First and foremost, I hope you and your loved ones are safe. Now let’s address the current situation we all find ourselves in thanks to the COVID-19. I must admit it feels so surreal to be suddenly detached from my oh-so-structured routine.
I’ve had a few fearful moments - which is natural given that uncertainty is scary - and I’m sure you’ve felt the same. Fear is definitely powerful, but it’s important you acknowledge it, and not sweep it under the rug. But once you’ve acknowledged it, it’s time to find ways to reduce your anxiety levels and stay sane. I’m hoping this blog post will help.
Sanity suggestions
There is so much that is out of our control right now. But there are also things we can control, and that includes our thoughts. To help you get into a positive mindset and maintain your sanity, here are a few suggestions:
1. Pray and/or meditate
This will help reduce fear and anxiety, providing you with a sense of peace. The Breethe meditation app is currently offering a free meditation collection titled ‘Inner Wellness During Coronavirus’. I highly recommend it.
2. Make an effort to stick to a routine
It can be easy to switch off your alarm and simply stay in your PJs all day. But making this your new routine can put you firmly in a rut. I’m all for taking advantage of this enforced downtime by perhaps staying in bed a little longer, but try to avoid making it a daily habit. Stick to your normal wake and sleep times as much as possible, and get dressed for your day, albeit a little more casually if you like (hello sweats and yoga pants!).
3. Laugh!
Call your friends and enjoy some silly times, whether that’s over the phone or via FaceTime group chats. Watch some funny films, or hit up YouTube – you’ll always find something that will have you on the floor laughing. It’s really important to keep laughing in times of stress. It raises our vibration by releasing endorphins, those wonderful ‘feel-good’ hormones.
4. Get out in nature
Fresh air and the sounds and sights of nature provide a wonderful form of therapy and healing. While you still need to practice social distancing, take a walk with your partner or kids and just enjoy time in each other’s company without any digital distractions. Something that really made me smile this week was seeing people out walking in my neighborhood laughing, talking, and connecting with each other - people I’ve never seen before.
5. Practice gratitude
This is the most important staying sane tip! No matter what the circumstances, understand this law of the universe is always in effect - what we focus on grows. If we remain focused on the news, our fear and anxiety will heighten. Try to select one short time of the day to get updated on the news, then switch that source off, be it TV, phone or radio. Turn your focus to what you’re grateful for instead. Ask yourself – what am I most grateful for right now?
6. Be of service
Reach out to people in need and ask how you can support them. While you should still adhere to social distancing guidelines, often all someone needs is to just have another person hear and validate their feelings. You can easily do that on the phone or online.
We will get through it
Even though things are hard right now, I also believe there’s a silver lining behind this dark cloud. It’s giving us an opportunity to turn inwards and reflect on the life we have been living. Normally most of us are running so hard to keep up with work and families, that we never have the time to do this.
I’d want to end by saying we humans are very resilient. As a collective, I have no doubt we will get through this. In the meantime, I’ll continue to reach out virtually with ways we can navigate through these unprecedented times.
In addition, if there is any way that I can support you right now, please let me know. Stay safe, and be gentle and compassionate with yourself, and others.