4 Ways to Manage The Fast Pace of Life
Is it just me or are you feeling like we’re in a moment of rapid change?
I look around and everything appears to be in motion. People moving homes, getting different jobs, tackling new health problems…
Even though my life feels relatively stable, I’m traveling more and am busier than ever!
And while that all feels exciting, especially after the cloistering we’ve done these past few years, I find that my heart rate can get elevated from managing both the amount of change as well as the rate with which it is happening!
Is it just me or are you feeling like we’re in a moment of rapid change?
I look around and everything appears to be in motion. People moving homes, getting different jobs, tackling new health problems…
Even though my life feels relatively stable, I’m traveling more and am busier than ever!
And while that all feels exciting, especially after the cloistering we’ve done these past few years, I find that my heart rate can get elevated from managing both the amount of change as well as the rate with which it is happening!
If you can relate, here are a few tips that might help you feel more secure during this time:
1. Prioritize
Sometimes the sheer quantity of tasks or opportunities you have can feel overwhelming.
What if you ordered them?
I used to work with a coach who suggested that you not only label your To Do items 1-10 based on the urgency, but to then go a step further and add letters. So, your list becomes: 1A, 1B, 1C…
Whenever I do her method, I’m always amazed at the amount I get accomplished and how much calmer I feel going systematically from one item to the next.
2. Be the Eye
Okay, so life is swirling around you. How can you stay in the center rather than be flung about on the edges?
The easiest way is to close your eyes and breathe. From there, imagine yourself in the resting place. Some people refer to it as the cave of the heart, others a field. I often think about it as love’s refuge.
It’s the place of peace within that is always available to you.
When you consciously take a moment to re-center, it gives you the opportunity to feel more grounded, present, and less frenetic.
Now, even though the pace of change may not have altered, it isn’t having the same effect on you.
3. Remember the Truth
Despite what’s happening “out there,” you are always safe.
Come back to this truth.
One of the simplest ways to remember this is with an affirming statement.
It can be as forthright as, “I am safe right now.”
Or, “despite the change I am experiencing, I am safe.”
Perhaps you might be inspired to say, “I embrace change easily and effectively.”
If none of those resonate with you, think of the words that feel reassuring to your nervous system.
4. Tap It Out
Lastly there’s Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).
This is a technique in which you physically tap parts of your body. It has an incredibly calming effect. I teach one simple technique in this video.
Whatever change you are experiencing, remember that it IS for your highest and best good.
So, why not release your anxiety and embrace this newness?
Use these tools to help.
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5 Strategies To Deal with Uncertainty
Sometimes the news feels like too much.
- Hurricanes
- Earthquakes
- Fires
- Threat of Nuclear War
I wouldn’t blame you if you just wanted to stick your head in the sand, or in a pint of ice cream and check out by binge watching Game of Thrones.
I used to do that all the time.
As soon as the anxiety would flutter into me, I’d run straight to the cupboard and eat my way into not feeling it anymore.
But then I realized there was another way to deal with anxiety and uncertainty.
Sometimes the news feels like too much.
- Hurricanes
- Earthquakes
- Fires
- Threat of Nuclear War
I wouldn’t blame you if you just wanted to stick your head in the sand, or in a pint of ice cream and check out by binge watching Game of Thrones.
I used to do that all the time.
As soon as the anxiety would flutter into me, I’d run straight to the cupboard and eat my way into not feeling it anymore.
But then I realized there was another way to deal with anxiety and uncertainty.
Here’s my top 5:
1. Feel It
One of the things I learned when I overcame my binge eating disorder was that I was eating because I didn’t want to feel negative emotions – like fear, anxiety or uncertainty. Instead I buried them under pounds of junk food.
Now I allow myself to experience those uncomfortable emotions in my body. I feel my stomach clench, my lungs that want to start panting, my heart palpitating.
And then I look out my eyes at my surrounding world and ask myself:
Am I okay right now?
Am I safe in this present moment?
Almost always the answer is YES.
2. Get Grounded
Often when we get scared or anxious, we want to avoid or distract ourselves.
Instead, see if you can come down, come into the present moment.
The easiest way to do this is by breathing.
Take a deep breath and allow your entire body to relax. Breathing oxygenates the body and immediately grounds us.
So that rather than emotionally reacting to a situation or a perceived threat, you can feel more centered, and have more clarity and insight.
3. Ask for Guidance
Information, like action, reduces anxiety. Do some research about the situation whether it’s a storm, stock market fluctuation or political threat.
After you’ve read, use your discernment and ask:
What’s real?
What’s hype?
What do you believe?
Then take a moment to check in with yourself. What feels right for you? Use your internal compass to help guide you.
