When the overwhelm is overwhelming
When life is overwhelming, and you're not sure where to look, what to say, what to do, what to think, and the temptation to tap out and numb and hide is strong,
Just breathe.
Everywhere I look, there seems to be strife, terror, so much uncertainty, pain, and heartache... the world which felt so small only a few years ago now seems like a place I hardly recognize.
Things are really hard right now for many people in many places. The earth, the atmosphere, the sky, the air, the oceans, and the rivers and lakes, you and me, and all the animals and plants; we are part of one collective microcosm, a body, a living entity, together. If you're feeling pain right now, even if you're not in a place of pain yourself, that's because there are multiple places in our collective body that are suffering. You're feeling it because you're paying attention. Never allow yourself to feel shame for that.
And if you are paying attention to it all, and there is a lot, everywhere, all over the place, in all different kinds of ways from climate crisis to ongoing racism, bigotry, poverty, misogyny, political greed and control, chronic health, war and nuclear threat, the refugee crisis, innocent people losing everything through any of these things or a combination of them... and when you delve into the details, there's more - it's no wonder you're feeling overwhelmed right now, especially if you are experiencing the effects of these in your body and your family, even if you're not.
This is where the nervous system will kick in and respond to any perceived threat or danger to your personhood and health with flight, fright, freeze, or fawn. Your body is not against you; it is just trying to keep you safe. This overwhelm is a beacon, an alarm, a cry for help, a reminder to stay close, to keep your eyes open, to get ready...
And still, in the midst of it all, you can find something to hold onto, to bring you back to center as you continue to go through whatever it is you're going through. Finding that place of peace in your center doesn't mean that everything around you returns to normal and that you are now untouchable by pain and trauma and challenge and strife. I wish it were that easy.
Finding that point of reference, that place of peace inside you is how you keep on going in it all; it's how you find hope, it's how you can open to joy and help and connectivity when all you want to do is run and hide. It's how you find your courage.
When life is overwhelming like it might be right now, just breathe. Hand on your heart, feet on the ground, find your balance, make your way through, even if that just looks like catching your breath, taking a moment (or a week) of rest, reaching out for help, and opening your heart to receive it.
We are a body, you and me and the world. We feel together, we ache together, and together, we hold space for one another.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"I'm not a mess but a deeply feeling person in a messy world. I explain that now, when someone asks me why I cry so often, I say, 'For the same reason I laugh so often—because I'm paying attention." Glennon Doyle.
I’d love to see you in the App, xo
Liz Milani
Instagram: @thepracticeco
From this week’s series titled "Working Through Overwhelm," with a subscription in the App. Hope to see you there.
