Welcome to day two of this challenge.
Welcome back.
In day one,
We explored what eco-anxiety is and how to gain accurate information regarding climate change and crisis.
Today,
We'll explore the feelings that arise through climate anxiety and how best to handle these.
Let's take a few deep grounding breaths into this safe and supportive space.
In a deep,
Relaxing,
Cleansing breath,
In through the nose,
Releasing through the mouth.
In through the nose,
Out through the mouth.
Good.
Let's begin day two.
What are the unpleasant feelings communicating to you?
When people first take in the news about the climate crisis,
They often feel overwhelmed by its seriousness.
They feel small and powerless in comparison to the size of the problem.
People experience a variety of feelings,
Such as disbelief that this has been allowed to happen,
Shock at what it means to people's lives,
And outrage that so little has been done to prevent it.
There can be a dissoning sense of being out of control as you hear about the climate crisis on the news.
For some people,
A kind of numbness and dull despair set in.
For others,
Their mind becomes preoccupied with the alarming details of what could happen.
What do you do with these feelings?
Journey in grace and listen to them.
Don't be too hard on yourself,
But your feeling is appropriate.
These feelings have the potential to guide you towards becoming a part of the solution.
Try not to judge or criticize yourself for feeling the way you do.
The shock and overwhelm are telling you that life needs to change,
While the frustration and anger are telling you that you have strength inside,
That you can use.
You are not completely powerless.
Many people find that as they move towards action,
They find focus,
Determination,
And community.
Exactly how your individual life needs to change is something you'll work out bit by bit.
This may be about the organizations you participate in and become involved with.
The work you do,
Your connection to politics on local or national levels,
Or the choices in your personal life about travel,
Food,
Housing,
And the products you buy and how they impact the environment.
It will help if you can talk all this through with somebody you can trust.
And for now,
Be mindful in accepting of the reality of the climate crisis.
While navigating forward daily,
Find ways of moving in and out of the feelings.
Spend time finding out about the climate crisis and talking about what you feel,
But also allow yourself time out from the preoccupation too.
Balance is key.
Balance is key.
Practicing meditation or yoga,
Creative expression,
And spending time outdoors in nature can be helpful for re-centering our minds and moods,
As can being with friends and family and enjoying yourself in a good old ordinary way.
Allow yourself time to get your roots down into this new environment.
Take time exploring this,
And don't forget to make space for self-care.
Now for day two's practice.
We'll do a meditation together here,
Centering yourself in the present moment and accepting any difficult feelings that may have come up today or that you've been carrying lately.
Close your eyes.
Relax your body,
Whether sitting down or lying down,
Breathing in from your nose and out from your mouth.
Center yourself in this moment.
A deep breath in through the nose,
Releasing out through the mouth.
Let any feeling that is present now know that you acknowledge it and that you're here to take care of it.
Say to this feeling or these feelings,
You have a voice.
You are important.
I will express you through passion and balanced action.
To whatever is present,
You have a voice.
You are important.
I will express you through passion and balanced action.
As you take a few moments to feel,
Love yourself through whatever comes up,
And journey in grace with it.
Journey in grace.
These feelings are appropriate.
And remember that self-care is how you take your power back.
And in this moment,
This is a form of self-care.
I'll return shortly.
Keep breathing.
Keep centering.
And loving yourself through whatever comes up.
Mindfully,
Gently open your eyes.
Being centered in the present moment and full of acceptance,
Loving yourself through it,
You have practiced self-care.
And so it is.
The action step for day two is to move out of passivity by looking for a small action that you can do today.
Check out online petitions that you can sign or look up a recipe for a meat-free meal that you can make later in the week.
Even a small action can help to give you back a feeling of being in control and being a participator in the solutions rather than feeling helpless or even like a victim.
Tap into your capacity to stay with your feelings and know that you're not alone.
Know that you're not alone.
Let's keep navigating forward together.
I'll be here again on day three,
Where we'll dive into the importance of reaching out for a Tun Корin��.
