I could have easily succumbed to a series of challenges I experienced last month. It felt like waves crashing on a beach, trying to knock me down. Generally, if you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, you can usually withstand small waves during high tide on a beach. Physical fitness tells us that strengthening our core muscles such as our abdomen and lower back helps us with our stability and strength1. Similarly, we have the mental and emotional core strength that helps us ride the waves to keep stress and anxiety away. How this shows up could be what happened to me last month.
Studying neuroscience for the past three years reminded me of the importance of mindfulness in a healthy life. My practice is not necessarily ideal. I try to do a few minutes of active mindfulness practice every day, and this gives me a sense of calm and steadiness throughout my day. So, when several things went wrong and needed to be fixed, I could’ve easily gotten annoyed, frustrated, and defeated. I quickly realized these things that needed to be fixed were overdue. I had put them on the back burner as I focused on other priorities. I immediately accepted that these back burner items needed attention now and I did not experience any negative emotions. Weirdly, I experienced gratitude to be able to address tasks that had become priority one. It felt like I was decluttering. I rearranged my priorities and limited them to the few tasks that needed my attention. This allowed me to focus with laser precision on the task at hand and get it completed. I was surprised by the feelings of accomplishment.
So, what was influencing my feelings and perspective? An article in Psychology Today2 states: “When we center ourselves, we bring calm to our emotions. We do so by slowing down our breathing so that we “feel” more of what’s going on around us. Becoming centered is a way to find peace within the chaos that might be surrounding us.”
Here are some ways to become centered and grounded2:
- Breathe in for a count of five, then out for ten. Try to do it slowly and deliberately. You will feel a deep sense of calm.
- Spend a few minutes to acknowledge and be aware of all your senses. What do you see? Feel? Smell? Taste? Hear? Being aware in this way fosters a sense of mindfulness. I aim for 15-30 minutes of mindfulness daily.
- Every day, engage in self-care activities such as walking, yoga, massage, or coffee with a friend.
- Establish a connection with nature by touching the earth with your feet or your body each day. The Japanese word for this is shinrin-yoku which means “forest bathing”.
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Engage in regular physical activity.
- Learn to say no.
So, the balance to withstand waves from a chaotic workday or high tide at the beach is a combination of physical and mental/emotional core strengthening. Share how you keep balanced throughout the day.
Copyright © 2023 Devashri Gupta. All rights reserved.
1Mayo Clinic article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/core-exercises/art-20044751
2Psychology Today article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/202002/what-is-centering-what-is-grounding
