How to Find Ease in Hard Times?
Something terrible happened.
Our first impulse might be to dive into some sort of self-destructive behavior, like eating tons of sugary and greasy food or drinking lots of alcohol to numb the pain trying to forget who we are, where we are, and what’s happening.
These can be valid solutions for momentary relief, but afterward, our body hates and punishes us, and the cause of our dismay is still there.
This week was not so good for me. This event affected me more than I thought it would. Maybe because I had high hopes that it was impossible to happen… But isn’t life full of surprises?
As I was dealing with the stages of grief (even though no one died), I came up with some ideas to turn my mood and myself around.
Today, I’d like to share what I think could be a sustainable way to cope and keep us thriving despite the current circumstances.
To start, let's not hold back our feelings. Let’s respect what we’re feeling and let our body’s response manifest freely. Cry, scream, curse out loud, sleep—embrace all the feelings.
Now let’s look the situation in the eye.
Face the situation and shout: I’m bigger, better, and stronger than you!
Repeat as often as needed.
After that, still getting a grasp of the situation, ask:
Is this happening in the Macro or Microenvironment?
If it’s in the macro, there’s nothing to do here, it’s out of our control, and this means we don't have a way to act on it. We can’t change it. Let it be.
If it’s in the micro, that’s very different because:
Our microenvironment is the only place we can control.
And I love that for us because we get to choose what goes out of the door and what stays. We are completely in charge of the micro.
By taking control of what is allowed in our micro we can:
Focus on our needs first.
Choose what else is a priority.
Exclude negative people from our circle.
Make decisions based on our best interests.
Respect our time to heal.
Trying to solve something in the macro only makes us angry, tired, and frustrated. However, working in the micro makes us stronger, more resilient, and ready to act.
For sure what happens outside of us still affects us, but the only part we can control is how we deal with it.
I found peace in taking this approach this week.
Easy things I did that helped me cope this week:
#1 Talk to friends
#2 Excercise
#3 Quality time with a loved one
#4 Set boundaries
#5 Express my feelings
Let’s act on it! To find easy during hard times I vow to:
Play more in the kitchen.
Remove from my circle people I don’t want to invest my energy in.
Read things that enlighten me rather than scare me.
Chase my dreams, big and small.
Be with friends more often, even if it’s over the phone.
Take note of my everyday blessings.
Get involved with causes I care about in my community.
Worry less about what I can not control.
Control everything I can control.
Your turn? What you are doing to navigate hard times?
Let me know in the comments or by replying to this email. 😉
Most importantly, answer it to yourself. 💖
Here at Easy & Breezy, we talk about food and healthy habits, having our overall well-being as the main goal of this publication.
If you enjoyed today’s post, hit the heart below and share it with others. 🧡
