So you’ve been home indoors, and small bits of bad news have been reported all day long by the mainstream media. Your dinner plans fell through, and work is, well… simply stressful. And as they say: The biggest challenge of working from home is staying out of the kitchen.
But truly, if you remain home all day, negative thoughts can start swirling around in your head. You know what they say: The best thing about remote work is not having to hide your snack drawer from your colleagues. Who knew “business casual” would one day mean “nice shirt and pajama pants”? But honestly, you may motivate yourself to get outdoors in nature and perhaps take a bit of a walk in the nearby park.
Instead of online scrolling, which was crushing your spirit even further, the outdoors is soothing, consoling, and comforting. It may not seem to matter as much that you felt disappointed by your boss. You let yourself dissolve into the trees and clouds around you.
Your fate may not concern you as tightly for a while. Nature will help you recover your balance, sweet friends. You may think less of achievements and power. You can let go of your resentments if you tell yourself that some things should simply matter less.
At least once a day, say the words: Let Go and Surrender. Not everything that happens to you says something profound or penetrating about you. Learn to wear your fate more lightly, sweet friends.
Your mind has thoughts daily that go unfiltered. Many of our emotions we do not have the courage to look at. You may be angry right now without having any awareness that you are. You might feel sad or guilty about something without any grasp of what’s at play.
Do you know what is hiding behind your psychological curtain? Anything that threatens your idea of calm or peace, you may simply remain resistant to. You consider yourself to be a nice person, so how can you possibly be angry at your old “busybody” aunt? You couldn’t really be jealous of your neighbor’s new house or car. Speaking of cars, I know you promised to drive carefully, but then the music started.
But seriously, you fancy yourself to be always kind and considerate. Admitting those feelings would surely threaten the pleasing image of who you think you are.
You most likely choose to forget rather than truly understand. But underneath all those defenses and layers, your conscience wants the truth. You may develop all manner of symptoms, anxiety, or insomnia in the hope of letting you know that there is something you need to explore.
Indeed, we must all make a reckoning at some point. However, when your mind is alerted, your body, too, responds. What you haven’t felt outright, you will feel in the form of a symptom. If your mind refuses to look at your anger, you may suddenly develop headaches or back pain. Then again, if you get a headache, you can do what it says on the bottle: Take 2 aspirin and keep away from children.
But truly, lack of awareness will always come back to haunt you. If you do not deal with your anxiety, you may develop stomachaches or gut issues. Unfelt feelings can quite literally make you sick. In order to spare your body, ask yourself what your body parts are trying to tell you.
Should you end that toxic relationship? Should you take on less responsibility? Perhaps you finally need the courage to say, “I’m sorry,” to someone. It’s time to face what you have been in flight from for way too long.
Someone once observed: Feelings are something you have, not who you are. You simply cannot change anything until you accept it, sweet friends.
As they say: You only need to find yourself. Everything else can be googled.
Caroline is a licensed psychotherapist, crisis counselor, and writer with an office in Woodmere. She works with individuals, couples, and families. Appointments are available throughout the week and on weekends. She can be reached at 917-717-1775 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
