Weathering the Storm
My Dear Readers, I stand with you humbled and with awe in this era of crisis, unrest, and rebuilding. I offer my deepest heart with hope of health, peace, and safety for you and those you love. Aware that words are inadequate to capture the depth of feelings and experiences we have all encountered, I acknowledge the collective suffering and abounding support expressed throughout the world at this time. To those of you who have experienced illness and loss, I offer my deepest sympathy and support.
I want to affirm that it is normal to experience a wide range of emotions. During an overwhelming crisis we can expect to have feelings of anxiety, joy, anger, love, powerlessness, comfort, anguish, frustration, or bursts of creativity woven into life. This is what it means to be human. There is no one feeling that can encapsulate the ebb and flow of the restrictions and changes occurring at this time in history, and it is alright to acknowledge the feelings.
Inevitably, we all are experiencing various layers of suffering. From the absence of simple pleasures to more devastating losses of jobs, food, resources, and lives. The question I have heard from many people, stated in different ways, is “how do I keep going?”
There are as many answers as there are hearts reaching out with that question. One consistent factor for getting through difficult times is building resilience by creating meaning amid suffering. When we connect with a specific purpose, we are better able to develop hope, which can propel us though perceived barriers and hardship. Hope, which can birth into resilience, improves our physical health as it minimizes stress signals in the body, reduces inflammation, and buoys the immune system.
Connecting with purpose can improve the flow of good-feeling hormones in our brain, which leads to improved mood and concentration. Resilience can increase our sense of physical energy and propel us toward positive action for ourselves and others, reminding us we have an ability to keep going forward when we might not yet believe we can. Tapping into clear intentions can also fortify spiritual practices to ground us in the feeling that we belong to something larger than ourselves, increasing a sense of connection and inner strength.
Connecting to an Increased Sense of Purpose and Meaning
Here are some thoughts and resources to help connect you with an increased sense of purpose and meaning:
Identify three values that are most important to you (here’s a list of common values)
Write down five ways you can live those values daily
Be curious about who you want to be now and as the suffering ebbs
Be deliberate about daily actions to support that version of yourself
Invite conversations with people you trust to explore what has meaning and how you can support one another in thoughts, words and action
Be gentle with yourself—there is no perfect or ideal to reach. Choose what will give you strength and encouragement while much is being asked of you in this time. In all of it, remember to nourish your body with good foods and extra nutrients, stay hydrated, create movement in the body and take extra rest.
Here at the Center for Vitality and Balance, we are actively working to serve and support our clients. Please reach out to schedule a consultation or a session. I am here to help you support the difficult emotions and create resilience in this time. For the safety and health of our community, all classes and workshops have been suspended for the time being.
May you be well, may you be happy, may you be free from suffering.