Steadiness in an Unsteady World
Photo by La Victorie on Unsplash
Hey there! Happy New Year! Gather ‘round because there’s already plenty to discuss. This is my first post of 2021 and so much has happened in the first few days of this new year. In my last post of 2020, I talked about setting a plan for the new year that was not so rigid that it would overwhelm you. Last year taught us many things and among them was the reminder that while we don’t always feel prepared, we must expect the unexpected.
Not to be outdone by its predecessor, the year 2021 took about 6 days to blow many of us away. Watching the insurrection that occurred at the US Capitol was shocking, scary, and- in a strange, converse way- not surprising. It was surreal to watch the swell of violence repeatedly play out on the television that day and the days since. For many people that struggle with anxiety, depression, or other emotional health challenges, the lack of predictability and precarious nature of the world around us may not be helping you to feel more settled. It’s yet another thing that may cause you to feel a sense of hopelessness.
But during times like these, you have to show yourself grace and focus in on the things that bring you calm, hope, and peace.
When we walked across the threshold into 2021, we may have thought something would happen in the cosmos that would make us feel like the weight of 2020 would lift. I wish! But deep down, I think we all know that a change of date doesn’t change the world that drastically. Each day has to be met with the intention to find the calm, the good, the grace.
For this year, consider abandoning the popular “new year, new me” approach. Who you are doesn’t have to go through a physical/emotional makeover every year. Instead, try moving to a place of accepting who you are and all of your flaws. Invest in getting to know more about yourself and growing more connected to what gets in the way of your emotional wellness. Being more in tune with ourselves actually helps us to accomplish our goals. The more we know what our vulnerabilities are, the more we increase our awareness to situations that trigger them and we can respond differently.
For example, let’s say you are someone that is prone to angry outbursts and you have a goal to manage it more effectively this year. That sounds great but how will you do it? What does that even look like for you? You may think avoiding certain people or things may help you. That may work, but first you have to figure out what or who makes you angry. Ask yourself why they make you so angry and what thoughts go through your mind when in the presence of these people and situations. Remind yourself that experiencing anger is NOT problematic. What you do with anger should be your focus. This deep exploration of what triggers your angry outbursts may lead to you changing your approach or even understanding that you may be angry or afraid of things that don’t deserve the amount of energy you offer it. Try each day to engage in this practice. Be present with it and decide with intention who gets your energy (positive or negative). Your emotional energy- just like time - is like currency. Be mindful of where you would like to spend it and who/what gets to have it.
I recently rewatched a documentary about the Earth and climate change and I found my mind wandered for a moment at the fact that the world just keeps turning. All these things are happening all over it and it just keeps spinning. New days keep coming. There’s always another opportunity. So maybe this year isn’t about a new you, but an evolution of who you are- not changing into something new, but growing and maturing through more self-awareness and acceptance. Each day, you get a new opportunity to intentionally work on embracing yourself, focusing on where you want to spend your energy, and who gets to occupy your headspace.
The world around us continues to be a place of unsteadiness- maybe now more than ever in our lifetime. For your own emotional health, it is critical to find the space to feel steadiness. When I started this blog, the goal was to share information on how to understand, improve, and maintain your emotional health and wellness. Remember that this does not happen in the absence of difficulties. Our wellness is a part of our ability to cope in spite of these challenges. Though 2021 may have started off with what feels like more of the same or worse in the world, our personal wellness journey does not have to be in as much peril. Let’s continue to spend each day intentionally working to get and stay well…together.
Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash
How will you begin to find steadiness in 2021?
