Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 7-17-20

Health
Below are elements that can help sustain us through the best and worst of times. With careful intention and attention, we can maintain these areas of our lives, even in very small ways. Just taking a few minutes here and there to focus on these things can be more rewarding than we might imagine
1. Presence
We need moments of simple presence every day—a sense of “I am here,” with awareness of our bodies and a feeling of being centered. When we’re in survival mode, our thoughts are often di- rected toward the future—will we make it? Can we hold on?
These future-focused fears
take us out of the present and transport us into an imagined world where things go badly. But by finding ways to connect with our present experience, we can reconnect with ourselves and re- lease some of the frantic efforts to avoid failure—which can also help prevent depression.
This simple exercise can help us find moments of pause and presence:
“I Am Here” exercise: Sit or stand comfortably in a quiet space, allowing your eyes to close. As you breathe in, silently say to yourself, “I am.” As you exhale, say to yourself, “Here.” Repeat this several times with the breath: “I am ... here. I am... here.” Notice how this simple declaration can change your ex-
perience, as you affirm your place in the world.
2. Relationships
Our connections to others are the lifeblood of our lives. Keep in contact, like with regu- lar text messages here and there. Even a short exchange can pro- vide a real boost.
3. Nature
Spending time outside might feel like a luxury you can’t afford. But we need time in the natural world. Our bodies, minds, and spirits crave it, and research has shown countless benefits from being outdoors. Aim to get out- side every day, even for a couple minutes. Open the mail outside, for example, or take a quick walk around the block. While you’re out there, put away your phone and take in your surroundings— the sky, birds, trees, the smell of the air. (Using this time to do the mindful presence exercise makes for a nice twofer.)
4. Movement
Consistent exercise is one of the best ways to boost our mood, lower anxiety, and discharge stress. But exercise often goes out the window in times of high stress—which is exactly when we most need it. During survival
mode, don’t think of it as exer- cise. Just call it movement. And find any way to move your body for a few minutes at a time. Stand periodically. Get up to get a glass of water. Walk up and down the stairs. Use your body. You’re going to need it, whatever the future might bring, so invest a few minutes each day in phys- ical activity.
5. Sleep
Sleep is essential for our sur- vival, but high stress is no friend of sleep. Focus on sleep quality during this time. Invest a few minutes easing into sleep at the end of the day. Maybe that means having relaxing conversa- tion with your partner before bed, or doing a little reading.
You can allow your sleep to be a spiritual practice of recon- necting with yourself, and an ex- ercise in faith. Trust that you can let go of thinking and doing, and come into a mode of being. Allow the cares of the day to slip away, and know that whatever needs your attention can wait until tomorrow. Enter into sleep as a time of renewal for your mind, body, and spirit.
6. Nutrition
Like sleep, our nutrition often suffers in times of stress— which is when we actually need additional nutrients. The effects of a poor diet may not be imme- diately obvious, but catch up with us over time.
In general, less processed is better. Healthier foods look like the foods they came from—think
baked potatoes versus French fries, or berries versus fruit leather. Also, be careful about al- cohol.
If improving your diet feels daunting, aim to make one small change at a time. Replace an un- healthy snack with fruit or carrot sticks, for example. Or choose water at dinner instead of a sug- ary drink. Little changes are eas- ier to make than big ones, and add up over time.
7. Relaxation
Our nervous systems are ide- ally suited to short bouts of stress. Even short moments of relaxation can be restorative. Try this exercise to “punch out” for sixty seconds at a time, repeating as often as you like.
2-4-2 Breathing: Sit com- fortably with your eyes closed. Inhale gently for a count of two, and exhale for a count of four. Pause for a count of two before starting the cycle again. Work up to longer breath cycles with the same 2-4-2 ratio (e.g., 3-6-3). Slowing the breath is an effective way to calm the nervous system and lower anxiety.
8. Organization
It can feel like we have no bandwidth to clean our living space during times of stress, so we often put it off till later. But the mess becomes its own source of stress, and adds to the feeling that our life is falling apart.
Plan to devote a few minutes at a time to tidying up. No need to go epic here or aim for perfec- tion—five minutes is a great start. Begin with a high-use area and on improvements you’ll feel immediately. For example, put away shoes that have collected near the door. These actions send your brain a powerful sig- nal that you’re able to take care of things.
9. Service
Finally, we need to find ways to serve others, even when we’re just trying to keep our heads above water.
We may not have as much to invest in others as we would like, but we can find small ways to meet others’ needs. It might be a quick call to wish a friend a happy birthday. Or bringing your partner a glass of ice water with lemon. Even these small gestures will do the other per- son and yourself a big favor.
It’s reasonable to cut down on how much we invest in these different areas when we’re fo- cused on survival. The impor- tant thing is to attend to them on a regular basis—consistency is more important than the amount of time we spend. Even if we can’t do everything that we used to, we can do something. Our future selves will thank us.
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