Be Still, My Heart!

April 2024

“Being still does not mean don’t move. It means move in peace.” — E’yen A. Gardner

The thunder is roaring, the curtains gently streaming in with a cool breeze, and I smell that sweet smell of fresh rain. The pat-pat-pattering of rain pinging off the roof fills me with a sense of calm. Just now, in the busyness of life, I am overwhelmed with the need to be still and take in what’s around me. This is not planned, it presented itself and I accepted. Tuning in to my senses, rather than the demands of the day, brings me peace. It is quite literally the calm in the storm that I found… be still, my heart. This flash of mindfulness, even though it’s just fleeting moments in time to be stolen here and there, speaks to me in a way that is restorative and sets a tone for me as I move forward today. In this moment, I can shush the world and reflect on what I am thankful for. My mind quiets of other matters. I breath, I smell, I look, I slow my breathing, I close my eyes, and I hear. I am still and with myself.

This month’s wellness is your PSA to find (or plan) moments of stillness that speak to YOU.

Did you know?

Being in stillness reduces responses in the sympathetic nervous system, thereby reducing your acute stress response responsible for fight or flight.
Stillness improves our ability to handle adversity by sitting with what is.
Being still is a form of mindfulness that anchors you to the present. We are often anxious over future or past events. Stillness allows you to be here in your head.
As you learn to be more present, a natural outcome is getting better at listening to others.
While stillness is not intended as a problem-solver, you can often find clarity or a sense of wellness around a situation that has been troubling you.
You may choose stillness as a form of connection to your higher power.

To be still, you can plan it (set a timer and environment each day; you may initially struggle with keeping your mind quiet) or you can accept the gift when it comes (like this storm).

What stills your heart?

Be Well …

Arkansas Hospice Employee Wellness Council (EWC) Keeping you Well – Mind, Body, & Spirit

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