Five ways to cope with life under siege

These are trying times to be sure, even if not the most trying we've seen throughout human history.

Since we all swim in the same ocean of life, no one escapes the waves of pain being broadcast around the world through the experiences of other humans under siege. The reality of the world we've created—whether consciously or not, directly or not—is that suffering is a consistent part of it, which is why having the capacity to stabilize our mental-emotional-energetic state is essential to our sense of wellbeing, sanity and certainly joy.

How can we keep ourselves stable and sane during such hurtful times? The key is learning how to provide self-nourishment. Self-nourishment helps us the most when the effects of what we do provide long-lasting support rather than a short term bandaid. For more on this, see the March 3rd Navigate uncertainty like a pro post.

What's the difference? Longterm self-nourishment comes from things that benefit our overall wellness for the long run. This includes things that nourish our body, mind and spirit like exercise, meditation, healthy eating or journaling.

Short-term self-nourishment comes from things that make us feel better in the moment but may add fatigue and stress to our body, mind and spirit in the long run, like smoking, vaping, binge-eating, alcohol, drugs and other addictions. These choices are self-sabotaging rather than self-sustaining and though they can provide temporary relief in the moment, they don't actually help us move beyond our distress in the long run. In fact, they likely do the opposite and add to it.

Supporting ourselves through self-nourishing choices that stabilize us for the long haul helps us navigate trying times with more ease, clarity and confidence. It keeps our faith alive, our joy present and our heart open which means we can live our lives with more resilience, compassion and community. Such times ask the best of us to step forward and we can by making some simple choices.

Here are five things you can do any day that are easy, free, effective and provide long-term gains:

1. Get out of the house and surround yourself with nature. The frequency of nature is pure and its vibe is high. Access it wherever you can. Take a walk in a park, in the woods or by the ocean. Sit in your backyard in the sun or under a tree. Let your feet rest in the grass or dirt or sand or water. Look around you and notice the colors, the critters and the clouds. Take five minutes or five hours, whatever works for you. It's all good.

2. Move your body. Movement is a whole-body reset. Any form of movement gets stagnant energy flowing and helps clear the mind, oxygenate the blood and refresh the body. It also burns off excess stress, tension and static energy. You may find that daily movement improves your mood, sleep and sense of wellness. Stroll through your neighborhood or a nearby park. Dance in your living room. Do yoga or tai chi. Exercise at home. Brisk-walk or jog. Bike. Swim...whatever works for you.

3. If moving your body isn't your thing, try meditation. It provides a sedentary way to get a mental-emotional reset. If you're new to meditation, be aware that getting the mind to follow along with your intent to meditate is a process. The more regularly you meditate, the easier it gets. If you're a seasoned meditator, keep your practice regular if not daily, and try lengthening or deepening it to explore new horizons. There are many ways to meditate and all of them are helpful. I unpack my favorite way in Kundalini Meditation: A comprehensive guide for beginners and beyond available on Amazon.

4. If you're more of a hands-on kind of person, get artsy. Doing artsy creative play is another way to calm the nervous system, uplift your mood and express your spirit. It doesn't matter what you create or if you see yourself as a "creative" person. Art is about play and play leads to joy and joy opens our hearts. Paint, color, draw, collage, craft, write down those lyrics in your head, start an art journal. Creativity isn't about making a perfect or pretty product. It's about expressive play, freedom, exploration and fun. Gather a few supplies, cue up your favorite tunes and let the play begin!

5. Make some noise. Believe it or not, getting loud can relieve a lot of inner stress and tension. This can be singing without concern for how it sounds, yelling at nothing and nobody, having a conversation with an invisible someone, or growling on your hands and knees (which is especially effective for releasing stifled anger and grief). Laughing is another great way to relieve tension so watch your favorite funny show or get together with your favorite funny friend and let the laughter roll.

Whatever you do, I invite you to devote space in your life to long-term self-nourishment of some sort through these trying times. This is something we can all do to feel better and cultivate a more harmonious reality in which to live. I believe we can agree that the world can use a lot more harmony these days.