Recently, I talked a bit about how life can veer in a direction that feels “off” and how stressful it is to see the perfect facade social media presents—the idea of what our lives “should” look like if we could just pull ourselves together.

Life is imperfect and that’s what makes it beautiful, but how do we handle these meltdown moments? Here is what I do when life interrupts my flow, i.e. I can’t meditate, don’t have time to pull cards, can’t find time to journal, etc. This usually happens when life just keeps handing me challenge after challenge and the only thing I can do is just keep my head above water.

1. Turn on music and let it fill your space. Music is so healing and it’s as easy as turning it on and letting it permeate the space. It can shift your vibration and it takes virtually no effort on your part. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it relaxes you. For me, that would be soothing spa music. For my podcast partner, Andrea, it would be rock music. For my friend Rachel, it would be broadway show tunes. Just pick something that helps shift where you are at in the moment and let it raise your vibration, while you do all the other things that need to be done.
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2. Nap. I know, I know. If you’re too busy to meditate, then do you have time to nap? Well, maybe. Sometimes, you need sleep more than you need mediation. I put headphones on and listen to a power nap track with binaural beats. It has two options: 20 minutes or 40 minutes. I turn it on and I’m out. They also wake you up at the end so you don’t sleep the day away. I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on what ever decides to come next.
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3. Look for magic. Ok this one is a frame of mind tool. I’ve found that even in the most stressful of times there’s magic to be experienced. For example,I was at my parents house this fall, helping out my dad who’s not well. I’m was homeschooling and running a business. Life was/is full, but I made sure I focused on the little bits of magic that presented themselves. A rogue lilac that bloomed in September and not May. A lovely, little chipmunk who visited the deck everyday and displayed his crazy antics. (He was so cute!!!) Watching the fawns eat at dusk. Picking heirloom tomatoes—greens, yellows, purples, pinks. Smelling fall on the air. Getting lost in the morning light in the trees. Just little bits of awe that reminded me that my guides and spirit are still here even if we weren’t having long conversations at the moment.
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4. Share that magic. Once I notice the magic, I then make sure I share it with someone. It makes it come alive more for me. It may be a quick text relaying the experience, a phone call telling the story, or gushing about tomato colors to those around me. I also take pictures of things that take my breath away. Moments that I dipped my toe in the magic of it all. I let myself get lost for just a second and in that second I feel so connected to something bigger than me. Sharing that magic reminds me to look for more magic and even though the day may have been hard, I recall moments that were just beautiful. It shifts my perception to something bigger than the moment I’m currently standing next to. Which leads to me the last thing…
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5. Asking For What You Need. Connection to spirit is important, but I’m talking about connection with someone outside of the chaos. For me, I shove aside what I believe to be optional things aside, when I get stressed. I forget to reach out for support and tell people what’s happening because I’m just trying to get through it. This is where telling your friends what you need is key. I don’t know how many times since May I’ve reached out to friends and said, “Hey, I’m struggling right now and when I struggle I hermit. Please reach out and remind me there is life outside these four walls.” My friends will send me texts of their kids or their dogs. They’ll send me inspirational posts or their favorite song. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a whole bunch of heart emojis. It pulls me back to present and I’ll remember that I actually need people to thrive and I can’t do it all by myself. But, if I hadn’t asked, they wouldn’t have known. Let people support you. Ask for what you need. For example, one of the best things my cousin has done for me is call. She rings and asks, “What do you need? Do you need to laugh? Do you need to vent? Do you need me to talk about normal, unimportant things? What would help you in this moment?” Just having her ask that allows me to check in briefly and acknowledge what I need. You can ask your loved ones to do this. “Could you please check in on me and ask what I need, so I remember to slow down enough to pay attention to myself?”

Notice none of these things take huge amounts of time. They’re just small things that help you weather the storm. Next, and just in time for the Holiday Season, I’ll have a visualization for identifying stress in your life—and an action plan to handle it.