Author’s note: I typically write long-hand first, and type later. I find I’m much more creative when I go old-school; hence the difference in writing vs publishing time.
It’s a little after 3am and I’m sitting here on the couch, drinking coffee and writing to you. I’ve had some respiratory challenges here lately — congestion that then leads to wheezing and coughing (or vice versa) — and they seem to be worse at night.
This was one of those nights.
I’m also just not sleeping good anymore, something I’m sure has to do with age and stress and hormones, and that’s been frustrating too.
Because I’m tired. Holy bananas… I’m tired.
So, what does all of this have to do with making space?
Honestly, I’m not sure. Maybe nothing, but I think its illustrative of the changes that seem to be lurking on the horizon. It feels like its connected somehow, if that makes any sense, and I think its important to at least acknowledge it — maybe even examine it — before moving on.
In fact, maybe this kind of literal interpretation is a really good place to start.
For instance, how do you feel… like right now?
What physical challenges are you facing? And how are they affecting your life?
I’m a firm believer in the body-mind connection, both from a woo-hoo perspective as well as one of simple cause and effect. Your body is constantly offering up clues and signs about your well-being… we’re just typically misinterpreting those signs or we’re just not listening at all.
But I’m finding that the most direct translation is often the best, and a little research confirms that assessment.
There’s a fantastic TED talk (by Juliet Schor) for example, about the growing levels of stress among those in the workforce, and the astounding benefits of shortening the work week to give people more time to just be.
There’s the recent article from the American Psychological Association, describing our society as “a battered American psyche, facing a barrage of external stressors that are mostly out of personal control.”
And then, a Seattle school district has sued the social media Powers That Be for a laundry list of damages and dangers to the mental health of our youth, citing some staggering statistics to back up their claims.
“From 2007 to 2019, suicide rates among youth ages 10–24 in the United States increased by 57 percent.”
Like I said… staggering.
So, maybe this constant congestion and exhaustion of mine isn’t quite so mysterious after all. And maybe this revelation can benefit you as well. Maybe a quick accounting of where we’re at can offer some insight about how we feel.
And then we can use that insight as we dig deeper into this process of clearing out and letting go.
Yes, you should definitely talk to your doc if you’re having health issues and yes, you should absolutely continue taking any medications your health care practitioner has prescribed.
As it happens, I’m currently taking six.
Just don’t discount the healing benefits of some emotional housekeeping as part of the process. We all acknowledge the big traumas — things like death and divorce — and the punch they can pack. we say “no wonder you’re feeling bad” and “you poor thing, of course you need some time to recover.”
But we treat all the day-to-day muck as if its perfectly normal when in truth, its some of the most toxic shit of all. Things like anger and fear and sadness can make a body physically sick too, if you drag it around long enough, and, cards on the table, I think we’re all dragging more than our fair share.
And the thing is, we know better.
None of this is really news. We can see what our obsessions and fears are doing to our bodies, our minds, our world.
So, maybe its time we think about letting them go.
Maybe its time to stop filling up on what’s “out there,” so we can make space for what we want to see “in here.”