Creative Ways to Get Through Troubled Times

HEALING ARTS | By Karen Banfield

Life can be overwhelming. You’re just walking along, doing the best you can and then BAM, out of nowhere, you’re brought to your knees. Here are a few suggestions to help you along.

WRITE: Imagine your problem as part of a story. Create an alternative environment and a character of your choice. Now let your imagination go to work. How did your character get in such a mess? Where did it come from? What was the root? Don’t be afraid to linger in the problem. Sit with the misery for awhile, then when you’re ready, get your character out of there. Maybe you can’t figure it out in real life, but in the realm of imagination, anything is possible. So use your superpowers, summon lightning bolts or the spirit of a dead uncle. Become a warrior. Do whatever it takes to move your character out of victimhood and back into power.

SING: A soul song is a personal melody you sing when the world gets overwhelming, your energy begins to dissipate, or you’ve lost your center. It’s a song to remind you of your essence, strength and intentions. It can be anything: a lullaby, something snappy, happy, even a Christmas carol.  Find a melody that’s catchy and will stay with you, then write your own lyrics. Use words that will comfort, sooth and empower you. Sing it over and over until you feel restored.

A former slave was asked in a television interview how workers in the fields were able to sing when they were beaten, starved and often raped. She replied, “The air was the only space we could own, so we filled it with our voices.”

The space around you is your real estate.  Own it. Sing into it; fill it with your voice.

ACT: Most of us have heard about pounding a pillow when we feel angry, but what about other situations? Bringing problems into physical reality in a symbolic way can bring awareness, insights and change. Do you feel like you’re carrying too big a load in your life? Try carrying beach stones in your backpack for a mile. Notice your thoughts.

Do you feel proud that you’re so capable and strong, then moments later resent your lack of freedom? What experiences in your life do you need to put down?

Does it feel like all you do is run around all day? Try running around the dining room table for awhile. Realize how it feels to be moving in circles, out of breath and getting nowhere. Let yourself weep about it. You’re doing it anyway; this is just adding deeper awareness. If you feel trapped in a situation you can’t get out of, pick up a kitchen knife and imagine cutting the ties that bind. Cut in the front, on the sides and in back of you. It sounds silly, but it works. Your body needs to go through physical motions for your mind to truly understand.

And always remember that there’s a wise place in you that does not die, a place that is eternal and divine. This place holds all that you need and is always available. Calm yourself, send your energy into the earth, imagine a light surrounding you from above, breathe into your core and own your power. Quiet. Listen — and the wise part of you will speak.

And don’t worry, because the only thing real about your situation is that it will change.