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157: Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos

Mar 17, 2020

I had planned a different episode for today, but when I tried to record it just didn’t feel right. I instead wanted to speak to what’s going on with the Coronavirus epidemic. Over the past week so much has shifted and changed in the US. I am sure I am not the only person out there who went from informed yet not worried to informed and started to feel like there is a brick on my chest at all times. 

 

The purpose of  today’s episode is to not educate or tell you anything you don’t already know (distance yourself, wash your hands and let’s listen to the scientists, not quack advice okay?). The purpose of today’s episode is to check in on you and send a compassionate reminder to all of this that it serves each and every one of us to stay calm in the midst of chaos.

 

Your feelings and emotions are 100% valid and I know many of us, myself included, are starting to feel the anxiety pick up. But the best thing we can do in hard times like this, is take care of mental health and take care of our collective whole as best we can. Here are some ideas for both.

 

Taking care of ourselves and staying calm:

  1. Be mindful of your social media intake, especially if work or school has been cancelled or staying at home. I also find getting dressed daily and keeping structure to the daily super helpful.
  2. When you feel anxious or spiraling thoughts happen, you are allowed to take care of yourself. Deep breathing, meditation and light yoga at home can be really helpful. If you can get outside for a few minutes that can help, too.
  3. Often when things in our lives feel out of control, it can be comforting to our minds to grip control onto things it perceives it can control: our body, food choices or exercise to name a few. Be thoughtful about recognizing these patterns if they come back or pick up right now, and reach out for support if needed.
  4. Keep your home and where your living clean and decluttered as best as possible.

 

Taking care of our collective whole:

  1. Social distancing. Even if you feel like you are not at risk, this and washing hands is one of the best things we can do to slow down the spread and reduce overwhelm on our healthcare system.
  2. While I want you to make sure you are feeding yourself and not restricting as a coping mechanism for the anxiety, I also know we all have a lot of concern for those that may not have access to food as much. You can always donate to your local food bank as well as help students that depend on school lunches. You can find out about each of these at @feedingamerica and @nokidhungry. Plus if you are part of a moms group and you know of a mom who is short on formula or breastmilk, sharing what you can or spreading the word online so we can each help each other out.
  3. As best as possible, support small businesses and workers who’s wages depend on service to others. Tipping extra for the service industry or shopping locally when can are some ideas to support.
  4. Be kind to others, its easy to lash out when we all feel anxiety. Let’s support and uplift each other up.

 

I know that there are listeners across the globe listening too, so while I live in the US and am speaking from that experience, I want to send a massive virtual hug to all of us, across the globe, who are dealing with this crisis.

 

If you are in need of emotional support or you know would like to ask for support for someone in need, come over to our Facebook group, Nourishing Women Community, for a safe haven to collect your thoughts.

 

I also want to send a big thank you to our new Tuesday podcast sponsors, Better Help. Better Help is a professional counseling service platform done through a secure online platform. Better Help is affordable, available worldwide, and you can get started within 24 hours. 

 

Better Help wants you to start living a better, happier life starting today. If you’ve been thinking about starting counseling but didn’t know where to go (or maybe you feel an increased need for support during these challenging times), I hope you use this as your call to action. Use this link to get 10% your first month.

 

Resources for you:

 

Let’s hang out! Connect with Victoria and the staff at NMN: