Here are just a few helpful tips for staying sane when the world around you is turning upside-down!
- Get Moving!
Exercise- any exercise- releases sweet, sweet endorphins that MAKE YOU FEEL GREAT! Go on- get that heart rate up!
Stuck inside? There are so many videos on YouTube to help guide you to working out! A few of my favorites are Kundalini Yoga with Maya Fiennes or Ana Brett, and Walking Workout videos with Jessica Smith.
Only have a few minutes? Squats! Pushups! Wall Sits! Crunches! Stretches! Anything to get the blood flowing- it will severely improve your mood.
- Be Mindful
Mindfulness is a great way to center yourself and find calm in a sea of chaos.
5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
Etc.
Sit upright, and pay attention to your breath. If your mind wanders, pull it back and pay attention to your breath again. A nice mantra from Kundalini Yoga is “sat nam” in four parts- “Suh-tuh-nah-muh”- to keep you focused on your breath. You can count out the four part breathing by touching your thumb to each of your fingers.
- Start small
Starting is always the hardest part- so just START! If you’ve been putting things off because you feel like you don’t have time or are intimidated, start with a small step! After you accomplish that small step, you’ll feel more positive no matter what. You can quit there, but let’s be honest- finishing that first starter step might inspire you to keep going!
Example 1: I wanted to really Spring Clean my whole house- so intimidating! So first I broke down all the cleaning I wanted to do in each room and made a master list. This way, I’ve broken down a giant task into smaller, manageable steps that I can check off every time I accomplish one!
Example 2: I wanted to keep a Journal during these trying times, but kept putting it off. Finally, I just opened up a Google Sheets document, created a calendar, and started filling in small details from the past few days. Instead of one cohesive journal entry, I was having fun remembering small things that happened- what I cooked, whom I texted, what conversations I had, what games I played, etc. It turned something that was really daunting into something that was actually a lot of fun!
- Limit negative input
It can be tempting to binge watch the news or scroll endlessly through social media during a crisis- but resist the urge! Limit your negative input so that it doesn’t overtake the positives. Turn the news off and watch a heartwarming or comedic movie. Stop scrolling on Facebook and play a game or call a loved one to catch up.
- Be Grateful
Finally, at the end of the day, practice being grateful. Find the positives in every day- and there always ARE positives- even on the seemingly worst of days. Our support systems are there to be positive, watching our favorite shows can be a positive, eating delicious food is very positive!
Pro Tip: Before bed each night, I like to count off on my fingers ten things I am grateful for throughout the day. I include people in my life that I spoke to that day, positive things that happened however small, and general things I am thankful for like Bobs Burgers, great weather, and Netflix. I never have to think too hard because there truly are so many things to be grateful for in life.
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