Mindful Living: Coping in the Age of Covid
Let's face it, we've been dealing with the Covid pandemic for over two years, and these are challenging times for most of us. Here are some ways to give structure to your day and reduce the anxiety that often comes from being more removed from people and socialization than usual.
Connecting with Nature and the Outside World
To combat feelings of isolation, I recommend going outside and re-awakening your five senses. Feel the temperature of the air on your skin, filling your lungs, hearing the wind, and witnessing the sky with its ever-changing cloud patterns and all the creatures in it. Take a moment to re-orient and look at nature with a new sense of curiosity. If going outside poses issues, or physical limitations, then look at videos of natural scenes for three to five small breaks (10-20 minutes each) during your day. Integrate structured time for reflection, journaling, and gratitude for all the things we have in our lives, the successes, the challenges, the blessings, and the privileges that we often take for granted.
Breathing for Stress Relief
"Take a few minutes to really focus on your breathing. One of many techniques is called 4-4-4 breathing.
4-4-4 breathing can help you focus on breathing. The practice is simple: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, and breathe out for 4. Practicing this four times each day or more can help relieve anxiety and calm your nervous system.
Moving Your Body: Indoors and Out
It's common for people to be more worried about stress than their physical health. Staying active is vital for immunity and mental health support. Try 20 minutes of yoga or tai-chi — movements that help you practice mindfulness — or adopt more stretching in your routine to bring your awareness back into your body.
Even if you are new to any practice or technique, try closing your eyes and moving your focus to your feet, and you can begin to feel less anxiety and more grounded.
Physical distancing doesn't mean you have to isolate yourself or stay inside. Activities like gardening, hiking outdoors, and taking notice of the natural world, helps alleviate anxiety and improve well-being.
Going outside each day for 15 minutes of fresh air and sunshine helps the body make vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency can create vulnerability to the common cold.
Eating Well
Good nutrition is essential in stressful times; however, trying to boost your immunity with supplements alone may not be as helpful as simply eating nutritious whole foods.
Eating meals rich in plant-based foods, especially leafy vegetables, and fruit is beneficial for your health. Increase your consumption of various vegetables to gain more phytonutrients.
Taking steps to cut out inflammatory foods such as sugar and bad fats is a good idea. These foods might be more tempting when you're feeling tense or worried. Cook homemade foods with ginger and turmeric. Adding a little rosemary to your meals can help you focus. Drink plenty of water, and consider green or black tea.
At Your Home Office: Integrating the Outside World
Bring in things and visual elements from the outdoors for your at-home desk and around your workspace. Rocks, branches, flowers, even a picture, photograph, or screen saver depicting a beautiful, calming scene can help remind you of nature.
Listening to music that inspires you can help you focus and improve your mood.
Staying Focused
It can be hard to concentrate on work when your daily routine is disrupted, and the future feels unsettled. Being careful not to over-consume social media and news can also help you achieve a balance in your life so that you are not overly influenced by perceived external pressures and forces.
Aromatherapy can make your home office more conducive to calm productivity. It's important to remember that essential oils are not effective treatments for disease, but they can help uplift mood or create a more relaxing environment.
Practicing Mindfulness
It's important to not isolate ourselves from friends and family, even if that means reaching out virtually, particularly those closest to us, who bring out the best in who we are. We should also practice forgiveness and compassion in these challenging times, knowing that people are more anxious and stressed than usual. Practicing mindfulness and gratitude are integral to your well-being. Practicing mantras of self-compassion and positive affirmation upon rising and before sleep can significantly affect our overall mood and sense of grounding.
In our work together, I'll show you ways to keep self-care at the forefront of living instead of as an afterthought.
In my anxiety therapy sessions, let's address your worries and fears hindering you from being present and mindful. We will identify root causes, and I will provide you with the tools you need to break the patterns of accumulating tension, stress, and fear and offer an opportunity to live a fulfilled life with happiness.