We are living in stressful times! Whether you’re adjusting to working from home or worrying about keeping your distance in public, it’s easy to let fear and stress get to you.
But, this reduction in activity can also be an opportunity to connect and work on practices that will ground you long after the coronavirus has gone.
If you and your loved ones are feeling healthy, here are five ways you can use this time as a reset rather than a set-back.
1. Connect online or in-person
Relationships are the backbone of everything. Call up people you haven’t seen or talked to in years and get caught up. Last night I had an “online dinner party” with friends – old and new – where we shared stories and felt anything but isolated. If you haven’t already, learn how to use Skype or Zoom and don’t be afraid to pick up that much-neglected app on your mobile – the phone. 😉
2. Do market research
When building a business, the research never stops. Reach out to people who are your ideal clients and ask them what they long for, what they’re struggling with, and other questions to help you get more clarity. (Message me if you want to set up a session to talk more about how to do this.) Once you know where people are struggling in their goals, you’ll be able to create freebies and other offers that serve them better and attract more of your ideal clients.
3. Declutter
If your files on your laptop are a mess, now is a great time to sort them. The same goes for your personal and work areas. Get things in order. With so many events canceled, now might be a great time to look at your life and ask if there are any commitments that are no longer serving your priorities. Its spring! This too shall pass. Make space for the new.
4. Ground yourself
If you’re intuitive, empathic, sensitive, or just plain human, the energy in the air right now may be overwhelming.
At all times, but especially during times of strong personal and public emotion, it’s important to have a practice that grounds you in the present. This might be meditating, singing, walking, journaling, painting, dancing, cooking, yoga or something else. Guided visualizations can also be helpful (YouTube has a ton of them – I like those by Jason Stephenson and Micheal Sealey).
Stop yourself if you find yourself compulsively checking the news or social media and instead focus on what feels good to you. Do this practice daily to keep yourself centred.
5. Rest
Nothing is more important than staying healthy. Most North American’s don’t get enough sleep but sleep is what allows our bodies and our minds to repair themselves. Go to bed early and take mid-day power naps if that’s an option for you. Allow yourself some downtime – now, more than ever.
Be easy on yourself and others.
We’ll get through this.
