Staying Grounded During Ungrounded Times

We see the news, we see the headlines, we see the Instagram posts. So much is going on in our country, in the world right now, and trying to stay informed can impact your mental health in ways you don’t expect. How do you stay grounded when the world is so ungrounded right now?

Find Small Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Well-being

There are plenty of free ways to take care of your mental well-being. Meditation is a great, free, and fast way to connect with your mental and physical being. According to Healthline, “Meditation offers significant mental and physical health benefits, primarily by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. It improves focus, enhances emotional regulation, promotes better sleep, and can lower blood pressure. Regular practice fosters self-awareness, compassion, and pain management, often enhancing overall quality of life and cognitive function.”. You can find free apps like Insight Timer to assist you with your meditation practice. Remember to start small and then continue to build your capacity for how long you meditate. You can meditate in the morning, at night, during your break at work, just make sure you can incorporate this practice into your life.

Another accessible way to take care of your mental well-being is through walking. GirlTREK, a national organization, reminds us of the impact of walking through their work. “Walking for 30 minutes, 5 days a week (or 150 minutes weekly) qualifies as moderate-intensity aerobic activity, which significantly reduces the risk of chronic disease and premature death.” Walking is not only impactful for your physical health, but also your mental health, so grab a friend and find a beautiful place to walk.

Be Mindful of Your News Intake

During these times, we must stay informed about what’s going on, but when you get so much sad news back-to-back, it can impact your mental health. There are so many stressors that are impacting us on a local, national, and international level, so how can we stay informed and be grounded? Find the best way to consume the news for you. Many of us get the news through social media these days, but scrolling through your timeline ends up taking a lot of time and puts you through a variety of emotions with what you’re experiencing. You can take some time to read the news for a set amount of time a day, or watch only the highlights on YouTube.

There are ways to stay informed without letting the heaviness of the news completely consume you.

Find a Trusted Source to Talk To

These are the times we need someone to talk to. We are being impacted, or we know someone who is being impacted by the injustices going on in the world. We need community, but we also need someone who has the capacity and capability to hold space for us and what’s going on in our inner world. At Sista Afya Community Care, our peer support program, Heal TogetHER offers that space for you. Heal TogetHER is a new and accessible community-based model of mental wellness care for Black women in Chicago. The model is an adaptation of the Connect.Talk.Support program developed by Dr. Ruth Verhey in the context of Zimbabwe, South Africa. Heal TogetHER provides support to people who have mild to moderate mental health concerns with brief 1-on-1 emotional support, resource connections, and education about mental health conditions.

A Peer Supporter Can Help You To:

• Navigate the challenges you're experiencing right now.

• Talk to someone who cares and is non-judgmental.

• Learn more about resources that can support your mental wellness.

• Learn more about mental wellness.

  
  

You can start your journey with a peer supporter by clicking here.

Even in uncertain times, we have the power to stay grounded by leaning into community, being intentional about our wellness, and choosing what feeds our spirit over what drains it.