Life is beautiful. Indeed it is. And yet at times, the challenges that are meant to help us grow and evolve become overwhelming and instead make us feel inadequate and powerless. The truth is that most of us haven't been taught how to deal with them effectively. Growing up we develop coping mechanisms to handle them, but as the nature of the difficulties we face changes, these coping mechanisms often stop working. Some only offer temporary relief, without providing solutions; and some can turn into addictions, and become distractive and dangerous. While there are many ways we can improve our experiences - from changing the situation to changing how we relate to it - and there are numerous techniques and approaches for both - it is beyond the scope of this article. My intent here is to share some simple practices that can help us navigate through difficult times with more ease while building resilience for the future.
Having struggled with severe anxiety, panic attacks and depression for many years, I tried many approaches to overcome these debilitating reactions my mind and body had to stress. It has been a long journey of self-discovery and healing. I learned a lot, had profound insights and developed skills that transformed my life. I went from struggling to make through the day, often resisting every minute of it to embracing every moment with love and appreciation. Here are a few of the things that made a huge difference for me and from my research and work with others also helped many to overcome similar challenges. Breathe . . . Just by changing our breathing, even for a few minutes, we can affect how we feel physically, mentally and emotionally. The depth of our inhalation determines the amount of oxygen that reaches our brain and can dramatically affect the way it functions. Our breathing rhythm also affects our heart rate, which constantly sends messages to our brain. Based on these messages either the sympathetic branch of our nervous system will become activated, preparing us for a flight of fight, or the parasympathetic – putting our body into a restoration and healing mode. Therefore, by changing our breathing, we can change how our mind and body function. Here is an easy breathing exercise for relaxation: - It's always good to keep the chest open, and the belly relaxed to accommodate deep breathing. - Start with exhaling all the air out, before attempting to take a deep breath in. When we are stressed, we often don't breathe out completely, which makes it impossible to inhale deeply. - As you exhale, relax the body as much as possible and continue relaxing throughout the exercise. - Breathe into your relaxed belly for 6 counts, hold it for 3 then exhale slowly for 8-10 counts. - You can choose to exhale through the mouth for a stronger effect. - Continue breathing and relaxing for 3-5 minutes or more. - When we are stressed, it will be almost impossible to quiet our mind, but do your best to keep your attention either on the flow of the air in and out or the increasing feeling of relaxation in the body. - If your awareness wanders, gently bring it back to your body and how different it feels with every round of breathing. - If you have a lot of tension in the body it might be difficult to relax, and you may even find it to be frustrating. But please continue consciously letting go of tension on the top and bottom of every breath, and soon you'll feel the relief. Be loving and gentle with your body. I would suggest to read the next two points and keep them in mind while doing this exercise. Stay present . . . When going through a difficult time and feeling overwhelmed, try to stay focused on the present moment as much as possible. Not just while meditating but throughout the day and night, until the stressful situation is resolved. What does it mean to be present? It simply means to observe what is happening at this moment without any mental commentary about what it means. Only the detached awareness of what is taking place. Keep the mind in the “now” as much as possible and only allow it to go into the past or the future when it's absolutely necessary as when you need to take care of an urgent matter or plan an action to change the situation, for example. Keeping our awareness in the present moment counteracts rumination, which according to neuroscience leads to anxiety and depression. Remember that there's hardly ever a time in our life when this moment is unacceptable, it is the interpretation that we give to what is happening and what it means that makes it into a problem. Which really means that problems only exist in our minds. In reality, there is a situation that needs a solution, or acceptance or both. Here is a good reminder that can be helpful - "Don't believe everything you think." Because a thought that we absolutely believe today might become completely meaningless tomorrow. Which brings us to our next point. . . This too shall pass . . . Remind yourself that nothing is permanent. Reality can appear as real and solid, but it's an illusion. Everything changes all the time - some things quickly, some things slowly. Sometimes it seems that there is no solution to the situation we are in, that everything is falling apart and life will never be good again. These are certainly the kind of thoughts that you don't want to believe. Even if you can't see any realistic solution to the situation at the moment, know that trauma, stress and mental exhaustion limit our cognitive function and prevent us from seeing all the possibilities. Just by practicing a breathing technique and relaxation our perspective regarding the problem can change dramatically. I would also recommend reading my earlier posts: The Power of Self-Compassion and Tapping into the Wisdom of our Heart. - In Part II we will discuss how practicing mindfulness meditation can help during difficult times by cultivating three powerful skills: concentration, sensory clarity, and equanimity. - We will learn how to use affirmations and affirmative prayer to change our subconscious beliefs that are the real cause of our suffering. - And also how to ask for help without feeling needy or incapable.
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How do you feel about yourself when you see others who may be smarter, better looking, and more successful, enjoy their seemingly fun and carefree lives? And know that no matter how hard you try and whatever you achieve, someone will always be doing it better? It is so easy to feel “not good enough” or even unworthy in our overly competitive society. While it is natural to wish to feel special, or at least above average, is it realistic for everyone to be above average?
