Personal Wellness During A Dumpster Fire
Here we go! Enjoy my 8 tips to keep your personal wellness on track when the whole world feels like a giant dumpster fire.
"In times of uncertainty, your habits can ground you.
When you feel overwhelmed, practice 1 minute of mindfulness.
When you feel restless, do a 1-minute workout.
When the world seems uncontrollable, focus on what you can control."
James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits
Feeling overwhelmed living this masked-life with stress of catching COVID, giving it to your mom, or never recovering yourself? Yeah, me too. Feeling the stress of being white, knowing your ancestors did some really shitty stuff, feeling like you’ll never be able to make repercussions, you don’t understand all you’re reading and learning, but you’re hoping to grow into a better human and friend to people of color? Yeah, me too. Feeling like you would rather color your entire house with a giant pack of sharpies rather than pick up homeschooling again in the fall? Yeah, me too.
Good news!!! There are a few things you can control when the out-of-control world leaves you scratching your head in confusion, wondering what the heck we did wrong to deserve the most unprecedented upheaval of the entire world in the history of all time, leaving you longing for a bag of Doritos to comfort your terrified, desperate heart. Just do these instead. Pick as many necessary to extinguish that garbage.
Move your body. What energizes you? How about getting grounded in your down dog? Do some yoga. Is it getting your heart pumping? Go do some sprints. Is it being in nature? Go take a hike. Just take 10 minutes. You’ll feel the fire begin to smolder.
Breathe Deeply. Breath work gets us out of our sympathetic nervous system (flight-or-flight) and into our calm, parasympathetic nervous system. Try this 4-7-8 breathing technique for just one minute. Inhale 4 seconds, hold 7 seconds, exhale 8 seconds for at least 5 rounds. I prefer this lying on my back. The smell of burning trash will dissipate.
Pray or Meditate. Spend a few minutes connecting to a higher power to remind yourself that we are not the ones in control. Tell her what you need and surrender. She will put this dumpster fire out.
Talk it out. Grab your cell and call your bestie or sit down with your love and say what you’re feeling. Chances are they are feeling it too. A little more smolder on that sizzle.
Tidy up. Kon Marie also knows what’s up. A little tidying, just one drawer, just one corner, chair-drobe anyone? There is something in your house that’s dirty, it drives you nuts, and it would take you 2 minutes to clean. (Me? Bathroom sink and mirror!) A quickie little clean up sparks a little inner joy. Flames, begone!
Journal. Write it out. The process of writing forces your mind to slow down. Bonus work: write a list of things you are grateful for in life. The smoke is clearing.
Take a nap. Babies and puppies also know what is UP. Sometimes a little rest can give you a fresh perspective and an energetic awakening. Just 20 minutes gives the average person the time needed to feel refreshed. What dumpster?
Drink a tall glass of water. Water replenishes, aids in digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. DRINK IT. Water also puts out… FIRE. Psssss.
If nothing else, just please remember not to panic, be patient with yourself and make time for the things and people you love. If you’re not a paramedic, it’s probably not life-or-death, the fire won’t last forever. Promise.
