You cannot carry the hurt of the world alone.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the current situation in Palestine and Israel. While I have no advanced expertise or insight into this war or history, what is clear is that millions of innocent people are struggling through a horrifying humanitarian crisis that may only be beginning.

If you are a normal, empathetic human, you may feel the urge to spend all of your time staying up-to-date with every detail--reading the news, scrolling social media and watching the updates so that you are not ignoring their plight.

I know that I do. I want to feel informed, knowledgeable, helpful.

But as this conflict extends for days, weeks, and possibly months, I want you to be aware that your nervous system does not know the difference between a threat that is real in front of you, imagined or theoretically impending.

As a result, a cascade of stress hormones can be released from almost walking in front of a car, the thought of an upcoming meeting you are unprepared for OR the worry of global catastrophe.

This is true even if your day-to-day reality is comfortable and safe.

The reason these hormones are released is to give you energy to act and help resolve the threat in the here and now.

So what happens when these stress hormones just keep coming and the stressor is far outside your control?

That's when stress can turn to chronic stress, which not only impacts your long-term health, but also impacts how you show up for everyone in your everyday life.

Chronic stress makes us more avoidant, reactive, impatient & stubborn.

Because of this, it can be especially helpful now more than ever to find tiny moments of quiet, downregulation and integration.

And I mean TINY:

• Not taking your phone to the bathroom

• Waiting 30 minutes upon waking to check the news/social media

• Going for a walk without listening to anything

• Giving your partner a foot massage before bed

I completely understand that when we are in a heightened state of arousal it is very challenging to want to do anything that makes us feel less bad.  It can feel like a betrayal. 

So let me be clear:   

I am not telling you to be calm.

I am not telling you to bury your head in the sand.

I am not telling you to be happy.

I am not telling you not to feel.  

Suppressing your emotions is also harmful.  You're a human--feel!  

I personally have felt sad off and on for days.

But what I am saying is that never finding the tiniest of respite from never-ending stressful news for long periods of time does not serve anyone.

Another important point is that when we are overwhelmed, the greatest thing you can do to downregulate is not breathwork or massages, but to spend time in-person with people who make us feel safe.

One of the most powerful cues for your nervous system that you are safe does not come from within, but is social.

And I know that it is easy to isolate when we are feeling stressed, but if you have felt overwhelmed lately, I want to encourage you to reach out and spend time with someone you really love and feel grounded around.

Together we can do more to heal than you can alone.

My name is Kevin and I want to help you live an intentional, resilient life.