It doesn’t take an investigative genius to notice the increasing divisiveness happening around us these days, and it’s hard not to feel a little disheartened by it all (#understatement). I don’t want to waste this electronic real estate reminding you of all the things coming between us, rather I’d prefer to consider how we might best show up for ourselves and each other during these strange times.
As much as it’s easy to think in terms of “us vs. them,” at our core, we share a common humanity. We all experience joy, pain, love, loss, hope, fear and everything in between. But when we feel as though our values, politics, or rights and freedom are threatened, our survival instinct kicks in and the fight-flight-freeze center of our brain (the amygdala) takes over. When this happens, our sympathetic nervous system becomes activated, in preparation for stress-related activities, and, our prefrontal cortex (smart brain) gets hijacked. Imagine how taxing and toxic this state is to both our bodies and our minds when we’re unable to get back to a place of calm; not to mention the collective impact this has on us as communities.
Perhaps more than ever before, it’s important that we’re able to calm the stir and get our parasympathetic nervous system back to a place of healing. Mindfulness practices can help. There are countless techniques that can be used, and finding what works best varies by individual. One thought you might consider is to set a timer for three to five minutes and do any of the following: allow your hands to massage each other, slowly and gently, and savor the sensations; close your eyes and follow the rhythm of your breathing or heartbeat; walk around the room, barefoot, as slowly as you can without losing your balance, really feeling into your feet.
Small things won’t be a cure-all, but can help to ease the tension of a stressful time. We just have to remember to do them ?. As for our sense of division and separation from others, it helps to remember that we’re all part of the same whole, and it’s okay to love them from a safe distance.