Three ways to Keeping Calm and Present in Challenging Times

Feeling stressed out? You are not alone.  Between the political climate, global warming climate, the divisiveness and chaos going on in our country, not to mention your own personal and professional challenges, there’s a lot to be stressed about right now.

How do we not let it all get to us to the point where we are just stressed out and losing minutes of joy in our lives?

As a counselor, I hear your stories.  I hear the struggles. The anxieties, depression and sense of dread and hopelessness. 

The struggle is real and you are not alone.

Three things I find seem to be helping clients the most.

Stay Present and Grounded: There are calming and grounding techniques that you can learn. Even deep breathing; in through your nose, and out your mouth can be helpful to be present and feel more grounded. Raising your hands up at the same time that you say “I am here” is another grounding technique that can be helpful.

Practice Your Faith: Whether you believe in God, a higher power, or something else, make that faith meaningful every day.  Don’t just be a Sunday Christian, but rather practice your faith daily in big and small ways. Pray. Meditate. Surrender. Remind yourself that this is all temporary and that your faith is bigger than any of these temporary circumstances.

Identify what Aspects Are in Your control:  Take any situation problem or issue that is causing stress and /or anxiety and break it down.  What about it is the most stressful?  What is the outcome you most greatly desire? Why does it matter and how will it affect your life if nothing changes, or if you achieve the best outcome?  Once you answer these questions, then on paper get specific about which aspects of your situation are within your control or influence, and which ones are out of your control or influence.  Then get specific about focusing on the aspects that you can control or influence.  Practice surrendering everything that is clearly out of your control.

Only when we do the above three things, are we more likely to experience more joy and less stress.  Living intentionally makes all the difference, and using the above suggestions can mean the difference between living life in a stressed and anxious state, vs. being in the moment, controlling what we can, and feeling like we can find joy.