Keep Calm During Holidays with COVID

Keeping Calm During the Holidays

Many of us will look back and say this year was like none we have ever lived through before. It has been a generation or two since our world has been rocked with events that took us collectively to our knees. Our grandparents or parents, depending on our age can remember the Depression and World War ll, but we haven’t ever been through anything like we are experiencing this year. This is new terrain for all of us.

I think I’ve heard again and again on the phone and in social media a version of this question, “How do I keep my calm, especially during the holidays with so much uncertainty?” It is a profound question that begs some really good ideas to help balance what we are collectively dealing with on so many levels.

It was interesting, I asked my grandfather how they coped with the depression and World War ll and it was really fascinating what came back as advice. Many times we think our generation invented mindfulness, but many of the techniques were called other things years ago but the intent and outcome were very much like the mindfulness techniques we experience today.

 

Sage Advice From Another Generation

Thankfulness

My grandmother who used to feed hobos at tables set up in their front yard during the depression and had multiple sons overseas fighting still would give thanks each day for what she did have.

She encouraged those in even worse shape to find something each day to be thankful for, it could be as simple as you saw the sunrise or you got a good night’s sleep,  She felt if you set your brain on focusing on what was good rather than focusing on what challenges were before you that you could cope with what life was throwing you that much better. Simple advice and you wonder with food rations and not knowing if a son would be returning from a war overseas how someone could focus on being thankful, but the advice she gave she also followed.

 

Giving Heals & Calms

Opening your heart and giving even in the smallest way shifts your perspective and also your brain chemistry. We always have something we can give, be it our time, our wisdom, a card, a social post, a direct message, baked goods left on the porch, or whatever your imagination and the people you know or don’t know–what their needs are. There is something about giving that releases endorphins into our brain and gives us a lift when we need it the most. Once again my grandmother said that giving benefits the giver even more than the person given to–and it is so true!

 

Make a List of What You Trust

I venture back decades to find a time as fraught with the unknown as we are dealing with now, so you’ll see many mentions going back to the Depression and World War II, really the last time collectively we dealt with so many different stressors that we can’t control at the same time.

Making a list of what you trust gives you bedrock to go back to when the going gets tough. Bedrock is an old-fashioned term that builders would look for bedrock to build on for stability when building a structure. Your list will be personal; it really needs to be effective. So everyone’s list of what they trust will be personal and very unique to him or her, but this is a great list to have by your bed and be the last thing you read before you go to sleep.

Your personal what I Trust List could be very basic and might only name a few things or it could be long and elaborate, both work. If you need to jog your memory on what you’ve been able to trust you can always go back over digital photos or your photo albums to see what you have been able to trust in the past. When the going is tough it’s helpful to rest in what you’ve been able to trust in the past and what you are able to trust today.

 

Try Basic Nurturing Activities

Going back to basics each day of asking what would nurture you today, is a good grounding practice. It could be as simple as you would like to make it. We offer some suggestions below:

• Bake something you love and fill your living space with great smells
• Do a gratitude list
• Meditate
• Do some conscious breathing-deep breathing works wonders on anxiety
• Take a cold shower-not kidding about this one, check out the Whim Hoff Method
• Listen to sound bath music–deeply soothing
• Take a warm bath filled with essential oils
• Use a room humidifier with essential oils
• Turn on a salt lamp
• Go for a walk
• Try yoga or stretching
• Pet your cat or dog
• Read a book
• Journal your thoughts–getting your thoughts out of you helps you process difficult emotions and situations
• Listen to a TED talk or some great podcasts
• Try a bedtime story on Calm-Kaiser has paid for the Calm app starting this last March for all of its members, a great app for meditating, breathing and so much more

 

Ask for What You Need

I’ve mentioned this suggestion to friends and family and the retort many times, is that is scary and vulnerable. Yes, it is being vulnerable, but if you don’t ask for what you want the answer is always no.

Brene Brown speaks of leading with a strong back, soft front, and a wild heart–great advice she borrowed and added to from Elizabeth Lester the cofounder of Omega Institute in New York. But, it’s in keeping our heart soft that we actually are the strongest. Shutting down our heart shuts off our most accurate signals from our body.

Did you know that your heart sends you nearly double the signals and messages or advice than your brain does? The Vagus Nerve, historically cited as the pneumogastric nerve, is the tenth cranial nerve or CN X, and interfaces with the parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. When our Vagus Nerve is in good condition it connects our gut, heart, and brain–why people talk about gut reactions.

 

When your Vagus Nerve is in good condition it can help fight and prevent inflammation, helps strengthen your memory, helps you breathe, controls your heart rate, your Vagus Nerve tells you when to chill out, and it helps translate signals from your gut to your brain. If you want to get your Vagus Nerve in top condition, just Google Vagus Never exercises and help balance your gut-brain connection–it can help lower your anxiety any time of year.

 

Enjoy our unusual holiday season this year, give thanks, slow your life down, stay in present moment, and go make some new holiday traditions on Zoom! We appreciate you and are very thankful for each one of you, you are more than a client, you are a relationship we value and treasure.