After such a hard week starting with the shooting in Gilroy at the Garlic Festival and a bluff collapse in my beach town, the following weekend came with significant horrors. First, hearing that the shooting at a Walmart came with an agenda against people of Mexican descent, it gave me such a horrible gut feeling that no Tums could cure. Next, only hours after the first shooting, we awoke to the news that another tragedy occurred that evening in another part of the country. This struck me uneasy reminding me of 9/11and how different places were being attacked. Lastly, my anxiety became a high level of fear as I look in the mirror. As a daughter of a Mexican/Native American-American, I felt like I just saw my name on a hit list.

In these days after the shootings, here are six ways to manage your stress and anxiety while you live your daily schedule:

#1 Let the feelings come up.

As your emotions start swirling, let your feelings surface and share with a close friend or family member. Within some companies, there are mental health therapists available to listen. Look in the lounge of your company or workplace and make an appointment. Be kind to yourself and give yourself permission to have these feelings. (If you need to talk to your children but don’t know how, read the article at www.psychologytoday.com for help.)

#2 Enlist in community volunteer work

If it moves you, seek a place in your community to help others such as food shelters, hospitals, or other areas that move your heart. By helping others helps your own heart. If you need to help out monetarily, send money to a notable organization. Go to www.charitywatch.org  to be sure your money goes to the right place.   

#3 Keep up exercise & good healthy eating.

Stay in your exercise routine even if it means not going out so hard. Even just going through the motions is good for the muscles and the mind. If you want to avoid places because of the crowds, go earlier or go to fun places to do your run or walk to help you find your smile again.

#4 Limit watching news.

There’s nothing wrong with putting on your rose colored glasses. Give your brain a break from the horrors of what just happened and put good things into your mind. Look up videos from Matt Kahn or Kyle Cease. Using a touch of spirituality, they have a special way of talking to us about how to heal things that bother us.  

#5 Think about the past fun times.

It’s time to go back into your memories for the good times. Think back to a family vacation or wedding that you just attended. Maybe pull out the ol’ family photo albums. If your kids are home, play some fun board games they like. Fill the house with the smell of homemade cookies. If your kids are away at school, open up Snapchat and use some filters to make some funny faces.

#6 Pray & send out your love and light.

As we send out our prayers, we are helping the universe to send out peace to help heal the hearts of those who lost a family member or friend. When you send out love to others or even to yourself, you are actually sending love to those who caused the crime. Your love also reaches those who may be feeling sad, hurt, or confused. This love helps give them peace to avoid becoming upset to the point of acting out. If you think about it, when there is a group protesting with anger and vicious words, the atmosphere is just that, angry and vicious. However, if we send out love and peace, that is what creates a loving environment.

When confronted with our changing world that seems to involve so much violence, we need to learn ways to help keep ourselves healthy and happy. Let your feelings out, put your love into the universe, and share your smile.