Written by: Kim Wagner, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Most days we are bombarded from every angle. It’s a time of panic, bad news and sensationalized issues every single day. It can be tricky to keep track of where your focus and attention lies. Energy flows to where our attention goes.
‘No one can take from us the ability to choose our attitudes toward the circumstances in which we find ourselves. This is the last of human freedoms. ’ ‒ Viktor E Frankl
It’s important now more than ever to be mindful of where our attention is going. Every minute of the day we are flooded with more bad news, fear and propaganda from every direction. Even if we turn off the television and stay away from social media, those around us are also consumed. However, it is possible to protect yourself at this time.
The one thing we can control is our thoughts. Whilst it might be a mammoth job right now, it is possible. Nobody can tell us what to think or stop us from forming our own opinions and continue to live our lives in happiness.
The truth is, most of what we have been told and shown our entire lives is not entirely true. We really only know what we’ve been exposed to. Whilst the introduction of television has been amazing in so many ways, it also has allowed us to be directed in our lives by what others deem appropriate to air globally. Yes, it’s important to know the basics. But it is harmful to expose ourselves to sensationalized, negative news and information 24/7.
To keep our body and mind healthy, we need to guard our thoughts fiercely. How do we do this? It does take time to master ‒ some days it’s really easy to slip back into old habits of worry, letting our mind wander into areas of catastrophe and fear. But we can reign things back in and find calm and happiness very quickly.
Here are a few tips that I’ve found very helpful.
Focus on gratitude. There is always something to be grateful for. It can be as small as having an amazing cup of coffee everyday. During this time of unease, I’ve been so grateful for technology. Even though I’ve been unable to travel as much as usual, technology has meant that I can still visit my friends and family who all live overseas. I’ve also been able to have Hungarian language lessons with an amazing tutor in Budapest in anticipation for my next trip to visit family.
‘You are the sum of five people closest to you ‒ choose wisely’. Surround yourself (in person or virtually) with like-minded people who do not dwell on the negative. There are plenty of people who almost seem to relish the negative. Steer clear of them and find others who look on the bright side and are optimistic. Who we surround ourselves with impacts us more than we are aware. There are plenty of people who have not only done well in these uncertain times, but have thrived. Find those people, spend time in their presence and allow yourself to look at the positive in things.
Self-care is more important now than ever. And on days when things are really tough, it’s critical to have a Self Care Emergency Kit. Our mind likes routine, and often there are things that we will do that cause us instant calm. We all have our own things that are our go-to in this area. A few ideas would be: a favorite brand or flavor of tea; certain music ‒ I find that binaural beats work really well for me as well as anything from Ludovico Einaudi; meditating; standing outside on the grass with no shoes on (grounding/earthing).
Get outside and get some exercise. If at all possible, get out in the sun. Being shut indoors is unhealthy in so many ways. Vitamin D is essential for our health and wellbeing, not to mention the healing benefits of being in nature. Daily movement is good to clear the mind, get feel-good hormones in our body and just get connected with other people and the planet.
Read a book from your favorite author. It’s a great way to calm down when we find a book that we can escape into. There is a deep-seeded comfort when we return to a character or style of writing that we know well. There are a few books that I’ve re-read many times and they bring me so much comfort.
The world shut down shortly after my last international trip and I made the conscious decision to make the most of the travel hiatus as I could. Rather than thinking about how much I was missing out on and the fact that I could not leave my country, I decided to focus on achieving as much as I could both creatively and in my business. The last couple of years has seen me create and be involved with more amazing things that I could ever have imagined.
Having a mindset of abundance has allowed me to do so much and meet the most amazing new people. In fact, I have a new tribe that is the perfect fit for me I’ve also grown my business exponentially, have become a published author multiple times (including one Amazon best-selling book!) and do things that I would never have dreamed possible.
There are times when things are a little heavy globally. Yes, some days are a bit tricky. However, we have control over our thoughts and where we allow our attention to flow. We can either allow the conditions we are in to dictate our lives, or we can create our own circumstances.
Kim Wagner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Kim is a PSYCH-K® Facilitator, PER-K® Catalyst, Reiki Master, Intuitive Healer, Author, Speaker, and Educator.
After losing her mother to cancer whilst pregnant with her second child, Kim started to research and train in the field of belief systems and trauma. The learnings and results have been astounding.
Kim helps people to transform their lives. Her expertise is to heal trauma, replace negative and limiting belief systems and change the perception of stress.
With a corporate background, Kim's unique ability to help clients allows her to transform lives across the globe.
Kim is co-author of Upself Guidebook and an article contributor for multiple publications.
