We are living in high-stress times. My patients worry about the coronavirus, their kids’ schooling, global politics, and the environment. Women who have been good at balancing responsibilities, tell me they are anxious and can’t hold up anymore. Relationships that used to be steady and reliable are cracking. Lingering COVID symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, loss of taste and smell and thinning hair are taking many people over the edge. Men with symptoms they’ve never had before (sleeplessness, digestive issues, nerve pain, skin outbreaks) tell me they are sure that their complaints have been brought on by worry. I recommend homeopathic remedies and fortunately for most, symptoms are clear. But after that, what can we do to manage all this stress? Where can we turn when life seems too hard?
While searching for a new book to read, my daughter-in-law recommended “Untamed” by Glennon Doyle. I got it on audiobooks and once I started, I could not wait to get back in the car to hear more. Glennon’s story is about her digging deep to find her Truth. And in listening to her story, she inspires us to do the same – to realize that the stress is not going to go away and that even when we are anxious or depressed, we can still put one foot after the other and in so doing, move forward through the craziness. She encourages listeners to find their inner voices, the reliable voices that are always there to guide us one step at a time through difficult days towards a better, more meaningful life.
Doyle has gone on to create a podcast (with her wife, Abby, and her sister, Amanda) called “We Can Do Hard Things”. The three women engage in conversations that get to the core of many of the challenges that women typically don’t discuss. This includes what it’s like to be locked in the house with the same people day in and day out, how-to guide our kids through meltdowns at home, how to let go of them when they take off for college, and how to keep meaningful friendships and to let go of the ones that bring us down. They don’t offer advice and they don’t tell us what to do. Instead, they expose the realities of these scenarios that most of us try to sweep under the rug, and in conversations that are sensitive, caring, (and at times quite funny), they build a more confident community that can better cope with hard things and navigate towards personal solutions. This group, called the PodSquad, is welcoming, loving, and nonjudgmental. What a breath of fresh air!
Another voice offering wisdom in these anxiety-provoking times belongs to Martha Beck, a Harvard graduate who left her career in academia to help others “claim the lives we were meant to live”. In her book, “Finding Your Own North Star”, she guides the reader back to his or her true self so that it becomes clear how to shift things away from worry and fear towards joy and freedom. In “The Way of Integrity”, she carries this message further so that we learn on an even deeper level how to live a life of purpose, one free of mental suffering.
When we are locked in our homes and unable to meet friends, when our children are nervous about school because they can get sick and bring illness back home, when we are overwhelmed with financial concerns and when we worry about the state of the world, there’s little room for destructive behaviors and negative beliefs about ourselves. These authors help us get by. For young women and men, there’s the “Girl’s emPOWERment Experience,” “empowering every girl to be her own superhero” and offering support for boys as well. The website has sections on movement, mindfulness, and self-love with the goal of building confidence, courage, and connection. Check it out HERE.
Since the start of the pandemic, I’ve been turning to headspace.com. This is a website and app with the singular mission “ to improve the health and happiness of the world.” When life gets tough, when health issues couple with work stress, global unrest, and environmental crises, headspace offers a place to help you find peace each day. There are meditation and mindfulness tools to reduce stress and improve your mental health. Its effectiveness is revealed in its numbers. Headspace is already used in 190 countries around the world and by over 70 million members!!
And so, I encourage you to reach out to any one of these sources when life gets hard. You are not alone, and you deserve the support of a caring community. Homeopathy can be incredibly helpful if you are experiencing depression or anxiety, but there is more to support you on your journey to health and harmony. Together we can get through these hard times, and I am happy to share resources that can make the process a bit lighter, a bit easier and perhaps even a bit more joyful.