4. Avoid Chaos
The world is filled with craziness and in our highly networked, 24-hour news cycle, life can feel increasingly stressful. We now hear about every disaster the world over, natural or man made – from droughts and climate change to drownings and even genocide.
You need information to make smart decisions however, watching too much news or spending excessive time on social media can increase anxiety.
Avoid falling into the swirl of chaos by being mindful of your exposure.
Know your ability to manage information so it doesn’t overwhelm you. Be kind to yourself and know when you’ve had enough.
5. Seek Peace
Who or what in your life helps you feel connected, relaxed and peaceful?
Are there friends or family members, perhaps a chaplain or monk, whose presence offers solace?
Maybe you prefer a boat ride? A walk in the woods, or on a beach. Perhaps visiting a garden or even gardening will bring peace.
Some find baths and massages work wonders and bring relaxation.
Others enjoy crafts.
Meditation is always a popular way to feel more comforted.
Incorporate ONE of these ideas into your life every day and see how much that supports your mindset and eases the uncertainty.
Life is filled with the unknown. And even though it can cause us anxiety, it’s also ripe with opportunity, and excitement.
But when you find yourself feeling dread about the future, lean on these 5 tools to bring you back to a place of clarity, peace and presence.
Which one will you try first? Leave a comment below!
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4 Ways to Choose Love in the Face of Uncertainty
Life is filled with the unknown. Whether it’s a presidential election, a storm prediction, a doctor’s appointment or the stock market.
In fact, life essentially is uncertainty in action.
Think about it. Whenever you try something new – a dance class, a restaurant, lunch with a new friend, a job opportunity – there’s risk. Simply because it is new, unknown or uncertain.
So, how do we, as students of spirituality learn to embrace that which is unknown and not fall into fear?
Life is filled with the unknown. Whether it’s a presidential election, a storm prediction, a doctor’s appointment or the stock market.
In fact, life essentially is uncertainty in action.
Think about it.
Whenever you try something new – a dance class, a restaurant, lunch with a new friend, a job opportunity – there’s risk. Simply because it is new, unknown or uncertain.
So, how do we, as students of spirituality learn to embrace that which is unknown and not fall into fear?
Especially when that fear is palpable and permeates everything.
This is one of the major challenges we face, walking into uncertainty or fear without leaving us cold hearted, apathetic or checked out.
Here are 4 ways to help you.
1. Live In The World But Not of The World
My teacher, Ma Jaya used to say this all the time.
But what does it mean?
I define it as being an active participant in the world, showing up to make a difference, willingly and voluntarily. And working at not having any expectations.
It’s also the recognition that we are here in a body, in this time and space, but it isn’t all there is.
There is a vast reality far larger than we can even imagine – Source, God, One-Ness, Brahmin, Dreaming…
Remembering that this earthly plain is not all there is helps create energetic distance so you don’t get sucked into the drama, the chaos of this world that circles all the time.
Instead, be in the world as a speaker of truth, a messenger of love and choose not to get pulled into the craziness that is ever present.
I often think of the novelist Tom Robbins. In his book, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, he wrote, “and the world situation is, desperate as usual.”
I read this when I was in my early 20s and it stopped my daily news addiction. Unfortunately, it seems even more appropriate today!
2. Choose Love
We always have a choice to stay in the vibration of love or come from a place of fear.
What will you choose?
I recently read about a church in Indiana that was defaced with graffiti that said, “Heil Trump” and another of a tilted swastika. Instead of immediately painting over it, the minister opted to leave it.
As she said, “we believe that symbols are what you make of them. And if we decide to look at these symbols as hate and be angry and frustrated, we’re focusing on the wrong issue. And so we’ve decided to leave them up as symbols of hope, whereas if anybody in the surrounding area — or even country — sees these and knows that we were targeted because we’re inclusive and they need a safe space, then they know that Saint David’s is a safe space.”
Clearly Rev. Kelsey Hutto is choosing love.
3. Nothing Real Can Be Threatened
This is a line from the Introduction to A Course In Miracles. The whole text reads, "Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God."
I find this line especially helpful when I have fallen into fear.
When we experience fear, it’s always coming from our ego selves, the place where we feel separate and alone.
In those instances, I will often repeat this line over and over to myself like a mantra. It brings me back to what I know, that I am safe, that the world is protected and everything else is unreal.
As ACIM reminds us, there is only love or a call for love.
When we are in fear, our soul/God/Source/One-ness is giving us a call for love, to remember who we truly are, that we are not our egos, not the fear, that we are a part of God and love.
4. Do Your Spiritual Work – Strengthen Your Inner Compass
The best way to stay in a higher vibration is to have a daily practice.
