MY GROUNDHOG DAY

Having that groundhog feeling is so strange. But every day I start to get that feeling more and more. Just in case you don’t know what I mean, I am referring to the movie “Groundhog Day” from 1993. It seems that we’re starting to keep on doing the same day over and over. We start to refer to it as “that day,” “this day” or “the other day.” We have lost track of time completely. Being boxed in, the option to be creative with our activities is getting more and more limited. I do think somedays I am a drama queen and other days I just don’t seem to be able to find the energy to get out of bed. Today I am wondering how I can be with all this and try to find a way to breathe deeply. Of course, other days I am totally fine and wonder what it is that is triggering me. Do you have those days?

Being an animal communicator, I wondered why I gravitate towards the groundhog. Am I asking the wrong questions or am I looking for support somewhere without paying attention? Sitting with this question and reading my books and the internet, it became clear how the dots are going and what I was trying to connect. This beautiful spirit animal has many messages. One is that it invites you to have a clear look at the negative thoughts and behavior patterns you have and make sure you pivot them into a more positive one. To be in that moment of peace and accepting of what is. When we are able to do that, then we can have an honest conversation with ourselves.

It made so much sense! My mental health is not on the level it should be or even on the level I want it to be. Because I am home so often and there is so much time to think and think and to do some more thinking, I do go over to the dark side very easily. I start to notice that I just keep digging and digging into all the nitty-gritty of my day. I think about the conversations I have with people, their body language (difficult to see online, so I start to fill in the blanks myself) and the things they didn’t say or do but were maybe implied. It started to become really clear to me that this way of going through my day is so not healthy. Chatting with friends and family, I realized that I am not the only one struggling with this. We should come together and share these feelings. As a community, we can support one another. We can steer one another into a different direction instead of going deeper and deeper into the thought of events. It is a good moment to take an honest look at what we are doing; but we need to do it in a balanced way. It is the similar to de-cluttering – you don’t want to go too far and be left without sacred items. This is a process to invite and to have it stay with us for a little while.

It is so easy to lose yourself when there is no one to stop your train of thoughts. Sometimes we need to have a friend who points out that this it is funny, unreal or that it just doesn’t make sense at all. We need someone to hold up the mirror to us so we can see that what we are doing/thinking doesn’t make any sense and we actually should laugh about it. Really loudly! If we are doing things that are going to hurt us, we need someone to listen to us. We need this time to heal and to pivot in a way so we walk away with the lessons instead of the scares. Our thoughts can do serious damage to us and to our environment. We may want to take action just because the pressure is getting too high. Stopping a train is not an easy thing to do! We need support to help us take the pressure away without hurting ourselves or others.

Here are some things that can be helpful if your thoughts are taking over:

• Stop what you’re doing and go outside for a walk. Get the wind blowing through your hair and into your face.
• Find a way to move your body. Maybe watch a class on YouTube or on Facebook. There are a lot of free sources out there.
• Go and sit with your dog or cat and just talk to them. They are excellent listeners. If you don’t have a pet at home. See if there is some volunteer work you can do at a shelter like walking a dog once a week. It gets you out of the house, you can chat with other people, and the animals in the shelter are so happy to see you.
• Phone – zoom – message someone. They will be so happy to listen and hear your story. It will give them an opportunity to share as well. If that is difficult or complicated, connect with the many different organizations who are waiting to help you get out of your thinking patterns.

I realized that I am never alone, even if it seems that way at the moment. To reach out can mean so many different things. I joined a writers’ group that has grown into a workspace with people who live all over the globe. Nature has been very important to me and my dog has become my personal coach. (She has some cool insides on my patterns!) You have your community. If you feel you can’t reach out, follow your intuition to anyone who you feel comfortable with, yes even me.

The Groundhog is a special spirit animal. Checking in with him, he said, even sitting in a dark place can be peaceful and healing. He loves the tunnels he has built with his community and to connect with them. This can be under the ground or outside in the sunlight. Find the place that is comfortable for you, as it is from a safe place that you can rest and grow.