4 minute read
CALM IN THE CHAOS
CALM IN THE CHAOS
Our tried and true resource kit for practicing presence, cultivating mindful moments, and staying resilient
Written by Amy Dong
GET CURIOUS
I’m not sure about you, but I definitely have a laundry list of books that I’ve been meaning to read for quite some time. In the midst of uncertainty, learning and being curious is such a welcomed refuge for my mind. Here are a few of my favorite and most grounding reads from the past few weeks.
1. Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and Joy
The title speaks for itself. Inspired by her own journey with selfcompassion, Clinical Psychologist Shauna Shapiro presents a well-researched guide to mindfulness and compassion that led her to approach life with kindness and curiosity.
2. The Joy of Movement
We all know that movement is good for us, but this uplifting read takes it one step further. Kelly McGonigal dives into how exercise helps us find happiness, hope, connection, and courage. This is a page-turner that will leave you itching to go on a (socially distant) run.
3. Rising Strong
Brené Brown is arguably the voice of empowerment in our era. I’ll let a quote from the book speak for itself here: “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.” Brené also just launched her podcast. It will make you laugh, cry, and reflect (respectively) all wrapped up in a 50-minute episode.
GET HEADSPACE
Finding it hard to concentrate? Me too. I think my one word for this experience thus far has been ‘overwhelmed.’ To combat that feeling and ride the wave of the emotion, I’ve been meditating.
In theory, meditation sounds idealistic. In practice, I often find it to be unrealistic (who’s with me here?). But these past few weeks, when everything is seemingly out of my control, harnessing my breath and reminding myself to quiet my mind, even for just a moment, has been a game-changer.
While there are several platforms for easing into your meditation practice, my go-to is Headspace. In light of COVID-19, Headspace is currently offering a free meditation series, accurately dubbed as ‘Weathering the Storm,’ to everyone. Additionally, Headspace is giving free premium memberships to healthcare professionals. Spread the word and the mindfulness!
GET CONNECTED
In my opinion, the only silver lining of our current situation is the overwhelming outpouring of love that I’ve witnessed among many communities, both big and small. The compassion and care for one another, vulnerable populations, and healthcare professionals has been heartwarming. Here are a few opportunities to lend a helping hand to those in need and share some quarantine love.
1. Pandemic of Love
Shelly Tygielski, a mindfulness teacher from South Florida, created Pandemic of Love on March 14th with the intention of helping those in her community. Overnight, she found that word spread quickly and people across the globe were reaching out to give and receive help. She, unknowingly, created a movement. Pandemic of Love is a mutual aid community that connects kind people with kind people who can help with what they need. How does it work? Submit the form with the level of support that you can offer and you will be connected with an individual the next day to discuss how you can make this tumultuous time a little easier on them.
2. Letters of Love - Love for the Elderly
Letters of Love was an idea born in 2015 that primarily aimed at spreading smiles to refugee children through a handwritten letter. They recently launched a project specifically directed towards senior citizen communities, a population that is especially vulnerable at this time. If you have a spare 15 minutes, this is a special way to help combat loneliness and put a smile on someone’s face!
3. Allbirds X Healthcare Professionals
Allbirds has already donated $500,000 worth of shoes to healthcare professionals! You can purchase a ‘donation’ bundle that scores you and a healthcare professional in need each a pair of comfy, sustainable sneakers.
I’ll leave you with a few closing thoughts. It’s amazing to be curious, mindful, and connected. But it’s also okay to be scared, to feel the weight of uncertainty, and to lack the motivation to be productive and engaged. Resilience is a practice, and like all things, it is almost never perfect. But also, like all things, practice makes progress. Give yourself the space to read, learn, reflect, connect, and unravel. Give yourself permission to feel vulnerable and courageous. This will end and I’m confident that when it does, we will emerge more connected, more compassionate, and more resilient than ever before. *
