Along Our Ride on The Train of Life – December 2023

Shalom dear readers:

Here are some tips that I am trying to use with coping skills to adapt to our reality now as we travel together on our train ride of life.

 

·      Try to focus on basic functions. No need to keep your house perfect at all times. Your home is meant to care for you, not the other way around. 

·      Minimize your daily tasks to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Keep your goals simple: nourishment and cleanliness.

·      Avoid focusing on news and videos. They can negatively impact your mental health.

·      Relinquish guilt about trivial issues. Address your personal struggles with dignity and self-compassion.

·      Foster relationships where there is reciprocal support, positivity, and emotional safety. Associating with supportive people will help with the healing process.

·      Daven, recite daily Tehillim, and strengthen your Emunah. Conduct yourself with “menshkite” as you reach out to children, to peers, or to neighbors.

·      Take care of your soul by using meditation, mindfulness, or deep breathing exercises, or by listening to calming music.

·      Try to stay POSITIVE, and to focus on things that bring joy and happiness.

·      Help those around us to be calm. Doing acts of kindness for others is part of the healing process.

·      Don’t over plan; live day by day.

 

Remember: The Jewish people are RESILIENT and have lived through many ordeals. We pick ourselves up and continue on under Hashem’s guidance.

 

I close with the famous Serenity Prayer; “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

 

G. willing, until we meet again in January 2024.

CHW

 

 

 

ALONG OUR TRAIN RIDE OF LIFE - November 2023

Shalom dear readers:

This month let’s focus on how we can help ourselves during this stressful time. Here are some helpful tips to control our stress:

·       Maintain a program of healthy eating and adequate sleep. You might not feel like it, but exercise anyway. Exercise not only promotes physical fitness, but also contributes to emotional well-being. Going out for a walk makes such a difference.

·       Balance work and play. No play can make you feel stressed. Plan some time for recreation to de-stress.

·       Allow yourself to cry. Tears can help cleanse the body of substances that accumulate under stress and release a natural pain-relieving substance from the brain. There is nothing wrong with a good cry and you won’t be the only one!

·       Take a warm shower or bath. This will soothe your nerves and relax your muscles.

·       Talk out your troubles. It helps to talk with a friend, relative, or rabbi. Another person can help you see a problem from a different point of view.

·       Modify your environment to limit your exposure to things that cause stress whenever possible. So, you can check on the news from time to time and stay abreast of the situation but try not to be glued to it.

·       Try to develop and maintain a positive, optimistic attitude, as difficult as that might be right now.

·       Relax with music, art, journaling, or prayer. These are good ways to decompress. Turning to Tehillim or prayer books has been a source for centuries, whether studying alone or in groups online.

·       Indulge in special treats. Food may not make the stress go away, but it may reduce negative health effects that are highly associated with chronic stress, including depression, anxiety, insomnia and other diseases. Recent research shows that eating has a pronounced effect on mood. Eating may be excessive during these stressful times, but please remember that food, though essential for nutrition, does not solve other problems! If and when you feel the need to treat yourself to a bit of a dessert, keep in mind to set limits.

·       Control your habits and don’t waste time. It will add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.

Let’s not wait for a chance to improve. We can make some needed changes for overcoming and coping with this stressful time, as a nation under siege, or as individuals coping with life.

Until we meet again, in December, G. willing.

CHW