A new year is a time of renewed hope and energy. But 2021 has started with ongoing and new challenges. It can seem as though there is little relief in the onslaught of collective trauma experienced by our nation and the world. The headlines continue to portray negativity, death, and disruption. What are we to do?
Just as we experience these traumas collectively, I propose we heal collectively as well. We are intertwined with each other, and our healing processes, both internal and external, are interconnected as well. As we heal as individuals, let’s reach out to process and support one another. Let’s create the feeling of renewal we are all yearning for – together.
Practice Mindfulness
As Jon Kabat-Zinn states in Coming to Our Senses, “Our wholeness and interdependence can actually be verified here and now, in any and every moment through waking up and realizing that, in the deepest of ways, we and the world we inhabit are not two.” As we bring ourselves into the moment through our breath and the senses, let go of judgments and preconceived notions. When we release what we cannot control and focus on what we can, we can feel safe and empowered enough to effect change.
We can begin the healing process by breathing, deeply into our abdomen, and focusing on our experience through the world by grounding through the senses, getting out of our head and our turbulent reactive feelings. We can sit with our emotions, allow ourselves to feel them and then choose how we can respond. This takes practice, but even two minutes a day can get you closer. Let us meet ourselves where we are and start with what we can.
Change Your Morning Routine
What is the first thing you look at in the morning? If, like many, it is your phone, try to break this habit. What if instead of starting the day by immediately opening a news app or scrolling social media, you grounded yourself in your being first? What if you could identify where you are in the world, your breath, what you need, what energy to harness for the day before inundating yourself with negative headlines that can throw you off balance. Try starting the day mindfully with a prayer, a meditation, a breathing or grounding exercise before moving into the news. This fosters a feeling of security, which allows for a balanced approach to processing the news. Taking these first actions individually opens the way to heal collectively throughout the day.
Get Back into our Bodies
Alone or together, we can use mindful movement, yoga, dance or walking/running. When we are in our bodies and can activate the sympathetic nervous system, then we can feel safe and socially engaged. When we feel engaged, we can effect change.
Make Connections
Despite the need to social distance, we can talk and process our experiences, thoughts, emotions and feel support, even via Zoom or FaceTime. These actions inspire us and ignite us. We can breathe and meditate together, even if it is through an online platform. When we talk or move together, virtually or physically, we are touching base with our intuitive positivity, our interconnectedness, and we know we are not in this world alone. We can then get in touch with the part of us that feels connected to something larger, and that is where we find hope.
There is something beautiful and magical that happens when we pray together or listen to a beautiful piece of music together. There is something extraordinary that takes place when we nonjudgmentally listen to how we each uniquely experience our collective trauma. We can be here for each other. We can decide how to initiate change, first internally, then with our family, and then with our community. If you change how you approach and interact with the world, the dynamic of the interaction changes.
We are powerful together.
Andrea Cunningham, M.S., LPC-S, CYT