BY MIKI MARKOVICH
Lesbian.com
It’s doubtful that you’ll find anyone who doesn’t think finding herself smack dab in the middle of a crisis is anything less than hideous. It may be a heart-wrenching break-up, the loss of a job or a 72-hour notice to move out of your home. You can be torn between completely giving up and totally fighting your ass off. Either way, it’s exhausting. But here’s the thing, this is exactly when you must be kind to yourself.
SELF CARE
It may very well be impossible to think about smiling right now, which is exactly why we’re not even going there. However, I do want you to keep the faith and to build a little arsenal of items that make you feel, well, more like the happy you.
Recently, I faced something rather vile, actually one of my greatest fears. The situation I found myself tangled in had the potential to completely change my life in the most dire of ways. Yet, even through the chaos and fear, I realized my daily life had to go on.
The first thing I did was cancel my lunch plans. I let my friends know how much I valued them, but that I had to work my way through an unfortunate crisis and I wasn’t feeling myself. I was merely a matter of fact without sharing details. I just wasn’t up to being good company. My friends? We’ll they completely understood and were wonderfully supportive. There are no right or wrong answers here. If find yourself wanting to be around more people, then by all mean, fill your dance card.
ROCK THE ACCESSORIES
Let your senses guide you back to your true self. Consider introducing a little extra softness in your day. This may mean bringing a cushion to the office to make your work chair the envy of everyone on your floor, getting some gel insole inserts for your favorite shoes, choosing a cashmere sweater or upgrading your toilet paper selection. Just this reprieve can help get you through the day, especially when paired with other little things. While working through my own storm, I exclusively use Le Pens (my favorite), kept sweet orange oil at my desk and continuously pulled out and used my favorite scented lotions.
GRATITUDE
I’ll be the first one to admit that this can be challenging in the midst of basic survival. In fact, as much as I tried, I wasn’t able to do this successfully for a while. But then I began to realize that I was grateful for the people in my life. I was also grateful to be mentally and physically sound, knowing that this surely raised my chances of getting through the mire. And then I realized that whether or not I liked any of them, I did have choices and even some resources. After this realization, the floodgates opened and everything was easier. Things even started falling into place.
CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Perspective is key. Shine as much sunlight as you can on the situation. Move it around, check the angles. If you were the PR pro in charge of your life, consider how would you spin it? Be your own best advocate.
As always, I’d love to hear your ideas. And, if you need to borrow a smile, just send me a message on Facebook or Twitter. Until then, best wishes today and always.
Miki Markovich is a seeker of beauty and truth, traveler of interesting roads, saver of furry souls, typer of words, iPhone lover and mac head. You can find her on Twitter at @mikimarkovich and @fiveminutezen. If you’re looking to go from pissed to blissed in five minutes flat, find balance or improve the quality of your life through self care, check out her website at fiveminutezen.com.
