This is a phenomenon that people around the world are grappling with, and it is the focus of my article.
I approach the topic as a person living with Pancreas cancer for five years, recently transferring my healthcare to City of Hope Lennar Cancer Center in Irvine, California, coupled with my experiences with Targeted Radiation to my Umbilicus and Brain, followed by my first infusion with the chemotherapy, Gemsar, and daily self-injections of Lovenox twice a day. For me, it has been intense, overwhelming, and chaotic.
On a broader scale, it is happening to people all over the world at this very moment: wars, natural disasters, loss of homes, jobs, the inability to provide for your family, loss of healthcare, life-threatening illnesses, deaths of loved ones, debilitating emotional and mental illness.
It’s a horrible position to be in – as you lose all sense of who you are and the things that tether you to earth, your connection to your body, mind, emotions and spirit, and your loved ones.
If this is happening to you right now, you are in danger.
Chaos fosters the inability to make sound decisions, increases the probability of accidents, losing your ability to be fully present, bouts of anger fueled by loss of control, alienation from the people who love you and want to help you, the loss of your sense of Self.
It’s a cycle that gains negative momentum for destruction – like a hurricane or tornado – if left unchecked.
So, how do you regain control of your life?
The first step is to literally STOP EVERYTHING. Sit in a quiet space. Focus on breathing in and exhaling slowly. Establish a slow rhythm.
Listen to what your body is telling you. Are you exhausted? Are your agitated? Are you a body in motion disconnected from your head? Is your heart racing? Are your muscles tight? Is your jaw clinched? Are you grinding your teeth? Is your stomach nauseous? Are you under-eating or over-eating? Are you fueling your energy with sugar or alcohol/drugs? Are you sleeping too much or too little?
Allow your emotions to come to the surface. Feel them, release them. You might want to cry, sob, shout, scream. You might want to punch a safe target like a pillow. You might want to curl up in a fetal position. You might want to fall to your knees and pray. You might want to grab your journal or a note pad and record your emotions as they tumble to the surface. You might want to call a trusted family member or friend.
BREATHE. RELEASE. SIT or LAY in the SILENCE. EMBRACE the QUIET, the STILLNESS.
All these techniques are called “Grounding” your Self. This is the first step for finding your Self and your Internal Wisdom.
SURRENDER to the fact that you do not have control of the circumstances which are overwhelming you at the present moment. It’s okay. You WILL find a way to calmly move forward.
The second step is to acknowledge your exhaustion.
REST. SLEEP. LIMIT your activity. SET PRIORITIES and only do the most important tasks today – the rest can wait for tomorrow or another day. CONSERVE your energy.
Chaos is compounded by excessive action that accomplishes nothing. This unproductive action fuels the chaos to live inside you. YOU BECOME THE CHAOS!
Before you know it, every part of your life is chaos: your home environment, balancing your finances, driving your car safely, memory lapses, your relationships, your sleep, your emotions, your outlook on life.
The third step is to find ways to REDUCE your chaos.
For me, I am always more grounded when I clean my house and reduce clutter. I love to be surrounded by beauty.
The next thing I do is return to STRUCTURING MY DAY (as much as possible). I plan when to go to sleep, when to get up, when to do activities with my puppy, when to run errands, cooking, juicing, squeeze in some time for myself, reaching out to my loved ones, when to write, pray, rest. I RE-ESTABLISH CALM IN EVERY PART OF MY LIFE.
In this atmosphere of calm, I am calm. My actions are measured and assessed. My cerebral cortex becomes my command center once again. I am logical, rather than reactive. My relationship skills of listening, acknowledging the “other,” make for more peaceful interactions. My life slowly returns to balance. I make better decisions, I am more optimistic, more proactive. My ability to find Joy and Laughter return. My body, mind, emotions and spirit feel better, do better, help others do and feel better.
I return to my daily prayers, give thanks to the Holy Trinity, continue to listen and ask for guidance. CHAOS CANNOT EXIST IN THE CALM.
I pray someone out there finds this article helpful. I send LOVE AND PRAYERS to people around the world. COURAGE. SELF-LOVE. WILLINGNESS TO CARRY ON. SELF-EMPOWERMENT. GRATITUDE FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE EACH DAY.