Coping through Crisis: Mindfulness

The one thing we can definitely control right now is ourselves and how we care for ourselves. When we take care of ourselves, we feel protected and return the brain’s sense of safety. Self care is more than just grooming - it helps us maintain a sense of balance and control. So when you’re feeling out of control, it’s important to focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t. It’s important to take care of the self, and the first place to start is by being mindful of where you are and what your needs are.

Awareness of Thoughts

When I am more in tune with my mind, it’s easier to become aware of symptoms and signs of distress. It’s not always as simple as noticing that I’m in distress. Many of us (me very much included!) have a habit of numbing, avoiding, and denying our stress and anxiety so that it doesn’t even register in our conscious mind. We must learn to pay attention to our consciousness so that we can slow down and redirect our mind. Honing our awareness of our mind, thoughts, and thinking patterns is called mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the practice of being present and observing our mind without judgement (check out this podcast episode on anxiety to learn more). It is the key to beginning to understand ourselves, our emotions, and our state of being. For me, that means if I’m crankier than usual or I’m having body pain or I’m craving sugar, I know that means I’m stressed. These are signals my mind and body are sending to say, “Hey, stop for a moment. Something’s not right.”

Daily Self Check-ins

Lately, I’ve doubled down on self care by doing self check-ins a few times a day. I’ve found that reading my energy is the best indicator for me to understand my emotional state. A pause here and there to ask myself: How am I feeling mentally? What am I feeling physically? What is my  energy level? Then, I respond with one action that can ease any discomfort I observe. So, if I catch myself overthinking, I might take a few deep breaths, go on a walk, or meditate. I hold a lot of tension in my jaw, so I’ll stop to massage it or take a hot shower to loosen the muscles. The other week, I felt a wave of sadness, so I gave myself the space to cry it out. 

Taking a moment to check in with yourself supports and reassures your brain of safety. This practice strengthens our ability to notice when we need to employ practices and tools to help us keep our head above the water. Caring for yourself can be simple, yet have profound effects. 

Understanding Self Care

Self care is not just easy and frivolous. For me, as someone living with anxiety and depression —as someone who has survived long-term trauma—self care is crucial to my well-being. It is hard work. It is learning to take care of myself in ways that I was never taught. It is learning to put myself and my needs first. It’s going to bed early and getting up when my alarm clock goes off so that I have a full 2 hours in the morning to do all the things I need so that I can feel normal and safe and secure. As James S. Gordon put it in his book The Transformation, “Self care is the true primary care.”

Self care has become a trend, and because of this it has sort of lost its true significance and depth. Self care isn’t just getting a manicure or watching Netflix - these things can actually be the opposite of self care if they’re used to avoid and distract instead of restore and process. This illustration by Art by Moga actually perfectly depicts this - sometimes what we think of as self care can actually be harmful, and what we really need are the things that may seem harder or less gratifying. But these are the things that truly restore and heal us. Some might say self care is sleeping in and not using an alarm, or hitting the snooze button. For me, it’s important to get up right when the alarm goes off so I have that extra time in the morning for myself and to prepare for the day with a strong start.

Although self care may seem like a silly trend right now, true self care is one of the most powerful treatments for anxiety, depression, and trauma. Self care is absolutely essential for coping through crises such as what we’re facing in the world right now.

Ready to Start Healing?

Now that I have started coaching, I’m so excited to help you heal and cope through the crises in your life. With all the tools, resources, support, and guidance I have gained during the decade of my own healing, I’m here to support you and catalyze your journey!

I’m offering a special highly discounted offer to anyone who is ready to make this change. If that sounds like you, email me with the subject line “I’m Ready!” for a discount on your first three months of coaching with me. Let’s co-create a life that you love and feel inspired by!