3 Ways to get quick relief when your world feels upside down

Things are oddly quiet and intense in my world. Can you relate?

At my home, the scene is pretty much this: me tapping away on my laptop with some kind of concentration music playing in the background.

My dog Mabel is alternately asleep beside me or in my face adorably begging for attention.

I live in a floating home and when I look outside, the water is calm.

I can see the hummingbirds drinking from the feeder all day long.

There are far fewer cars on the bridge near my house.

This past week I’ve heard maybe one airplane overhead a day instead of the normal parade of air traffic.

It doesn’t just feel quieter and calmer. It is quieter and calmer.

If I get online though?

MAYHEM.

I’m inundated with news and updates and frustrated social media posts.

Death tolls and juvenile partisan politics. And it’s all so scary and dark and defeatist and LOUD.

No wonder we’re all walking around our homes utterly exhausted.

So let's talk healthy coping, shall we?

Imagine this...

(won't be hard to )

You’re IN THE MIDST OF THE MAYHEM and you’re riding this daily emotional rollercoaster?

What the heck do you do?

Here my top three suggestions to get some instant relief:

Number one: Journaling

Now I am a writer. I process my world by moving my fingers over a keyboard. And to me, it feels really good to write, to see my thoughts as words on a page.

I recognize that that may not be easy for some of you.

Here’s what I love about journaling though.

It’s not like writing-writing.

It’s not English class thesis material.

Take this piece of writing advice from me: forget EVERYTHING you learned in school about writing and just freaking write.

Consider this writing as a form of EXPRESSION of what's going on in your world — not an essay to be graded.

You don’t need to capitalize or spell check or punctuate if you don’t feel like it.

You’re writing to process and heal and learn about the inner workings of yourself, not to show anyone what you’ve written.

(Unless you feel like it.)

99% of what I’ve written will never be public.

That writing is not meant for others.

It’s purely for me. It’s for my mental health. It’s for me to work out the tangled ball of yarn that is my emotional state.

When I write here, I’m writing for you.

But when I journal, I’m writing for myself.

That’s the kind of writing I encourage you to do.

Number two: Tapping

I cannot stress how helpful Tapping is when you’re feeling all over the place emotionally.

Emotional Freedom Technique (more commonly known as Tapping) is something you can do for yourself.

Like with any non-mainstream modality there are lots of naysayers online about EFT.

I really don’t have time for that.

I started using EFT regularly in 2005 after I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and it’s helped me physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually ever since.

EFT helped me when I had no money and couldn’t afford care.

It empowered me to help myself, to stop walking away from my inner wounds, and to truly heal in a way that no other modality has offered before or since.

And! It’s very straightforward and easy to learn. I’ve added a little visual here for you and some quick instructions.

Here’s a crash course in tapping:

• Think of the biggest negative feeling you’re experiencing.

• Rate it from 0 (no emotional charge) to 10 (SUPER high emotional charge).

• Write that number down.

• Using the finger of one hand, tap on the karate chop point on the other hand (see diagram) and say out loud 3 times:

“Even though I have all this (negative emotion), I deeply and completely accept myself.”

"Even though I have all this (negative emotion), I deeply and completely accept myself.”

"Even though I have all this (negative emotion), I deeply and completely accept myself.”

THIS MAY SEEM WACKY AT FIRST, BUT HONESTLY, WE ARE LIVING IN WACKY RIGHT NOW.

JUST DO IT.

• Using a couple of fingers, tap on your points, starting from the top of your head and working down through your points saying “This _______________ (negative emotion)” at each point.

• Stop and take a breath.

• Think of the SAME negative feeling you’re experiencing.

• Rate it from 0 (no charge) to 10 (SUPER high charge).

• Write that number down.

• Repeat the whole process again.

• Keep going until you get to one or preferably a zero charge.

This sequence is called the basic recipe and anyone can do it!

There are many more ways to take advantage of the wonders of EFT Tapping, but you can get started with this - and get some relief! - right away.

You know what they say: when nothing else works (or when you’re stuck inside and panicking during a pandemic), try tapping!

Number three: Spiritually Connecting

Living in a world of low-grade trauma can rip you right out of a more spiritually content and connected state.

Lower vibrations run rampant during times of crisis and it’s easy to get sucked into their pull.

Reconnecting spiritually?

What does that even look like?

For me, it’s daily meditation.

It’s checking in with my spiritual guides.

It’s stopping to smile at the blossoms on the trees.

It’s praying for myself and my loved ones and for all of us.

