Peace, Be Still
We are certainly living in a physically and emotionally tense time. These last few weeks have been different than anything we have experienced in our lifetime. Here are a few headlines I saw in just two minutes of looking at my phone:
· CDC director: “This virus is going to be with us”
· Hospitals tell doctors they’ll be fired if they speak out about lack of gear
· Washington state family says goodbye to mom dying from coronavirus over walkie-talkie
· U.S. coronavirus death toll passes 3,000 as Spain and Italy honor their dead
· Captain of virus-stricken Navy aircraft carrier asks for more help
The headlines are almost unbearable and yet they keep drawing us in. This is taking a toll. As I speak daily with my clients, it easy to see the spike in anxiety as people are inundated with news clips and trips to stores where they find eerily empty shelves. People already struggling with depression find their fight intensifying with a growing sense of isolation. Marriage and parenting difficulties deepen when people are confined 24-7 under the same roof. It is getting hard to catch your breath.
With all the stressors we are facing, allow me to share a few words of Jesus with you. Here are three great statements from Jesus for such a time as this: “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” “I am with you always even to the end of the age.” Let these words sink in, read each statement several times.
One of my favorite writers, John Eldredge (in his book Take Your Life Back) recommends an exercise he calls the one-minute pause. He says, throughout the day we should regularly pause for a minute and say this prayer:” Jesus, I give everyone and everything to you.” As we allow that prayer to come front and center into our thoughts the Spirit will bring people, circumstances, and things to our mind as we continue to say, “Jesus, I give everyone and everything to you.” This prayer helps us release our worry over things we cannot control and give them over to God. This is a great exercise for days such as these.
Here are five other suggestions for good self-care while sheltering in place:
1. Limit your news intake. It is simply not healthy to allow a steady flow of negative news to flow into your brain. I would suggest you practice the discipline of not allowing any social media, news, or other distractions until after you have had good quiet time with God in the morning to get your mind renewed and focused for the day. Beyond this I would recommend only one local and one world news program each day. This will keep you up to date without inundating you.
2. Get outside. Being outside, taking walks, riding bikes (while social distancing), enjoying nature and beauty are wonderfully healing practices.
3. Exercise: Good exercise and good cardio are good activities for your brain and your emotions.
4. Practice Gratitude: While it is easy to focus on all that is wrong and missing in this crisis, it is rejuvenating to the brain to make a daily list of all that is good right now. The list doesn’t need to be huge things – it can be as simple as a cup of coffee or the joy of your daughter when she beats you in a game of Uno.
5. Do something productive: Tackle a house project, read a good book, take a class, teach your child something new or fun, we always feel better when we have done something productive.
Remember, the team at Renewing Life Center is here for you. We are doing our appointments online through a HIPAA compliant video format. You do not have to go through this alone, feel free to reach out to our office at 702.434.7290 if you would like to set up an appointment.
