Successful Relationships Reading Corner
This week, we wrote about how your peaceful relationships are a shelter from the storm. These authors offer suggestions for how to maintain your internal equilibrium during tumultuous times.
Surviving Tough Times by Building Resilience “Lately, the world seems to be lurching from one crisis to another. We’ve experienced a global pandemic, dramatic changes to how we conduct our daily lives, economic uncertainty, and political and social turmoil, as well as an array of natural disasters. Then there are personal traumas that people are also dealing with, such as the loss of a loved one, declining health, unemployment, divorce, violent crime, or tragic accidents. For many us, this is a time of unprecedented struggle and upheaval. Whether the source of disruption in your life is a global emergency or a personal tragedy—or both—living through difficult times can take a heavy toll on your mood, health, and outlook. It can leave you feeling helpless and overwhelmed by stress and anxiety.”
Tumultuous Times: 5 Strategies for Kindness Toward Others and Ourselves “During these tumultuous times, many of us recognize the need to be kind to ourselves and others. Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, MD, is credited with inviting us to consider that in any situation we have the power to choose our response no matter how difficult the circumstance. The response we choose contributes to our potential for learning, growth, happiness, and making a positive difference in the world. What choices are you making to support yourself and others during these tumultuous times? Here are a few options to consider as you navigate your inner “politics” of self-care, kindness, and choices.”
Tumultuous Times, Compassion, and Self-Care “During these tumultuous times in the US and around the world, many of us feel personally assaulted and distressed by news events. Each day, media of all kinds demand our attention, shouting news and information to attend to, digest, and distill. How do we navigate our thoughts, choices, and responses? How do we pay attention to the news stories, discerning fact from fiction, steering our reactions, ideas, and opinions — while also maintaining our internal equilibrium? This article is not a commentary about the politics in the news, which comes at us relentlessly. Rather, it’s a blog post about navigating our own internal politics — the inner compass that helps us guide ourselves toward our true north during today’s difficult times and navigate our well-being in the process.”