Ways to Care for Yourself when Your World is Colliding

Sometimes it can feel like the world around us or within us is collapsing. Our little safe haven is in pieces. It happens to everyone from time to time, and it’s definitely part of the path and the awakening of the Wild Woman Archetype.

What I noticed on my clients when I used to do Wild Woman Empowerment Coaching and even just on the wild women around me (and based on my personal experience as well) is that there’s little knowledge and information shared about how to deal with these situations and stress when we go through such challenging phases of life.

So I gathered my own resources that helped me through my Wild Woman awakening phase and ever since any hard time, when I feel like my world is falling apart. I’d like to share them with you in hopes to provide with any benefits.

Share your favorite ways to cope in the comments below!

 When I go through challenging times or have hardship with the people around me I often find myself focusing outside of me and end up feeling like “I’m gonna go crazy”. But what helped me a lot is to keep bringing my awareness back to myself and my own sanity, my mental health. There’s nothing more important than our health, including mental health. Nothing is worth losing your peace of mind over, so if it doesn’t benefit you mentally it shouldn’t occupy majority of your thoughts either. I know, it’s easier to say than to do. My brain tends to spin like crazy on negative thoughts so it can get really difficult (but equally rewarding) to stop the process and focus on the things that are good for my mental health.

Get some help if needed. An accountability buddy can do magic let it be your partner, your family members or a friend, who can bring your awareness back to what is important and remind you when you’re on autopilot and don’t even notice it. Or maybe book an extra session with your therapist or find one to speak to. You deserve to feel supported.

It’s just human nature to look outside ourselves, but it’s not good when we see what others do but are unable to look at our own actions. There’s nothing wrong with that and it’s part of our soul evolution to learn to look within and call ourselves out on our own BS. I used to blame others for my suffering until I realised that I play a huge part in it. I wasn’t aware of how much I actually enjoyed playing the victim and complain to people about my misery, painting everything worse as it was to gain sympathy and attention from others. It was a hard pill to swallow but I had to do it in order to grow beyond myself.

It’s always good to take an honest inventory of what we do. So answer the question honestly to yourself: How are you contributing to your own suffering in this situation?

 I lived through severe trauma and hence my nervous system is still super sensitive, meaning at times it only needs a tiny trigger to ring the alarm and go on full defense or autopilot mode. Never was there a time in which the news was so readily and visually available as now. My sensitive nervous system just can’t process the suffering and extra negativity that pours from the media. Setting boundaries around news channels and social media gave me a chance to return to the here and now and helped my body to realize that, in this moment, I am safe. It’s okay if you don’t watch the news today. It’s okay if you put away your phone. Take a break from the world if you need to.

Might sound cliche but it’s one of my favorite and most easily accessible ways when I feel like the dark clouds are gathering above my head is to look at the things your grateful for.

My brain was naturally wired to see things in a rather negative light, so I have to fore myself a bit to shift my perspective and look for the silver lining in things, than gradually I am able to see more and more things to be grateful and happy about what eventually  helps me to shift my whole mindset from complaining and seeing things negatively, to a more optimistic and hopeful outlook.

Another cliche but humans are part of nature and it’s unnatural to spend so much time between 4 walls, glued to a screen of our computer, TV or smartphone with little to no interaction with other humans and plants. I always tend to get depressed when I can’t spend enough time in nature, so even if my only chance to connect with the Earth was going to the nearby park, I took the chance. Just notice the difference you feel when you start to spend more and more time outside, on the fresh air, touching the soil and the leaves of plants. Nature heals, there’s no way denying that.

I found that the best way to get rid of stress hormones and negative thoughts is by movement – yoga, dance, moving meditation, hiking, riding the bicycle or even a walk home instead of taking public transport helped me a lot. I feel more grounded, calm and connected when I move my body, and it is also scientifically proven – movement helps release happiness hormones in your body so you feel better.

What is your experience?

Share it with your fellow Wild Women in the comments below! 🐺