How are you feeling?
It’s been interesting to watch my mind run around in the midst of this pandemic. My thoughts seem to bounce around looking for trouble, even when everything is fine. Sometimes, I’m just appreciating the fact that my family and I are healthy, that I have a job and a home, that we have all the creature comforts of the world like running water and central air. And in the next moment, I can find myself feeling like I’m going to be taken over by a tidal wave, like things are all about to fall apart. And in those moments, it’s really hard to convince my brain that those fears aren’t the best place to focus. Now, don’t get me wrong – I believe in doing what you can to be prepared for whatever you can. But once that’s done, the endless worrying and second guessing isn’t constructive anymore. So I’ve figured out a way to break the fear-focus…
First, take a deep breath and really feel your lungs fill up with air. Feel your chest expand and hold the breath at the fullest point for a little longer than normal. Then let the air out, completely emptying the lungs, almost like wringing out a washcloth. Do this breathing for five breaths, in and out. Feel calmer? Good. Let’s keep going.
One thing I’ve found is that when I get outside and spend a few minutes in nature, I feel better. Walking in the early mornings was good for this. At one point recently, I realized that I hadn’t been walking in the mornings. At all. I had my reasons; it was too cold, it was raining, the pollen was so heavy that I didn’t want to being it in the house on my and aggravate the little one’s allergies. When I sat for a minute, I realized my mind was grumbling about the rainy weather and the annoying pollen and how if the weather would just cooperate it would be a whole lot easier to tolerate this pandemic confinement.
The weather wasn’t really the problem. When I really started thinking about it, I was reassured by the rainy spring weather and explosion of pollen. Even as the human world was turned topsy-turvy by the virus, the natural world was carrying on as usual. Spring was coming, whether I was out in it or not. I started to think about this a little more and I realized that the sun rises everyday, and night comes every night. The earth is continuing to turn and we are tilting as we should toward the sun to bring our change in season. We might be off balance, but the earth keeps going.
That helps me. Sometimes I feel like I have to take care of everything in order for things to work out well, and when I can’t control it all I worry that things will fall apart. Knowing that I don’t have to worry about the weather and the seasons reminded me that I really don’t have to worry about many of the things that I think I’m supposed to control. I do what I can, and then I can step back and rest in the moment. How? Let’s practice.
If the weather is agreeable to you, go outside for a moment. If not, get near a window and look outside. Look up at the sky and just watch for a few minutes. The clouds will float by, or swirl darkly if a storm is coming If the clouds are gone and it’s a sunny day, you can watch the tree leaves move in the breeze. If you get outside, crouch down and look at the grass. See how it roots down into the earth, even if it just a patch breaking through concrete? Isn’t it remarkable how resilient the plants are to keep growing no matter what’s going on? Even the pollen that coats everything is amazing. The power of nature to continue itself, to throw around its seed to reproduce is abundance might aggravate your allergies or irritate your eyes, but you have admire the will that brings forth the growing season. Look around for tiny flowers in the grass, or the blooms on trees just starting to bud. The streets are littered with flower petals, blowing in the wake of the cars that pass. The earth is full, creation is blooming, and life is continuing on. We are continuing on.
Even as we adjust to a constantly evolving situation in front of us, as we work from home or go into work as essential personnel, we continue to live. I am comforted by the thought that life is continuing on. We will get through this. And if we allow ourselves to find joy and beauty in what we have right now, we may even grow to be better through it all.
Do you have any thoughts or practices that are helping you feel strong and hopeful during this time? Please share in the comments below!
And, if you need some practice with thinking on purpose or want to try a breathing exercise, come watch my YouTube channel videos – just search for Dr Andrea Christian Parks. See you there!