Coping with Political Change

Hello, it's Eve here. With any big shift that happens in our lives, it can naturally leave us feeling a mixture of emotions. There could be feelings of optimism, or maybe feelings of dread. I often have to remind myself that nothing in life is permanent. Things are always shifting and moving. Even our thoughts and feelings change constantly, and it's okay to acknowledge that change is scary or uncomfortable. You're human. But the more resilient we are, the better we are at navigating change with compassion and kindness. So I created this short grounding exercise to help bring you back to the present moment when your thoughts and emotions overwhelm you. When we're overwhelmed by change, we tend to start catastrophizing, which only adds to our stress. So inviting you to get comfortable. Keeping your eyes open just to start with. Taking in the space around you. Noticing what you can see. Taking a couple of slower, deeper breaths. Breathing in through the nose and then out through the mouth. And now, extending that awareness to what sounds you can hear, both close by and in the distance. Allowing sounds to come and go, and becoming aware of your body sitting here in this moment. Closing your eyes if that feels comfortable, or lowering the gaze, and paying attention to any sensations that are present. You might feel tension or discomfort in the body, or simply just aware of your posture in this moment. Relaxing the jaw, softening the shoulders, feeling your feet on the floor, and noticing if there is a predominant emotion that is present. And not to change it, but just to know. Noticing if there's a predominant story or thought pattern running in the mind. Again, not to get rid of it, but simply to be aware. Recognizing that our thoughts and feelings don't stay the same, and gently focusing the attention on the breath. Feeling the sensation as the body breathes. Noticing each inhale and each exhale. Being with the breath, and extending an awareness to your entire body, and noticing what is here now. Maybe something changed. Maybe it didn't. And if you had your eyes closed, inviting you to open them, widen the gaze, taking in the space around you, noticing sounds. And a little mantra I like to say to myself is "This is just what it's like right now. "It too shall pass." I hope you found this helpful. Thank you for practicing with me....