Some things may feel easier for you right now than they did a few weeks ago. You’ve likely figured out some semblance of a new normal for yourself and your family, if you have one.

You’ve likely…

Rebounded a bit from the initial shock of everything
Created some kind of ongoing structure to your day
Figured out how to feed yourself (and anyone else you’re responsible for)
Gotten creative in how you connect with others
Become discerning in what kinds of news and information you expose yourself to
Implemented more self-care practices into your life
Maybe even caught up on some things that you didn’t have the time or space for before
Learned to make lemonade out of these particularly unusual lemons

This is A LOT to celebrate! And hopefully you’re being kind, generous and gentle with yourself, too – no matter how well, or not, you’re navigating all of this.

And…

After many weeks of this, a clear path forward still isn’t clear. The leadership, at least in the US, isn’t improving and is perpetuating even more confusion and disillusionment than ever.

We are all being asked to reconcile inside of ourselves that this is not something that is going to be over and done with any time soon. This is not a sprint. This is an ultra-long-distance marathon. We are in this for the foreseeable future – however long that will be.

I remember when I was first grappling with the illness I’ve been dealing with since 2015. There was a long period of shock – that I was as sick as I was, that it was as serious as it was, and that it couldn’t be resolved with the tools and knowledge and will power that I had at the time.

It was baffling that I was actually getting worse instead of better. No amount of muscle, push, fight, will or even doing everything I was being told to do perfectly was going to be the magic thing that made me all better.

I felt confused, panicked, angry, depressed, anxious, and teetered between hopelessness and hopefulness. I was utterly desperate for any kind of relief, for a magic pill that would make me better, for something, anything, resembling the woman I used to be and the kind of life I used to be able to live.

As a collective, we are all in a similar place right now, too. We’re all facing, to some degree or another, anger and discontent, worry and uncertainty, and our deep discomfort with not knowing so many things.

Of course, there are moments of real beauty, new awareness, playfulness and joy, and even immense gratitude. AND, there is real grief around what’s happened. We’re all grieving…

What’s been lost
Lack of real human connection and touch
Global suffering
Not knowing when the suffering will end
Not knowing what will be as it once was and what will never be again
Not knowing what our lives will look like as stay at home orders begin to lift
Not knowing what the repercussions will be once we begin to collectively leave our homes…

So now, more than ever, it’s important to connect into your inner wisdom and do whatever you can to keep yourself healthy – in body, mind, heart and spirit.

When fear is rampant, and so much is unknown, it can be very easy to want to be told what to do. Somehow, we feel safer when we leave decision making and choice up to the “experts”.

But believe it, or not, when it comes to your vitality and your body, you are the expert.

Now is not the time for handing your decisions or your power or even something as valuable as your health over to someone or something outside of yourself.

Instead, it’s time to…

Get strong in body, mind, soul and spirit.
Bolster your self-esteem and your immunity.
Connect to the amazing wisdom of your beautiful body.
Follow through on doing the things you know to do to take care of yourself.
Nourish all of who you are.
Honor and love yourself at an entirely new level.
Do the deeper emotional and soul work that you know you’re being called to do.
Listen and trust your inner wisdom, truth and fire.

A woman who is well-nourished, deeply connected to her power and truth, and shameless about prioritizing herself is a woman who has learned to live life from her Power Spot – that place where her truth means more than what she’s been told she can be, have, enjoy and do.

So…

What nourishes you – both physically, but also internally?
What helps you connect to your body, your breath, your wisdom, your truth?
How can you take even better care of your physical body right now? Your mind? Your heart? Your soul?

So how do you do that? How do you stay connected to yourself when life is going a million miles an hour and life is constantly asking so much of you?

1. Slow down. This is not the time to be pushing, demanding a lot of yourself, judging or criticizing yourself for not doing more or handling things better. This is a time to take even better care of yourself. Because this is hard. There are a lot of unknowns. And trying to go faster or make our collective journey through this time go faster will only create more stress in your life. And stress is the biggest culprit behind lackluster immunity and poor health.

We are taught to believe that if we slow down, we will fail, or things will fall apart, or we’ll never get going again. We’re taught that slowing down is for the weak, the unsuccessful, the lazy. None of this is true.

There is a time for fast. But this is not it. It’s okay to go slow right now. In these unusual times, slow is your friend.

2. Prioritize – There are times in life when everything demands our attention and we’re pulled in many directions all at once. We call those moments in time emergencies. But life, in general and even right now, is not a true emergency.

We’re in a state of tremendous change and uncertainty, but we are out of the emergency state we were in a few weeks ago. Now we need our resourcefulness and our resilience to move through our fears, our frustrations and all that we don’t know.

