We have had such a long time of turbulence these past few years with 4 years of Brexit discussions, numerous national and international elections, the years of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and a real sense of uncertainty in the political world. 

It is so easy to be swept up in the negativity and turbulence of this constant influence, and then find that our nervous system and stress resilience becomes fragile and affected. 

One of the most helpful things in these times is to bring it back to ourselves and how we can stay calm and grounded whilst it can be stormy around us. 

Here are a few things you can consider,  and share with your family members, and children, so we can make sure we stay grounded and keep an inner balance during these times. 

Meditation/Mindfulness.  

Starting the day with a moment of sitting or lying down to meditate is a wonderful way to stay grounded. 

Ten minutes is enough, and you can slowly build this up to longer, if you find it helpful. 

If you have not done this before, you can use any of the apps like ‘Insight timer’, ‘Calm’ or ‘Headspace’. 

This can really help you to start the day differently and manage what comes your way with a different mindset. 

Journaling 

Spending some time every day simply  writing down your thoughts, and adding 3 good things that happened each day, has been found to significantly alter our mindset for the day ahead. 

Narrative 

When we read the news, it can be helpful to adopt a birds-eye view, and see it as a curious phenomenon, that you are observing, rather than getting emotionally drawn into it. 

It does NOT mean that we don’t care, but we are protecting ourselves from the incessant bombarding of news from all directions in our lives. 

Who do we spend time with?  

It can make a huge difference to our emotional state depending on who we spend time with, and how they affect us. 

Some friends can boost our outlook on life, whilst others can make us feel drained, or more negative. 

It is worth paying attention to this, and note how we feel around certain people. 

Nature

Finally, the best healer in so many circumstances is Mother Nature. Sitting in a park, going for a walk or a run. Having a walking meeting, or gardening. So much research has found that this is a powerful mood leveller, when needed. 

Doing one, or some of these things can be so helpful to keep our balance in turbulent times, so we can easier weather the situation and move forward.

Tone.

Photo by Alex P