Written by Jody Cecil, Licensed Professional Counselor

Years ago, our family decided to adopt a teenager. Even as we were actively choosing to welcome a 15 year old boy into our home, our adoption specialist reminded us of the impacts of change. We were inviting chaos, and life would begin to feel disorienting and unstable. We needed anchors.

Many of you reading these words right now may feel unsteady as events unfold around you. As a nation, as a world, as individuals, we’re coming unmoored. Family members, friends and clients describe to me the impact of the constant, disorienting change socially and politically here in the United States. Even when change is chosen and known, it can be challenging. Although we chose to adopt ten years ago, we had no idea how drastically our lives would change. We were suddenly sharing space with a stranger. Our nervous systems played off one another, and we all felt the impact of past trauma and neglect. Pause for a moment and reflect on what current or past change has felt like to you. What was it like for you personally?

What are your anchors? Identify the elements of your life that provide stability, grounding, and a sense of self during times of transition and uncertainty. Consider your personal values, relationships, hobbies and activities you enjoy. Routines and rituals can be helpful anchors. Work, volunteering, and spiritual practices can also help you to find a sense of grounding and stability. Memories and mementos can also serve as anchors. One of the most accessible is the physical environment around you. Where do you feel safe? Perhaps you have a room in your home that you find nourishing, or a space outside in nature. Find the things that will not change and engage with them.

Feeling out of control can be disorienting and even terrifying. Anchors allow you to experience some agency, and even a small amount can make a difference. One of my personal anchors is poetry. As you explore what helps you to feel more stable, I invite you to enjoy the art of Wendell Berry, a poet who often explores the theme of finding stability and peace in a world that can be filled with despair and uncertainty.

I Go Among Trees

I go among trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet
around me like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places
where I left them, asleep like cattle.

Then what is afraid of me comes
and lives a while in my sight.
What it fears in me leaves me,
and the fear of me leaves it.
It sings, and I hear its song.

Then what I am afraid of comes.
I live for a while in its sight.
What I fear in it leaves it,
and the fear of it leaves me.
It sings, and I hear its song.

After days of labor,
mute in my consternations,
I hear my song at last,
and I sing it. As we sing,
the day turns, the trees move.

Jody is a licensed professional counselor and a member of the Flourish team. If you are interested in counseling, contact her via her website, www.takingrootcounseling.com.