During this time, it is so important to focus on yourself first. With physical isolation and social distancing, we are more vulnerable to feeling alone or like the feelings and mental health concerns we were dealing with before have become ever-present in our lives. Our worries, feelings and thoughts can be all-consuming. But the GOOD NEWS is that with so much time at home, we can more opportunities for nurturing ourselves and helping our minds and bodies feel better.
How do you do that? Well, Here are 9 ways to get started:
1) TAKE TIME TO FEEL YOUR FEELINGS This is the most important place to get started! Give yourself moments (like 60 seconds) through out your day to get in touch with how you are feeling. Sadness? Anger? Overwhelm? Frustration? Grief? Exhausted? What does the feel like in your body? Name it for yourself and be sure not to assign too much power. Try "Anxiety is here with me now" instead of "I am so anxious". You are not your feelings; your feelings will come and go, rise and fall and are not who you are.
2) BREATHE That’s right. Breathe. Breathe because we spend our day doing it unconsciously, holding pent up energy inside us that has no where to go.
Our immediate reactionary responses can be calmed with 5 minutes of deep breathing. So start with sitting in a quite space, placing one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. Take deep breaths, focusing your attention on expanding and contracting your belly as you breathe in and out. You can use the hand on your belly to rub your belly to further help regulate your nervous system and stimulate deep breathing to reduce your stress response.
3) CREATE PREDICTABILITY This one is all about routine. When life is uncertaintly, the most important thing we can do to take care of ourselves is to seize the moments we CAN have control over (what time we wake up, when we eat our meals, etc.). Scheduling time to consume news updates, schedule phone calls with friends/family. Scheduling time to do things that make us feel good.
4) FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
Again, with the uncertainty of this pandemic, it is important to remind yourself that this WILL END and that there are things within your control that you can do to keep yourself safe and healthy: -Cover your mouth when you cough and your nose (with a tissue) when you sneeze -Washing your hands thoroughly -Avoid touching your face whenever possible -Avoid any non-essential travel -Wear a non-medical grade face mask when out in public, while still keeping your distance from others (6 feet).
- Leave the medical grade face masks for medical professionals, caretakers and individuals at higher risk of infection -Keep your immune system strong by maintaining a healthy diet, drinking 2 litres of water per day, and getting an adequate amount of sleep
4) MOVE YOUR BODY
Research tells us that moving our body increases our mood and most importantly, it allows the stuck energy of our feelings to make their way through our body; when we activate our heart rate, our brain releases endorphins (the feel good hormones) which is the driving factor in helping us to physically feel better. For able-bodied people, move your body in ways that feel good; through stretching, walking, dancing, and for whatever duration you can withstand.
5) GET OUTSIDE
Fresh air and feeling the ground beneath our feet physically and spiritually centres us in our world. Fresh air stimulates deeper breathing and allows us to soak up more vitamin D (even when it's cloudy) to stimulate our immunity and physical healing.
6) EAT TO INCREASE YOUR IMMUNITY
This is one of the most important things we can do help our bodies and our minds to stay healthy right now. Eat real food; eat the things that don't come in packages. Added preservatives, sodium and sugar create inflammation in our body and makes us feel worse. It might feel comforting to dive into the bag or chips or eat cookies, but research shows us that it makes us feel worse; the spike in blood sugar and carbohydrates tells ournd forces it to work harder to break down the junk we consume, not allowing appropriate energy go into repairing and strengthening our immune system. Now is the time to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables that are all colours of the rainbow to not only heal our bodies, but heal our minds too.
. 7) STAY CONNECTED
Social distancing doesn't mean socio isolation. When we feel connected in our relationships, we are less likely to seek out substances and patterns (alcohol, binging movies and tv shows all day, etc). that try to regulate our nervous system when we are in distress (under stress). Connection in relationships gives us a sense of purpose whether we are aware of it or not. So reach out to the people in your life that make you feel good.
8) FIND JOY It is not joy that makes us grateful, but rather it is gratitude that makes us joyful. When we are able to find gratitude, we are alb etc find relief by allowing ourselves to feel joy. Finding gratitude can seem hard in days like today, but I invite you to start small. Find gratitude of the sunshine, for waking up well this morning, for being able to choose what you will do today. When we choose gratitude, we allow our subconscious mind to cultivate compassion for ourself in a safe way and you deserve that.
9) SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
Connecting with a therapist during a time like this is important- no, it is essential. These are hard times, and we cannot make sense of hard things, alone, for long. Therapists can help you make sense of how you are feeling, establish nourishing ways of getting what you need, and finding your purpose.
With additional time at home these days, it is a great time to take advantage of therapists' online offerings; the ability to book and have online sessions via telephone or video conference, from the comfort of your own home.
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