Aaaaand… this is why I will never be an “aspirational blogger.” Bear with me for a dose of some Real Talk for a minute, because I feel we are all in need of some authentic connection in these times, and I’d like to just speak to you, heart to heart, about the topic of anxiety. Specifically, anxiety in a time of international crisis.

Parenting–or even existing–during a time of chaos is just not pleasant, palatable, or for some of us, not even feeling possible for much longer.

It’s not the work that’s exhausting. I mean, it is the work… the cleaning and homeschooling and scheduling and getting-in-of-physical-activity and “self-care”-ing and yada yada yada–but what I find to be the most difficult in extended periods of difficulty is the uncertainty of our circumstances.

We don’t do well when we don’t know, exactly, how things are going to turn out. At least I know I don’t.

And so I want to share with you one small practice that has worked for me in times of worry or anxiety. It’s not from a professional, it’s just something I personally believe, and usually, it works.

It’s from a post I did a while back called The What-If Bomb, and I hope that it can be a salve of sorts to you if you’re experiencing any of the real pain and anxiety that can come along with uncertainty.

“So to my fellow What If’ers, I have a proposition. What if (see what I did there?) we replaced one of our worst-case scenarios every day with a best-case scenario?

What if we asked ourselves, ‘What if only the best possible outcome will happen as a result of this decision I’m about to make?’

Or, ‘What if the move I’m about to make will result in happiness, safety, good vibes and energetic wealth?’

Or, the simplest but yet most powerful possibility: ‘What if everything is going to be just fine?’

To my fellow moms–my sisters–I want you to know that you are not alone in this rocking boat of motherhood. Sometimes our perspectives change because now, we have so much more to worry about. Now, our health, and our happiness, and our diagnoses are no longer just about our individual well-being, but also about the well-being of these new people we brought into this world. And that’s hard.

But this is one tool we can use, one place to start. So I’m going to try to defuse my What If bomb one powerfully positive statement at a time. Just one. And who knows, maybe it will work for you, too.”

Wishing you peace in this trying time. And hey, reach out if you want to chat! Sonni@SonniAbatta.com.

xoxo

Calming Anxiety During a Pandemic

Things that are Saving Me Right Now

Sometimes, the smallest things–little rituals–can have a huge impact on your state of mind. Here are some things that are buying me back some sanity, daily.

The Bloom Cognitive Behavioral Therapy App: This runs you through simple, quick exercises to help you calm your mind. I like to watch or listen to these on my outside walks.

Spiritual Gangster Sweatpants. The ones I am currently wearing daily (no, really) are unfortunately sold out, but I have a style similar to this one and I’m not kidding… heaven on earth. Dress up if that makes you feel powerful, but if you’re a fan of comfy clothes, these ones are amazing.

Cloud Water CBD Sparkling Water. Each 12-ounce bottle has 25 mg of bioavailable CBD, which is an ingredient that is a huge help for calming anxiety. I drink one of these every afternoon, since The Lockdown started. And a bonus? They’re currently running a sale of 30% off, plus free delivery, of their 12-pack cases. I have two in my house.

Dr. Loretta Micro-Exfoliating Cleanser. I’ve not historically been a morning-face-cleanse kinda gal, but with so much on my mind these days, I’ve enjoyed putting this ritual back into place. Using this gel cleanser, which has dedicated ingredients to strip away indoor pollution contaminants, is gentle enough to give me that fresh feeling without stripping the moisture from my skin.