Nourishing Openings
Goodness! Life is chaotic and challenging lately. I need a break!
Self-Care In Turbulent Times
It’s basic. In challenging times, we need to up our self-care. Sometimes we can take a break and rebalance our lives. Other times, we cannot. We have no time, stress is taking us for a ride, deadlines that cannot be changed are looming, we are facing crises that must be dealt with. It is a destructive cycle of energy demands and energy drains, without the opportunity to refuel.
Challenge is like walking into the wind, rather than having it at our back. To maintain ourselves in challenging times, we must have strong intention. Rather than keeping going on a wheel that is wobbly, we stop and recenter the wheel. We must carve out time for self-care, no matter what. If we do not practice self-care we are not at our best and are much less efficient and productive.
Stopping amid chaos may feel unnatural but it is the best of self-care. When we pause, we begin to reset our minds, emotions and physical body. We are able to observe what is happening and figure out the best course of action. We have a chance to rest (even if for a short time) and restore our equilibrium. We see what is happening to us, rather than moving in a rapid blur of stress.
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Nourishing Ourselves
Challenge is not the only way to grow. We also grow by being nourished. Others can nourish us, and we can nourish ourselves. There are many ways to nourish ourselves. The most effective ways are unique for each person. Here are some nourishing practices:
- Be physically active as a counter measure to stress.
- Eat well to maintain our body’s optimal performance.
- Get enough sleep so we can function with the energy we need.
- Know how to calm our minds when we need to. Practice mindfulness and being fully present in the moment.
- Identify activities that nurture us (e.g. getting out in nature, time with friends and family)
- Maintain our sense of humor as we go through your life.
- Declutter our life – whatever that means for each of us (e.g. draining relationships, physical clutter, too much to do).
- Pamper ourselves periodically.
- Intentionally acknowledge our accomplishments – big and small.
- Rest when we need to.
What we really are looking at here is maintaining our well-being. Who can argue against that? The catch is that we must take time to nourish ourselves, even if time is in short supply. It may sound like a lot to do and to focus on, but it is essential to our lives. A car cannot run without some kind of fuel. Maintaining our well-being is our fuel.
Nourishing Openings
Openings can be nourishing. They beckon us, as all Openings do, but are of a different nature than the Openings that ask us to grow and stretch in uncomfortable ways. Nourishing Openings may ask us to slow down, to take time just for ourselves, to do something we’ve always dreamed of doing but haven’t made time for or just to take a break from the stress of our lives.
When a nourishing Opening beckons us, we may not allow ourselves to see it. How? By being “too busy”, by allowing stress to obscure our vision or by dismissing it out of hand. Nourishing Openings can be quiet ones, but we ignore them at our peril. Nourishing is as important as anything we do. Our time and energy are finite. We have to recognize this and replenish periodically so that we can keep going.
Nourishing Openings just want a yes from us. Getting to yes is where the challenge can be with nourishing Openings. Once we enter them, they make it easy for us to grow and thrive. We actually enjoy them and the positive results are evident almost immediately. When we nourish ourselves, we are happy. We have the energy to do what we want to do and we do it well. Nourishing Openings refresh us. Let’s make them a part of our lives.
The Importance of Balance
In many ways, nourishing comes down to balance. Handling the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our lives with grace and equanimity. Without balance, we lose any control we have over our lives. Our productivity and happiness diminish and life becomes a struggle. Nourishing Openings offer us balance. Best to recognize them and honor their all-important role in our lives.
I’m ready to nourish!
photo: Dean Hochman, albumarium.com
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