Leaving the shell behind

The past two years have been taxing for everyone to various levels. Many being filled with fear and anxiety, some experiencing the “great divide” as it seams to have unfolded.

Parallels can certainly be drawn between the mental state of our society during the pandemic to the most commonly experienced anxiety on an individual level, or at least a various degrees of uncertainty even for those most resilient.

Many things happen when fear occurs, but at the individual level, we know that it induce suppression of the immune system. Your immune system is the relationship between you and the world around you.

Many experts would say that the most potent things suppressing our immune system is (di)stress, lack of sleep and lack of time spent in nature. I would add a human connection and inner state of being to it.

If we are not sensing the world around us we are not fully alive, and we are certainly missing on the beauty of life. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to connect, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don't function as we were meant to.

My wish is that we come out of our shells again, slowly as needed, and perhaps just a little wiser, a little kinder and a lot less afraid!

Cartoon Courtesy of @newyorkercartoons