As I sit here in isolation, trying to homeschool my two children, I’m thankful for the steps I’ve taken over the past decade to create a slower lifestyle. A lifestyle that is centered around family, routine and finding joy in the ‘boring’ everyday life...

I'm totally bewildered at how quickly so many things we often take for granted have been taken away from us, in one fell swoop. 

The simplest things, like being able to walk outside our own front door without risking a 375€ fine because we don't have the right paperwork or reason for leaving.

There are a few simple things that can help you feel grounded and more like yourself during times of uncertainty, and if you’re struggling to find calm and ease during this time I hope these questions and steps help you find the peace you’re searching for.

Whenever I feel uncomfortable, I lean into following my ease and ask myself these 3 questions, and I encourage you to do the same.

Ask Yourself:

• What is making me feel uncomfortable?
  
  

• What can I do about it?

Once I’ve identified those things and then I ask myself;

•  What I can do to create more ease today?". 

STRUCTURE : 

I feel most uncomfortable when the world feels chaotic and overwhelming, when I feel that there are too many things out of my control, like right now.

So I do my best to create STRUCTURE around me and into my day, I'm more comfortable when I have a ROUTINE. 

When my focus is blurred and I feel heavy I know that my routine will keep me moving forward, even when I don’t have the answers or know what I need to do next, a routine allows me to take baby steps in the right direction.

You can find routine by completing simple daily tasks, they will keep you moving towards a place where you can then stop, get into the right headspace, take time to reflect and readjust your plan.

Then you can work out what changes in your routine are going to help you keep moving towards your ease.

MUNDANE : 

'Boring' is a healer for me. 

Boring reminds me that "All is Well", daily tasks of making beds, doing laundry, ironing, tidying, the mundane gives me stability.

These simple tasks are really the foundations that I build the rest of my life upon, solid foundations, well placed building blocks, that once in place give me the freedom and headspace to dream, to create and to be myself. 

Having busy hands helps me to loosen my mind, thoughts start to flow, my mind opens again and I am able to once again get into that headspace where I can see the world more clearly.

BREATH : 

Meditation is a wonderful healer, but I struggle to sit and meditate at a time when my house is full and uncertainty is high.

To focus and quieten my mind, I need to know I'm not going to be disturbed, so on days that I know I'm not going to be able to sit, I remind myself to take deep and intentional breaths.

It’s all about being mindful of your actions.

When I'm preparing food, folding laundry, walking from one room to another, being able to find your centre in movement is a key to navigating emotional overwhelm.

During these turbulent times we are often gifted with so little time to be still.

CALM OVER CHAOS : 

When we are navigating difficult chapters in our lives it is a given that our outer world can feel, and often is, chaotic, noisy, and spinning aggressively around us.

When we have no control over this, I have found that the best way to choose calm over chaos is to focus on what is essential in order to make you feel more like yourself.

This will be different for all of us.

I find that if my mind feels chaotic I need my outer world to feel ordered and clutter free. I've spent years decluttering my home, curating a space in which everything has a place and a use.

You can start this process by asking yourself the following questions:

“What really matters to me?”

“What is essential to my wellbeing and happiness?”

...and you might have to adjust these things on an almost daily basis. 

Following your answers and making sure that it is something you need in your life, something you need to be doing and that it will help you feel how you want to feel.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, it takes discipline to stay on track, it takes a little self pressure and a push, but further down the line when we’re in a better chapter you will thank your past self for putting the work in, for continuing to put one foot in front of the other.

And as we navigate our new normal, above all else, please HAVE FAITH, you will get through this. 

There is another side and you will once again find your own ease.