As the weather and the political situation grow colder, I have had to add quite a few more layers. Regardless of your beliefs, the changes being made are happening so rapidly that everyone’s brains are in overwhelm. The outcomes of these changes are unknown and therefore, anxiety provoking.
The military calls today’s reality the VUCA world. It stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. Our ancient brains have not yet evolved to keep up with our current levels of stress and inputs. We perceive all threats to be the same especially if we don’t take time to discern the level and realness of the threat. Phones, technology, climate change and stressful politics all demand our attention and our energy. It is exhausting and scary. This state of being makes for poor health and poor decision making. Ahhh!
So what can we do?
The simplest answer is the most challenging answer. It is also the most liberating answer because it begins with you! You have the ability to stop the madness and the sadness because you have the choice of where and how to pay attention. People’s attention is invaluable.
There is now, always has been, and always will be, noise, distraction and bluster coming at us from every direction, all of the time. It doesn’t work for us to pay attention to it all. So after you read my amazing thoughts (ha!), set your phone down or step away from your computer, count ten breaths, feel each one of your toes (yes every last one)… and then, when you are calm and ready, focus your attention on what you deem important and worthy of your time and energy. It is important to note that this refocus of attention will take time and will require a lot of practice and heavy lifting. It is a mental exercise and just like your physical exercise it won’t happen unless you make it happen often. There are many ways to bring yourself back into your body and back into the moment. These actions are basic and can seem too simple but the science shows that they are soothing to your brain therefore alleviating stress and anxiety.
As I breathe and feel my toes and focus my attention, I am noticing that given the current politics I have to bring myself back to the moment often in order to bring calm. I notice I need to spend more time doing activities that really bring me joy and fulfillment like being with friends and family, listening to good music, making music, being outside and moving, volunteering.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Teddy Roosevelt
