CORONA GIFTS:
4 Healthy Ways for You to Deal with Uncertainty in Times of the Rona
Can I have your Attention please:
“For your safety, place the mask over your own mouth and nose before assisting others”!
Just as our friendly flight attendant tells us every time we fly, the same wise logic goes when dealing with uncertainty, we have to take care of ourselves first before we can help others.
These times we find ourselves in are affecting all of us in many different ways and in some respects, alllllll the ways at once. No one seems to be immune (no pun intended) from a certain extent of…… well, uncertainty.
And given that certainty and comfort are arguably the most basic human needs, it is completely normal and understandable that people are struggling on levels no one could have ever imagined.
So, where can we find some calm? How do we shift our anxiety and stress when we have less options in going to our ‘normal’ outlets to combat and manage these emotions?
We can’t just pop into the gym and sweat it out, we can’t meet up with buddies at a cozy little coffee spot and talk it out, or even drive to the mountains to escape it out in nature.
Who knew parks and nature trails would ever close --- What the?!?!
And now, we can’t say that it is ‘unbelievable’ because believe it or not, this is where we currently find ourselves.
Soooo, I guess we do have certainty in that, right!? Still, what do we do with that? The enormity of change around the world and in our own back yard is so vast, where does one even begin?
It isn’t necessary to have all the answers to the current reality to be able to take some small action, put our hearts out there and share whatever good we can contribute, in whatever way we can.
Whether that is working on the front lines, making masks, staying home, encouraging and reaching out to others, donating, volunteering time to read, teach or share, etc., the list goes on.
This isn’t the time to sit still and wonder what can I do?
This is the time to take some action.
This could be done in infinite different ways.
This is the time to be creative.
This is the time to open our hearts and minds and do something new.
Whether that is for your children, parents, neighbors, students, your pets or simply yourself. This is the time to make some positive change, be an example and be a leader. And the little things do count.
Hey, bonus points>>>change is all the rage, everybody and everything is changing in some way. We almost don’t have a choice to jump in or we may be left behind as a lot of change that is happening now is likely here to stay.
What do we have to lose anyways?
Most of us, have more time than we ever dreamed of having, though I do understand not all of us do.
I imagine those who are extra busy now are already shifting and adapting to the ‘new normal’ for now.
We all have a choice of what we do every day of the week, no matter the situation in life. While I do see the comfortable appeal to binge watching your fav shows or sleeping in and staying in pajamas until noon or possibly all day, why not take this opportunity to do something new and different at least some of the time? What do we have to lose?
**Disclaimer**
I have nothing against binge watching or pjs and I don’t have all the answers.
I have spent many a day in my life in said state.
I know from experience that creating better habits is life changing and mind altering.
My intention here is simply sending out thoughts, and encouragement from my heart in hopes that it will help at least one person who needs a push to find some focus and direction in the times we find ourselves of late.
Here are 4 simple ways I have personally found extremely helpful when dealing with uncertainty in these Rona times (as well as before).
1. Focus on YOU first and what you can control /limit the things you can’t
Just as the wise flight attendant forewarned us about, the moment has come and we have to take care of ourselves first to ever be able to help those around us.
Of this we can be certain. See, so much certainty already to be had in our lives. Isn’t that nice!?
The key here may be choice or perhaps building new habits and routines.
I do understand the resistance that can come with habit building, this we could surely discuss for days.
Still, we all have a choice on how we react to the changing seasons in life whether we expected them or not.
And yes, I realize certain realities for people or situations can vary drastically.
Still, can we not agree that choice is a key element to how we move forward, which is something that I can be pretty certain that everybody wants?!
Me personally, I had a bit of a break down on March 16th of Corona Times.
Hey, we are all human, right!?
I was overwhelmed by the negative news and the changing of our times.
I realized that most of the emotional attack was linked to my days spent over-checking the news just to stay updated and in the know.
But I had forgotten one key point about the news.
Any news outlet is out there to create content that is designed to make us want to come back for more.
And the way they do that is by highlighting the shocking, eye-catching numbers and stories that make us fear not knowing and nearly desperate to be in the loop to remain safe, aware, and the like.
This works because our brain’s main goal is to protect us.
I get that.
Still, it is our choice of how much of that information we let in, where we choose to get that information and how we internalize it.
To remedy this overload, I simply decided to take care of me first.
I stopped reading and watching the news altogether for a couple weeks and O.M.G., life changing!
Hallelujah!
Give it a try! Just STOP! I now have eased back in to by checking out the CDC or other reliable sources to stay updated, but still this is done sparingly.
This is something I couldn’t recommend more.
2. Learn something new/Challenge yourself
I have never been busier for as long as I can remember.
And I am loving it!
My mind is swirling with ideas of how to reach out, help and share what I am going through.
