A QUICK WAY TO COPE
We may thought life was challenging before, and in many ways it was. This corona virus has taken the challenge of "developing coping skills" to a whole new level.!! So, what can you do, simply, and easily, when big feelings overwhelm you and/or your kids?
Here are a few quick ideas for you to try:
1) Recognize that what you are feeling, no matter what emotion, is OKAY. Tell yourself, tell your kids, "It's OKAY to feel how I'm feeling."
It's OKAY to not have all the answers. But, we CAN do something that will probably make us feel a bit better. We can find safe and good ways to get out big feelings.
First, move your body out of the position it is in. If you are standing, sit down comfortably. If you've been sitting for awhile, stand up, and stretch. Movement helps the brain reset!
Be aware of your breath, and don't judge it or try to change it. Just be aware of it. That's mindfulness in a nutshell. It's bringing you back into the present moment.
When we're stressed, confused, or grieving, we often live in the land of "what if", not the land of "what is"--that can get our minds racing and worrying about things that may never happen. Even if they do happen, worrying about them now is mostly not helpful. The more centered we are, the better decisions we can make to plan for events when they occur..
Now...imagine or think about a horse friend that you are particularly fond of...(we hope it's a Cheff Center horse, but no worries, it can be any horse, or actually ANY animal that is important to you!) Concentrate on noticing five details about them in your mind--head, muzzle, tail, color, personality. If making mental pictures isn't your thing, maybe looking at a picture or an object in your room will be helpful instead.
You see, when we focus on the present, and this activity helps us do that, we calm our body's responses, and that can make us feel better.
Got your five details? Share them with a friend or family member. This often makes people feel more calm. Then take a deep breath and blow it out hard!!
How about you? Did this work for you? We're posting some pictures of our Cheff horses so you can try this out several times in several ways.
Your friends at Cheff Center will be here waiting for you when this (temporary) crisis is over. We miss you, and we'll be so excited to see you soon!
Until then, we'll meet up on line and share some coping strategies! Be safe, be well, and when you can do so safely, get outside. The fresh air is a gift in these challenging times!.
On behalf of all of us at Cheff, we send words of caring and encouragement!