12 Body Sense
Helping Others Can Also Be Healing
Helping others is often a powerful way to traverse your own healing journey. There are lots of ways you can support your
community today.
• Check in with your neighbors; see if you can help anyone get groceries or pet goods, or help walk dogs.
• Help distribute meals to children still picking up necessary food stocks from their local schools. Connect with your school
district for opportunities to help.
• Donate time at a local food bank. Many volunteers who normally staff these nonprofits are over 65 and fall in the high-risk
category for contracting COVID-19. With increased demands on these facilities across the country, help is needed.
• Donate blood if you are healthy. The Red Cross is asking for donors; go to www.redcrossblood.org for info.
• If you are able to help support small businesses, consider pre-buying your next few massage sessions.
PRACTICE FORGIVENESS
If there was ever a time to be forgiving
toward yourself and others, it's right now.
One of the best bits of advice I've come
across lately was directed at parents. The
message was simple—give yourself some
slack. It's absolutely acceptable to be a
"good enough" parent right now. This is
not the time to beat yourself up about the
excess amount of screen time the kids
(or you) got today, or that you let your
teenager bake a cake for lunch, or that
you've grown quite happy in sweat pants.
In that same vein of forgiveness,
don't feel you have to apologize for your
emotions—they are going to come, some
at less opportune times than others. Find a
quiet place to let it go, or share your tears
with your partner, but don't feel guilty
about having the emotions. Let the feeling
come and let it pass. And then move on.
Forgiveness is also important as we
deal with social media conflicts or loved
ones who don't share our point of view.
People can act poorly when faced with
fear, but that doesn't mean you need to
engage with that energy. Remember,
we each have our own story. We have
not walked in each other's shoes, so
we may not know or understand the
experiences that have shaped someone
else. Take a breath and move on. Save
your energy for more important things.
TAKE A BREAK
If your normal social media groups have
become too toxic, take a break. If the
news is becoming too much, change
the channel. Theo Tsaousides, clinical
assistant professor at the Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai, says it's OK to
tune out when you find yourself getting
inundated with coronavirus information.
He suggests pulling out a coloring
book, reading a novel, or taking a walk
to reset and replenish the batteries.
Here are a few other self-care tools
to try when you need to "change the
channel":
• Check out ABMP's Meditate & Move,
a series of guided videos to help find
moments of reprieve and renewal.
• Reflection, action, and connection are
the focus of the Now for Tomorrow
podcasts from Deepak Chopra, MD,
founder of The Chopra Foundation.
• Children benefit from self-care
tools too. Share the exercises in
"Breathe With Me: Guided Meditation
for Kids" by Mariam Gates.
• Finding a positive thing every day is
something invaluable to the spirit.
Whether it's an entry of gratitude in
your journal, a tickle-fest with the
kids, or simply taking a moment to
smile, make sure you witness and
live in the positive moments.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
It can't be said enough. You are not alone
in this crisis. We're not sure how long
it's going to take to get things back to a
"normal" place, and the emotional toll
could be deep, but you have an advantage
in that you understand the importance
of self-care. Use that knowledge! When
you utilize all your self-care tools,
honor your emotions, have patience
with yourself and others, and embrace
kindness and forgiveness, the turbulent
times ahead will be more manageable.
Karrie Osborn is senior editor for Associated Bodywork
& Massage Professionals.