How do you comfort yourself?

Although it can be fairly easy to touch life’s joy much of the time, there’s lots going on these days that can cause us to feel unsettled, sad, angry, or bitter. I’m not one to say we should ignore our feelings because feelings can teach us a lot about ourselves. However, what’s also true is we don’t have to marinate in negative feelings and allow them to rule our decisions and lives. We can feel our feelings, learn from them, and then let them go and make room for better feelings that are ready to manifest in our lives.

Some people were not taught how to give or receive comfort. They were raised with the “pull yourself up by your boot straps and get on with it” way of thinking. When the bad days come, sometimes these folks don’t know what to do to feel better. After naming and accepting our feelings, here are a few ways we can give ourselves comfort so we can feel better and move on.

Pay attention to the cycles of nature going on around you. When we attune to Mother Earth and Father Sky, we learn about patience and trust. We see that life has patterns. Day follows night, spring follows winter, life emerges from death. When we can experience ourselves as part of nature, it is easier to allow our own cycles to emerge and realize the wisdom in the saying “This too shall pass.”

Plant some seeds and watch them grow. At the end of my retreats, I used to hand out little pots with parsley seeds already planted and watered. Participants energized the little unborn seeds with their intentions and cared for them as they grew. There’s comfort in watching living things grow and feeling we’re part of their lives.

Experiment. Try new ways of doing things. This creates new pathways in our brains and allows us to process life events differently.

Take baby steps in whatever direction you need to move. Lately, I’ve noticed several people in our community losing their beloved animal companions. Having been through this several times myself, I have found there is great wisdom in not trying to overcome the grief of losing your beloved dog or cat all at once, letting yourself grieve in small ways every day. Baby steps can be applied to just about every life situation we encounter.

Let go of the need to handle things perfectly. Sometimes we add to our stress because we feel we should act or feel a certain way in order to do it right. Not true. We all experience life in our own ways and this includes handling the inevitable challenges life throws our way. Decide to do the best you can and don’t compare yourself to anyone else, not even to your own former self.

Of course, spending time in or near water is very comforting and healing as is listening to our favorite music. We can be sure to get enough sleep and to eat the best way we can to support ourselves as we move through our various life situations.

As our planet moves through her evolutionary cycles, let’s do our part to be flexible, open, and sensitive to our own needs as well as those of people around us. When we learn how to comfort ourselves, we’ll know how to extend this comfort to others.

Living in grace and ease,

Krysta

Working and playing with crystals and stones can bring great comfort and guidance. Check out my online class here.