5 ways to survive Mercury Retrograde​

Call it a “fad." Call it “hype." Call it what you want, but Mercury is in retrograde and many of us are feeling the effects- whether we want to admit to it or not. I, for one, can honestly attest the fact that the first half of March has not been my best. At first, I couldn’t understand why. Why was I wanting to lounge on the couch versus getting things done or even getting up to do my normal routine of working out? Why were my text messages being missed or being misinterpreted by my friends and family? Why are things bothering me that normally I couldn't care less about? Well…I have found my answer. Now, there are many skeptics out there (hey, I was one too) but with all of the events that have occurred to me personally or around me to others, I had to question: Is this mercury in retrograde messing with the balance in our lives?

Mercury retrograde dates for 2019 include:

March 5 to 28 (yes, we have until the 28th to deal with this)

July 7 to August 2

October 31 to November 20 (1)

“When a planet is in retrograde it gives the illusion of moving backwards (but it’s actually moving super fast past earth which gives the illusion of moving backwards). It’s this gale force lightning speed gust from Mercury’s orbit that sends Earth into such a tailspin.” (2).

“The planet mercury rules communication, travel, contracts and automobiles.” (1). Yes, all of these have been affected in my life. Text messages either not being sent or received, or being completely taken out of context. Traveling to and from work has been a challenge this first half of the month and what usually takes me 30 minutes is now 45 minutes with constant delays. Lastly, the final straw was when my husband’s car decided not to start and, come to find out, the battery was dead and leaking acid. $160 later the problem is fixed but that didn’t help the fact I had to leave work early to pick up our daughters from aftercare- with only 10 minutes to spare from the time of closing. Can anybody relate with what I’m saying?!

Mercury in retrograde not only affects aspects around your life, it can also affect your health! Yes, your health! You might find yourself more anxious or on-edge. Apparently Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces are affected by this—sorry to the hubby, as all of those signs live with him! Miscommunication between friends and family may cause you to feel that no one can understand you. Which is true because communication is skewed. You may feel that you can’t overcome a simple cold or that your gut goes completely bonkers.

The most relevant to me is the need to recharge and relax. I’m feeling #allthefeels when it comes to reflecting on events going on currently and what I want for my future—which does take a lot of my energy. These revelations have caused me to sleep harder and deeper than ever, but still fatigued in the morning. So, my morning routine of working out before everyone wakes up has been completely shifted. I don’t know about you, but when my morning routine is thrown off my whole day seems awkward. The last couple of weekends I have opted for movie marathons with the family and sleeping in until 8am (yes, this is sleeping in for us) instead of being motivated to organize and work on projects. This very well could be my body telling me to slow down a bit, but I can’t help but wonder….could all of this be the effects of Mercury being in retrograde?

Now, how does someone cope with the consequences of this shift? Well let me share with you some tips that I have been trying to implement in order to survive until the 28th. As I stated above, Mercury rules communication, travel, contracts, automobiles, and technology, so these are the areas that you MUST pay the closest attention to.

1. Leave 15 minutes earlier than normal for work, important meetings, appointments etc. Transportation can be effected so you must prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Giving yourself that buffer alleviates any additional stress that you may experience during this time period. If you arrive early, that’s great! It is so much better than rushing to your destination. Plus you will be able to avoid that awkward late entrance into your work place.

2. Try to incorporate mediation into your daily routine, whether it's first thing in the morning, during your lunch break, or after the kids go to bed. Give yourself at least 5 minutes to sit, reflect, and dissect the events of the day or plan what is to come that day.

3. If you’re anything like me, your main form of communication is text messaging. During this time I suggest that you pick up the phone versus writing out your feelings. Communication is very poor right now (or at least until the 28th) so talking on the phone or in person will allow you to express your feelings and prevent messages from being misconstrued.

4. Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep. Hydrate properly (at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces) Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and incorporate more veggies and fruits and plant-based proteins. All of these seem pretty easy to do, but it is even more vital to stick with this routine during this time period so that you stay as healthy as possible. Like I said before, you may have unsettling GI issues or gut imbalances, or could be battling a cold that you just can’t seem to “shake it off." Trying to keep your immune system as primed as possible is key.

5. Give yourself grace. I feel that this is the most important advice I can give. Grace is something that us as women have a difficult time giving ourselves. You weren't able to finish that load of laundry, you forgot it was “crazy hair day” at school, or you skipped your workout for the day. If one or all sounds like you then you need to listen up. Especially during this time period, it will feel that ALL THE THINGS are not going the way you planned or that they seem more difficult to accomplish. Regardless, stop beating yourself up. Give yourself the grace that you deserve and remind yourself that you can try again tomorrow. You don’t have to be “on the ball” all the time. With mercury in retrograde, I feel that simple tasks which normally didn’t seem so daunting are completely overwhelming. “Live by grace—not perfection." This is the quote that I have above my mirror in my closet—it should be extended with “ESPECIALLY while mercury is in retrograde”

In closing, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully things that seem out of your control will begin to settle. In the end, you can call it what you want- coincidence, astrology, higher power, or just plain bad luck. It's not what has happened that matters, it's how you cope and come through on the other side that counts.

Remember to always Follow Your Gut,

Jaci