Finding Calm and Clarity in Scary Times
We’ve had many calls these past two weeks with clients and friends filled with anxiety - everyday a new unknown struggle appears. And I thought I was managing it like anyone else until something terrifying happened to me the other night. It was 1AM when I was jolted out of bed with piercing pain in my chest. I began hyperventilating. I shook my husband awake to tell him I was having a heart attack.
He sprang to action on his phone - ruling out all possibilities on Web MD of what might be wrong. Soon, he realized I thankfully wasn’t having a heart attack. Or any of the other 23 possible ailments listed for the symptoms I was displaying. So my husband resorted to one simple suggestion: “breathe”.
Breathing is such a simple thing for all of us, but it’s often the thing we first forget. And boy did I put up a fight. All I wanted to do was to come out of my breathing to tell my husband that I was having a heart attack. Instead of feeding into my panic, he calmly reminded me to keep breathing. Thirty minutes later, my anxiety attack had melted away.
Photo by Molly Moormeier
As I write today, the world is in the throes of a global pandemic. We’ve all been inundated with the frightening reality of the pandemic wreaking havoc on our world. People are sick and some are dying. So many are losing their jobs. We carry this fear and anxiety in our bodies.
It’s only natural for us to feel scared, anxious and panicked. But after what I experienced last week, I’ve made a conscious choice to show up for myself and for my clients in a way that doesn’t feed into the panic. Instead of focusing on what could be, I’m staying focused on the plans we have in place for our clients as well as on my personal financial life plan. Part of that plan is a commitment to living fully into the present moment. I remember to stay in the present moment by taking a deep breath, in and out. After all, the present moment is all we have.
To help provide more insight, I reached out to one of the best resources I have when it comes to wellness: Kirsten McCormick of Running With Forks - a wellness expert, coach and a dear friend of Mana. The following are her essential tips for maintaining a healthy body and mind today.
Set an alert for "breathwork breaks” throughout the day. This can be as simple as pausing to take 5 deep inhales through the nose and exhales through the mouth, setting a timer for 1 minute and counting to 4 as you inhale and 8 as you exhale. If you have an Apple Watch, you’ve got this function! If not, you can use online timers like Insight Timer.
Find time to laugh and visit with family and friends over FaceTime.
Limit Screen time: It’s extremely easy right now to get pulled into insane amounts of screen time which has negative effects on all aspects of your well-being. Limit screen time to 2 hours before bed if you have difficulty with sleep and at least 1 hour before bed otherwise. Pick up a book, listen to music, light a candle, or do a gentle restorative online workout.
Get adequate sleep and maintain your sleep routine (or create one if this has been needing your attention).
Take a shower or bath before bed to cleanse and rinse the body of the day. Truly visualize the water washing away the entire day to allow a good night's rest and a fresh start the next morning.
Kirsten - in addition to many other trainers, nutritionists and fitness studios - are continuing their important work for clients in this new virtual world. She’s currently offering complimentary 20 minute consultations along with Customized Online Training Programs and Virtual Training Sessions. If you’d like to get in touch, reach out - kirsten@runningwithforks.com.
Author and Buddhist practitioner Jack Kornfield said “We have the opportunity, even in difficult times, to let our spirit shine.” When we come out of this, I believe our connection will be strengthened by our stories of how we faced our fears. We at Mana send you all our love and look forward to hearing your stories of hope and resilience in the coming weeks.
Cristina Livadary is a fee-only financial planner based in Los Angeles, California and is the CEO of Mana Financial Life Design. Mana Financial Life Design provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management services to help clients organize, grow and protect their wealth throughout life’s journey. Mana specializes in advising professionals in the tech industry, as well as women who work in institutional investing, through financial planning and investment management. As a fee-only fiduciary and independent financial advisor, Cristina never receives commission of any kind. She is legally bound by her certification to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.