Is it just me or does it seem like EVERYTHING is more draining these days….takes more energy, requires a bit more attention, and that the often now predictable outcome is a tendency to get a bit more tipped, exhausted, and burnt out like never before.
I say this as I swab my nose and chuckle at how the home Covid tests resemble that of a home pregnancy test and the emotions associated with waiting for the results also mirror the like.
As schools start up again, and there is the faintest of yellow on the scrub oak, and the sun’s rays seem to offer up more golden hues, I am reminded of the much needed exhale that only autumn seems to bring. Yet, this fall seems to also bring with it that now all to familiar anxiety that we all got thrown into March of 2020. There is this very subtle (and sometimes not) grimness that I witness in most of my clients, myself, and my peers these days that continues to remind me of the magnitude of what we all have been through and continue to go through over the of the last year and a half and the newer realization that many of us have that “normal” may not be “normal” anytime soon. It’s darn funky that’s for sure!-but hear me out, this is not a rant on the state of our world or humanity. Despite my somber tone, I so strongly believe in the power of resilience and whole heartily feel that we’ll get to the other side of this chaos one way or another. It’s the basic tenet of the chaos theory: out of chaos come order (and integration).
We’re just LIVING it right now.
And so what are we to do? How do we get through this unknown period of chaos as better, more integrated, resilient human beings? I believe one of the first steps is actually recognizing the impact these couple years have had on us. It’s huge. Our entire way of thinking, interacting, and being in the world has had to shift coupled with an underlying fear that now seems “normal”. Here’s a Psychology 101 concept: chronic low-grade “fear” is not healthy physically, mentally, or emotionally….and yet that is the world we live in right now.
I get it…wanting to push everything aside and say, “I’m fine” is a perfectly normal and completely understandable response for many of us. It may even FEEL fine. But frankly and respectfully, fine is not how the world is right now. So naming and addressing the chronic and low grade fear and stress is the first step.
The second step is to embrace things that counter the chronic stress load. For me I have recognized that posting and trying to “keep up” on social media to be exhausting. I’ve come full circle in the last couple of years, recognizing the positive aspects of social media as I used to be a full on naysayer of social handles. I’ve actually enjoyed some of the creative aspects that social media offers from a marketing/branding perspective and yes, it’s been a handy tool in coordinating morning runs and epic 35 mile mountain runs with 13 different people (that was executed without a hitch!). So yes, I see the upside of social media. I also feel the PULL that social media has on me, addiction no, “pull” yes. It takes my energy, it brings me out of the moment and it creates a “one more thing to have to do” feeling in my mind and body.
If I put this pull into the mix of an already challenging time, I see the equation clearly unbalanced and so, I choose to press pause. I’m giving myself a break from posting, checking, and having that energetic pull away from the moment. I think I’d rather focus on the changing of the leaves, feeling the cool kiss of the morning breeze, and tasting the smokiness of the green chilis that my husband just brought home (it’s a southwest thing).
Of course the irony is that I am going to be posting this blog on social media, and links to it…but for now, I grant myself a pause. It’s time to reset and take back some energy that’s been lost to the chaotic world we now all inhabit. I want to FEEL the exhale again.
I won’t be posting regularly for about a month and my social media consultant tells me that my ranking might fall, oh well–I guess my ranking might fall then. I choose sanity and regulation over rankings any day.
I deeply appreciate my clients that help me to see myself in them and vice-a-versa. And so, if anyone reading this can resonate with my experience, maybe play around with just turning the devices down or off for a set amount of time..a day, a week, a month…take back some of that energy, as I feel we’re going to all need it sometime in the near future.
Rest well. Over and Out.