First of all, I want to mention that I know some people who are actually enjoying this time of more stillness and time to go within. It’s as if the world has come to a standstill and that has its advantages as well.
But most people are struggling in one way or another. We are all influenced by the tension, worries and collective anxiety that is present on the planet right now.
But besides the worry and anxiety, I am noticing two kinds of challenging situations which are almost opposites of each other.
1) people who live alone are dealing with feelings of loneliness and isolation
2) people who have families are crazy-busy juggling working from home while homeschooling their children.
These situations trigger of course different things and I will address them both:
1) Loneliness
Many people around the world are confined to their homes and are not able to physically be with or hug their loved ones. I know from experience that this can be really difficult and can bring up lots of different emotions.
For many of us, touch (from the people that are dear to us) is a source of comfort and brings a feeling of safety. It even activates hormones that help us to feel better.
In a time where contact with friends and family is limited, it’s important to be very kind to yourself. Be with yourself and your feelings and allow whatever is there to be there. Breathe with your feelings. Take time each day to open to what is going on inside you.
Then, bring yourself back to the reality of this moment. Feel the floor underneath you, see the walls around you that keep you warm and safe. Notice that you have food in the fridge and everything you need to get through this time. Give yourself a hug. Remember: this will pass.
2) Too little (alone) time
If you are with kids at home right now, the situation is quite different. You might be pulled from one thing into the other, managing both your own work and your kids’ schoolwork.
If you are in this situation, please be very kind to yourself and lower your expectations. It’s not realistic to be just as productive as you normally are, not even half as much. Everything you do get done is wonderful.
The same goes for your kids. Remember that they are having to deal with a stressful situation as well. Helping them manage their emotions may be more important than keeping perfectly up-to-speed with their schoolwork.
Try to find some time for yourself
Another thing that’s important when you are highly sensitive and at home with your family: take time for yourself, even if it’s just a few minutes.
Maybe you can get in 10 minutes in the morning or in the evening to do a short meditation. I recommend my grounding meditation (free) or the meditations from my online course Thriving with Sensitivity. These meditations help you te find your center again and to let go of any tension you may have picked up from others. They help you to become clear again.
Or incorporate awareness into your daily activities
If it’s not possible to find 10 minutes for yourself each day, try and incorporate a bit of mindfulness in your daily activities. Take the kids out for a walk (if that’s allowed where you live) and use your senses: feel the sun on your face, see the colors in the sky, listen to the birds.
You can also use any household task to practice mindfulness. Be aware when you fold the laundry. How does it feel? How does it smell? How does your body move when you are folding the laundry and putting it away? What happens if you do it faster or slower?
In this way you create little moments of meditation within your day, even when you don’t have time for yourself.
If you are struggling to stay centered and you do have 10 minutes for yourself each day, I highly recommend my online course Thriving with Sensitivity. It will help you to:
- Find your center in the midst of chaos
- Let go of tension/anxiety/emotions that you’ve picked up from other people (very helpful also after you’ve gone out for groceries!)
- Take really good care of yourself energetically so you have more to give to yourself and others
