Hello Reader,
Does a geopolitical event unfolding thousands of miles away affect your daily life?
At first glance, your coffee tastes the same, your morning routine remains intact, and you continue to obsess over the subtext of the latest communication in your life. But if you look closer, the ripples are everywhere. Perhaps it’s the sudden anxiety in a friend’s voice who is "over there", the increased cost of goods, the new layer of security checks at the airport, or the extra two hours added to your flight path as pilots steer clear of contested airspace. What feels like a headline is, in reality, a shift in the fabric of our global neighborhood.
At Bento Coach, we often talk about striving for balance and getting comfortable with boundaries. We talk about compartmentalizing, and preserving our energy so we can show up for our work, our families, and ourselves. But lately, my own "bento spaces" have felt a bit rattled.
Is it business as usual?
I’ll be honest, I often find myself oscillating between hoarding and securing.
- Hoarding the emotional energy I have to protect my own peace of mind, and
- Securing the mindspace and bandwidth I need to pursue the activities that are important to me.
Too often my mind feels pulled in directions that I have no control over. In the past week I have felt a profound sense of grief and exhaustion for the people I care about, and for the city that has given me so much. War, regardless of the why, always carries a tally of casualties that aren't just measured in numbers, but in the collective spirit of those watching from near and far. It is a heavy weight to carry.
While the world of commerce keeps spinning, the reality behind the scenes is split. I see it every day. Some of us are performing with our heads-down, planning for contingencies, building redundancies, constantly preparing for a never ending list of "what ifs”. Others are intentionally staying disconnected, choosing apathy and silence as survival strategies, trying not to get sucked into the quagmire that is geopolitics.
Both approaches are valid. Both are ways of coping with a world that feels increasingly unpredictable. The need for normalcy and routine is continuously encroached upon by the demands of humanity. We keep trying to find our footing, as we continue to hold space for “business as usual”. Not by ignoring the world, but by acknowledging our place within it.
Exercise: Finding Your Center
In times of conflict, the world feels heavy. Our inner sense of equilibrium feels elusive, the spaces blur, and the weight of distant events can spill into our quietest moments. This exercise is a soft invitation to reorganize your energy with compassion rather than force.
Step 1: Holding Space for the Unseen
Take a moment to sit with your breath. Instead of trying to fix the confusion you feel, simply name the four things currently occupying your mind. Draw four soft circles on a page and label them:
Circle 1 - What am I holding for others? The worry we feel for our loved ones or the city we love, the exhaustion that comes with the continuous status updates and wellness checks. Name it, and honour it.
Circle 2 - What do I need for my own sense of safety? The small things that make you feel secure right now, a warm meal, a locked door, a voice on the phone, name them.
Circle 3 - What can I gently set down? Is there a news feed or a conversation that is asking too much of you today? Give yourself permission to let it go for a while.
Circle 4 - What do I want to nurture? One small project or habit that reminds you that life, in its simple beauty, continues.
Step 2: The Soft Boundary
At the Bento Coach, we believe that boundaries aren't walls; they are containers. Just like in a bento box the various containers hold different foods, to preserve the variety, quality and freshness of each dish; boundaries can help us hold multitudes, preserving the integrity of thought, offering a fresh perspective, providing much needed space to breathe and just be.
Choose one hour today to be completely offline. Use this time not to be productive, but to reconnect with your physical surroundings - the light in the room, the texture of your desk, the sound of the city, the fragrance of the flowers in your balcony, the taste of the meal that you prepare. Connect with yourself or the people in your immediate vicinity.
Step 3: Practicing Presence
Instead of a "to-do" list, create a "to-be" list.
- Today, I want to be present.
- Today, I want to be kind to my own fatigue.
- Today, I want to be a steady source of reassurance for someone else.
By shifting from doing to being, we acknowledge that while the war has casualties, our spirit doesn't have to be one of them.
A Final Thought
It is okay to feel confused and conflicted. It is okay to feel emotionally exhausted. It is also okay to feel numb and disconnected. By naming our emotions and compartmentalizing our worries, we don't ignore the world. We simply ensure that we have the strength to stay in it and endure.
Anjani Gandhi
Executive Leadership Coach
Founder, The Bento Coach
