November 4, 2020

5 Ways to Stay Sane No Matter What is Happening Around You

Election Stress Got You Down? Let's get back to some basics!

Seems like everyone I talk to is really dealing with life-stuff - BIG life-stuff.

And these conversations are a reflection of where we are at on all levels - nationally, globally, planetarily, internally and externally.

Civil unrest, job loss, unemployment, homeschooling and distance learning - and the BIG one lately: election stress.

So I wanted to dive in and share some techniques on staying centered, grounded, and connected to self right now - because let’s face it, we’ve been working up all year to get to election day, but the truth is it's just about this one day - it's about what’s coming AFTER today.

No matter what side you’re on, or how you voted, some people are straight up not gonna be happy about how it all turns out. And some people are going to be rejoicing. So the divisiveness we’ve experienced around casting our ballots is only one, small part of the much, much bigger picture.

That means, NOW is the time for you to start polishing up that toolbox of yours and make sure it's stuffed with all the goodies to help you stay sane.

Here’s some tips on how to make that happen:

1) Get Grounded 

The moment you leave your house or enter into a virtual space with other people, you are susceptible to the energies around you. Without even realizing it, you can be picking up on other’s not-so-great vibes and before you know it, you are in a low vibe, too. Not sure if you buy into that? Think about how your mood instantly improves when a stranger smiles at you for no reason - or on the flip side, how your mood changes when a colleague brings their grumpiness to your team meeting and by the end of it you just wanna sit out on the couch and zone out on mindless TV the rest of the day. Truth is (yes, it’s science-backed) we are vibrating energy ALL day long and..it is infectious. So get yourself grounded before you leave the house or start your work-from-home day.

TRY THIS: I could get real woo-woo here if I wanted, so I will try to tone it down for y’all (but if you wanna get woo-woo with me, message me and let’s do it!). Every morning before I even get out of bed, I meditate and then do some journaling. Then I go walk my doggies and listen to something I know will anchor me into a day full of abundant possibilities. As I am getting dressed for my day, I say my daily mantras related to my current visioning work (right now it's: “I am in the best physical and financial shape of my life. There is nothing in me, on me, or around me that doesn’t serve me.”) and I continue on with any other conversations I need to have with myself. Now I am ready for anything because I have fully connected in to my truth, my power and my most intrinsic way of being. 

**This is what I do - because this works for me. You get to find what works for you. And then you get to commit to it. Daily. 

2) Connect to your WHY

Here’s what I keep reminding myself - in the grand scheme of things, we are tiny little ants in an enormous multi-verse and I was born to live in this time, in this place, in this body, with these people for a very specific reason. I can either drown in the heaviness of what’s going on around me or I can connect back into what I know to be true about my purpose (to be of service) and live that authentically, accordingly, and unapologetically. Connecting in with my purpose on a regular basis allows me to filter out what I want and don’t want in my life. So the first step is to get clear on your purpose. 

TRY THIS: I’m a big thinker and can get trapped in my headspace pretty easily. But I have found that journaling out my thoughts and using it as a way to examine my beliefs and limitations has helped me take my personal growth to a whole new level. Allow yourself even just 10-15 minutes before you get up or go to sleep to answer one, simple  question: 

Why am I here, right now, living in this moment in time? 

Do this every day until you really feel like you have nothing else to say. And then ask yourself if there’s anything more to say! Once you feel like you’ve emptied out, go back over your writing and look for the common themes in your responses and see if you can begin to piece your purpose together. It might be super clear right away or it might take awhile. Release any expectations or judgements around your process and just be open to what comes up. 

3) Focus OUT  

Oh man, this one gets me every time. Whenever I am feeling super grumpy and not wanting to “do” anything - not wanting to put on makeup or do my hair and go to another Zoom meeting - I turn out. I turn out because I can literally feel my body caving IN like a flower wilting in on itself in super speed motion. And I find that this happens easily when we are in isolation, which is much the case nowadays. It’s like we forget that we are one human living alongside billions of other humans and nothing is happening except what’s happening inside ourselves. Phew! It's exhausting just thinking about it! So if you can relate to any of this…

TRY THIS: I have several practices to help me get out of my own body but I will share the number one activity that helps me quickly shift out of the woe-is-me energy: writing and mailing gratitude letters. Yup, it's that simple. When I sit down to handwrite (yes, I said handwrite!) a letter or card, I am immediately tapping into all the wonderful things I admire, respect and appreciate about this particular individual. I express my gratitude and love for them, I pour my energy into them and all of a sudden, I am no longer a wilting flower but a vibrant being operating at a higher frequency, opening the door for more to be grateful for in my life. I sign, seal, stamp and send it off with high vibes and viola! I created space for my own shifts AND for someone to smile and feel loved. That’s a freakin win-win in my book! 

4) Laughter as soul food

It has been really easy this year to fall into a very serious and heavy energy. It makes sense, though, right? We’ve been isolated and shoveled full of fear messaging. And how is that working out for us? For some, we’ve bought into that messaging and let Fearful become our dominant way of Being. And we’ve forgotten to LIVE. We’ve forgotten to notice the beauty around us and we’ve certainly forgotten to laugh. And I’m not talking about the superficial, courtesy kind of laugh - I’m talking the deep, belly laughs that change our entire moods. The kind of laughter that stimulates all our organs, reduces our stress levels, strengthens our immune systems, releases endorphins, and oh yeah, it also brings us closer together and makes us feel more compassionate. Basically, it's the gateway to completely shifting your energy! 

TRY THIS: Next time you’re feeling low, stressed or super sad, put on the funniest show you can think of, the show that is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. For me, that’s Friends or Sex in the City. I swear the writers for those shows were thinking of us at this moment in time, writing and creating content purposely to alleviate some of our stress and make us laugh outrageously. I’ll tell you this - it feels damn good to laugh!

5) Unplug already! 

Do I need to say more about this?


Try these habits out and let me know what shifts for you. And, as always, if you need support on your visioning and radical self-love journey, then I am waiting for your call. Book it here.

Tina Medina
Education Coach and Lead Visionary of VIBE Movement