In the past 5 months people in every country have experienced something that the majority of the human race has not experienced: a pandemic. Anxiety, fear and a sense of alienation are only some of the feelings people are experiencing. Jobs have been lost, homes have been foreclosed on, family members have passed away, and the list goes on. As the pandemic continues, many of us are still feeling the same way or worse. The pandemic was "not supposed to last this long - life would be back to normal by fall". Instead, the life as we knew it is no longer and our new normal is social distancing, wearing masks and using a lot of anti-bacterial products. Not everyone is able to adjust to these changes. So, what can you do to stay grounded?
Daily Meditation
Meditating is one way to stay grounded. It grounds your mind and body and is a great tool to start the day with. However, it can be done any time of the day and as often as needed. Meditating helps to strengthen the mind and control reactions that may otherwise be negative. With the ever changing environment, meditating will reduce stress and depression and increase self-peace, perception and well-being. Not only does it help the mind, it can also have an impact on your physical health.
Use the 5 Second Process
In the past 6 months I have heard from several people that they have lost motivation to keep up their schedule, make plans or just simply perform day-to-day activities. The 5 second process will help to slowly work up to gaining that motivation back. When there is a lack of motivation, close your eyes and slowly count to 5. When you get to five, do what it is that you needed to do. Each day count to 5 before starting this task and your motivation will return and each day the motivation will get stronger and stronger. By using this method, as you become stronger you will reach a higher goal of completing tasks that you lost motivation in doing.
Social Media
It has been said that Social Media is bad. I challenge you to look at social media in a different light. For many people social media has become a way to stay connected with loved ones and has become a life line. For others, it is a type of addiction and also feeds the negativity. Take a few days and journal about what you see on social media, how it affects your overall mood and physical being. Then reflect on your journal entries and make a decision of what you should cut out and how you can have a positive affect for others by using social media. Post pictures of small adventures, invite people to post their adventures, take off news pages, look for fun groups to join, etc. Post pictures to make people smile!
Grounding Exercises
Grounding exercises are one of the ways to bring yourself back to a point of relaxation and assist you in addressing what your body needs. One of the ways is to do breathing exercises. By practicing calculated breathing, your mind/body is able to relax and work through the stressful time. Another grounding exercise combines breathing and standing in a starfish pose. Follow this link to get other ideas, including the starfish pose, on grounding yourself: "10 Simple Ways to Bring Peace to Your Day".
Self-Care
Out of all of the suggested ways to stay grounded, self-care sounds like the easiest to do. I know for myself, self-care has been one of the most difficult things to do. Yes, I will admit it, I thought buying myself clothes, books, magazines, or makeup meant self-care. I was completely wrong. Those are necessities, nothing beyond the normal self-care. Take some time and read a book or magazine, research something that you have never done or a vacation that you would like to take. Even simpler than that, watch a tv show that you like and if it is an ongoing show, schedule time to watch it every week, or get a massage each month, lay in bed longer than you usually do or just get outside and enjoy the fresh air.
Even the smallest acts of love add-up!
As I mentioned, it is important to take care of yourself. Nobody knows how long the pandemic will last or how much things will change in the future. Follow these simple tasks and make them a part of your every day life. You will still face challenges but the above steps will assist in adjusting to the ever changing times.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ― Mahatma Gandhi.