Are you finding it a challenge to keep from feeling overwhelmed these days?

Maybe, like so many women I am hearing from, you feel dismay at what is happening in our country and the world. You may be easily distracted, making it hard to focus. You may even feel hopeless from time to time.

I get it. I have ups and downs, too. 

And, I know that this is exactly the time I need — we all need — to find ways to feel steady, to take excellent care of ourselves, to find balance and bring hope and joy into our lives every day.

This is how we stay strong as we look at a long road ahead.

One significant tool I can vouch for is expressing the gamut of emotions that show up.

When there is dismay, anger, fear, or stress hijacking my thoughts, having a way to move that loaded emotion through me, so I both feel it and am able to release it, has been enormously helpful.

A resource you may not have considered

A powerful way to cope with a big load of emotion is to choose a way to express it, Get creative as a means of moving your emotions!

Consider these great ways to move emotions and lighten your spirit:

Write out what you feel.

Journal, or write poems, or free-write. Put all the emotion onto a page. (Writing by hand is especially effective, though you can type, too). Keep going until you feel like you’ve poured it all out.

Make art.

Any kind of art is great. Let yourself play with paint, colored pencils or markers, clay, or any other way you feel like making your emotions visual. Be sure to leave judgement out of it! Nobody needs to see what you make — though you may want to share what you’ve made. Your art can be angry and dark. It can express sadness or hopelessness. Let your feelings show up in whatever you create.

Dance.

Move to music of any kind until your body feels relieved of the load of emotion you started with. It works to dance with loud harsh music, opera, emotional orchestral music, or anything else that feels right to you in the moment.

Make music.

Use an instrument or your voice. If you play an instrument, you have a great resource. You might improvise and drum on a surface that allows you to make sounds that convey what you feel. And singing is a powerful way to express any emotion. Sing along with a recording that moves you. Sing in your car, or in the shower, or while you make your breakfast. Belt it out, or sing or play softly. It all works.

Create in any way you want!

Maybe you like making things with your hands. Maybe you like cooking and experimenting with flavors, textures and colors. Maybe you like gardening. Any way that allows you to release a load of emotion and come to more quiet and calmness is brilliant.

What happens next

Each time I devote a few minutes (or longer) to creating when I feel burdened by emotions, I find that I feel a release. I feel lighter. I am able to move forward without the distress I started with — for a little while and often longer. 

Take a look at a few collages I made while I was away last week. Even with the limited materials I had grabbed to take on my trip, I came up with an idea to use my glue stick and rip up things I had on hand, to create compositions that felt cathartic.

I invite you to give one or more ways of creating a try the next time you need to restore your spirit.

When we are all able to stay grounded and focused, we can make our biggest contributions.

We can bring our unique gifts into the world.

And we can take actions that will make a difference, especially when we do so united with others who are like-minded.

Check out the Creators of Change page on my site, which has growing lists of people and organizations working to do good now.

And I am always happy to hear from you. Talk to me about what you yearn to create in your life, and what is in the way now. 

A few of the many collages I made while away last week, with materials I had on hand, to release troubling emotions.

Visit the Creators of Change page on my site

In these fraught times, it can be hard to know how to take action to preserve our democracy and human rights. There is a growing list of resources you can learn about and support.
Check out the Creators of Change page