Feeling unsettled?
The past few years have turned many people’s lives upside down. And even when circumstances have been fine, some people have found that their inward experiences of being human have been shaken up. I myself experience anxiety, stressful thoughts and an over sensitive amygdala that easily puts me into ‘fight and flight’. Many people have felt unsettled in terms of mental and brain health, especially going from times of isolation and uncertainty to regaining a sense of ‘normality’ in terms of life post-pandemic restrictions, only to be thrown into a greater state of uncertainty with changes on a global level with wars and mass suffering. You wouldn’t be alone in feeling like things are up-ended in your own life and across the world. Many people around you, and perhaps you yourself, may be thriving, but I think it would be fair to say that the majority of people go to bed or wake up with unsettling thoughts and feelings and if you don’t, then count yourself very blessed.
On a personal level, I have been overcoming long-Covid which not only affects levels of fatigue and activity, cognition and concentration, but also neurologically and mentally it causes heightened stress, anxiety and can feel quite frightening. So it is wonderful to be able to sit up and type this blog post.
What can you do?
A lot of life is about just doing that next one thing. Living in day tight compartments and taking one day at a time. We may have found ourselves in situations where we would like to plan but plans have gone awry, and you just have to live in the reality of the moment that you are in. Recovering from long-Covid teaches many life lessons. Appreciating and being thankful for the moment, accepting that there are things in our bodies and brains and nervous systems that mean that our experience of being human can be tough and frightening sometimes and learning to ride out those moments, allowing them to pass – it’s a tough thing to learn to sit alone with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings and if you have suffered from heightened anxiety or mental health issues then you’ll know that this can feel quite scary. But thoughts and feelings are just that, they will pass, they are not reality.
Have an anchoring thought to get you through.
All through the day we experience thousands of thoughts, images, ‘memories’ and sensations passing through our minds. People with anxiety or intrusive thoughts find it more difficult not to be affected by these, especially in times of fatigue or stress or ill health or isolation. We’ve been conditioned to feel that staying at home is safe and while many may have bounced back into life in the ‘real world’ there are still many others whose nervous systems are struggling as much as we want to get back into life. While we may wake up feeling like we can’t face the day and our minds want to crush us into staying in bed where it feels safer, it helps to have a positive and anchoring phrase that we can use throughout the day to keep going, to over-ride those negative thoughts bombarding us.
It also, as long-Covid has taught me, and is teaching me, helps not to compare with others who are doing the things we want to be able to do, and it also helps to rest when we need to rest and reset so that gradually, bit by bit, we can regain mental and physical strength to keep going. One step at a time.
Being alone in your mind.
I find that isolation can cause the mind to play so many tricks, and we ‘experience’ our thoughts and mental experiences as if they are reality, and sometimes feel like we need to ‘fix’ things inside our heads, and that’s a part of rumination. It helps to be able to have an outward focus, and I’m gradually beginning to regain strength to be able to focus on things like working from home, and home-keeping (and allowing myself to focus on what I can do rather than feel bad about what I haven’t done yet), writing blogs, connecting with others, and studying again. If you are facing a battle in your mind know that you are certainly not alone. For me, I need to remind myself that faith looks upwards and outwards. While there may be times in our lives when our systems just break down and we need to address difficult life experiences and work through them, for the most part it is more healthy to be looking outwards and that can be difficult when we are alone with our minds. To learn both to sit with our minds and increase our tolerance of discomfort with anxiety and our thoughts and feelings but also to move forwards and to do something meaningful. That may be taking the smallest of steps, and continuing on to build resilience. Focusing on your path rather than being swallowed up with all the stress of the world.
Finding Peace and Purpose.
Life in this world can be unsettling. Yet you can take small steps each day to look after yourself, body and mind. And to find moments of joy in this life’s journey with all its ups and downs.
Real Peace and healing, however, I believe can only come from being connected with Jesus. There were times before I had this saving grace where outwardly I was successful, my life desirable to others, people even told me that they admired me or wished to be me, but inside as many of you know in your own experience there was pain and brokenness that all the externals could not touch. I searched and searched, and eventually turned from my own ways to look to Jesus, to choose Him and He came into my life in a most miraculous way and I felt joy and peace and love like I had never known before. I also experienced times of immense trials and battles for the first few years immediately following my ‘Salvation’ experience with Jesus Christ, but I persevered with Him, as tough as it was, and now, in my marrow, in my bones, in my very Spirit I have a Peace inside even when I feel unsettled in body or mind, as I draw close to God. I believe that this is what we are all searching for, yearning for, and many don’t even realise it, looking in all sorts of places to find this Peace, or self-destructing if we can’t. These streams of Living Water for the soul, this Love and forgiveness and deep cleansing and healing – it is very real, and Jesus Is the only way to know this true and everlasting Peace.
I share this because I believe it is of utmost importance eternally, and no one knows how long they have on earth, but eternal separation from God is not worth playing roulette over. The times are rapidly changing and I believe there will be an outpouring of blessing on people as God’s love beckons more and more people to repentance and to this saving relationship with Him, but I also believe that the world will become more and more unsettled over time, as there is a spiritual darkness, and how much we need the Light!
Wherever you are today, I hope you find some direction in these words, and I hope that you find some rest in your day as you move forwards, remembering both the importance of perseverance and pacing, and in the hope that ultimately you find true and lasting Peace. ❤ x
Life as it happens to be 