Self Care During Turbulent Times
Here are some practical and quick tips to use when the world feels overwhelming. Prioritize your mental health by taking care of your needs first and resetting your nervous system to encourage rest and digestion.
I wrote this blog when I found myself completely overcome with grief one morning and had to step away from social media, TV, print media and just needed to take care of my mental health. There were bombings in various Muslim countries happening during Ramadan, shootings at Pulse nightclub, an LGBTQ club in Orlando, FL; another police brutality killing leading to the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile; the raping of a Stanford woman whose accuser was given a light prison sentence, the killings of Dallas police officers in the line of duty; ALL the details of these senseless and devestating events were bubbling up and bringing me down into despair.
I literally found my body shaking, stomach in knots, my mind racing, tears uncontrollably streaming down my face while every thought I had was about some fearful scenario. I was sad and angry. I felt helpless and felt like I was drowning in sorrow.
But, thankfully that moment only lasted minutes instead of hours, days, months, years or even a lifetime! After much practice, I finally know how to take care of my mental health and how to shift out of that low energy and into a healthy mental state through self care.
This is important for my life because I am a natural giver, cheerleader, advocate, activist and light worker who knows that any change I want to see in the world starts with me, so self-care is a huge part of my life as a teacher. I have to keep myself grounded, connected with my heart and compassionate for myself, my students and clients who may need support in their wellness journey. These practices help keep me present and in a space to give to others. If I didn’t have them, then I wouldn’t be able to teach as effectively or share my practice with people.
1. Yoga
Gentle stretches, lying on your back and pulling the knees into the chest, anything to move your body and let go of any stored up energy. You’d be surprised at how much your body holds onto stress. Yoga helps calm the nervous system, balance out emotions, relaxes the mind (provided you’re taking deep breaths through the nose) and lets the body release tension through the movements and poses.
2. Salt Bath or Salt Scrub
Salt is a powerful mineral. It is known to release negativity, toxicity and impurities from the body and mind.
3. Nature
Nothing to my knowledge is more healing than spending some time in nature, breathing fresh air, being immersed in the space element, putting your feet in the grass if it’s warm enough, opening your arms wide and looking up at the sky, watching birds, looking at the trees. Nature is miraculous; it reminds us of how incredible and miraculous life is.
Nature reminds us of how incredible and miraculous life is.
4. Walking
Any type of movement helps the body, but walking is something our body craves. Take a walk around the block, or walk down a hallway at work, just moving the body will release stress and cortisol. Walking keeps the heart strong, it helps with weight loss, it exercises your lungs, gives the body energy, helps to clear the mind and the endorphin release brings feelings of happiness.
5. Taking Ten Slow Deep Breaths.
My suggestion is to take 10 deep breaths breathing deeply through the nose, and then exhaling completely through the mouth. OR…breathe deeply through the nose, filling up your stomach like a balloon and letting the breath pass through the rib cage, then chest, towards your collarbones. Then, as you exhale, keep the mouth closed and exhale completely through the nose while pulling your navel in towards your spine. Extra bonus points if you do this outside in nature.
6. Smudging/Sage
I first heard of sage as a practice done by Native Americans before special ceremonies and events. But, it has been around for centuries and has been traced back to Greece, SE Asia, South America and other parts of the world. Sage is a dried herb and when you light sage it helps to change the ionic composition of the air, which contributes to stress. I use sage whenever I feel “blah” or feel like I’m picking up on some negative energy.
say a prayer or a mantra like “divine light, love and protection” while you sage
I also use it before and after yoga classes or sessions to clear the energy of the space. It’s like a quick energy shower that refreshes, revitalizes and removes any excess energy dirt. I immediately feel a difference after a good smudging. After smudging, I open a window for a few minutes (important because you want to let that energy go and not keep it trapped in your house), and then I light an incense.
You can say a prayer or a mantra like “divine light, love and protection” while you sage. Or, you could just light it and walk from room to room. It doesn’t take long; you can do this for 2-3 minutes.
7. Soothing Music
Music is so healing, so turn off the TV, step away from social media and listen to your favorite artists. Or, find music that doesn’t have words, only instrumentals. These days, if you have Xfinity or Comcast, surf the high number channels and you can find music stations. Or listen to Pandora, Spotify and find some relaxing tunes. *Bonus points if you listen to music while taking a salt bath. Delicious!
Here are some of my favorite musical artists, who I play in my yoga classes, ayurveda sessions, during my own yoga practice or at night when I fall asleep. If you’ve been to any of my yoga classes, you’ll recognize the music. These are my absolute favorites, Mark Watson, Anugama and Craig Pruess & Ananda.
8. Uplifting Information
Turn off the news and replace it with uplifting information like Hay House Radio, uplifting audio books, YouTube, etc. Just feed yourself with something inspiring, motivating and encouraging. The media won’t give it to you, so you have to be proactive and nourish yourself.
Some of my favorites are Oprah, Maya Angelou, Marianne Williamson, Louise Hay, Iyanla Vanzant, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Nelson Mandela, Amma, Steve Jobs, Wil Smith; they all inspire me and offer me wisdom in those times of need. Creating a Gratitude Jar also helps shift the energy from lack to abundance within seconds.
9. Visualization
Stop and picture yourself with a bright, white light around you. Then, radiate that light into the room, then to every room in your house, then down your block. Picture the light expanding to cover your neighborhood, then your city, your state, your region, your country, the world, each planet, the galaxy, and the universe. Then, bring that light all back, starting from the universe and back to your heart. Viola! You just sent love and light to everyone including yourself.
10. Limit Your News and Social Media Intake.
I know we like to stay connected and informed. It’s important to know what’s happening in the world, our country and the community. But, it’s also important not to overwhelm yourself with everything bad happening in the world either!
If you love being in the know like I do, figure out a way to be informed without becoming burnt out. Maybe have 1 news show you watch, or a day or two that’s completely news free. Or, maybe take a day away from social media, or just do one scroll through your timeline, then unplug. Maybe consider reading your news instead of taking in images online or on TV.
Personally, I haven’t had a TV in my house since 2010. It’s one of the best things I ever did for myself. I can still watch TV online, but I do it when I feel like it and I can watch it, then pause and come back to it if I need to. I don’t have to deal with too many commercials or advertisements and I feel like there’s less external energy coming into my home, which is my sacred space.
I listen to more music and find more uplifting content through YouTube or other sources. Anything that is important, I usually hear about it from family or friends. After not having a TV, I realized how much I didn’t really need it and I rarely miss it because these days everything is.
Let me know if any of these self-care practices help you. Drop a comment below. And if you want to add some to the list, please comment below the blog, so we can support one another during turbulent times. These are just 10, there are many more but this will at least get you started!
Do me another favor; please share this far and wide to your circles!