This statement is a real mind bender for many – but one that has never been more needed than now, at this point in time. Never has it felt more needed that families and individuals are looking for support to cope with this truly shocking year that we have all had to endure. I’m sure I do not need to add to your stress by relating horror stories and relating what is wrong with so many different things – Lord knows we are all sadly aware of many of them. Often, we too have many things going on in our own families – that it can be overwhelming to hear about other people’s stories. However, we can often get very focussed on what is wrong with us, our family members, society or other people in general, and yet, just by shifting our perspective slightly – we can gain a little breathing space at least.
I came across this TED talk recently on the recommendation of a friend – and it really helped to highlight what is important especially when trying to help others. It can be difficult to see what is strong in a person when we only focus on what is wrong. And yet, when we stop to look, there are often many strengths which can be drawn on. And they can make a positive impact.
So without playing down any suffering and trauma, – look within yourself and see what strengths you have been using today. Even just getting out of bed to feed the cat – is a strength and shows you have not given up.
Seasons of Change – Mindfulness
Most of us will have noticed that the seasons have well and truly changed too as we move through the Covid crisis. But, as well as coping with the long drawn out process of what we do or don’t do with our time – it’s good to stop for a few moments whenever we can and tap into the season’s natural ebb and flow. Nature has a way of gently moving into her next season without us always noticing. There seems to be no panic about it – it all happens rythmically every year – despite what is happening in our own lives.
It’s this very reassuring and often calming repetativeness that can be really helpful when thinking about ‘mindfulness’. We may never have even thought about trying ‘mindfulness’ before – yet we may be looking for methods to calm our minds or our breathing as we become a little more stressed as each week passes. If you have never tried it before – there is a vast array of examples of this on You Tube – just use the search term ‘Mindfulness’ and you will be able to hear a few different people present their style – see if any of them suit you. You have nothing to lose – well maybe a little bit of anxiety 🙂
familiesintrauma.wordpress.com 