It’s giving Reiki to my pup, Mabel, and my cat, Trouser.

It’s doing some spontaneous choreography to a song I love.

It’s paying attention to my dreams.

It’s marveling at the birds outside my window.

It’s thinking about new recipes I can try.

It’s repotting a plant.

It’s envisioning a world that is so much better than the world before coronavirus.

It’s listening to guided meditations that calm my whole body down.

It’s the act of channeling divinity in little moments during the day.

I am so grateful to be witnessing spiritual connection online through all the acts of kindness, community, caremongering, creativity, humor, giving… it’s everywhere.

When you feel yourself starting to feel scattered, unmoored, or ungrounded, check-in. You may be lacking some spiritual connection.

You may have your own ways of spiritually connecting.

You're also welcome to try some of mine!

Getting into a place of higher vibration will bring that "I'm going to be okay. We're going to be okay..." feeling.

Also - if this all feels freaking overwhelming right now.

THAT IS ALSO OKAY.

(And expected.)

(And understandable.)

Things are a lot right now. *deep breaths*

Now. I said I was going to offer something more to help.

So here it is.

To help ease some of the overwhelm, anxiety, panic, and uncertainty many of you have been talking about online and to help you get back to feeling calmer, grounded, centered, and in control…

I am offering an online workshop called: How to Feel Okay Again.

BECAUSE COULDN'T WE ALL USE THAT RIGHT NOW.

Date: Sunday, March 29th

Time: 4pm-5:30pm PST

Workshop Length: 90 Minutes (with breaks for snacks! Because holy-freaking-pandemic-brain NEEDS snacks...)

Where: Online via Zoom

Here's what you'll learn in the class:

* How to quickly bring yourself out of a panic attack with a few simple energy holds

* How to bring yourself out of a what-if spiral so you can focus on your work, your family, and your own well-being again

* How to get your mind to turn off when you can't fall back to sleep

* How to bring yourself squarely back to the present moment after reading a scary news story

And you'll leave the class with a one-page reference guide with all the tips and tools in one place. You can post it on your fridge or over your desk for easy access.

And honestly, that will be all that you can handle right now.

#livingincrisis

And it will be the exact right amount of help for right now.

#trustme

I will be working with you live on Zoom to get yourself out of a place of doom, anxiety, and the worst-case scenario and into a clearer headspace so you can focus and function and DEAL.

You’ll not only leave this class feeling calmer and more peaceful but you’ll have a pocketful of tools to use on your own in the next few months.

It's the workshop that keeps on giving.

Here's how I'm trying to serve the community with this workshop.

The workshop is $97.

Since everyone is in a different financial situation right now, I’ve come up with a couple of options for you to either help yourself or help a community member or both!

Option 1: You can buy this workshop for yourself. Yay!

YAY! SELF CARE! OMG sweet relief! Tell me more!

Option 2: You can Sponsor a Community Member who is:

1. Laid off due to Covid-19

2. Out of work because of the economy right now

3. Working but still struggling financially

YAY!

Caremongering!

Giving back!

Gosh it feels SO GOOD to DO something for the community...

How do I sponsor?

Option 3: You ARE a struggling community member. I see you! You can sign up to be gifted the workshop! (click here to add your name to the list!)

I'm really, really excited about these options because it's a win-win-win and THAT'S WHAT I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR!

I will be matching sponsorships to community members in need in the order they come in unless you specify that you're sponsoring someone in particular AND THEY WANT TO ATTEND THE WORKSHOP.

Please do not buy a workshop as a suggestion for a roommate or family member who's driving you nuts.

(I know it's tempting, but don't do it.)

But hey... options!

For healing!

And peace!

SO MUCH YAY, RIGHT?

And when you sign up for yourself or sponsor a community member, you will also be supporting me and enabling me to keep doing this work!

I'm very much like your local farmer's market.

Small.

Local.

Trying to carve out a better corner of the world as best I can.

Like many small businesses right now I’ve had to pivot very quickly and change my offerings for the next few months because everything is different now.

I've been taking some time to look at what the community needs.

And right now?

Y'all need tools and guidance to stop feeling like you're on an emotional rollercoaster every day.

I can offer those tools.

But those tools are too complex to explain in a blog post.

This workshop is my immediate solution to help you.

We ARE going to get through this. I’d like to get through this with fewer people having panic anxiety.

So sign yourself up for the class.

Sponsor someone.

And support this work so I can keep doing it.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Questions about the class? Reply to this email or leave your question in the comments.

Until next time, Rebecca*