am still trying to regain my footing after the tragic and horrific attack on Simchat Torah. The incredible loss. The savagery. The hatred.
And there’s so much to worry about: The soldiers. The hostages. The evacuated. The list goes on and on.
It sometimes feels like it is just too much to bear.
And we understand that there probably won’t be a quick resolution. We seem to be moving from the acute phase to a more chronic one.
So we all need to gird ourselves for the long haul.
But how can we do that?
What’s the best way to try to move forward?
I personally think that we need help ourselves become as calm as possible.
Here are my favorite tips for restoring and remaining calm:
Maintain a regular eating and sleeping schedule
Stay hydrated
In bed by 11 pm
Stay away from sugar and junk food as much as possible
Regulate how much news you watch (hint – less is probably better)
Focus on helping others
Pray
Call a friend
Take a walk outside or just move your body
And….BREATHE!
Remembering to breathe is probably the most important thing you can do to help calm your nervous system.
Here is a condensed version of my favorite breathing exercise:
Stop what you’re doing
Optional: put you hand on your heart, close your eyes
Inhale deeply and fill your belly and lungs with air to the count of 4
Exhale slowly to the count of 6 or 8 (exhale should be double the length of the inhale)
Repeat at least twice
Can be done multiple times throughout the day
You can even put a reminder on your phone
Breathing like this – extending the exhale – puts the focus on your parasympathetic system and physiologically brings calm to your body. It’s a fast and easy way to help yourself restore calm.
In addition – I’d like to share with you my favorite resource for releasing and transforming stress, anxiety, and trauma – EFT/Tapping.
EFT is a self applied technique that combines acupressure with emotional release, providing a simple yet effective method to address emotional issues, manage stress, and enhance overall well-being.
To be honest – my own tapping practice has been crucial in helping me regain function by allowing me to release some of the emotions that had built up inside me that I couldn’t allow myself to express.
From the start of the war – I actually couldn’t take a deep breath. Even when I tried the above breathing exercise I could feel my tight and rigid diaphragm blocking me from inhaling fully.
I was so focused on trying to hold everything together that I forgot about tapping. I even wanted to cancel my weekly tapping session with my tapping partner. But she insisted that we tap – even just for a few minutes. After a short tapping exercise with her I could feel my diaphragm loosen and was finally able to breathe deeply again.
I have so much confidence in the power and simplicity of this technique – and I’d love the opportunity to share this amazing tool with you to help you release pent up emotions and restore calm.
So I’m inviting you to join me for a free group tapping zoom session where you’ll discover the power of tapping to reduce stress and anxiety. During the class you’ll learn how to use tapping to release stress and anxiety to help you cope better with the current situation.
If you are interested in joining the next class please click here to contact us or whatsapp us at: https://wa.me/972585737745
To read more about EFT click here.
To read more about the research behind using EFT for trauma release click here.
Hoping and praying for the safe return and wellbeing of all our soldiers, hostages, and citizens.
