I just wanted to write this post to remind you of the many free resources you have access to via my website and YouTube Channel, and all of them, as you may have guessed, are geared towards helping you become more educated and regulated when it comes to the nervous system, as well as healing, and being with both old and present day traumas.
** If you’d like to head to those resources directly, just scroll down. **
But if you feel like reading a little more, here are some thoughts around the current times we are in…
It goes without saying that being connected to the here and now, and feeling the body and all its sensations, thoughts and ‘feels’ might be a bit much for a lot of us right now, given the global crisis most of us are experiencing.
But I’m here to remind you why it is still so important to connect to the present moment, our body, and its sensations and feelings.
The reason this is important is because when we don’t, we run the risk of trapping this survival energy in our systems. Historically, this is what we’ve done as humans when times were tough, and rightfully so, because we didn’t understand how emotions, trapped stresses, and being caught in mental loops harm not only our psyche, but our physiology and our capacity to stay in connection with others and our environment.
When we don’t process overwhelm, and we trap all this survival energy inside, we run the risk of developing what is called PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Gone too long, and coupled with unresolved early trauma, we can develop chronic and mental illness, as well as complex-PTSD.
Now, please know that not everyone who traps a few tears and has some awful thoughts will become unwell, but when it is continuous, and insidious, and not directly worked with, it can creep in without us realizing it, until we DO realize it.
So I figure, why take the chance and leave our genetics, fate, or luck of the draw up to determine our experience, right?
Here’s the thing: we know exactly what to do to prevent this, and this is one of the first opportunities in history that I can think of, wherein we have a global crisis going on, when we can aim to come out of it BETTER than when we went in.
I said this in my first vlog of 2020, and I will say it again now for those who didn’t hear it:
We are at a time in history when the research, the science, and the practices are all aligned. We really DO know what to do.
I don’t want to deny the real pain and suffering that is currently happening, and my heart goes out to those families who have already lost loved ones. I don’t want to deny the economic uncertainty either. But there are certain things we can work with and control, and I’d love to remind you to focus on these things.
Here are my Hand-Picked Practical Resources For Calming, De-Stressing, and Staying Connected
– If you have yet to start with my resources and you’d like to give them a try, I suggest starting with this cheat sheet and audio neurosensory exercises titled, The Four Simple Steps To Calm Overwhelming Emotions and Sensations
– From there, read through my most popular ebook, How To De-Stress in 7 Steps, which is part theory and part practical step-by-step guide, to slow you down and de-stress.
– Then, if you are feeling like you need a hug, and need to reconnect to your body with some tactile pressure, give this video lesson a try, where I guide you through some ancient medicine for containment and calming the nervous system.
– Another favourite audio resource is my 15-minute neurosensory exercise. This is a basic lesson that helps you reconnect to the present moment, by slowing down, orienting, and remembering the body and how it can connect to the ground under us.
If you’d prefer to start with some basic theory, here are some favourites for you to start with:
– How to grow and practice self-awareness
– How to build capacity to heal anxiety
More Practical?
If you’d like a few more sample exercises and explorations, I have a Playlist on my YouTube channel here.
More Theory & Discussions?
If theory, learning, and informal chats are more your style, check out my Q&A Playlist, also on YouTube.
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Please remember, the more educated we are on what is actually happening in our physiology, and the more we can pause and slow things down, so we can process the fear and stresses as they pop up, the less likely they will stick within us, and most importantly, the less likely we will have to recover physiologically and psychologically, when this current crisis comes down and to its end.
So, please: practice, learn, apply, and repeat, in whichever order makes sense to you right now.
So much goodness, safety, and love,
Irene.
PS If you know you are in need of crisis support, please know that we maintain links on my contact page for crisis support globally.
