3 ways to create sacred space in the midst of a crisis
If you’re reading this, you might be recovering from some sort of a blow. And while I don’t want to assume what you’re feeling, as that’s only your right, I’ve observed patterns as I’ve walked women through crisis. When we’re experiencing acute hardship, like loss, betrayal, or divorce, moving through that difficulty takes up nearly all of our mental space. That leaves very little room for clarity, goodness and light.
So, how do we let our feelings flow without being swept away in them? One way is to remind yourself of who you are at your core -- the truest, most authentic version of yourself. Today, I’ll walk you through three steps you can take to create the space you need to recognize your strength, value, and worth.
1. Remove or limit negative influences from your life.
As painful as it might be, some of these negative influences may be the people closest to you, including your family, partner, or friends. Although it can be intimidating to create boundaries, it feels powerful to choose who gets to know the intimate details about your feelings and situation. This is a way to remind yourself that you are in control of who and what you allow in your energy space. Now is the time to block out the noise and take care of you.
Activation:
Are any of your friends or family (unknowingly) hurting you? To break it down into tangible terms, identify situations or words that were said that left you feeling worse instead of better.
You can create some distance between yourself and those people, even if it’s just temporary. It doesn’t serve your highest good to tolerate negative conversations because of years of relational equity. Reach for conversations and interactions with those that serve your highest good.
2. Identify your soul compass. You’re probably familiar with your moral compass: the set of beliefs you hold about what is acceptable behavior or not. Your moral compass keeps you on track. But you also have a soul compass, a feeling deep in your gut that points you in a direction that feels most aligned with who you are and what you really want to do. Abandoning your soul compass is the easiest way to lose touch with your truest and most authentic self.
Activation:
Tune into your soul. Write down 3-5 values that you hold dearly, and start to embrace them one by one.
Return to your roots. Who you were before this happened? How does this align with your soul compass?
Reframe how you approach situations. If making a decision means abandoning your soul compass, take another route. Just like any other compass, your soul compass keeps you on track.
3. Commit to daily renewal and self-soothing. When life gets messier than usual, we start to resist the journey and crave the destination. We want to feel better – about ourselves, our situations and our lives. Step into your power by integrating at least one self-soothing practice into your daily routine.
Activation:
Choose one way to self-soothe per day as a way of daily renewal, such as moving your body for 10 minutes, meditating, creating art, or savoring your evening tea. By turning your healing into a daily ritual, you grow in your resilience against despair. Remind yourself that growth is a journey and you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
At the end of each soothing practice you implement, celebrate your progress. Congratulate yourself for continuing to reach for what serves your highest good.
As you practice, try new ways to self-soothe. If you need inspiration, Daily Dose of Nourishment for the Soul is my free 10-day series of practices that tap into the best version of yourself. You can grab it here.
Have you explored your soul compass, practiced setting boundaries, or created renewal rituals? Email me here to tell me your story!
Rooting for you,