I feel hyper-creative and excited and want to contribute more to others as well as develop myself more.
A couple things I am starting to improve on is putting myself out there, challenging myself and learning more in the following ways and more;
a) Breaking out of my comfort zone and being vulnerable while doing LIVE
Facebook posts in more than one language.
b) Writing this post and sharing my thoughts on important topics to me and
hopefully you as well.
c) Taking online courses, workshops, challenges, webinars, Masterminds.
d) Learning new skills to help me build my career.
e) Learning new skills and practicing creativity in my daily routine, workout
schedules, cooking, time management, and more.
There are literally endless free as well as highly affordable resources available.
We can find anything to continue being creative, getting involved, collaborating, improving ourselves and helping others do the same.
What do you want to do?
The possibilities are indeed endless.
3. Practice gratitude
For the past 2+ years I have been writing in a gratitude journal.
And I could talk your ear off about how that has impacted my focus and my mindset to a more positive outlook on practically everything in life.
And all that from one quick daily habit. What I do is taken from a Tony Robbin’s playbook. It is simply writing down 7 things.
I write responses to all the following questions in my gratitude notebook every day:
1. What am I grateful for?
2. What am I enjoying?
3. What am I happy about?
4. What am I excited about?
5. What am I proud of?
6. Who do I love?
7. What am I committed to?
And voilà I start my day on a positive note in a simple way by asking and answering some highly meaningful questions.
There are a number of other elements to my morning routine, but of them all, this has packed the most impact on time invested.
And it doesn’t have to take a long time.
You can of course make it your own in any or more than the following ways:
a. You can write one-word answers.
b. You could choose to focus on gratitude or any other emotion on the list.
c. Try writing 5 things, or 10, or more.
i. When I first started, I wrote one-word answers, then went to a sentence.
Then I was linking the words and writing stories, and now I usually just ramble
on for three to five pages about ALL the gratitude I could ever imagine.
d. What about choosing different emotions? I only recommend sticking to positive
ones, because that is the point, right!?
e. You might write or think of something else entirely such as focusing on putting
your goals or dreams down on paper.
i. This is something I do too, but if you don’t currently do any of this, starting
small is a better plan until you build up the habit. But, none of this really takes
too much time and if we don’t have 10 minutes for ourselves, then I don’t
know how to help.
You don’t even have to practice gratitude this way, I am saying simply that if you give it a shot, you will likely be surprised how your mindset shifts throughout the days and then further into your weeks, months and entire life.
It has been that transformational to me and it is a simple change that everyone can do by spending a couple extra minutes per day on themselves.
Other options on practicing gratitude if you don’t want to write them down:
a. Simply verbalize what you are grateful for as you are getting ready in the morning.
b. Run through a solid gratitude list while cooking, cleaning or working out.
c. Before you go to bed, you could run through a list as well as you fall asleep
Gratitude and the rest of the above list of emotions can be endless.
Just think of 5-10 moments or things that you are grateful for, that happened in the day, recently, or that you possess.
It can literally be anything from being thankful your lungs, heart, hands or legs are in good shape or that you have them, being grateful everyone in your family is safe and healthy, to being grateful for and enjoying 10 minutes of alone time to reflect in such a meaningful way or being proud you are taking the time for your own self growth.
No matter how big or small, focusing on all the good you do have is an incredible way to train your brain to focus on the brighter side of life. If you want more ideas or want to talk on the topic, I could go on for days.
4. Stay connected – Virtually
Reach out! Talk to someone!
Think back to all the times you thought, “I should reach out to _______!” (fill in the blank).
Do it! Set it up! Take action!
We need human connection and right now we can still get those needs met through shared experiences online.
I have been catching up with many people I haven’t talked to in waaaay too long.
But I am so grateful that we have now taken this time to do just that.
1. Share a virtual experience together.
a. Have a virtual lunch, dinner, or coffee date, do yoga, play games, watch movies
through Zoom or Netflix Party, teach a lesson, have a craft session, get creative
and share your hobby, talent, and/or time. (even if it is just with your immediate
family). Mix-up family time activities.
The possibilities are Endless!
b. What are others that you are doing? Please share!
I have done or set up time for all of the above and I am loving the variety and online experiences that we can still share these days. It almost makes the time that much more precious since these experiences are also unique firsts. I love it and I know you can too.
So, the question might be to ask is,
What do YOU want out of this time?
There is no perfect answer, but one thing is certain, it starts with YOU!
The list could go on and on. But whatever action is taken must start with you making a choice and deciding. Perhaps start by asking yourself the above question about what you want or even if you want anything. What will you choose? If you aren’t sure, then schedule a free consultation with me today. I wish you only comfort and joy and I believe no matter how dark some days or periods can seem that there is good in every day for everyone!
Only Love~ Your Coach LeeLee
