What Will Bring Me Ease Right Now
What Will Bring Me Ease Right Now
Here are 9 ways to help get there
Turns out I’ve not been handling all this as well as I thought. All this, being the external chaos and mayhem that continues to pummel our senses on a daily basis.
For me, the overflow happened with the mass shootings at Uvalde and the July 4th parade where families and communities were devastated, a deeply divided country that I love, or want to love, the overturning of Roe v Wade, and the still prevalent worldwide pandemic. I’m stressed. And, it’s in my body.
It continued in the days after the SC decision on Roe (I was surprised at my viseral-in-a-fetal-position bodily reaction to that one) which was followed by more monumental, gut-punch decisions, when I realized something. I’d been in denial. Denying the stress, fear, and anxiety that had been simmering beneath the surface. So, now it’s in my body and it made me sick: stomach issues, headache, vertigo, tight chest.
It got me thinking about this that’s grabbed hold of me and so many others. I may not have a disease in the common definition, but I most certainly have dis-ease.
Dis-ease. Dis-ease is being filled with anxiety, worry, doubt, and anticipation of the worst outcome. Sound familiar?
In other words, fear.
What does dis-ease do to our bodies? Apparently, a lot of things. When you’re in a state of anxiety or dis-ease, it can “weaken your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to viral infections.”
Dis-ease takes place whenever fear creeps in. As a Time article termed it, we have been in pandemic anxiety. And, there’s science behind why we worry and suffer from dis-ease.
So, that begs us to ask, what do we fear?
As I sat with my journal, I attempted to answer the question: What do I fear? For the next several moments, I laid bare all that I was in fear of. Of being alone. Of death. Of losing work and healthcare. Of not finding true love. Of not thriving as a writer. Of not having money for retirement. Of losing more rights. Of losing our planet. Of being alone. Okay, I listed that one twice. Of losing my passion, my drive, my creativity. Of this being the new normal. Of running out of time.
Of. Of. Of.
Seeing them in black and white, on a flat surface, letters, and words, thoughts on paper, made them less massive. Less… real. I felt like I’d run a marathon after spewing them all onto the page.
I stared at them. Then, asked of each them the following questions: Is this fear real? And, what is the truth? I went over each one again and asked myself the truth in and beneath each.
And are they happening right now? In most cases, no.
In reality, most fears are future projections and self-created expectations. And unknown circumstances that have nothing to do with me or with me right now. They do not reflect my present now. Then, when examining them, one by one, the truth was often the exact opposite of the fear.
So, what’s the opposite of dis-ease?
Ease.
Just uttering the word is calming. Try it. Whisper it. Say it aloud.
Ease.
The word means “absence of difficulty or effort.” Or to “make something unpleasant, or intense, less serious or severe.” And, “move carefully, gradually, or gently.” Or “to give freedom or relief.”
Alleviation, comfort, release, relief.
Ease is the state of being comfortable.
“Verily, with every hardship comes ease.” — Quran, 94:6
It’s not far fetched to say most of us are not truly in a state of comfortable right now. And much of it is due to not knowing what’s coming next. When you think about it, the unknown is where we project most of our fears.
“Being at ease with not knowing is crucial for answers to come to you.” — Eckhart Tolle
Fear and dis-ease also affect our immune systems, making us physically and emotionally sick, or in dis-ease. The act of acquiring ease is something we can do all day long to keep our systems steady and healthy.
So, how to get there?
This is one thing my community and I have doing over the last few years, since before the pandemic, It’s a simple technique that can foster immediate results.
When dis-ease or anxiety happens, the first thing is to ask yourself this question:
What will bring me ease right now?
It’s often an ideal question as well to present to a friend or loved one in dis-ease. Ask them: what will bring you ease right now?
These 8 more things can help.
It could be as simple as taking a deep breath and remembering to exhale. How often do you find yourself holding your breath without realizing it?
It could be turning off the news. It’s one thing to want to be informed; it’s quite another to overload on the same fear-inducing info over and over.
It could be calling your doctor or a therapist if you’re feeling in dis-ease.
It could be reaching out to a friend. So often, the ease comes when we express the concern, say it out loud and release it.
It could be moving your body like taking a walk or doing yoga.
It could be taking action liking adding your voice to a mission or crusade or writing letters to those who can make a difference. Getting involved in making a difference.
It could be getting quiet. I often find if I create a still zen-like environment, the calm on the outside starts to permeate the inside. Sit on soft pillows, listen to soothing music, light a candle, caress your pet, elevate your feet.
“I am restless but deeply at ease. Branches tremble; the roots are still.” — Rumi
It could be journaling. Often nothing helps more than putting pen to paper in a journal so discover what you’re truly thinking, feeling. It’s where you can be utterly honest with yourself.
And, what if a fearful circumstance becomes my/our reality? Then, I’ll find a new pathway, a fresh way of understanding or learning. Read credible information, join a class or group, learn a new skill, exert energy toward positivity.
There’s ease in surrendering to the unknown, to the ebb and flow of circumstances and consequences that inevitably occur.
There’s ease in knowing that true heart’s desires are ingrained. What’s not ingrained are the hows and the ways to get and be there.
There’s ease in trusting that the world will open up in new ways. Exciting ways. Ways we haven’t thought of yet.
There’s ease in hope, in believing in the good in people. That love is stronger than hate. The love binds us.
“Never lose hope, my dear heart. Miracles dwell in the invisible.” Rumi
What brings me ease right now? That does.
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