Give Yourself a Break

WE ARE ALL DOING THE BEST WE CAN - HONOR YOURSELF DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES BY BEING GENTLE WITH YOURSELF.

I tried to go on a run last week, my first one in months after recovering from a back injury. I drove an hour to get up to away from the smokey air and the 90-degree day. The first run after time off is usually challenging - physically and emotionally. I’ve done this run a hundred times before - something that I’ve considered easy. I walked some, stopped and took photos, and soaked up the experience as it was. It didn’t matter that I didn’t run the whole time- something that might have bothered me in the past - all that mattered was that I did it and that felt amazing.

As the world rages on with daily news of more hardship - give yourself a break. As parents, teachers, and students return to school in a form they have never known; as business owners look for ways to keep their lights on; as we sort through the looming economic uncertainty, and on, and on - be gentle with yourself. You are doing the best you can - and that is absolutely wonderful.

My personal resilience goal this week is to celebrate my ‘wins’ (no matter how big or small) and be generous with myself.

What is one way you can be gentle with yourself this week?

Saint Vrain River, Lyons, Colorado

We have been living through this pandemic for 6+ months now. It's not surprising that exhaustion and burnout are a part of it. Right now, a lot of energy is being expended on how to shift and adapt to changing circumstances. In all of the chaos and confusion, we are doing our best to hold space for our families, our partners, our friends, our colleagues, and ourselves as we put one foot in front of the other. One thing I find to be extremely refreshing, and a fabulous break from all the holding and doing is 'bodifying' what's happening for me.

What is ‘bodifying’? My teacher Rebecca Folsom taught me the benefits of 'bodifying'. It's expressing emotion through associated sounds and movements. This could mean finding a safe space to scream as loud as possible, to jump up and down exuberantly, to fall to the ground exasperated with exhaustion, and so on. Society give us feedback to modify our actions to be 'appropriate' for the situation - bodifying in a safe space allows us to be uninhibited and express what's really happening for us. It's visceral and relieving - an opportunity to stop holding, let it all go, and start BEING.