Quiet Your Spirit in Times of Uncertainty

Last April, I wrote a version of this post for The Glorious Table, and I happened upon it again the other day. It struck me that today, almost a year into the uncertainty of the pandemic–not to mention the other uncertainties of life–I am just as much in need of practices that quiet my spirit as I was then, maybe even more so. The presidential election is over, vaccine distribution is underway, and yet there are still many unknowns.

Even if you’re not prone to anxiety, the reality that life as we know it is still on hold no doubt continues to be unsettling. It’s all too easy to spend our waking hours focused on the unknown. Paramount to living well through this season of uncertainty is the ability to quiet our spirits, to turn away from anxiety and stress and rest in the Lord. If this seems impossible to you right now, let’s look at some small steps you can take to move toward peace.

Begin your morning with God rather than the news.

It can be tempting to start the day with the latest headlines, switching on the TV or opening your phone’s news app to find out the latest information. This is one place Catholic thinking can be of help. Like the Old Testament temple priests, who began each day with a morning offering to the Lord, the Catholic church recommends that the faithful begin each day with a morning prayer offering. This can take any form you like. Ask God to help you stay calm and focused during the course of the day. Ask him to help you surrender any worry and uncertainty, any feelings of hopelessness.

Seek comfort in hopeful words.

If your own words fail you, try reading a psalm or two aloud. Or choose something from a prayer book such as John O’Donohue’s To Bless the Space Between Us, Every Moment Holy by Douglas McKelvey, or The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle (lately, I have been praying “A Prayer in Time of Darkness,” from Celtic Daily Prayer, Book One). When we do not have words of our own because we are too stressed, praying someone else’s words of comfort and hope can help us reach a place of inner quiet. The Celtic practice of caim prayer, a prayer of protection, may be especially appealing right now.

Move your body.

Because we are earthly beings, our spirit-mind-body connection matters. Exercise, especially outdoors, has been proven to relieve stress. Walking has a notable calming effect, as does yoga. Make space in your day to get out for a walk in the fresh air, multiple walks if you can. When you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed or tense, do some gentle stretching. Try to be aware of how your feelings may be manifesting themselves in your body, and respond with gentle exercise that feels good and helps release that tension.

 

Try meditation.

If you tend to be plagued by racing thoughts, beginning a meditation practice might be helpful. Start with just three minutes, and build from there. If you need a guide, the Headspace app has a free level.

Designate a quiet space for yourself.

Even if you have a pack of rowdy kids home with you all day, can you designate one room as off-limits to everyone else, somewhere you can go for five or fifteen or thirty minutes for a reset? Make it a tidy, comforting space—add a few books, a cozy blanket, a candle, some way to play soothing music.

Surround yourself with beauty.

How can you quiet your spirit by adding beauty to your home environment? Can you add a bunch of flowers to your next grocery order, light candles, play uplifting music? If you have the inclination to cook or bake, the smell of soup simmering on the stove or something yummy wafting from the oven can be an instant mood-lifter for everyone in the house. Consider weeding out any sources of negativity from your social media accounts as well.

Choose uplifting entertainment.

The most-watched movie of early 2020 was supposedly Contagion. To this I say, No thanks. Instead, choose something uplifting (PBS Masterpiece’s new presentation of James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small is giving my family a dose of weekly delight, and I hear Netflix’s Bridgerton is doing the same for many of my friends). Do the same with your reading material. Read aloud to your kids (children’s books are often great soul medicine). This is more than mere distraction; stories that remind us of the depth and beauty of the human spirit, whether on screen or paper, can be an instant shot of encouragement.

Reduce screen exposure.

If you’re feeling a bit of screen burnout (after pretty much my entire social and creative life went to live on Zoom, I certainly was), make a concerted effort to carve out space away from your screens every day. Consider a weekly screen-free day. Consider taking a break from screen-based activities that are unnecessary for the next season.

Work with your hands.

Handicrafts of any kind can be soothing to the spirit. Knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, painting, drawing, coloring—all are routes to feeling calm and centered. Resume a long-dormant hobby or try a new one. Craftsy is back in business and has many offerings for a few dollars or free. Grab a class and then order supplies online.

Practice gratitude.

One of the best ways to maintain a quiet spirit is by keeping an eye on our blessings. One of the things that seems to have registered for many people in this season is that we’ve been given the gift of more time with our loved ones—time to read and play, talk and laugh, share meals and snuggles. Our overly hectic lives have been forcibly slowed. Take a little time each day to look around you and see the blessings hidden within the uncertainty. Consider writing them down.

It is possible to quiet your spirit in a time of uncertainty like the one we are living through. We can set aside the things over which we have no control and, through healthy spiritual and daily practices, enter a place of peace and blessing that will sustain us in the interim and beyond.

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;

my eyes are not raised too high;

I do not occupy myself with things

too great and marvelous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within my breast.

O Israel, hope in the Lord

From this time forth and evermore. (Ps. 131 ESV)