Getting Back to Basics
It’s been. . . a week. It’s by no means the hardest week I’ve ever lived, but let’s just say that at one point I was driving home with the windows down, a hot pizza sitting next to me in the passenger seat, ugly crying my eyes out while The Black Eyed Peas song “I Gotta Feeling” was playing on the radio. (If none of this makes sense to you, don’t worry; it barely made sense to me either.)
When I have a moment that hits me that hard, I know what it’s time to do: It’s time to get back to basics.
For me, getting back to basics means prioritizing those things that I know make life just a little bit more bearable, even on difficult days. I call them “basics” because they are usually very simple things that I can easily forget to do, but that I know have an impact.
My back to basics list includes things like this:
Drink more water.
Get outside.
Prioritize sleep.
Look at something beautiful.
Take a shower.
Go for a walk.
Ask for a hug.
None of these things make my problems go away. They don’t even necessarily make my life less overwhelming. They aren’t a substitute for witnessing, community, mental health support, feeling my feelings, asking for help, and giving myself space and time.
What they do, however, is help me find just enough of what I need to get from this moment to the next one. They make it just a tiny bit easier for me to live alongside whatever I’m facing until I can find the ground underneath me again.
I wonder: What are the tiny things that help make life just a little more bearable for you during difficult times? What gives you just 1% more of what you need until you can find your bearings again? Think simple. Think basic. And think about the body - for most of us, getting through our most challenging times means prioritizing our physical needs for sleep, nourishing food, movement, hydration, etc.
I recommend writing these things down and keeping the list nearby (or keeping a photo on your phone). When we’re overwhelmed or feeling extra challenged, it can feel impossible to discern what we need, and it can be even harder to remember that sometimes what we need to get to the next moment might be as simple as this: A hug. A nap. Some sunshine.
As always, take gentle care of yourself (and if you can do it in teeny tiny ways like feeling the sun on your face for two minutes today, all the better).