What is yours?
Prayer, meditation, yoga, ecstatic dance?
It is imperative to take some time each day to connect in to God/Source/Love. Fill yourself back up, recline in the infinite bliss that is your refuge and sanctuary.
Make time everyday.
This is THE most important time of your day. Do this for your inner growth, your sanity and your ability to show up exactly how you want to – with love, compassion and light.
It is always in times of darkness when the light is needed the most.
Be that beacon and shine bright.
What will you do? Leave a comment below!
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3 Ways to Tackle Uncertainty
I had a revelation the other day.
It was about transformation.
Our souls yearn to evolve and change, to up-level, to reach our goals and manifest our visions.
Right?
So we go for it and jump into the trenches. We start working and making things happen.
And then they do.
I experienced this last week. I realized that for the majority of this year, 2016, I have focused on closing my old life and making this transition across the country.
My life change has not only involved a physical move but also closing my coaching practice in Florida and transitioning clients, saying goodbye to friends (and family) I’ve had for over a decade, letting go of routines and habits, releasing an entire lifestyle and everything that was familiar.
And here’s the trick, the one I am now face-to face with: to make something new and not re-create the old.
I had a revelation the other day.
It was about transformation.
Our souls yearn to evolve and change, to up-level, to reach our goals and manifest our visions.
Right?
So we go for it and jump into the trenches. We start working and making things happen.
And then they do.
I experienced this last week. I realized that for the majority of this year, 2016, I have focused on closing my old life and making this transition across the country.
My life change has not only involved a physical move but also closing my coaching practice in Florida and transitioning clients, saying goodbye to friends (and family) I’ve had for over a decade, letting go of routines and habits, releasing an entire lifestyle and everything that was familiar.
And here’s the trick, the one I am now face-to face with: to make something new and not re-create the old.
But to do this we must face uncertainty.
We all HATE uncertainty.
It’s the unknown, the great mystery, the void. And yet it is also the space of manifestation.
So, how do we weather this place? How do we stay true and focused even in fear?
Faith.
Faith has been defined as believing in something that isn’t there.
I see faith and trust as two sides of the same coin. It’s extending ourselves, putting YOU out there regardless.
So another way to look at this faith / uncertainty challenge is to think about it as: trust versus mistrust.
Erik Erikson created a theory that all humans experience stages of psychosocial development that span a life time. The first one of these is hope. This is the stage from birth to the age of two and encompasses the idea of trust versus mistrust.
Erikson believed that at each of these developmental stages, we pass a milestone and make a choice. This is the first one. Is the world trustworthy? Am I safe here or is the world a scary, unsafe place?
I hit against this – the uncertainty/faith or trust versus mistrust place last week when I realized that now- now that I am officially settled in- it was time to begin living in a new way. I successfully cleared away, finished and completed everything and now I was face to face with new.
Even though I was getting EXACTLY what I wanted, I felt scared.
Scared of the uncertainty, of the unknown. My husband reminded me that the remedy to this is faith and that got me thinking that uncertainty/faith is really the same as trust versus mistrust.
If you experienced any early trauma, you may struggle with this too. The scars – both physical and psychological- often create a lens through which to see the world and the people in it. We either view them as unsafe, not trustworthy or the world as safe, happy.
When you find yourself feeling uncomfortable about a shift in your life, about facing uncertainty ask: Am I seeing the world as a safe place or an unsafe place?
For me, growing up, the world felt incredibly unsafe. It was only through doing a lot of inner work that I came to the realization that I could change this. Now I choose to believe that the world is a safe place.
But every time we push against our limits and want to expand who we are, we can easily fall back into old patterns and fears. Just like I did last week.
So if you find yourself in a space like this, here are 3 tips to help you:
1. Remember that God loves you, and that you are divinely protected.
I often use the Louise Hay affirmation: “I am safe in the Universe and all of life loves and supports me.” If I’m feeling especially vulnerable, I’ll keep repeating it over and over again.
2. Keep holding on to your goal, vision, purpose.
Read it out loud every day. Speak your life into existence with emotion and mean it! I do this at the end of my meditation time but also when I go jogging. I run around saying my affirmations and vision! It’s so empowering.
3. Love the infant you.
Often when we face uncertainty, that little inner child who felt unsafe all those years ago comes out. Hold that part of you. Nurture her and let her know that you got her. She’s safe and protected now.
Keep moving towards your heart and soul’s desires and make them manifest. Use these 3 tools to stay on this path. And remember that there is always help – you are never alone.
Where are you in manifesting your life and visions?
Share your journey with me. I’d love to hear how I can support you in this magnificent adventure!