Have you looked around lately?
Earlier this month, I posted a practice on Instagram that has been my go to practice to care for myself when I feel anxiety lurking.
I learned this practice through the lovely Sarah Jackson of Sarah Jackson Coaching. She explains that when our nervous systems fall into a state of fight or flight, our vision literally tunnels. This is our bodies helping us focus its energy on getting away from the threat that our survival brain has deemed dangerous.
The practice of simply looking around at our surroundings sends signals of safety to our brains. Signals that gladly deliver the message, “Oh, we’re here. We’re safe right now. Everything is okay.”
Right now, as you read this, your brain is taking in all the stimuli around you. Your skin is feeling the temperature of the room, and the texture of the clothes you’re wearing. Your nose is taking in scents, your tongue processing tastes, your ears categorizing sounds, your eyes stringing together words and making sense of them. There is constant input. All of that, sitting in one spot, just reading an email.
That doesn’t even count the ‘dings’ from our phones, or “MOM’s!!” from the other room. Or the feeds we scroll, scroll, scroll through without a second thought. Or the unending to-do list that only ever gets added to in our minds. The texts we forgot to respond to, the friendships we’re trying to at least semi-keep up with, the marriage that needs some sort of attention, the dogs that haven’t been bathed in God knows how long, the dust bunnies under our beds that we have half a mind to just go ahead and turn over the ownership of our homes to, and the…oh yes. It’s time to make dinner. Again.
We feel it, don’t we? The neverending taking in of all..the..things. I certainly feel it. The truth is that I’ve personally spent a lot of time trying to get rid of the stimuli. And somehow, in an effort to find more peace and groundedness, I end up somehow adding more things to my to-do list:
Meditate, check.
Journal, check.
Make sure to get a walk in, check.
But much to my surprise, what’s made the real difference is working with the stimuli, not trying to silence it.
When I stop, and just simply and quite literally look around, around at my life, my home, my husband, my needy dogs - I find myself overwhelmed not with anxiety, but deep gratitude. Friends, beauty and goodness are waiting to find you, right here in this spot, right now in this moment. Just look around.
Yes, if you look around the room you’re in right now, you might find a pile of laundry not folded and a couple of dust bunnies behind your door. You might find dog hair on your couch, and toys all over your floor. You might see dishes that need to be done, and a grocery list you forgot to finish. But do you know what else you’ll find?
Clothes that feel soft on your skin. A pet that adores you. A family that belongs to you, and to whom you belong. Evidence that you’ve had food on your table and in your belly. You’ll find light pouring in your window, and falling on your floor. You’ll find a plant that’s been living and growing in the corner, or flowers in a vase that exist only for a few days, just because. You’ll find that you’re alive, and you aren’t where you used to be. You’re here. And what a lovely place to be.
A practice for caring for yourself
You guessed it - this month, we’re going to practice opening our field of vision. I linked the practice from Instagram at the beginning of this email, but you’ll find it below for quicker access. In the coming weeks, set a daily alarm on your phone. When that alarm goes off, for 5 minutes, no matter where you are, open your field of vision. 5 minutes will feel like a long time, but take the time! Take note of the things in your surroundings. The colors, textures, and shapes.
What do you notice?
What do you feel in your body?
What comes to mind as you practice this?
How do you feel emotionally?
Can you name 3 things you feel grateful for in this moment?
After practicing this for a few days, take inventory of your experience. Is it a practice you want to carry forward with you?
A practice for connecting with God
The imagery in Psalm 23 is nothing short of wondrous. There are green meadows, quiet streams, a banquet style feast, anointing oil slathered on our heads, cups overflowing. David carries us deep into an experience that goes way beyond flat words on a page.
I’ve been reading and meditating on Psalm 23 over and over since January. I’m pretty sure I’ve already mentioned this in a note from earlier this year, because I just can’t get away from it. I recently read “The Lord is my Courage” by KJ Ramsey, where she goes through Psalm 23 line by line. In the chapter “Will Follow Me” from the line “Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,” she says this:
“‘Follow’ in Psalm 23 is a soft word for a stronger reality. Radaph is the Hebrew word here, and it means to pursue, chase, and persecute. The goodness and love of God do not follow us like my dogs do, shadowing me as I hike up the hill behind my parents’ house. No, the goodness and love of God hound us.
…We are not merely followed by mercy. We are hunted by it. We are haunted by beauty. Every day of our lives we are being chased down by grace. Your whole life is not about finding God. It is about being found.”
Could it be that God’s beauty, goodness, and love aren’t hard to miss? And that we only have to learn to open our eyes and see?
Read Psalm 23. How does reading this last verse through this new lens affect you? Does this change the way you see God’s heart for you in any way? How does this influence the way you see the beauty around you in your day-to-day life?
Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
Psalm 23:6
Something lovely
One of my all time favorite artists is Laura Irene of Chimney Smoke Art. Her illustrations straight up regulate my nervous system, and make me feel the way like I’m inside of a Scripture like Psalm 23. I have one of her pieces right next to my bed so I see it every night and morning. I often think, “That’s me in that picture. That’s how I want my life to feel.”
I don’t know Laura personally, but you can follow her HERE. Her account is so comfy cozy.
And one more lovely thing, just because. HERE is a cozy playlist I’ve been loving having on in the background lately.
Whew. I FELT this email. You? I just want to say thanks for being here. Seriously. I can’t believe people I don’t know read these words. The kind responses I receive from you really encourage me. These notes are a creative outlet for me, and I pray they continue to just spread loveliness and open fields of vision as long as they’re around. See you in September.
Your Softie Friend,
Kiersten