It’s time to get clear on what is most important to you, and to prioritize those things in your life. Make a list of the top 5 things that are most important to you so that you can get clear on where you time, energy and devotion really needs to go. This way you’ll be far more effective and efficient at the things that matter most, while putting the things that aren’t true concerns right now on the back burner.

This will free up so much energy, and more mental and emotional bandwidth and space for you as we navigate where we’re all at and where we’re going.

3. Remember – Take inventory of WHO YOU ARE. Who are you? Are you a good decision maker? Creative? An amazing problem solver? A visionary? An activist? A fantastic chef, singer, juggler, writer, thinker, lover, friend?

Make an exhaustive list. Here’s why: So often we define ourselves and our worth based on what we DO. But you are not a human doing. You are a human being. Your value isn’t dependent upon what you do, what you earn, or any other role you used to play.

We live in a world that is constantly telling us what we have to do and who we have to become in order to fit in, earn love, and be successful. One of the most powerful ways to honor yourself, while elevating your vitality and immunity, is to no longer put stock in what other people are saying about you.

Get clear on what you know about you. Stand in that. Be that. And remember. Don’t let anyone try to tell you otherwise.

4. Monitor – Track your emotions, name them as they arise, and remember they are like the ocean, coming and going in waves. It’s easy to get attached to a feeling, but really, our feelings want to be acknowledged and then move on.

Also watch your thoughts – are you giving too much attention to what’s not going well? To what you haven’t done? To what you can’t control? Are you complaining a lot? These are time/energy/vitality thieves. You need all of these things right now. And the world needs the best of you, too.

If you find yourself going down a rabbit hole of complaints, depression, frustration and you’re maybe even slipping into perpetually numbing out, a little big picture perspective can go a long way. Ask yourself, and the Higher Power you believe in to show you how all of this could be happening for you… Let yourself be curious instead of judgmental.

5. Be vigilant – Our individual and collective fears, shadows, coping mechanisms, maladaptive thoughts and behaviors are even trickier right now. So, it’s more important now than ever to set healthy boundaries, time limits and exposure limits – to the news, to less-than positive voices, images, movies, etc. – and do your best to stay connected to the things that make you come alive.

What feels good to you? What pumps lifeforce through your body? What lights you up from the inside out? What inspires you, stretches you, feels playful and fun? Take the time to focus on the goodness in your life, the things that feel amazing, what is going well. Take inventory and make lists of the things you appreciate every day – many times a day if you are in a rough spot.

Be vigilant with what you expose yourself to and for how long. You get to choose, so choose what supports you best and helps you to feel good.

6. Receive reliable support – So often we are the givers in our communities and families. We are the glue that keeps everything together. We are the ones who can see what’s needed, so we follow through on what we see. But who is supporting you right now? Who is making sure you’re okay? You’re fed and nourished and able to keep doing all of the great things you’re doing right now?

Make a list of the ways you like to be supported. Maybe it’s a weekly phone call with a particular friend or family member. Maybe it’s scheduling more regular appointments with a therapist, counselor, mentor or coach. Maybe it’s connecting with a circle of women virtually.

Maybe it’s Facebook groups that inspire and enliven you with tips, tools and other women who are in the same place you are. Maybe support for you looks like just being on the phone or a video call with someone while you cook, clean, read, give yourself a manicure, or clean out that closet – a way to share time together without needing to have a conversation or a particular agenda.

Let yourself receive the reliable support that is in your life. And if you need to find more kinds of support that you can count on, join me and a group of amazing women from all around the world in my free private online community here.

PS: This is especially important if you identify as an extrovert or feel like you thrive whenever you are around and connecting with others.

7. Gentleness and Generosity – There are times to challenge yourself and really stretch beyond your comfort zone. This may be that time for you, but it may not. Regardless, this is not a time to be harsh with yourself (or others). This Is not a time to be pushing or punishing yourself. This is a time for extreme self-care and caring for others. This is a time for finding what works and following through on that.

This is a time for learning, curiosity, and open heartedness. What helps you stay open? What cracks open your heart and makes you want to be a better woman? What inspires you to love more? Being gentle and generous with yourself is always a good idea.

Remind yourself every day, maybe several times a day, that you are doing the very best you can right now. These times aren’t about being perfect or never making a mistake or needing to be something you’re not.

Be kind to yourself. Bench your inner judge and put your inner cheerleader into play. Make lists of what you are doing, what you’re doing well, what is working. Speak kindly to yourself, offer reassurance to your worries, hold yourself in the highest regard right now. This kindness towards yourself pays huge dividends, again and again.

May these tips be the reminder you need to nourish yourself and connect even deeper to your power and truth and help you to prioritize your vitality right now. Only you can choose to live your life from your Power Spot. That’s where your fulfillment lives, and the place from which you can really create the amazing life you know you’re meant to live.

Big hugs to you.