Why listening to that inner voice is so important (what do you need)?
I’m tired. The kind of tired I haven’t been in a long time. I feel it going deep into my bones and I hope that one day soon instead of all of this heaviness I feel that a lightness will occur.
I saw this post from a gal that some people are sharing yesterday…but she didn’t invent it, and while her words are great, I thought I might add a bit more to what I read. Basically, it centered around Corona Viewed From Maslow’s Hierarchy. << here is a good review later. I want to add though, that I am not into scare tactics at all guys and I don’t do that. So here is the review I want to start off with.
What seems like months ago, we were all okay-ish. Dealing with our own problems. Depending on who you are, and what you faced, the situation we are in now knocked the breath out of lungs at first…quite literally. After your friends started posting their memes, and talking about hoarding toilet paper, perhaps fear set in for a bit. Let’s not forget the conspiracy theory friends, the every health article ever friends, and the people who want you to use this time to write War and Peace or learn a new language. I hope the fear has subsided to a dull thing in the background now, because living in fight or flight for too long will wear you completely out, but here is food for thought.
I do not know who made this photo above, but I want you to know that if you are functioning in the “safety” area right now, just listen to your body. If you are in the red zone still and you are trying to climb out, you can’t climb up until you feel like that level is reached/achieved. So I am here to offer you a bit of advice about listening to your body right now.
- Develop a routine that helps you feel supported. Make a list. Eat breakfast. Take a shower. Eat lunch. Get outside. Have an afternoon snack/tea break. Eat dinner. Sleep 6-8 hours at least. When you feel like you have the basic routine down, and you are breathing, eating, drinking water, sleeping enough, and taking care of yourself, we move to the next step. Our physiological needs are met.
- Resources and inventory. Have you called all the credit card companies and used the words I need a deferment or what is your COVID-19 procedure right now? Have you applied for any monetary things your state/country is offering and who can help you if this seems overwhelming to you right now? Take inventory of your friends who know these types of things and reach out. YES. I know they will help because we are all in these together. You are not bothering anyone. Honestly. Ask for what you need right now. Everyone is in this together. You are safe. There is enough.
- Focus on what matters. Does getting into that political argument save your energy or use it? << it uses it. Does being angry at someone through the internet, maybe even someone you have never met, use more of what you need right now? Yes. Yes it does. Unfollow, unfollow, hide. It’s a great game. Or delete. That also works on your friends list IF you feel it is necessary for your energy. Listen to what matter right now. That inner voice is telling you. Where are the light bringers in your life? You are loved.
- Do not compare yourself. If you have made it to level 3, (geek here, RPG game reference, role-playing game), don’t worry about WHO the world wants you to be during this. What is that inner voice telling you to do now? What is your next best step? I am at love and belonging and might hang out there until it’s over. I am making sure my family has all of their needs met, but occasionally I teeter on safety for others in my world as well. I wanted to do more, but my body physically feel heavy still and I have learned that to lighten it, I have to accept it. I hope that makes sense to you. You can not force what isn’t there or what you are not capable of doing right now.
- Exercise if you feel up to it. Move in some way guys. Garden, ride a bike, walk, but just get some movement. Yoga, stretch your body, and then listen to what it says after that. In my house, 3 women are around the same time with PMS. What helps us? Moving, running (I don’t run anywhere, so that’s not my thing), yoga (that’s my thing), gardening (me again), and just getting sun. Even moving to a different location. I have bought all the solar stakes for my backyard…and I sit outside on mornings it is sunny. So for this part, my head/body tells me it needs to move. I could easily not move as well, but since I know I feel lighter for a bit after, I put on my exercise clothes and do the thing. I do make myself do this part guys because I know it’s good for me. I physically feel better after moving.
I hope this has helped you a bit think about where you are in this and how we really are in this together. Give yourself a little bit of a break, but if your body is telling you something, try to listen. Cook the food it wants, watch the thing, get the sleep, do the moving and remember, this feels heavy because so many of us are collectively in this together. Brothers and sisters with anxiety, I see you. Breathe deeply daily as you are loved.
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