Juggling old obligations combined with our new and ever-evolving obligations can be very overwhelming. This may leave you feeling like you are on the verge of burnout. However, were you on the urge of burnout before this pandemic?
The new anxieties around our health, our families health, and the future of our economics can leave one feeling very worried and scared. Combine this with the fact that boundaries have been blurred between parenting and teaching and work life and home life. All scrambled together with a multitude of other concerns. Concerns like are our kids falling behind? Are you falling behind at work? Will you have a job next week? How do I file for unemployment? Will my business make it through this? Will my marriage make it through this? The worry game of questioning has spread as quickly as this pandemic.
But it is time we get intentional about being mindful during this uncertain time. We must be present with this state of uncertainty and face it head-on. But how do we do this? How do we face the cray without losing our way?
It is going to be the little actions done consistently over time that will yield us the greatest results. This is a true practice for any time in our lives but especially now. If you have not begun to take knowledge over the little things you are doing, day in and day out, it’s time that you shift your attention to these daily actions. And before we jump into daily actions that can help you with these anxieties let me just remind you that in times of stress we can be led into periods of great value. When we are stressed that is the time we can have the greatest involvement. The greatest growth. Stress forces us to look within, to make changes, and to shift. Stress helps us evolve when we look inward. Are you ready to look inward?
I think the biggest challenge regarding our current stressor is the fact that this stress was a stressor that went way beyond our imagination and was the opposite of what many of us were planning for beyond New Year’s Day! The pandemic is not something we can change, but we can change how we view and deal with this pandemic. We can choose to respond vs react. We can choose to use compassion vs. criticism. We can choose to listen vs. blame. We can CHOOSE what we want in terms of our thoughts, actions, and emotions. We have way more control over our well-being than we are led to think. So, let's look inward at some actions we can take to stay mentally, emotionally, and physically resilient.
Only put in your mind what you want to be a part of. If you don’t want to be a part of the blaming game during this pandemic, shift your news and shift your social media feed away from the negativity. Shift your conversations and actively control your narrative.
Treat your body like a temple. When you are taking care of your body and nurturing it with the right foods, water, rest, and supplements, you will feel amazing. Your immune system rises and your energy lifts up. So, limit the junk or even eliminate the junk you feed your body. Take the time to intermittently fast and nourish your body with quality foods that fuel you.
Focus on only the things you do have control of. Your home, a hobby, your fitness, your children, your mindset, minutes in your day, your finances, etc.
Breathe! Take time every day to clear your mind, focus on what is going on within you, and breathe in love and light, exhale any tension and stress.
Remember, stress can serve us and the stress of this pandemic may already be serving you. Maybe you have found a new way of being, a new way of working, a new way of viewing things that sits with you in a happier space. Let’s shift our mindset from, “This stress is bad,” to “This stress is pushing me to grow.” Look inward to what blessings this pandemic has provided and choose what is good.