When strangeness overtakes the world, it's only natural for stress and anxiety to mount. It's nothing to be ashamed of and those feelings are not something to hide or cover-up. It's not wrong or sinful to feel those ways. It's simply a natural human response, and we don't need to feel guilty or add extra pressure to ourselves when we feel stressed out, overwhelmed or anxious. I've dealt with those feelings all my life, though since becoming an adult, they've gotten stronger and more prominent. That's probably because I knew better how to decipher them and understand what it was that I was feeling.
What do we do when those feelings begin to overtake us?
We keep calm and cultivate gentleness and simplicity.
Now I know very well that is easier said than done. Believe me, I get that. But I also know the peacefulness that can meet you when you do invite gentleness and simplicity into your life and daily rhythms.
Cultivating gentleness with yourself means that you are easy with yourself. You lower your standards and release yourself from all the rules and guidelines and restrictions you or others have set on you. It means letting go of being hyper-paranoid about every little thing under the sun. Somedays, it may be better for you if you just sit on the couch and binge-watch your favorite show on Netflix. Other days it may be better if you get outside and plant some flowers or go for a walk. Sometimes it means not obsessing over how long you were on your phone or what you ate...or how much. Some days it may mean you get a whole lot done, crossing thing after thing off your to-do list. It may mean you try a new project or enjoy one of those hobbies you love so much.
Gentleness with yourself means you allow yourself to acknowledge the feelings you have, and not see them as a bad thing. The truth is, this small thing alone, gives you so much freedom. Just simply saying to yourself, "I'm feeling stressed right now." That can remove a heavy burden right then and there, and from that point, you go on to how you respond to those feelings. Gentleness with yourself during these strange days is of utmost importance because when we are gentle with ourselves, we are more gentle towards others. And we could all use more gentleness shown to us.
Embracing simplicity during these strange days is one of the ways to not go completely crazy. This can be implemented in a myriad of ways, depending on your own life, family and home. But a few examples include...
Creating simpler meals. We should all be staying at home during this time, as much as possible, and avoiding unnecessary trips to the grocery store and such. This is the perfect opportunity to make simple meals for your family. Look in your pantry and see what's already there. Check the fridge and see what needs to be used up. What about the cupboards and freezer? There are plenty of yummy, nourishing, beautiful meals to make that are also simple.
Simplicity also needs to be brought into our routines and rhythms. This could go back to practicing gentleness. While stress is high in the world, now is not the time to be obsessed with keeping a strict and rigid routine. I'll be honest and say that I didn't grow up in a strict household, in any sense of the word, and I believe this was a gift. Especially now that I'm older and can look back, I see only positive things that came from this. If you sleep a bit later and stay up past your bedtime, it's okay. If you watch a bit more TV or don't clean as often or as thorough, it's okay. It's better to live and enjoy and be lighthearted about things than it is to be so rigid and strict that you can't even enjoy the little moments of your day. I'm not saying you should let everything go out the window and every rhythm or routine be thrown through the roof, but embracing a gentler, simpler, more lighthearted approach to our days, and living in general, is healthier than keeping a strict house and rigid rules and routines.
It's also time to embrace simpler activities. There are so many things that can occupy our days and nights while we are mostly at home. For some of us, this is nothing new; our day-to-day hasn't changed all that much. And yet, we still feel the stress of the world. Simpler activities honestly bring a calmness to your life, too. Finding happiness and pleasure and delight in the simplicity of domesticity is a blessing during these days. Baking bread or muffins, cooking a meal completely from scratch, reading a book, crafting and knitting or crocheting, simple cleaning and tidying up, sitting out under the sun and breathing in the fresh, spring air. These things, and so many others, are wonderful ways to experience simplicity.
And yet, there are many times, when it's simply better for our minds and bodies to relax and enjoy a movie or a mini-marathon of a favorite show...and that's perfectly okay. You don't need to feel like you have to accomplish something great every single day of this world-wide quarantine, and for that matter, this way of thinking and living can and should continue on even after everything is normal again.
Keep calm and cultivate gentleness and simplicity.
These are incredibly strange days that we find ourselves living in, and honestly, who knows when the world will completely be back to normal. That doesn't mean that we can't be living abundantly even now. It just means that we have to be more purposeful and creative with certain things. Even for those of use who seek to live this way anyway, there are still differences that we feel right now. Stress and tension and anxiety are high right now, and I believe the answer is super plain:
Cultivate gentleness towards yourself and others, and embrace simplicity in your life and ordinary days.
It's not rocket science, but it is totally worth it.
What are some of the ways you are cultivating gentleness and simplicity these days? Do share below!