Storms.
We’ve seen them before, we’ll see them again.
When I say "storm", I'm referring to something that has the potential to cause a whirlwind of stress in our lives.
Sometimes, huge storms roll in-- devastating events that are hard to make sense of.
Sometimes, the storms are quick and relatively painless.
Other times, they last a really long time; the length and severity are always variable.
One thing all storms have in common is that they all pass.
When we are caught in these storms, it's easy to keep our focus and attention on the negative.. the fear, the worry, the sadness…
but there are often moments in these storms where we can find things we might not expect, things that have the potential to evoke gratitude.
We know that by focusing on the things that make us feel gratitude in our lives, we can re-wire our brain to become a happier one— this is proven in science.
So, even though at times we may feel enveloped in darkness, we must seek the cracks where light shines through
and yup, sometimes we will have to look really hard (and if you don’t have to look really hard, that in itself is a blessing)
but in any case, there are always cracks… there is always SOMETHING.
You just have to WANT to find them... and that can be hard.. especially if we are really upset.
Aside from the importance of finding things to be grateful for, even when it's hard,
I don't want you to feel like you have to deny your natural emotions.
You are allowed to upset! You are allowed to be pissed off!
You are allowed to feel all the feelings FULLY... in fact we encourage it,
but I want to remind you that ruminating and obsessing over the feelings hour after hour, day after day is only going to keep you stuck feeling those feelings LONGER.
For instance, if your body is telling you something repeatedly such as….
"I'm worried, I'm worried, I'm worried" or "I'm angry, I'm angry, I'm angry",
start by simply acknowledging the presence of this thought.
"Okay body, you are worried, you are angry. I hear you.
I understand why you are feeling that way.”
Once you acknowledge the feeling, consider some healthy ways you can make yourself feel better. If you are feeling extremely angry, is there an exercise you could do to help you release some of it? Maybe boxing, jogging, power yoga, deep breathing, journaling… the list goes on.
If you are feeling sad, what can you do to make yourself feel better?
These days, we can use services like BETTER HELP to get therapy and emotional support without ever leaving our homes.
The goal is to acknowledge the feelings and process them appropriately.
If you continue to let the thought ruminate and repeat over and over, your body will remain stuck in a perpetual state of stress and this can lead to not only discomfort but also disease!
A simplified summary:
Seek out the cracks of light in every storm and be grateful for them..even if they are hard to find. There is always something!
Acknowledge your stress and find healthy ways to self soothe and process the emotion instead of ruminating over it long term.
All storms will pass, and trust that you will come outside the other side. perhaps a little weathered and weary..but all the more resilient and wise.
If you are in a storm right now, you are a fierce warrior and you can get through this.
Click here to download the free recovery starter guide.