Three Simple Practices to Find Ease In a Chaotic World
How to bring more ease and less dis-ease (originally defined as the opposite of ease) into your life when the world is filled with turmoil? We’ve been co-existing with suffering and uncertainty about what the future will look like for a long while. To be sure, these are beyond challenging times.
You may feel guilty about allowing yourself to experience some ease while so many are in heart wrenching crisis. I fully understand where you’re coming from and also respectfully say yes to self-care. It’s essential to your well-being and allows you to feel nourished so that you can be present, supportive and loving to others. These are wonderful, essential qualities that the world needs now, more than ever. Without self-care, you’ll eventually stay in low energy and your negative emotions will be picked up by others.
I invite you to take a short break from dis-ease to spend some quality time with ease. I’ll leave it to you how much time you visit, even a few moments will reap benefits.
Three simple ways to spend time with ease.
Start a glimmers practice.
I learned about this simple, beautiful practice through Licensed Clinical Social worker and author, Deb Dana. Deb describes glimmers as micro moments that begin to shape our system in very gentle ways. Glimmers can allow us to experience bursts of authentic ease and joy. Best of all, Deb says that glimmers are the opposite of triggers. Given that we’re driven by triggers, especially in our current world, this is a welcome treat.
What constitutes a glimmer will be personal to you. For example, noticing how your dog cocks her head when you sing a high note, seeing a butterfly hovering near a flower, basking in the beauty of a perfect sunset, appreciating a foggy morning. The list is endless. The idea is to keep your mind and heart open to noticing what a glimmer means for you. Deb recommends setting a glimmer intention, which can result in delight that will inspire you to look for more glimmers.
My glimmers practice involves finding one glimmer per day. This is easy for me to find in the mountains, as nature holds many glimmers for me. I was more skeptical about having a glimmers practice in the city, yet, as soon as I opened my heart to the idea that glimmers are everywhere, I’ve been repeatedly delighted. Last week, I noticed a cat basking in the sun on the sidewalk, the shadow of his little head with pointy ears close by. It was lovely to watch. The more you find glimmers, the more you’ll notice, even when not actively seeking a glimmer.
2. Develop a mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness is the practice of returning to the present moment without judgment, using all of your senses. I bring mindfulness into my client sessions and have noticed each client’s energy move from dysregulation to a place of peace within minutes. I invite clients to join me in a simple grounding exercise that involves noticing feet on the ground, hand on stomach and/or hand resting gently on the side of the face. Nothing else to do but notice, with no judgment. A subtle slowing and regulation of the nervous system will naturally happen, allowing you to know you’re safe in the present moment, just being.
If you’re thinking to yourself, “I’m not good at meditating, it makes me more anxious,” try thinking of mindfulness as the opposite of meditation. The goal of mindfulness is to bring your awareness back to the present moment and notice, just notice whatever is there. You can engage in mindfulness through sight, sound, touch, taste, touch and smell.
For example, you could slowly rub a scented lotion on your hands and notice the experience of moving your hands, the smell and texture of the lotion. Most any activity can be mindful - just slow it down, noticing what you’re doing in the moment. Coloring, walking, knitting or baking can be mindful when you pay attention to the experience. For more information on developing a mindfulness practice, please reach out to me!
3. Develop a movement practice with variable speeds.
Movement is especially good for the nervous system. Indigenous cultures used movement in the form of dancing and drumming as a way of processing upsetting emotions and finding peace and ease. Ever heard of people who take up running after a breakup or traumatic experience? Aerobic exercise increases dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, giving us a temporary burst of feel good emotions, helping reduce stress and increase ease. The bilateral movement of the body in motion also helps process emotions. A 2017 research study noted that exercise helped improve mood and increased feelings of calm, compared to non-exercisers, who experienced higher amounts of agitation.
Moving slower has benefits, as well. A restorative yoga class can result in a calmer nervous system, improved sleep and mood and pain reduction. Get the thumbs up from your doctor to create a movement routine that incorporates various movement speeds and allow yourself to experience the ease that movement so naturally offers.
What Does Ease Mean to You?
Ease looks different for each of us. These suggestions are meant to open you to the idea that ease comes in many forms, doesn’t require a lot of time or planning, and can bring you into the present moment to appreciate what is. I encourage you to open your heart and notice how allowing moments of ease can benefit your life.
Until next month… Ginny
If you’re having a mental health emergency, please dial 911 and/or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Available 24 hours. Call 1-800-273-8255
References: Reichert M, Tost H, Reinhard I, et al. Exercise versus nonexercise activity: e-diaries unravel distinct effects on mood. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017;49(4):763-773. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001149
Ginny Paige, LCSW
Ginny Paige is a therapist in New York and Vermont. She specializes in supporting adults and children who are struggling to manage life’s changes.