Mind-body Maintenance
As we are spinning into a new year, I wanted to write about something that’s a little counter to the usual happy new year tributes. I am both an optimist and a realist. I believe in our resilience as human beings (optimist), but I don’t downplay what’s real when we face challenges (realist). So here I go, ripping off the proverbial band-aid with a new year bulletin on our collective mental health:
2021 brought us anxiety.
2022 brings us more opportunities to work with our anxiety.
Last year, we endured a full year of ups and downs and nearly constant ambiguity. If you did not previously suffer from anxiety prior to 2021, chances are you experienced some new twinges of anxiety this past year. Some indicators could be a heightened stress response, heart palpitations, sleep changes, the urge to excessively control our surroundings, trouble concentrating, muscle tension, unexplained fatigue, or perhaps a stronger desire to check out from this reality by numbing ourselves with alcohol, substances, video games, or tv series.
Yet, on a more positive note (optimist speaking…) there are some important ways we evolved in 2021:
We increased our tolerance for uncertainty.
We strengthened our ability to make decisions in unclear circumstances.
We practiced trusting our gut instincts and we began to untangle this form of knowing from conditioned fear responses.
We have begun taking in information from multiple sources with an objective mindset, rather than devouring information fed to us with a fear mindset.
We are practicing being conscious beings.
How do we continue to do this necessary work with anxiety in 2022?
We become experts at developing and practicing what I like to call: personal routine system maintenance.
Let me explain. In order to be a responsible car owner with a vehicle that continues to work properly, you have to take certain routine actions. You get the oil changed every 3,000 miles. You have the tires rotated. You fill the car with gas. You clean it. You replace the tires. You replenish fluids. These are necessary steps to keep the vehicle working effectively and efficiently.
Your mind-body is the vehicle of your mental health. We have to take care of our organism to give it the best chance of working effectively for us. As you think about your personal plan for routine system maintenance, the more simple the better.
Here are some ideas you might include in your plan with a snapshot of the benefits:
Nourishing food ~ giving yourself quality fuel
Good hydration ~ replenishes vital fluids
Committing to 8+ hours of sleep ~ supports healing and detoxification
Daily movement ~ prevents stagnation of energy
Stretching ~ releases muscle tension
Regular contact with the natural world ~ heals, restores, and relieves stress
Cultivating presence ~ through stillness, quiet, or meditation
Journaling ~ outlet for mental processing
Gratitude practices ~ what we put our attention on grows
Fun, play, or creativity ~ creates shift in consciousness, mood, and enhances flow
Affirmations ~ our thoughts direct our lived experiences
Spiritual practices or prayer ~ impacts our mindset, sense of connection, uplifts our spirit
There are so many ways to approach your routine system maintenance. We each get to decide for ourselves what practices are most vital to our wellbeing. Put them in ranking order – what are the top 3 things you must do every day? What practices are absolutely necessary for your vehicle to function at its best?
My hope for 2022 is that we get really clear about our routine system maintenance and put it into practice every day. If you aren’t clear yet on what your optimal maintenance plan is, experiment with it. Clarify what’s most essential. Then prioritize those things like your life depends on it.
Coping well with anxiety begins with having a fully functioning, well cared for vehicle. Overlooking important steps in your routine system maintenance can lead to a break down. And even though we can dial our friends to help us out when this happens, why not practice doing everything in our power to prevent being stranded on the side of the road?