In our connected world, we no longer merely compare ourselves to our siblings and peers, but also to the strangers, whose beautiful faces look back at us from the pages of the glamour magazines, TV and social media, challenging our self-worth. When we realize that we can never have that face or that body, or that amount of money, or that lifestyle, we try to relieve our sense of failure, often with unhealthy behaviors. In fact, millions of people take drugs on a daily basis just to cope with the feelings of frustration and discontent. We beat ourselves up for our flaws and try to diminish others’ good attributes to increase our sense of self-worth. But these temporary emotional “fixes” over time cost us our peace, our ability to express ourselves authentically, and our relationships with others. Although the times when our sense of worthiness is challenged can certainly serve as a catalyst for positive change and personal development, in our culture we grew to believe that we need to be hard on ourselves for that to happen. The truth is that continuous self-criticism drains our energy and blocks our creativity and optimism. As a result, it makes us less capable of overcoming life’s difficulties and robs us of the opportunities to grow into who we really are. Moreover, the more we see ourselves in this light, the more we will act as this incapable, unworthy person, and the more the results we produce will reinforce this unfavorable self-image. Is there a better solution for this human affliction? Self-compassion is the practice of being kind to ourselves. It is founded on the understanding that suffering is a natural part of human experience. We all go through hardships in our lives, at some point or another, for one reason or another. Self-compassion is not the same as self-pity. Whereas self-pity feeds our sense of failure and victimization, self-compassion, on the other hand, helps us find strength in our shared humanness. Maxwell Maltz, a successful plastic surgeon and a great expert on the human psyche, in his book Psycho-Cybernetics writes that at least 95 percent of people have some sense of inferiority, which is not based on facts. We all excel at some things and not at others. This is only natural. The belief in our unworthiness, hence, is coming from our habit of judging our worth by measuring ourselves not against our own “norm,” but against others’ “norm,” and always finding ourselves not to be good enough. This erroneous idea makes us feel insecure and unworthy to freely express our own nature and create the kind of life we desire. Many try to overcome their inferiority complex and feel good about themselves by trying to become superior to others. But this striving often causes them more suffering and frustration and can even lead to neurosis. The truth is that we are neither superior nor inferior to anyone. Each one of us is a unique individual, and we are all special in our own ways. Kristin Neff, a psychology professor and author, shares some of the findings from her research on self-esteem in her book, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. She writes that although we are all well aware of the importance of having high self-esteem, the field of psychology is coming to realize that self-esteem is not the “ultimate marker of positive mental health.” They discovered that people when trying to keep a sense of high self-esteem often fall into the traps of narcissism, self-righteous anger, prejudice, discrimination, etc. The author suggests that self-compassion is a perfect alternative to self-esteem. It provides the same protection against self-criticism, without us having to be better than others or measure up to some ideal. It is undoubtedly true that there are times when our extreme frustration with our certain "weakness" can force us to take decisive steps in changing our behavior and our circumstances. Be it finally deciding to change our diet and lose those extra pounds because we are disgusted with what we see in the mirror; leaving a relationship that isn’t healthy for us, which we were too afraid to leave; or, unsatisfied with our occupation, decide to go back to school and study what we’re really passionate about, even if we think we’re too old for that. Yes, unfortunately, many people need to reach the point of utter desperation or even self-hatred in order to make a change. And, although, the harsh self-criticism sometimes leads to a significant transformation, this approach is hardly sustainable and comes at a high price of lost peace of mind, constant sense of discontent, and the fear of failure. What if we make a decision to be kind to ourselves by remembering the universality of human suffering? We can save all that time and energy we would have spent on judging ourselves and ruminating about our failures, which over time can lead to depression and anxiety, and instead invest it in self-development? What if we can choose to come back to our center and connect with our deeper Truth? And then, decide to meet our every experience of failure or unworthiness with an open heart and deep compassion and use it as an opportunity not to compete with others but to evolve and express the gift of our uniqueness. Then, our critic can become our friend and mentor, and every difficulty – a stepping stone to a deeper awareness and more authentic and fulfilling experiences. We are not here to be better than others; we are here to be all we can be. By practicing self-compassion, we can release resentment and jealousy toward others, transform self-judgment into inner guidance, and free our mind from incessant ruminations. Self-compassion is not an excuse to be lazy or selfish, but it is giving ourselves permission to tend to our deeper needs and heal so we can participate in life more fully and grow to our highest potential. References: Maxwell Maltz. Psycho-Cybernetics Kristin Neff, Ph.D. Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself |
Diana Vehuni, Ph.D., is a certified spiritual and holistic life coach, mindfulness meditation teacher, and an artist. She brings together perennial mystical wisdom and cutting-edge scientific knowledge to facilitate profound transformation in her students and clients. Archives
December 2023
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