It seems appropriate to talk about denial and the impact it has on our wellness as we face such unusual and stressful times.
I was at the doctor's office last week for a quick, safe checkup and apparently due to previous days of fire and smoke, it was a more quiet day than expected in the office. And, my observation was that stretching out the patient visits does not equate with less work. The staff were taking a brief moment to breathe and agree that demands remain high. They feel it personally right now. They were supporting each other and I could see and feel how important that was for them.
After sensing some level of stress I asked my technician, "how are you taking care of you during these times?" The answer, "not very well." I said, "have you thought of a ten minute quiet time every day just for you? I mentioned apps like, Insight Timer which is pretty amazing and another new one called Chopra. You can't deny the power of Deepak Chopra's insights. How about finding a quiet spot, your car or a chair, that invites you to feel softness, like this one pictured here?" (Now seen at Irvine Fine Arts Center through December - called appropriately, For Modern Resting by Erik Benjamins.)
The technician answered, "there is no time for ourselves which is my personal challenge. And, things are so frightening right now." I can relate to that. We don't have to deny ourselves personal time outs for sanity.
We have an amazing capacity for love, friendship, cooperation and healing - for ourselves and others. We can take that personal reflective time and teach others. We do this naturally. Find your inner strength, take the moments you need to be grounded and breathe. Turn off the constant news feed for awhile, especially this week. Take all the important actions needed for your work and civic duty. Then, face the reality that we all need to take time for ourselves, even if a short break and think about our own healing. Plan an activity that brings positive energy and a smile to your face. Call a friend to see what positive energizing work they are doing. Let's look at what binds us together in a positive way which is really about sharing our humanity. It starts with finding softness...then courage.