I hope you are all keeping well while we navigate the many phases of quarantine life.

A common theme in the conversations that I have been having among clients, friends, family and online colleagues is the palpable experience of emotional ups and downs.  One day we might be enjoying the pause and feel life is generally going well and the next day we might notice that we are tired, needing to rest and feel a deep sense of overwhelm.  We might also be aware of the many mixed emotions we can encounter in any given day.   For example, we could feel grief when we watch the news or hear about the difficult life circumstances of someone, but then gratitude or joy for the sense of relief of being at home, safe and sound.  Having mixed emotions is nothing to be feared or feel wrong about.  It is part of the blessed messy human experience.  However there is a part of us that tends to like to control and categorize things into good or bad and the idea of mixed emotions can be troubling and even feel wrong.  Grief is very present right now in our society and a sense of vulnerability might just be hovering there in the background no matter how our circumstances might be.

Being with our feelings rather than running or distracting ourselves from them can be especially freeing at this time.  Feelings just want to be felt.   Whatever we might suppress or repress in ourselves has a tendency to build up and create stress and discomfort.   However if we can gently breathe and lean into whatever arises, we might find that our feelings start to dissipate and might even impart the wisdom of why they were there in the first place.  There is no need to fear our emotions.  They are like waves that come and go and eventually return to flow with the ocean that holds them.  Learning to surf with these waves can be a liberating and beautiful thing.

If you or your loved ones are needing some extra support,  I am listing some of the resources I have come across that can be especially helpful.

Resources:

The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology: Resources for Resilience
Heartmath Institute: Heartmath tools (listed under Resources)
Tara Brach: Facing pandemic fears with an awake heart.

Wishing you all health and very much love,

Vivianne