How to Stay Sane in a Crazy World
Ways to not get Hoovered* into the Craziness
(* sucked up like in a Hoover vacuum cleaner)
To say we live in crazy times feels like a gross understatement. Everything is upside down. Lies are sold as Truth. The Truth has gone underground, and common sense is nowhere to be found.
We don’t know who to trust. It certainly isn’t the news. It certainly isn’t the political party we used to think had all the answers.
People are increasingly experiencing anxiety, depression, and moments of rage captured and beamed into our homes via the television or perhaps take place right in front of us. We may fear getting cancelled because we use the wrong pronouns. We may have lost years-long friends or family members because we questioned something that triggered them to believe we are now evil and the enemy. It is crazy-making.
As a former shrink, and someone who values my sanity, I want to suggest that we all step back, take a deep breath, and consider taking time for some extreme self-care. I’ve been thinking about what this might look like all week, and have come up with the following list. See what you think.
WAYS to STAY SANE:
turn off the news— seriously—-take a news fast.
Spend time outside. Sit in the sun. Soak up some vitamin D.
Put your hands in soil. Plant something.
Watch a Feel-good Movie or (re)read a Feel-good book (See the Temple Secrets series. Book 1 is Temple Secrets. Book 2 is Gullah Secrets. Book 3 is Tea-Leaf Secrets.)
Spend time with friends or family that you enjoy. (Challenge yourself to not talk about any drama or craziness.)
Go camping. Unplug.
Do things you used to enjoy as a child. Play a game. Toss a ball or a frisbee. Ride a bike.
Fingerpaint with primary colors, do a self-portrait.
Write a really bad poem.
Clean up your house. Spend a week on Spring- Cleaning.
Give stuff away. Lighten your load.
Move your body everyday. Take a walk after dinner. Say hi to your neighbors.
Wash your car.
Go to a drive-in and watch a good movie. Bring popcorn from home.
Go on a picnic in a local park or in your backyard.
Bring some spring flowers inside to enjoy or buy yourself flowers.
Do Morning pages everyday, before you do anything else. (See Julia Cameron; The Artist’s Way or Google “morning pages”).
Split a chocolate milkshake with your best friend.
Visit a nearby town. Go someplace new.
Whistle a tune.
Make funny faces in the mirror.
Go outside and smell the air after a rain.
Light a candle and say a prayer for our country.
Believe in something bigger than yourself.
Think about traits you admire—integrity, honor, bravery, kindness. Emulate those traits. One per day. Rinse. Repeat.
Laugh at every opportunity.
Stand in the grass barefooted. Imagine you have roots that stretch into the earth toward its core. Soak in that energy.
Go into a store and make a point to smile at everyone. Ask the cashier how her/his day is going.
Eat your favorite childhood breakfast.
Send an old fashioned letter to someone you haven’t been in touch with for a long time.
Apologize to someone you need to apologize to.
Make a list of things you’re grateful for. Set a timer. Write as many as you can in 10 minutes.
Go to the library and read a non-news magazine. Or read a check out a book in a genre you would otherwise never read.
Donate $5 to a literacy group.
…. What would you add? What is your favorite one, or something you want to try?
Stay sane, my loves, and I will try to do the same. xo
www.susangabriel.com
I love standing outside just before an approaching rainstorm...eyes closed..head tilted to the sky and breathe.
I also just watch my little ferret dude scurry around the house. No matter how vicious the work day had been... he always lifts my mood.
I don’t know if it’s just me but sometimes...sometimes I need the outdoors..the grass, breeze, trees...I need to the blue of the sky to just feel centered. So much so that I feel as though my soul weeps. I don’t know if anyone else feels like this but it always reminds me to hold still and listen.
Sorry ..had a lot to say!! 😁
I’m sitting in my sunroom watching the birds at the feeders! No news just the sound of birds. The most exciting thing this morning is the Hummingbirds fighting over the feeder and my favorite coffee! I’m smiling!
I can add my recommendation to the list of stress relievers. Go out and nature journal! No art talent required! You just need a small journal and a good pencil or pen. Sit quietly, take four deep, cleansing breaths and imagine being rooted into the earth. Observe what you see, hear, feel, smell and sometimes even taste. Record your experience in your journal with written word, drawings or both. It lifts your spirit, relaxes your body and quiets your overactive mind. 💚🌻