Good morning friends! Hoping you had a wonderful, restful, rejuvenating weekend!
One of my favorite things to do in summertime Calgary is watch the storms roll in and out. I am fascinated to watch the clouds and the winds and the darkness slowly became deeper and more ominous, moment-by-moment, never knowing if it’ll blow by or stop for a while. And I always feel a bit of relief as the first few drops of rain make an appearance, then trepidation as a few more come faster and harder, and then a surge of excitement as – WHOOSH! – the sky lets loose shooting little white balls over the roof so furiously that I’m sure the ceiling will crack open. And then, and this is the part I love, the sky cracks with a brilliant blue-white light, and one-one-thousand… two-one-thousand… three-one-thousand… four-one-thousand… and five-one-BOOM!! the thunder smacks the air with a whip and leaves us all running for cover 🙂
And the next day, the sun returns, and the sky is blue-calm once again.
Isn’t that the same way with life’s storms? There can be a long, drawn out build-up as we see troubles encroaching on our comfort zone, or there can be an all-of-a-sudden, where’d-that-come-from, out-of-thin-air, BOOM! the trouble hits us and we are left reeling. That was the kind of storm COVID-19 brought upon us – sudden, quick, and intense! And now that we’ve been in that storm for five months, what are you seeing? Are you watching as the winds and rain keep threatening all that you have built? Or are you seeing the rain slow to a drizzle, perhaps the sun peeking behind thinning clouds?
One thing about storms….they come and they go. They don’t stick around forever. The sun always finds its way through the clouds once more. Knowing this, trusting this, remembering this fact can help us bear the storm a little easier, knowing that it’s temporary and that just as we have overcome past storms in life, we can overcome this one, too.
Remembering the sun during the storm can help get through the storm.
So I wanted to offer you a little sunshine today, for whatever weather your week may bring, or whatever weather you may be experiencing right at this moment. Read through these positive coping statements and focus in on the ones that speak to you. Notice how the words affect you, change you, strengthen you to get through the storm. Go slow. Soak it in. Watch for the sun.
I am wonderful and unique.
I can get through this, too.
I am strong and courageous.
I have done this before and I can do it again.
It’s okay to feel this way; it’s a normal, human reaction.
These are just feelings (or thoughts), and feelings (or thoughts) are not fact.
This is difficult and uncomfortable, but I can do hard things.
I have inner strength and resources.
Things are getting better everyday.
I make wise decisions based on what I know.
All is well, right here, right now.
Stay well,
Melanie
References:
1. Positive Self- talk / Coping Thoughts Worksheet by Carol Vivyan (2011) at https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk//
2. Positive Affirmations by Carol Vivyan (2009) at https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk//affirmations.htm
Especially for folks we work with:
Positive coping statements and positive affirmations are helpful for everyone. It’s just a matter of finding which statements speaks to the person’s need. You may want to help the folks you work with read through the positive statements (links above) and decide which one feels best. Then, encourage them to practice during times of little stress and utilize the statement(s) during times of higher stress. Check in and see if the statements help folks feel and cope differently – if not, return to the list and pick a new one to try 🙂
NB: I’ve often heard clients tell me that the positive statement feels “fake” or like a “lie” because it doesn’t reflect how they really feel about themselves. I take this opportunity to explain that the heart may not believe it, but the brain may know it’s true of them – OR the brain may WANT it to be true of them. Either way, we can make ourselves think and feel differently about ourselves if we practice new, positive ways of thinking. So, encourage folks to take a statement they WANT to believe about themselves, or one that is closest to how they already feel about themselves, and practice it as a way of making it be (more) true for them. In a “fake it ’til you make it” kind of way 🙂
You can learn more about positive affirmations and positive self-statements as I talk with a colleague about it on our you tube video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EQyJA_7jcA