Self-Care Lessons from Regenerative Braking
My family recent got our first electric vehicle. It’s been fun to get used to all the new ways EV’s work and gamify our commute to see how much battery we use or save. One of the exciting features of hybrids and electric vehicles is the concept of regenerative braking. It’s normal and good to need times to stop and recharge our batteries (this is part of why the importance of sleep cannot be overemphasized for our mental and physical wellbeing). Between re-charges, regenerative braking offers us a more holistic, and often realistic path forward. Our daily lives are full of moments that require us expending energy, and moments that restore our energy, sometimes even in the same experience! Self-care following regenerative braking encourages us to keep a mindful balance of our internal battery life, pushing and exerting when required, and then leaning into something restoring or slowing down
5 Minute Guided Lightstream Visualization
These are challenging times accompanied by lots of uncertainty, anxiety, fear, and big feelings. Give yourself the gift of this 5 minute guided meditation to help acknowledge your feelings while also inviting relief so you can feel more grounded & present. Add this in your tool belt for mental health resources and take it with you when you need it.
It’s Okay to Feel what You’re Feeling
How I first imagined using this time social distancing has had to change and evolve as news and my own reactions have changed (translation: I have NOT cleaned my baseboards). The effects of this pandemic are hitting everyone, and it affects people differently depending on different stages of life, personality types, family structures, socioeconomic status, occupation, living alone or with others, what was already going on in your life, etc.
It’s okay to feel what you’re feeling.
How a Therapist Deals with Coronavirus Pandemic Anxiety
My graduate school training did not offer a class on navigating pandemic anxiety. In fact, much of therapists’ training surrounding anxiety treatment has to do with things that are irrational, unlikely to happen, and blow out of proportion. And yet here we are in a global pandemic that requires serious attention & communal behavioral change, all without panic.
It’s a hard balance, right? As I write this, we in the Bay Area are in a 3 week (possibly longer) shelter in place ordinance. The news, social media sites, and conversations are absolutely saturated with COVID-19 updates, predictions of economic recessions, and fear. A lot people feel overwhelmed, including therapists.
Here’s how I’m dealing with my pandemic anxiety:
100+ Things You Can Do During Social Distancing
The situation & recommendations regarding COVID-19 are rapidly evolving, including recent widespread closures of schools, workplaces, and large gatherings. We are all navigating a healthy response that avoids unnecessary panic & us vs them thinking while taking socially responsible steps to take this pandemic seriously. This means we may all be spending a lot of time at home, and perhaps feeling a bit sir crazy. Wondering what in the world to do while home while honoring social distancing?