Get Some Headspace
It's true to say that we're living in extraordinary times of much flux and uncertainty.
The day to day reality is that we're all dealing with the same situation, but with widely differing challenges. Some of us have way to much to do, others are dealing with extreme boredom. Some are alone with too much personal space, others are feeling like they have none. We feel grateful because we have homes, food, people who love us and communities that support us. But we also feel angry, depressed, sad or cheated - and then feel guilty for feeling these emotions from our lucky position.
We are ALL experiencing moments (days or weeks) of feeling unsettled, ungrounded and all at sea. Our lives have been turned inside out and upside down by something unexpected and outside of our control. We are united in our anxiety.
Finding a sense of calm and peace feels harder than ever. But, simultaneously, it's never been more important. We must give ourselves the time and space to soothe and nourish ourselves - so that we can, in turn, soothe and nourish those we love.
When I'm feeling antsy, out of control or unstable, meditation is my solace. Whether I sit for 5 minutes or 25, it resets my mood and helps me get perspective.
I've been meditating for over 20 years so I'm in the habit of simply sitting and watching my thoughts come and go, but in recent weeks this has been harder than usual to manage. When I need something more to focus on, I use a brilliant free app called Insight Timer. It has 40,000 guided meditations covering a wide range of options from anxiety to forgiveness, from sleep to healing. Many nights, when I've been lying awake in that 2-4am 'worry window', I've reached for my headphones and listened to a sleep meditation. It helps drown out the circling thoughts and almost always sends me off to sleep.
We all need a little bit of calm and a lot more headspace right now. Little and often is better than a large occasional chunk. Even five minutes a day is enough to make a difference.
I bookmark my favourite meditations so I don't have to search (especially helpful at 3am!) and I've done some great online courses too. I now know the teachers that resonate with me and I follow them. It really is an amazing resource and I can't recommend it highly enough.
For the record some of my personal faves include David Gandelman (down to earth and practical), Sarah Blondin (lyrical and poetic), Kenneth Soares (I LOVE his sleep meditations with affirmations - all that positivity seeping in while I snooze), Davidji (mindful yogi), Mark Guay (living life on purpose)....
Why not download Insight Timer now and give it a try?