When Seasons Circle Back
I would love to tell you that if we just focus on creating sustainability in our lives - then we move in a straight line towards thriving. And then, for the rest of our lives, all we experience is thriving. Gosh - I would love that so much. But, that’s not how it happens, is it? Life is a circle, and we go in and out of low seasons and high seasons… and that’s ok! Maturity is having hope that the low doesn’t stay around forever, and holding the high loosely, enjoying every moment while it lasts, knowing that eventually you’ll be in a new season.
What do we do when those low seasons circle back? When we’re drowning again? What do we do when we’re lower than ever before? There are seasons in life where if you don’t focus so intensely on your own well-being then you don’t have a shot in the dark at making it through in one piece. Last year was like that for me.
We use the muscles that we built the last time we were drowning, and we grow them.
That’s as easy and as hard as it gets.
Last year, I religiously tended to my nervous system in the way that I’d learned to do in previous hard seasons. I upgraded the cozy factor in my room - making my cave even safer at the end of the day. I focused on simplicity, bought fresh flowers every week, and made sure that I was adding fun in big and small ways. But none of it was enough. I had to go deeper. I had to build more muscle.
Literally.
If you could be in my head when my world starts spinning, or my head starts spinning and I can’t stop it, you’d hear, “Vigorous exercise, hot shower”. These four words help reset my body in ways I can’t even tell you. On a day when I can’t get my brain to shut off, the best way I know to reset my nervous system is to go to the gym, hop on an elliptical machine, and run until my brain stops. Walking is too slow for me. Weights can be too confusing. Running on an elliptical hits the spot.
When my son had a medical infusion that was going to last 14 days, I knew it would drain me of every ounce of energy I had. In order to make it through, I planned ahead of time to dedicate myself to four things: water, sleep, getting in the sun every day, and daily movement. Regardless of whether it was my day to take him or not. These four were nonnegotiable. They sustained me through the two weeks. Which is great, because the infusion ended up only being the first step. We ended up in a full month of medical turmoil, and having this as an anchor to my day kept me grounded.
Another thing I learned last year, my soul needs water. I need to be by water, in water, or on water - preferably in a kayak. I knew I liked being by water before - I knew that I tended to head to the beach when life felt particularly challenging, but I didn’t know that my soul needed it. So, being near water became a priority to me.
Do you see what I mean by taking your basics and making them stronger? It’s not wrong to prioritize the very things that are going to make you a more stable caregiver to the children in your home. It’s not selfish. Quite the contrary, it’s vital to the health and well-being of your family that you prioritize the things that help you feel grounded.
What would this look like for you? We talked about basics last week - but what does it look like to strengthen those even more?