Doesn’t it feel like every single time we turn on the radio or tv or even our phones and check social media a giant list of terrible things happening around the world shows up?
How the hell do we navigate this giant blanket of negativity that seems to have taken over this planet?
I’m here with you, to give you some tips and ideas on how you can navigate difficult times to maintain more ease and flow in your life.
It takes a LOT of energy for me to undo the emotional rollercoaster that comes with “the outside world”. From seeing the beautiful people in my country of Venezuela struggling every day (including my family there), to the hatred attacks in religious places that seem to be happening on a daily basis. It is hard not to get sucked up into a spiral of sadness, anger, and frustration.
Based on this, I’ve learned to tune out a lot of negativity, from not listening to the radio anymore (thank you to whoever invented audiobooks and podcasts!), to avoid watching the news, or even TV!
If something in the news is really important I am sure going to hear it from someone, either at work or at home, or it may even show up on one of my social media feeds (I think this is why I am only Instagramming lately). I don’t mean you should hide, I just suggest to turn on your emotional GPS and tune it to more fulfilling frequencies.
Let’s dive right into the tools that will help you navigate and potentially overcome difficult times:
Tool #1. Create awareness of your thoughts. This is so important and why I share it as #1 tool.
Do you pay attention to your thoughts? What are they saying? When you wake up, first thing in the morning, are your thoughts positive or are you running down the list of to-do’s for the day or how tired you are?
If you start the day with negative thoughts, it will impact your entire energy without you even knowing it. Switch the script so your first thought is something more positive. For me, I start the day with: “today is going to be a great day” or when I know there is a lot going on I repeat “Ease and flow”.
If something negative is happening around you, even within your closest circle of friends or loved ones, be really aware of your thoughts. Ask these questions to help you create more consciousness:
- What stories am I making up about this situation, and do I feel is reflective of something I did or can do?
- How do I really feel about this? Is it concerning, if so, how can this really impact me or my life?
- Is there something I can do right now that will make the situation better without interfering with anyone’s free will or getting in anyone’s business? (aka – controlling)
- Am I making this situation somehow about me, a specific fear I have, or something I need to work on?
By being aware of your thoughts, how they are linked to your emotions, and what actions can be taken, you are better equipped to come up with an aligned action instead of a RE-action.
Tool #2. Focus on the things that you have right at this moment that you can appreciate. Start small with things like: I have all my limbs, I can easily breathe without assistance, I can see, I can read, I can listen to great music, etc…
Even the simplest things such a being able to breathe, it creates some ease in our bodies and mind.
We have to remember that there are only 2 things we can control in this world:
- Our actions/reactions
- Our thoughts
Like I mentioned in tool #1, we need to create awareness of our thoughts, shift the focus of our mind to positive things WE currently have and act in a way that is aligned with the greatest good and reduces suffering.
Tool #3. Use your imagination. There is a giant free gift we all have that we tend to disregard, and that is our imagination. After waking up to positive thoughts, take 3-5 minutes in the morning to walk through your ideal day. It doesn’t matter how unattainable or unrealistic it may feel at the moment, just use your imagination to create that day.
Little by little, using this imagination practice, you may start including more aspects of those ideal days into your routine.
For example: do you picture yourself waking up feeling super rested, ready to stretch? Start setting an alarm for an earlier bedtime so you can start getting enough sleep and enjoy waking up rested. Stretch for a minute or 2 before jumping in the shower or while you wait for your coffee to be ready. These are all small things you can do to improve your day.
Some of you may say: easy for you to say, you have all the comfort in the world, but what about those people who have no running water, or who have a loved one suffering through a terrible disease.
I get it, it is NOT easy to practice these tools when the world is crumbling around you, but what is your alternative? Stay in the suffering, or slowly create space for good energy, for optimism or a positive outlook.
Otherwise, you will be part of the group that continues to feed that negative energy blanket, whether you like it or not. Only you have the power to shift your script, to upgrade your emotions, to reset your energy from within.
Who would you choose to be today?
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