THE “new normal” is starting for many of us. Work hours have changed or dropped significantly. The commute is difficult or impossible due to limited public transportation. Payment due dates for bills have resumed. Home life has changed in various ways. We try to take things day by day but the uncertainty of many things continues to make us anxious.
Each of us copes differently. Positivity can be an active choice but also uniquely varies in doses. It is important to find our strong focal point, while acknowledging the need for support. We all need to seek hope regardless of how far the end of the tunnel may seem. Amid these worries, it is good to find some quiet time for reading and spiritual reflection. Dawns: A Weekly Devotional for Self-Care and Spiritual Growth written by Isa Garcia, Janina Marie Rivera and Ida Torres shares these following tips:
TALK TO GOD. Don’t make this your last option. You don’t have to say a “formal” prayer. Make your prayers as normal as breathing. The more you talk to God, the more natural it will feel to turn to Him when things get too overwhelming.
BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT. The act of physically taking a deep breath and releasing it after a few seconds can help your brain and your heart slow down. Do this a few times until you feel calm enough to think with a clear head.
STEP OUT/AWAY. If you need to leave a roomful of people, do it. If you need to walk away from a person you’re talking to, do it. When you need to leave that to-do list and walk around for a few minutes, do it. When you’re ready to face whatever needs to be dealt with, go back.
READ, WATCH, OR LISTEN TO SOMETHING. It sometimes helps to do something that is so far from a current overwhelming task, just so that you can get your bearings back. Read a few chapters from a non-school or nonwork book. Watch a few minutes of your current favorite show. Listen to soothing (or rocking!) music. The idea is to get your mind off things, if only for a while.
SLEEP. Yes, sometimes you just need to fully rest.
About the authors
Isa Garcia loves to teach and write. She spends most of her time juggling both but she realizes there is a lot of joy in trying out new things. As of this writing, she finds herself immersed in boxing, soap making, and learning the ukulele. Isa is an enthusiast of life, love and God. She still writes letters. She wrote Found: Letters on Love, Life and God and Like Lines on a Map.
Janina Marie Rivera loves stories. She grew up dreaming, studying and writing them. She is the author of A Night Bird Sings of Blindness and Fear, published by OMF Literature. She is also the publishing director of the magazine One Voice, which you can find online at www.onevoicemagazine.com; and the editor in chief of the Dream Kits made for United Prayer Rising. Janina has been writing devotionals for iStudyEBS.com. She is passionate about God and life, often getting involved in various types of mission work. She also finds herself in the field of education, where she has professional experience in teaching elementary, high school, and college students. During leisure moments, you can find Janina painting landscapes on canvas or reading a book.
Ida Torres is OMF Literature’s digital marketing specialist, and her officemates believe she lives in the Internet. She previously worked in PR, advertising and events (EON, World Vision, M2Comms, Adobo Magazine). Her dream is to someday write and be paid to travel the world and watch concert festivals. She strongly believes in being open about your mental health struggles, being intentionally kind, and using digital media for social good. You can read more of her writing at www.idaflutterby.com. You can also follow her on Instagram (@emotionalnomad).
At one point in your life, or maybe more than a hundred points, things will become just too much. Too many items on your to-do list. Too much pressure from your boss. Too much anxiety over things you have no control over. Too many people in the room with you. Too much anger over a situation. Too many things on your mind.
Now might be a good time to start a journal. There is great relief in writing all our worries and insecurities down on paper than keeping things afloat in our hearts and minds. Then, as the book advises:
Read the entry for the week…
Set aside time to meditate on the anchor verse… Respond to the journaling prompt in whatever way you wish…. And remember: Just when everything looks at its darkest, soon will break a new dawn.
This is an excerpt from Dawns: A Weekly Devotional for Self-Care and Spiritual Growth, coauthored by Isa Garcia, Janina Marie Rivera and Ida Torres. Published by OMF Literature, Dawns is available at OMF Lit Bookshop and other leading bookstores nationwide.
The book can also be ordered online through shop.omflit.com.