Chaos and stress
We are scared, when we think Corona we think potential deaths, uncertainty and out of control situations. This automatically creates anxiety and blurs our decision making skills.
This sense of urgency causes us to quickly jump to harmful conclusions and actions: bulk-buying hand sanitizer and masks, binge eating tree bars of Toblerones while doing a Netflix series marathon ( watch Tiger King if you are running out of good tv show, totally worth it).
It is tiring for all of use, so how should we deal with this feeling instead?
Slow Down, embrace Stillness:
Stillness is acknowledging and embracing the chaos.
Do you often take the time to simply feel the wind on your skin, look at the colours of leaves in a tree, feel water running down your fingers, spending time in the moment connected with your environement? These little moments allow you to embrace stillness.
This will help you recenter on what is essential even in the most stressful times.
You become the audience to life. It is when you get out of your head and into your body that you truly get to slow down and appreciated the external world, where you actually live.
Of course, we all get out of our heads from time to time, but how often is that? What if instead of dealing with a lot of stress, you could simply create a habit around stillness to make sure you frequently recenter to create balance in your emotions?
How exactly can you do that?
But first,
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I’ve come up with 3 exercises for you:
1. Tasting recentering
For this first exercise, you can do one of the favourite activities of mankind: Eating!
We all like food. We all enjoy a great warm coffee, a cheesy pizza or a juicy apple. However, how often do you just take the time to really taste your food. It is easy to intake food because it is only fuels when we are busy, it fills our cravings or simply is part of our daily routine.
For this fun exercise, simply take 5 min to truly appreciate the food you are chewing: acknowledge its taste, texture, temperature, smell, colours, ingredients, etc. Review your eating experience as you go, connect with the moment. Removing any distractions such as TV can help you get into this state quicker as you are fully focused on your food.
This should help you reconnect with your senses, get you our of your mind and into your body.
2. Ask your body how it feels
How is your little toe feeling right now? Weird question? Yes, but have you ever taken the time to think about this part of your body? How often do you take the time to feel very different parts of your body and connect with its environment?
To feel stillness, connect with those parts that you don’t usually think about! Ask the tip of your ears, belly button, elbow, etc.
Becoming more aware of your body allows you to disconnect from spiralling negative thoughts. Give it a try!
3. What are your senses telling you?
Take 5 min and count down:
What are 5 new things you can see and never acknowledged before
What are 4 new things you can touch/feel and never acknowledged before
What are 3 new things you can hear and never acknowledged before
What are 2 new things you can smell and never acknowledged before
What is 1 new thing you can taste and never acknowledged before
I usually like to do this exercise when I commute or when I am in a crowded space (of course it is a little more tricky at the moment with the quarantine). However, it can be done at home as well, while lying in bed, sitting at your desk, while drinking coffee on your balcony, your senses are always available to you, make use of them!
Do you need additional support in times of crisis?
In these hard times, I offer my Mental Performance Coaching services at a BIG discount to be able to help and support as many people in the community as possible.
Coronavirus Crisis is exhausting so many people Physically and Emotionally. Because of this, I have decided to provide my Personal 1-on-1 Coaching sessions for an all time low price to help people who could highly benefit from Mental Training Support.
For all tiers from $25 onwards on my Patreon, you will Unlock a 30min Personalized 1-on-1 Coaching Session every month for as long as the Lock Down takes place. This means you automatically save a $100 and gain additional perks such as a Special Kilometer Dedication in one of my run every month, content requests, access to Patreon-only content and so much more!
Additionally, all the money I make on Patreon will be used towards my African Run Project. By working with me, you are helping to provide Safe Water to Remote communities in Africa.
Visit my Patreon now for more information: https://www.patreon.com/veroniquerun
We have to stay connected even in times when things feel so out of place. Reach out to me here for any additional information you need or questions and I will make sure to reply as fast as I can!
If you believe this could help someone you know, send them this post so they can also gain value from the support I offer. https://www.patreon.com/veroniquerun
Stillness: a Habit!
Stillness can be done anywhere, at any time, for any amount of time you need! Make this habit yours, reduce stress and fill your life with positive energy.
Additional resources which may interest you:
Motivational post by Ray Zahab, a fellow adventurer, on choices:
If you are like me, you like to plan. However, plans don’t always go according to plans… This article explores the philosophy of chaos and how you can turn it to your advantage, good read:
Guided Meditation to embrace inner stillness in 5min:
Get rid of Performance Holdbacks, FREE Ebook:
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