OVERWHELM FROM CURRENT EVENTS
When you find world events overwhelming and you feel powerless, you may have physical manifestations of this anxiety along with emotional and mental ones. Breathwork, meditation, and walks in nature can ground you and calm you down. If you find yourself breathing in a shallow way, reach for tools to deepen your breathing. Shallow breathing can reduce our immune system’s function, lower cognitive function, perpetuate stress and even cause panic attacks, One simple breathwork technique is 4-7-8 breathing done four times in a row two or more times a day as Dr. Andrew Weil taught me: Breathe in through the nose for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7, breathe out through the mouth for a count of 8, & repeat 4 times. Another relaxation technique Dr. Andrew Huberman has discussed is even simpler: deep breath in through the nose followed by a quick sniff finished off with a longer exhale through the mouth. Deep breathing can lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, relax muscles, decrease stress, stave oof headaches, boost the immune system and increase energy levels.
In the Huberman Lab podcast, Dr. Huberman also talks about panoramic, peripheral and long-distance viewing to do a quick re-set of the nervous system, which partly explains the calming effects of taking a walk vs staying inside staring at our computers, phones and TVs. When we relax the nervous system, it positively impacts our mental and emotional states.
If you’re curious to try meditation or make it more of a daily practice, there are guided meditations available through apps like BREETHE, CALM, and Headspace as well as on SamaDog’s YouTube channel if you’d like to meditate with your dog.
If you don’t want to employ these tools, find something else that gives you a release from the tension and stress like singing, laughing, dancing, and other physical activity plus finding feel-good stories that bring joy and focus on the positive. Needless to day, quality time with your dog is always a go-to therapy and stress reliever. But if you can call upon a combination of all these tools (and others), you and your dog will both benefit the most. After all, they pick up on our stress.
Aside from these self-care practices, this is an important time to also be of service. So do something. Find a charity to make a donation that’ll directly help people and animals in Ukraine, for instance. Some people fled with their animals, but some brought them to already busy shelters. Some even left them to fend for themselves, but rescuers are trying to find and save them. Some rescuers and other volunteers have been killed while transporting food to shelters. Some shelters have been bombed. In some areas, people and animals are starving with no access to food, water, and medical supplies not to mention heat and power. The situation is grave. We cannot control the cruelty or chaos, but we can do our part. Some donations are converting to food, water, and medical supplies at the door of these shelters. For me, if there is a chance my donation will make a difference - and there is a big chance - then I will make that donation. When money is limited, I also call upon my distance energy healing training to help. So can you if you have that training. Some charities and other ideas are below.
Airbnb had the good idea of eliminating their fees for Ukraine properties with listings still online, whereby the money goes directly to the listing’s host even though their listing is in a war zone where you obviously won’t be going to make use of that apartment. Additional ideas comes from NYC Second Chance Rescue for whom I volunteer as a foster coordinator. I’ve given to one of the below rescues and intend to give to another when I can. They write: We know many of you see what we see – humans and animals in crisis – and want to help. If you'd like to donate to help the heroic efforts of these people who are facing danger while they protect their communities, two-legged and four-legged alike, please read below:
Shelter Ugolyok: a nonprofit animal rescue and sanctuary in Ukraine focused on rescue and rehabilitation of animals. They are collecting donations to build a food supply to sustain the hundreds of animals in their care while prices skyrocket due to shortages.
UAnimals: a Ukrainian animal rights organization fighting to rescue animals that have fallen victim in the midst of the ongoing war. They are collecting funds to purchase food to help sustain shelters in need.
Happy Paw: a nonprofit organization that helps more than 60 shelters throughout the territory of Ukraine. They are checking in with shelter conditions and building a list of each shelter's urgent needs.
World Central Kitchen: an organization serving thousands of hot meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as those who remain in the country.