In the midst of the pandemic, I find myself feeling overwhelmed and a bit helpless at times. I want to offer some things that are helping to give me some measure of stress relief. I offer to you the suggestion to turn off the 24/7 news coverage and practice a bit of self care during these tough times. It is important to maintain our physical, mental and spiritual health, especially now.
Calming the Mind
I find that daily prayer and meditation are are great way to calm my mind. I especially like the breathe prayer. My mom sent me a link to a quick 5 minute meditation. I have this video loaded on my phone and take it out to a comfy chair on my porch to start my day. If you aren’t able to go outside, doing this meditation by an open window is a great option.
Gratitude
As fear and uncertainty creep in, I like to take stock and give myself some positive reminders that there are still many things to be grateful for in my life. If you are having a hard time finding gratitude, I offer the following posts on gratitude to get you started: Exploring Gratitude, Heart of Gratitude or Nurturing Gratitude.
A few things from my gratitude list yesterday included: the sun on my face; food in my pantry; a text from a friend checking in on me; soap to wash my hands; spring flowers starting to bloom; a snuggle from my cat.
Physical Health
I am fortunate that I live in a rural setting where going outside does not present any social distancing issues. I also have an endless list of chores to chose from to keep me busy – oh maybe I should add that to my gratitude list. If getting outside isn’t an option, perhaps now is the time to tackle spring cleaning or another indoor project that you have been putting off. Physical activity is not only good for the body, but also gives your mind a chance to refocus and relax.
Reaching Out
These can be very isolating times. Even as an introvert, I am beginning to feel the impact of social distancing. Even though I can’t physically reach out, I have gotten some stress relief by texting/calling neighbors and friends. Sending a card to someone to hopefully put a bright spot in their day. For my soul, these kinds of actions are far more impactful than simply posting on social media, but social media is also a good way to stay connected.
Bottom line – be kind to yourself and practice some self care.
