, you’ve heard “If the oxygen masks come down, place one on yourself first, and then help others.”
One of the first things you can do for your self-care is to limit how much time you spend on media and social media. I remember hearing Marianne Williamson years ago say,
“We get up in the morning, turn on the TV news, click on our computers, gulp down our coffee and then wonder why we have a shitty day.”
(I’m paraphrasing here, but you get the idea.)
I stopped watching the TV news years ago when I realized just how toxic it was for me. On January 20th, there was NO WAY I was going to watch the inauguration. I went to a local retreat center and prayed, meditated, practiced yoga and walked the Labyrinth. I actually felt pretty peaceful on a day that was anything but! The next few days, I didn’t meditate, and even though, on a few of those days, I did practice yoga, I still was feeling anxious, not peaceful.
I realized I need to walk my talk! I’ve been teaching wonderful, simple techniques for self-care for over 20 years and I need to practice them just like I advise my clients.
TODAY WE GOT THIS!
I woke up this morning and first thing, I practiced my meditation. I feel more balanced than I have for days. Yes, I am on social media – I need to stay informed (more than ever!); AND I am monitoring how much I am taking in, as well as who I am listening to. I am making sure to get my news from credible sources and on social media, I am following people who are acknowledging what we are going through and inspiring us to positive action (like Marianne Williamson, Maria Shriver and Elizabeth Gilbert to name a few).
New to meditation? Click here for a free guided meditation
The Women’s March and Beyond
If you were one of the millions who marched on Saturday, THANK YOU!!!
It was my very first –and not my last – march. Millions of us around the globe – and not one arrest! But Saturday was not a “one and done”
With the speed of events happening so quickly, it can feel overwhelming and that can lead to shutting down – just as a basic survival instinct. Please don’t let that happen! We need you to continue the good fight and you will feel so much better and feel empowered when you are taking action. So rather than looking at the overwhelming amount of ways you can take action, chunk it down to one or two actions you can commit to doing consistently. This is a marathon, folks, not a sprint! Imagine how good you will feel when you’ve taken consistent action for a week or two; then a month or two…you are going to feel so empowered! This is exactly what this new administration doesn’t want you to feel!
Taking a Positive Spin on Self-Talk
Another thing I’d like you to consider is to pay more attention to your thoughts, your inner voice. It’s estimated that we think 60,000 thoughts a day and 95% of them are the same as yesterday. Even scarier, 85% of those thoughts are negative! So turn up the volume on your self-talk-not as a way to beat yourself up, but to begin noticing.
Awareness is the first step in changing anything. When they yell “BUILD THE WALL”, hear in your mind, “HOW CAN I BUILD BRIDGES?” Even if you don’t take immediate action on building those bridges, you’ll have taken a great first step toward change and that is a great way to feel empowered, not anxious and afraid.
CLICK HERE for a simple breath technique you can begin using now.
For more simple and easy ways to manage stress, fear and anxiety, CLICK HERE.
I’ve empowered thousands to move from feeling anxious, fearful, stressed and despair to find freedom, peace of mind and joy in their lives.
Are you ready to experience freedom from the past and embrace what’s possible? Click here for a free 15 minute consultation.
Blessings,
Stephanie
