Last week I talked about Self-Focus, Self-Love, and Self-Care. The emphasis was on the self, though not on selfishness. This week I want to talk about continuing to provide care for yourself, but also about extending care outward to others. It can be done for one, for many, or for all. How? Holding space. It’s kind. It’s caring. It’s compassionate. It’s loving. It’s practicable and accessible while social distancing. It’s crucially needed. But what is it?

“Holding space is a conscious act of being present, open, allowing, and protective of what another needs in each moment.” (Chopra Center)

“Holding space doesn’t have to involve anyone else physically being there with us or listening to us directly. You can each hold space for yourself. When you are going through something big (or seemingly small), you can hold space for yourself by tapping into self-compassion.” (Tiny Buddha)

“Holding space is the process of witnessing and validating someone else’s emotional state while simultaneously being present to your own.” (WTF is Holding Space: A Man’s Guide)

Holding space means that “we are willing to walk alongside another person in whatever journey they’re on without judging them, making them feel inadequate, trying to fix them, or trying to impact the outcome.” (Wanderlust)

“Holding space is like holding the door open for someone to walk through to experience a new model of the world. Instead of feeling like the walls are caving in, holding space literally gives breathing room to express, open up, and simply be where we are.” (Tiny Buddha)

The resources section below offers suggestions on how to hold space. The gift of holding space is precious. Share that gift with yourself and with others. Do it today.