Many of us are experiencing vulnerability, anxiety, loss, loneliness, and sadness during the pandemic.
If you are at home with more time on your hands, we invite you to join us and be curious about this time. There may come a moment where you find that through this discomfort lies an opportunity to explore internally and redirect our energy.
Lack of clarity can make it hard to move forward (Robert Neimeyer, 2020). But by acting to restore feelings like control, empowerment, reason, and agency, we can shut off the alarm response in our bodies know and move forward (Guy Winch, 2020).
What if this time comes as an opportunity for us to restore our health and truest sense of self?
If you’re unsure of where to begin, start with one of our strategies below:
1. SWITCH To What you Can Do Instead of What you Cannot Control
Focus on what you can do every single day to feel safe, somewhat normal, and a sense of purpose.
- Follow public health guidelines, wash hands
- Prioritize sleeping 7-9 hours each night to support immune function
- Set an alarm, shower, and get ready each morning
- Write a short daily to do list (2-3 items) on paper and cross off tasks as they are accomplished
- Enjoy regular meals with family
- Limit exposure to news and media in order to manage feelings of overwhelm and anxiety
- Schedule regular connection with loves ones. Some psychologists recommend leaving video calls on with family or friends as you go about your day to create a sense of being with that person.
2. Mind, Body, Heart
When you have no idea where to start, being with the promise of mind, body and heart.
Dr. Rangan Chaterjee shares that giving ourselves 5 minutes in each of these categories of health, every day, has the power to transform our lives.
A. Mind | Any activity that helps you quiet and clear the mind
(without the use of food, drugs, alcohol or addictions)
e.g. fresh air, reading a book, learning something new, playing a board game, creating with your hands, a warm soothing bath, listening to a podcast, brain training through mindfulness meditation, yoga, free thought journal to write down and release thoughts that flood the mind.
Fueling the mind supports a sense of clarity, calm, and confidence. It may also improve energy, emotional regulation, and pain by decreasing stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.
B. Body | Any movement you enjoy
e.g. walks in the sunshine, dancing to your favorite song, jogging, stretching, yoga, playing catch, soccer, basketball, a family race, gardening, cycling. This category also includes nourishing the body with healthy meals.
Any increase in activity, even 10 minutes of light movement a day has the power to improve strength, sleep, inflammation, mood and decrease our overall risk of disease and mortality.
C. Heart | Anything that nurtures human connection or your truest desires
e.g. meaningful conversations and experiences, laughing or crying with loved ones, reuniting with an old friend, celebrations, social gatherings, long loving hugs/ cuddles/ kisses/ touch, having a sense of community where you live, work or volunteer.
Humans are pre-wired by evolutionary design to need connection for survival (Hojat, 2007; Larson, 1993). Connection protects our sense of belonging, mood, energy, immune function and may improve odds of survival by 50%.
3. What Is Missing?
Months and maybe years have flown by through the busy life of work, events, and family.
What is ONE activity or hobby that brought you joy in the past, but has been forgotten since life got busy? We challenge you to bring it back!
Examples our clients have shared include photography, dance, woodwork, puzzles, crafting, and hiking.
4. Perspective
When the foundation of our safety and freedom is shook, when we experience loss of control and fear our time may be limited, a haze lifts and our priorities become transparent.
We, like others, take time for granted, often forgetting that our time here IS limited. We too have become swayed by distractions and emotions which hold little intrinsic value, leading us down paths which used our time in ways we did not intend. Valuable lessons are gained along these paths.
How has the pandemic changed your perspective?
We wish to take forward a vibrant clarity of what truly matters. Ask: what is a worthy use of my time, who do I want to spend time with, who energizes me, who drains me, how do I wish to make others feel?
We hope to intentionally reflect on how we want to feel each day and put into action practices that align us with these feelings; all while understanding that beautiful experiences of love, celebration, connection, family, surprise, learning and generosity are for a limited time only.
5. Seva
Seva | “selfless service without expectation.” Acts of kindness and compassion not only support the well-being of others but also improve our own sense of well-being, empowerment, and connection (Guy Winch, 2020). It may be as simple as starting a conversation with a neighbor, calling a friend to check in on them, volunteering, making a meal for a loved one, dropping off groceries for parents, or supporting the local food bank. Whatever you choose, follow your heart; No selfless act is too small.
This is our opportunity.
To re-calibrate.
Redirect.
Uncover the layers of all we tightly hold
Discover the weight upon our back
Meet thoughts and emotions
face to face
finally seeing how they lead us
Is it time?
To let go of all that heavies the heart
Exhale the chatter
Releasing all that no longer serves us
Freeing fear, anger, pain, resentment, confusion, rejection, guilt
Forgiving the mind
Forgiving the one we love
Sitting in silence, away from the world
Rebuilding
Mind, body and heart
Loving those who mean the most
Warming the soul with sunshine
Reviving lungs with fresh air
Feeling the laughter of the little ones
Watching bright dreamy eyes full of wonder
Filling ourselves with wonder again
Love,
Radnut
References
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