The 4 G’s of Taking Back Your Power: How to Feel In Control No Matter What

FACED WITH DAILY THREATS OF ILLNESS AND THE FINANCIAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19, IT CAN BE HARD TO STAY GROUNDED AND FEEL IN CONTROL OF OUR CURRENT REALITY.

As someone who is an asthmatic (aka considered “high-risk”), single and self-employed, trust me, I fully comprehend your concerns. And yet, now more than ever, instead of giving in to anxiety and fear, I find myself surrendering to what is, stepping into my power, and leaning further into my purpose.

Why? I choose peace over panic.

How? By embracing a simple principle leveraged by anyone who has ever overcome adversity:

E (EVENT) + R (RESPONSE) = O (OUTCOME)

Simply put. We can’t control the “events” in our reality, and we can’t always control the “outcome” but we always have the ability to control how we respond.

All COVID-19 has done, is remind us of this simple fact. I choose to respond to the current state of the world by leaning further into my purpose, controlling what I can, and putting my trust in the divine plan of the universe.

The alternative? Stressing over what may or may not happen, giving into fear and anxiety, which in return will only weaken my immune system. As someone considered high-risk by the CDC, my response to that is a “hell to the nah.”

No, thank you. I rather stack the odds in my favor by further committing myself to the things I DO HAVE CONTROL OVER. And today, I’m sharing 4 simple tips that you can use to do the same.

THE 4G’S OF TAKING BACK YOUR POWER

GRATITUDE: My clients and those who follow me on Instagram know that I’m a huge fan of Abraham Hicks’ “rampage of appreciation.” You might have heard me refer to is as a gratitude rampage. The reason I’m such a huge fan of this tool is because of how its application has changed my life. Not only did this simple tool help me get through some of my darkest times by shifting my focus to “the good in my life,” but it has also completely changed how I respond to challenging circumstances.

If you’re reading this, there’s already so much you can be grateful for.

For example: Did you know that 940 million (13% of the world) does not have access to electricity. Furthermore 3 billion (40% of the world) does not have access to clean fuels for cooking. (Source)

You’re already more fortunate than most of the population. If anything, these uncertain times should be a reminder to us all of how quickly what we take for granted, like electricity, a warm meal, and clean running water, can easily become a luxury. Instead of focusing on what is or can go wrong, take time to appreciate what you have.

While I already practice this daily, lately I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for what some might consider, the smallest of luxuries. Every time I jump on a call to be of service to my clients, I practice being grateful for them and the technology that empowers me to be of service. When I go to wash my hands, I express gratitude for soap and running water. I start off every morning with a gratitude rampage but you can literally practice it any time. During times like these, the more gratitude we can express, the better.

GIVING BACK: When we’re feeling disempowered, one way to take back our power is by reminding ourselves of how we can give back to others. Every single one of us can give back right now. You don’t need to have a blog or huge following on Instagram to do so. Reach out to those you love and share a kind word, act as a virtual shoulder to lean on, share your knowledge and expertise with others. It doesn’t matter how you choose to show up as long as you do. Finding purpose outside of ourselves enhances our emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing which is crucial during these times.

GOING WITHIN: The CDC reports 110 million people die every year as a direct result of stress. Furthermore, according to WebMD 90% of all office visits are correlated to stress. Understanding the impact that stress has on the immune system, the worst thing we can do right now, especially those of us considered “high risk,” is give in to the external stressors. So, what can we do instead? Adopt or reinforce the practices that center us and reduce stress levels, such as meditation and breathwork.

According to The Chopra Center, mindfulness meditation has shown increases in electrical activity in the parts of the brain that act as the command center for our immune system. When stimulated, they make the immune system function more effectively.

GET MOVING: Your brain processes 400 Billion bits of information a second. The reason why this is so important to understand is that even if you’re doing “everything right” and think you have stress under control, if you’re spending lots of time online, talking about the current state of the world, and consuming an excessive amount of information related to the world’s current events, you may be unknowingly taking on some of the fear-driven messages as your reality. This is especially true if you consider yourself an empath or highly sensitive.

This stress that we unknowingly take on from this external stimulus tends to get stuck in five areas of the body: the jaw/neck/face, the shoulders/heart, the diaphragm/lungs, the stomach/gut, and the pelvic floor/hips. Eventually, this stress manifests itself as pain in the body and can even lead to neurological systems.

Protecting your brain is important, but finding ways to stay active and release some of this stress is also key, especially right now, when we’re being encouraged to live more sedentary lives.