Ways to help you stay sane in lockdown
Wellbeing & Meditation
Now that the clocks have gone back, and the more seasonal weather has arrived, the feeling of winter is upon us.
Almost 2 weeks in, it feels like a very different lockdown. It is less restrictive. And we are somehow more attuned. We have learned some lessons about ourselves and our lives last time and we are now getting to apply them. I wrote about this last week.
However the shorter days bring up a lot of new challenges…and the continued uncertainty is taking its toll. We have less vitality. Feelings of hopelessness are up for some. And others are thankful for what the time is doing for them.
In life when difficulties come, we have three choices – we can choose to be: ‘ better, bitter or broken’. Sometimes on the way to better we visit
bitter and broken. But ultimately, the best way forward is to choose better – which we do by learning from situations and focusing on what we can control and taking action.
Here are 5 ways to help you stay sane in this upcoming Lockdown.
1. Stay Positive – Keep your mind and energy focused on what you want in life and focus on what you can control. We can always control how we spend our time and energy. It can take a bit of practice to do it consistently but it works and we get better at it over time.
2. Keep moving – Being physically active benefits both physical and mental wellbeing and keeps your immune system strong. Exercise also burns off stress hormones including cortisol helping you to feel calm, centred and energised.
The WHO recommend 150 minutes of exercise per week. This or more is ideal but doing more than what you are doing now is a great place to start. I am a big believer in starting small and being consistent. Over time you can build on that – upping it every 3 weeks or month. Exercise in nature is even more powerful.
3. Be present – The average person is only present 52 percent of the time. The rest of the time we are in the past, the future or in our heads – analysing – which often leads to paralysis.
There are lots of simple meditations and mindfulness practices you can learn or you can simply be present in what you are doing.
4. Have goals – for what you want to achieve and work towards them every day. So often I have told myself the lame excuse that I don’t have time for this or that. Since COVID, I have not been able to hide behind this one. It was never valid as a reason and I knew that. But it is more obvious now!
A good friend recently said to me that when he reached his milestone 60th birthday, the little voice in his head told him: ‘ You know all those things that you said you would do some time, now is the time’. He has integrated them into his life and followed through consistently for the last few years on 4 key goals and transformed his life for the better.
Now, you have more time alone and or at home to do the things you have always wanted to do. Go for it!
5. Connect – Reach out to others. The quality of our relationships with others is one of the most important factors in our wellbeing. Many studies show that people that have good social relationships lead the happiest lives. It is even been linked with health and longevity.
And most importantly, stay well and take care.
is an accredited thought leader in wellbeing. She works with companies and individuals. For more information, visit: www.spiritualearth.com or contact: info@spiritualearth.com 0871 335230 ‘Let’s grow together’.