10 Easy Ways To De-Blah Yourself
Dear Lovelies,
I hope this note finds you well in your area of the world.
People are going out of lockdown and back into lockdown. Or maybe there never really was a lockdown where you were.
I don’t know about you, but I have found myself cycling through pandemic fatigue, whether it’s fuelled by an (accidental?) media binge, continued uncertainty, job instability, financial insecurity, missing our loved ones and beloved places of afar, navigating new regulations, thwarted trouble plans, etc. Cue the not-so-sneaky COVID-19 spiral into the doldrums. Blah!
I have a lot to be thankful for here in Hong Kong, where it’s been more or less “business as usual” - despite wearing masks in public, and the ever present fear of being shipped off to quarantine. My loved ones are safe. We are all together. We are all healthy. Coffee shops are open (thank goodness). As an HSP with hermit tendencies, I enjoy the slower pace of life and cocoon, but I, too, have my moments of being frustrated with the grounded-ness of where my feet stand.
We’re all susceptible to (pandemic) fatigue and feeling blah. Tis life.
It’s our personal responsibility, I’ve realised, to think of creative ways to either accept, or challenge Groundhog Day. Or perhaps it’s more about challenging our groundhog way of being.
For me it’s been a lot of work on my relationships: With my partner, and my parents…which, basically equals work on myself. I write this with a smile as isn’t this what it always comes down to? The inner work.
This time has also become quite the practice for me on loving what is, even though it is not what I’ve imagined it to be.
Wherever you may be in the world, on your journey; or wherever you may be in your head and heart, I’ve created a list of resources that have helped to support me with pandemic fatigue, and the anxiety, frustration or sadness that may accompany it. When I spiral into a dark and glum place, or begin to feel a lack of enthusiasm for what is, I turn to the items on the list to help me find grounding and peace wherever I am. And de-blah…
Take good care.
Much love,
Lia
10 Easy Ways To De-Blah Yourself
(And Support Yourself
Through Stressful Times)
1) Media detox
No news…for as long as you can stand it! This one is pretty easy for me but I know it can be hard for some. The sensationalisation of the news can hijack our amygdala, part of the brain’s limbic system. When you feel threatened and afraid, the amygdala automatically activates the fight-or-flight response by sending out signals to release stress hormones that prepare your body to fight or run away. This response is triggered by emotions like fear, anxiety, aggression, and anger. These emotions are easily fuelled by the news these days! Try a media detox for a few days notice the difference it makes. Even three days will make a difference. I guarantee you that news will find a way to reach you without you going out to search for it! Personally, I don’t need my amygdala to be more activated than it already is, so I limit my news consumption as part of my lifestyle.
2) SOCIAL MEDIA DETOX
Media detox includes social media detoxing, too. I removed Instagram and Facebook notifications from my phone and limit my time on the platforms. I do this by blocking out time for social media activity, so I’ll spend 15 minutes to respond to messages and check out the accounts I like to follow, or to publish a new post. This has helped me navigate a new relationship with social media, which I’ll write about in a later blog post.
3) TAKE TIME & Space TO CONNECT TO BIG FEELINGS
Acknowledge your big feelings. Take some time and space for yourself to do so, whether it means sitting down in a quiet space or going for a walk. For me it helps to journal and vent it all out, just so it all exists down on paper (or on screen). Then if I’m really feeling into them, and depending on which feeling it is of course, I’ll either have a cry or punch or yell into a pillow. Yelling or crying in nature is a good option, too.
4) have a good cry
Have a good cry with an empathic listener—a friend or in a therapy/healing session of some sort. If I’m feeling like I need some sort of external support, I usually have a kinesiology session of my own or a craniosacral therapy session. For more on the healing power of tears,
check out this column I wrote.
5) TAP IT OUT
I love tapping, otherwise known as emotional freedom technique or EFT. I’ve been doing it for many years as a way to help energetically clear things when I’m feeling a little bit of ickiness or stress. It’s a great self-support tool. Brad Yates is my go-to. He has guided taps for everything! Here is one to get you started:
6) RESET YOUR VAGUS NERVE
I love this quick little reset known as The Basic Exercise by Stanley Rosenberg. His book, The Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve, is a pretty epic read, and I walk my kinesiology clients through this exercise before I begin their balance. I do it if I’m feeling a little anxious, and often before bed. It’s also a great little exercise to do throughout the day. Watch it here.
7) DO THE WORK
Have you heard of Byron Katie? Well, now you have! Her book Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life is one of the most profound books I’ve read this year. Maybe ever. Read it and download the worksheets on her website. There is even an app so you can unpack beliefs that don’t serve you while you are on the go. As Katie says, “It's not the problem that causes our suffering; it's our thinking about the problem.” The Work is about changing our thinking, thereby relieving our suffering. I’m an HSP living under the same room with my partner, son, and parents. Needless to say, as lovely as it can be, it has been challenging for all involved parties. And The Work has helped me immensely! After all, what’s that saying by Ram Dass? If you think you’re enlightened, go spend a week with your family!
8) YOGA AT HOME
I love doing Yoga With Adriene…at home in my pajamas.
9) LISTEN TO SOME TUNES
Change your mood with music! I’ve just celebrated 40 trips around the sun, and this is what I’m listening to these days. This playlist is family friendly with some children’s songs on there, too. :)
10) GET SOME BODYWORK
Whether it’s Rolfing, osteopathy or a trip to the physio, it’s great to have some sort of structural support for your physical body. If things are closed where you are, self massage is a great option, too. Feeling too blah to do so? Give your feet a massage and appreciation with some lotion, or oils for a luxurious little pick me up.