If you’re new to SOULBBATICAL or Shelley Paxton imagine the combined force of Brene Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Cheryl Strayed. Then add a touch of biker-babe chic. That’s Rebel with a cause, Shelley Paxton! She’s a burnout fighter and fire re-igniter.
We each have an opportunity to start rebelling for what we want our lives to look like when the dust of the virus settles. This is time to lay the foundation. But for now, if anxiety is starting to run your life and you’re looking for consciousness in the midst of chaos, here are 3C’s that Shelley shares with us that can help us thrive in spite of the uncertainty – Care, Connection, and Creation. These C’s ladder up to the Big C of Calm. And calm is the best possible form of contagious these days.
Care – This begins with self-care. Do it for yourself and take pride in modelling it for others (especially your kids). Remember, self-first isn’t selfish. It’s foundational. It’s the first line of defence against any virus. So, make sure you have the basics covered:
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Sleep (minimum 7-8 hours)
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Hydrate
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Eat healthily
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Move regularly (simple exercise, frequent body movement, a walk or hike for fresh air)
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Breathe deeply (Five deep breaths can completely reset your perspective. Pause and do this throughout the day.)
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Laugh often
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Disconnect from technology at regular intervals (Choose consciousness over consumption)
Connection – There are two dimensions to this because we first have to connect with ourselves in order to connect with others:
Self-connection – Taking the time to slow down and choose being overdoing. We very quickly default to ticking off the endless “to do” list when we have time on our hands, but the real opportunity is in embracing stillness; getting to know ourselves and connecting with the little voice deep inside us. Seeking its steady guidance. It’s time to kick our collective addiction to busy-ness and allow our inner compass to guide us.
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Community/connection with others. Make time to catch-up with friends and family via FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, or phone. Ask how you can support and love each other from a distance. Dig into your fears, insecurities, and breakdowns. Lead from your heart, Have courageous conversations. Create a virtual book club. Lean into the community in every aspect of your life. We need each other now more than ever.
Creation/Creativity – There’s an abundance of opportunity to create right now: create new habits, create space, create your ideal day, create that thing you never had time for or were maybe simply afraid to do, e.g. starting your book, pitching your article, recording that song or video or podcast, writing that business plan, learning that new language.
This is the time for courage, creativity, and disruption (in life and industry). We’re already seeing examples of this with restaurants creating meal subscription services and family meal pick-up options in light of the dine-in shutdown.
