There’s no shortage of opinions out there about how to get through this “big squeeze” right now. As a trained professional, I’m compelled to share my own two cents. Call it unprecedented or call it a cluster, either way things are downright hard. If you’re struggling, here’s a succinct list of suggestions:
Trade emojis for emotions. You are a human being meant to express feelings. It starts in your body with emotions. Yes, emotions are different from feelings. Emotions arise in your body and it’s your job to learn from them by naming them as feelings and expressing them as you need. You can’t do this if you’re sedentary and staring at a screen all the time. So please stop ignoring your physical emotions and associated mental feelings. That will only make them incubate longer and get louder later. And please stop beating yourself up for being emotional. Your emotions are for emoting, your feelings are for feeling. It’s all energy that wants attention and wants to move through you. Which brings me to #2.
Movement is medicine. There are way too many studies to list which all agree that exercise and diverse movement are transformative, having an immediate impact on your mental health. So shake out your nerves. Jog out those spinning thoughts. Stretch out your lingering doubts. Sing out your frustrations. Dance out your agitation. Foam roll out your lethargy. Your body was designed to discharge your stress, not bottle it up. Let me see you move!
Look up. Literally. At the sky, at the moon, at the trees. You can gain perspective and re-orient yourself to the present (rather than the time traveling mind) with the horizon, nature and the outdoors. Too much screen time leads to depression and anxiety. We are not meant to be cyborgs! Being in nature reduces these crummy moods and increases compassion and altruism. Which we sure do need more of right now. And that leads me to #4.
Choose people over profits. Most of you reading this live under capitalism. It’s been hardwired in us that our value lies in working working working and earning earning earning. Yet we all thrive when we prioritize connecting and caring for each other. Make eye contact, even if you’re wearing a mask. Heck, especially if you’re wearing a mask. Smile with your eyes! And seek out the other sentient beings that make you laugh. Think animal videos, comedians, your partner’s quirks. We have to hang onto our humor amidst the pain. Look for laughter, and sprinkle it into other’s lives as well.
Recognize you’ve always been coping with uncertainty. You’re probably better at it than you think. Every day of your life has been out of your control, from the weather to the moody vibe of the grocery store clerk. But you always have influence. You get to decide your response, your perspective and your intention. You also have control over your breath. It’s the one aspect of the autonomic nervous system you can immediately control. It’s pretty potent, people! Start by simply noticing it. Breathe out the mouth and fill up the belly to calm yourself. Let out some deep sighs. As you release vibrational sound, you release muscle tension. Yes, this healing tool has been within you all along, you’ve just been told sighing and grunting weren’t proper. When it comes to healthy somatic release, I say stop being so proper.
These all boil down to two words: stay human.
We will get through this. How depends on you.