Quarantine. Self-isolation. Pandemic.

We are all experiencing the coronavirus and its effects. Many of us have been stuck in patterns of reaction based on anxiety and fear.

Even before Covid 19, it seemed like every other person was was suffering from anxiety. Talk about a pandemic!

We are far too often caught up in fear, overwhelm and uncertainty. And as a result we hold ourselves back from pursuing our passions and purpose. We feel trapped in everyday pressures. Trying to always do more.

This has led to the modern experience of anxiety and panic disorders around the globe. The coronavirus pandemic has not only exacerbated these feelings, but brought out fear…

…that was already there!

It was unconsciously pushed so far down in our psyche – and in our bodies – that, instead of feeling and processing the fear, it was felt as an underlying (or often overt) anxiety.

Now that fear has a focal point: change of financial situation, the virus, isolation… It controls our decisions, our actions, our interactions with others.

We’ve lost our center.

But what would happen if we were to stay centered at a time like this?

It would be the best thing we could do for our immune system! We all know how detrimental stress is for us. 

Staying sane, staying centered… is ESSENTIAL self-care at a time like this.

Plus, how can you support your loved ones – your kids, partner, parents, friends – without being your best self?

There is an illusion that we cling to: that we can be certain in life.

Life is always an unknown. 

  • We could leave our house never to return.
  • We could lose our job (many people have as a result of this pandemic).
  • We could lose our partner.

That illusion of certainty is not there right now.

So what can we do?

Realize deeply: I’ve been really off my center. I’ve been caught up in stats and the need to stock up. I’ve been caught up in and run by fear.

Then ask: how can I stay centered at a time like this?

It’s not always easy. Even when you know how. 

My partner, Gabriel, and I can attest to this. Initially, we found things to be a little challenging. As much as we love each other, we have very different ways of showing up in a crisis. We found that we were blaming and judging each other’s responses. Where I felt that the pandemic had triggered his deep insecurities, he judged me as being lackadaisical and irresponsible.  

So, we did some deep work together.

We both had to step back and stop blaming and judging each other. We worked on ourselves and our own triggers. It helped us to gain acceptance for how the other person was showing up, and to take responsibility for how that affected us.

Can we take this time as an opportunity to look at what is rising to the surface within us?

I’m here to live fully. To allow more of life to be experienced. And to inspire more and more people to do the same.

If you’ve read up to this point, then I believe you’re also wanting to return to your center so that you can live more fully and allow more of life to be expressed through you.

Here are what I consider my 4 mainstays, that allow me to stay centered:

  1. Prayer

I grew up in an atheist/agnostic family and the concept of prayer felt very foreign to me throughout most of my life. 

As an adult, I found myself at rock bottom after a breakup; I was at an all-time low financially and emotionally, and was jobless. With lots of free time, lots of emotions and no money, I discovered non-denominational prayer. It was thanks to the combination of a book I was reading on prayer and breathwork that I got through this time. 

Now, each morning I sit outside with my tea, take in nature, and speak my prayers out loud.

Prayer reminds me to surrender all the things I think I’m in charge of. To get out of my own way. It’s not me. I’m just the conduit.

2. Movement

Movement is absolutely critical to my well-being. I have to move every single day to stay centered.

Our bodies are designed to move! 

It changes our routine. It challenges us. It releases feel-good chemicals in the brain and body. We also feel accomplished. And we can put our troubled thoughts away for a while as we recharge.

There are so many ways to move. I love to move through dance, yoga, hiking and swimming.

3. Breathwork

I breathe with clients every day, and most days on my own, as well. Even just for a few minutes.

It’s the fastest way I know to drop into deep connection and experience more of who we are. 

Whether I am working with a client or breathing myself, my mind is stilled. I let whatever is here come up fully. And as a result, I feel a shift of some kind; I always feel better, refreshed, lighter, alert, and more relaxed. 

4. Laughter

Humor is a wonderful outlet!

I was raised in a family that loved to laugh. It was our way of connecting.

My kids are also very funny. As a result of this pandemic, we spend more time in the evenings now just having fun. We’ve done things like put on make up and make music videos. Silly, fun stuff. The stuff that memories are made of, really.

I would encourage you to adopt what resonates in this list or create your own.

If you would like to experience the incredibly transformative power of breathwork, please feel free to join me every Sunday at LINK

Photo by Edwin Hooper on Unsplash