Calm in the Chaos
My youngest son just rode out hurricane Irma down in Orlando. It’s been so hard as a mom to be so far away.
I just had to sit back and remember that I raised a smart young man and that he was perfectly capable of caring for himself. I was right. I heard from him this morning and he’s safe and sound.
That doesn’t mean I slept very much last night though.
Life is pretty chaotic right now. It seems that almost every where in our world there is a natural disaster happening. It’s so heartbreaking to see what people are going through and feeling like you don’t know how to help or who to help first.
Don’t EVEN get me started on the political chaos here in the states right now. I know some other countries are experiencing it too.
Add to that, the chaos of modern lives. Jobs, homes, family, hobbies. It’s so hard to find anything that even remotely looks like balance.
How do we take care of ourselves physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially with so much going on?
Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer to those questions.
When life gets too chaotic for me I try to find some way to slow down and breathe. In the past I would eat or shop my way through my anxiety but in the wisdom of my 50’s I know that is not helpful. In fact, it causes more stress.
Dirt helps. Digging, planting, turning it over. Pulling weeds, trimming, pruning, harvesting.
Pets help. Let a sweet pet lay on your chest and concentrate on your breathing. It almost makes chaos disappear.
Of course making things with my hands helps too. I’ve done some serious amounts of crochet the past couple of weeks and last night I made chicken soup and zucchini bread.
All of these things help me find calm in the chaos.
What helps you? Let’s get a list going in the comments so we can help one another out.
Yarn is very therapeutic for me, especially a soft blend that flows freely through my fingers. I’ve learned the best therapy for me is making time to “yarn” every day, lately working on some special baby afgans. During some of my most difficult times is when I’ve gone through the most yarn. When my husband was in the hospital for over four months I made sure I had yarn with me at all times. When he came home and I cared for him for the balance of his time, yarn was again my solice as it was something I could pick up and put down as needed. I’ve often wondered when I reached the Million Mile Club with yarn, and what million would I be on now? (I’ve been crocheting for over 40 years.)
Gentle music always pairs nicely with yarn, and the cherry on top is prayer. I consider myself a prayer warrior, frequently offering up thoughts and prayers and appreciation throughout the day. Prayer doesn’t mean I have the answers, it means I’m sharing it with God to help us understand and accept what happens.
I am now preparing for a major downsizing in my home. For a moment I was overwhelmed with where to start. My family encouraged me to start winding the stray balls that had accumulated in my corner of the living room. What I wise choice. Just winding helped me realize it’s all a part of this chapter. There’s lots to go through in making this transition, but I’m already looking forward to the new home and the special places I will make time to create.
For many years, I’ve teased my family if I ever lose my abilities to think or do for myself, just send yarn!
PS…I do many creative things: Beads, paint, stitch, design, to name a few…but I always make time to yarn every day. There are no calories, I can consume as many ounces as I want!
Hi Vicki! I love to coloring, or painting… that relax me a lot!
I STOP doing. Just STOP! Take my internal emotional temperature…and then take a very realistic assessment of the Present moment. With my nephew and his family in the path of Irma, I told myself: They are fine right now. They are very smart people. They live in a brick home. No one is exactly sure where Irma will go. I get very grounded and not project catastrophe – which I am very likely to do without being conscious. I’ve learned that the reality of most situations is usually not as bad as I can imagine and often never gets as bad as my creative mind can project! I know that we are all capable of dealing with the very difficult situations and those are our best lessons. I remind myself that “All Will Be Well”.