Daily Excerpt: How to Stay Calm in Chaos (Gentile) - Introduction
excerpt from How to Stay Calm in Chaos by Julie Gentile
Introduction
How are you? Really, how are you
doing? How are you feeling emotionally, physically, spiritually?
At the time of this writing, we are
living history. Most of the world is under some level of a stay-at-home mandate
and/or physical distancing due to a global crisis that has swept the planet. As
my 4-year-old daughter has reminded me almost daily since this began,
“Everything is closed.” She’s right. These days are different. Parks,
schools, libraries, and restaurants are closed. Who would have thought you
would have to be aware of how many people will be outside at the same time as
you when you go for a walk around the block?
The uncertainty during these unusual times can make you feel a range of emotions in the span of a few moments—from helpless and hopeless to overwhelmed and exhausted to disappointed and frustrated to joyful and hopeful—but definitely not calm.
This situation is new for everyone, and everyone copes with change in different ways. It’s a lesson for many, and a reminder for all, that the only constant in life is change. We don’t stay the same, especially in our thoughts and feelings, which are fleeting.
Many of us are working from home, watching young children and/or taking care of loved ones while trying to create a new (temporary) normal to keep ourselves and our families calm. Although calendars have been wiped clean of in-person social activities and events, the life of a working mom (or at least this one) during a time of constant chaos is busier than ever. Our minds are still incredibly active, running faster than a racehorse, while our eyes remain glued to the newsfeeds at our fingertips.
The new temporary normal has forced many of us to slow down, simplify our previous routines, and cease all activities except the essential ones. It is certainly not a break from busy, but a break from the ordinary. This situation has caused us to rethink everything.
I have been a yoga teacher since 2011 and practicing yoga since 2008. Yoga and self-care are the only practices that could have prepared me for staying calm in chaos. Yoga helps us become more aware of our typical patterns. As we learn a new pose or breathing exercise, or get familiar with meditation, we learn to sit with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that come up, such as, “Am I going to be able to sit in stillness for this five-minute meditation?” The work on the mat prepares us for the work off the mat, so that when we face similar things in our lives, we have a strategy to cope with them.
Sometimes, it’s hard to get through a typical week. Add a crisis to the mix, and it doesn’t seem doable. The key is to take it one mindful day at a time. On the following pages, I’ve created one theme for each day of the week to help you stay calm in chaos. Once you’ve worked your way through this book, continue to use the practices every week to help you cope with the ever-changing landscape we are living in.
I’ll take you beyond the basics of eating well, exercising, and getting quality sleep to bring you into a self-care zone that meets you where you are. You’ll learn practices you can do between the four walls of your home.
Self-care is needed now more than ever, as we are all learning how to cope with not knowing what comes next. As ordinary life has shifted for many, stay at home and shelter in place with self-care. Self-care will help you get through today, tomorrow, and every day. It will help you keep moving forward. This is not the time to see how far you can push yourself. Give yourself grace and give yourself space in the face of chaos.
As with those who have come before us, you can do hard things. You already have.
To help inspire others, I invite you to share your stories of what helps
you stay calm in chaos on Instagram with the hashtag #stayingcalminchaos.
Julie M. Gentile
How to Stay Calm in Chaos earned honorable mention
in the Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards mind/body/spirit category
For more posts about Juie and her books, click HERE.
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