I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
Let's face it, life is stressful.
Now mix in isolation, uncertainty, and anxiety from Covid-19, along with our proclivity to worry ourselves sick about the "what ifs" of the future, and you've got the makings for a real mess.
While we all wish this disaster weren't happening and would end, this is our reality for today, and many months ahead. Besides doing what we can to keep ourselves, and others safe, it's quite possible to feel a certain lack of control as this virus continues to disrupt life as we know it.
If you're frustrated and feeling this way, you're not alone. But, take heart -
you have more power than you realize.
Consider this perspective. This is a crisis, and every crisis in life offers us a unique opportunity to tap into the most wise, capable, resourceful, and resilient parts within ourselves. And, the way to do that is by creating some space to have 360-degree awareness of your senses (i.e., thoughts, emotions, surrounding environment), and respond to what you notice with some compassion.
That's all. Nothing more. Nothing less.
One of the most effective ways to create greater space for awareness is through the practice of mindfulness. If you're unfamiliar, mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present. It's a type of meditation in which you train yourself to be aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on within and around you. And, given that mindfulness helps us break our habitual tendencies to be controlled by stress, our body and mind both benefit. A growing body of research finds that mindfulness practices, when done with regularity, can help reduce stress and anxiety, boost the immune system, improve brain health & sleep, increase happiness, and much more.
Just like everything new life skill, becoming mindful takes practice. Ready to start? This book offers simple step-by-step instruction on how to do a variety of mindfulness practices. Whether you have 5 minutes or more a day . . . just do something. Weaving just a little bit of mindfulness into your day will always serve you better than doing nothing at all. Trust me, your mind and body will be better for it.
Here's to becoming wise and well within. Enjoy the process.