What Do You Need?

We are being faced with a mountain of tasks, constant demands for our attention, as well as trauma, grief, sadness, and anger, all at different levels of intensities for each of us, and all while still being called upon to keep working, parenting, caregiving, leading, etc.

This tug-o-war of emotion can feel unrelenting. If you identify with any of this, I want you to pause, and ask yourself: “What do I need?” Or, let me ask you, “What do you need?”

Yes in the big picture, we need this awfulness to stop. We need people to start treating each other better, caring for each other, and caring for our environment, to name a few. And, the truth is, we can only control ourselves.

So, what do you need?

Zoom in a little. Today, what do you need? What do you need that will support you in your quest to keep fighting for the above?

> rest?

> community?

> more self-compassion?

> more compassion for others?

> more support?

> sleep?

> more movement?

> better nutrition?

What have you done in the past to support yourself during really difficult times? Although we may be facing things we’ve never faced before, success leaves clues, so if you have a tool that has worked before, start there. I imagine you may not have the capacity to search out new options at the moment, so begin with what you know.

And remember that unprecedented times may call for unprecedented answers. If you’re facing week 12 of a virus running through your house, and you’re wondering when on earth this will end (oh how I remember those hard days…..I see you. Hang in there), how can you support yourself, ask for help, or let some things go right now? If you’re all sick, I know you can’t call on others the way you would when your kiddos are healthy, so use more screen time, or let them just sleep in your bed, or whatever other tool you can think of to move through this exhausting time.

And does anyone else feel like we’ve been hearing about the “unprecedented times” for years? We have. And we’re wondering when the heck will things settle, right?

I feel it too, and what I know to be true, is that amongst the chaos and uncertainty, creating small pockets of certainty can go a long way. Doing your best to keep a small piece of a familiar routine can make a big difference. Your 5-minute morning routine, for example, or still taking the same steps before bed, can help ground us in the familiar, and create a little more safety and support.

Cheering you on to do your best today, whatever “best” looks like right now.

With kindness,

Deanna