Simple Ways to Realign during Stressful Times

These last few months have been rough. Between the chronic illness flares of my kids, new treatment and homebound tutoring, it would be easy for me to slide down a dark rabbit hole. Then, last month my husband suffered a serious health scare.

Going through these life events with my family reminded me of the challenges these tough times present for all of us. I find myself asking:

Will I come out of this remaining aligned?

Thankfully over the years I have learned the importance of having an alignment toolkit and to practice radical self care daily. As our mind and body go through a complex and difficult event, it takes a toll on us. We need the awareness to reset and realign so that we may continue to heal and grow. My alignment toolkit allows me to, without thinking, recenter.

What good would it be if we all kept our tools to ourselves, so in honor of sharing with one another to help each other learn and grow, here is my alignment toolkit and favorite ways to practice radical self-care (the kind where you completely surrender to honoring yourself):

Alignment toolkit:

Sleep: Protect this at all cost. This revives you, heals you, and allows your body to recover. Invest in the best sleep possible!

Detox: Remember that less is truly more. Detox people, places, things, all with intention. Eliminate the things that take your energy and never fill you back up.

When you detox your life, you are able to return to a state that gives you energy back. Instead of always giving, giving, giving, try to get rid of the things that aren’t giving back to you.

Movement: Move your body to release built up tension and anxious energy. Be intentional with the way you keep the flow.

Find a movement or exercise that feels good. There is no need to add intensity to your life, unless that feels good. A light walk or slow yoga flow is alway enough to help you let go and focus on being present.

Morning routine: Routines allow you to release the stress of thinking “what’s next” and to simply rely on a routine that serves you. Mine is light exercise, stretching, and some meditation.

Radical self care: It’s time to get over what other people think and give yourself permission to show up authentically you! Hold your boundaries with places and people. Say no more often. Give yourself time and energy back to you to partake in the things that fuel you.

Radical self care is putting intention into your actions and placing your needs above all else. This isn’t selfish, but is necessary. You need to energize yourself first to be able to give (to your partner, your children, your friends, etc). By prioritizing your sleep, creativity, moving your body, setting boundaries, and more, you are giving yourself the chance to be more PRESENT, more MINDFUL, and more CONSCIOUS.

My hope in sharing this will be to guide you back to yourself. It takes work, time, and I’d be lying if I said it was always easy. But building your own toolkit gives you the chance to renew. Instead of shutting down, you can SHOW UP like the wonder-mom you are! What will be included in your alignment toolkit?

Liza Blas is a speaker, coach and the host of the Very Happy Stories podcast. She brings hope, empowerment, and validation to parents raising kids with unique challenges. Liza delivers inspiring stories and shares her best practices through her podcast, speaking engagements, and personal transformational coaching.

Liza shares more about her ability to remain aligned during a family emergency in a recent podcast episode. Listen to her full story here.