You only have to get through today

For many of us this is a particularly hectic time. There's so much going on within all areas of our lives. We go from one thing to the next without pause, enjoyment or reflection. We do more than one thing at a time to get ahead, yet we feel we don't do enough. There's still so much to do. We have filled our agendas to the brim with no room to breathe. What happens if we get sick? What if we run into an old friend who wants to meet for cocktails? What if the car breaks down? What if we get a last minute invitation to a concert? What if the power goes out as we are about to finish writing a report? What if we are heartbroken in the midsts of it all?

We have planned ourselves so tightly that if anything unexpected happens we lose our sense of stability and control. It happens even for those who fly by the seat of their pants. Even though they have no plan or course of action, if anything unforeseen happens, it throws them into a spiral of confusion, stress and frustration. None of us like to feel this way. None of us are really successful when we operate this way. None of us are on purpose when we live this way.

Multitasking, new efficiency methods, sleeping less hours and speeding through tasks do not alleviate our collective overwhelmness. There's really nothing we can do this moment to lighten our loads. This is something we have to work on. Yet we can change our perception to reduce our anxiety by refusing to think about what didn't get done yesterday and about everything that must be done tomorrow. We at The Soulcerer's Apprentice have a mantra that helps us cope when life gets frenzied: we only have to get through today. 

Close your eyes, take a deep breathe, smile. Exhale slowly. Breathe in deeply again, this time repeating the mantra mentally: I only have to get through today. Exhale slowly, letting go. Breathe the mantra again, exhale–become empty of breath, stagnation and stress. Breathe the mantra in, exhale the stress out. Breathe the mantra in, exhale the frustration out. Breathe the mantra in, exhale...

You can practice this meditation exercise anywhere, anytime for as long as you can. It will help calm your nervous system, center you and release tension in your body. This has a cumulative effect. In time, as you empty your mind of worries, your spirit lightens and coping with life becomes easier. In the meantime, remember that you only have to get through today.