5 Tips for Self Care: Cleansing and Clearing
These times are tough. Rome is burning, Covid numbers are still on the rise and Election Day is only days away! Managing our anxiety about world events at the same time we’re taking care of ourselves and our families can wear us down. In my therapy practice, I’ve noticed that people are all over the map, emotionally and energetically. Some clients are depressed, others anxious, and still others feel flat or dull even as everything around them feels amplified. Many of us are overwhelmed and are regressing in some way. Day-to-day tasks seem more tedious than ever, and, despite the abundance of noise and chaos out in the world, being forced to stick close to home provides more space and time for old baggage to arise.
Well, if this is where you are, maybe you can take it as an opportunity for some internal Marie-Kondo-ing: Clean, organize, re-regulate and work through some old stuff once and for all! For example, I recently found myself dreaming of exes even though I’ve been happily married for twelve years. I realized that my psyche finally had some room to process those old relationships once and for all, and once I had digested, Phew! -- I felt lighter and more resolved. Here, I’ve put together some suggestions for how you, too, can drop the dead weight and open up some psychic space, and then, like Marie Condo, start using that space for things that give you joy!!
1) Meditate. A lot! Here are two guided meditations by Michelle Chalfant that focus on cleansing and clearing. This cord cutting meditation helps you release dysfunctional ties in your relationships, while this empath meditation will help ground you and clear out negative energy that might be bogging you down. Because they are short, I like to do the meditations twice in a row to really slough off residual resentments, refill my tank and feel lighter than ever!
2) Move and exercise. Movement is medicine. It can help you through crises, turmoil, grief and ennui. Be physically active -- with this caveat: Treat yourself with care. During times of maximum stress, you are more fragile, so allow yourself to choose a gentle yoga class if you’re too burned out to do your usual bootcamp. Gentle exercise with breathwork can lower your cortisol levels and keep you feeling balanced. Try these two short yoga classes on YouTube by Yoga With Adriene that I use to reset between patients. I love them because they are each less than six minutes long!
3) Limit your alcohol and junk food consumption. My clients report that they are either drinking way more than usual or cutting it out almost entirely -- a reflection of these polarized times! Fun indulgences can be a source of pleasure, but repeated too often, excesses can build up and make you feel not great. Moderation is key during the apocalypse!
4) Engage with your community. Talk to your friends and family often. Here again, a caveat: Gravitate toward those people who help fill your tank rather than deplete it! Sometimes, certain people can tend to drain your energy, or offload their negative energy onto you. If this is something you experience, your increased meditation will help you develop better awareness and boundaries.
5) Consider professional help. If the above tips aren’t enough, don’t be afraid to go a step further and seek out a professional therapist. If the thought is daunting, know that while you may have lots of feelings about your feelings right now-- a therapist won’t. Like Marie Kondo, therapists don’t judge. We just help you take out that big ball of stress that’s nesting in your head or stomach, sort through it, release, diffuse, and, ultimately, transform it so that there is room for hope and love once more.
