Staying Sane During Times Of Change With These 8 Tips
For many of us this season of change has taken a serious toll on mental & emotional wellness. With uncertainty and lack of control, it's enough to send ourselves in an unrelenting downward spiral....But it doesn't have to be. Yes, anxiety is real. Yes, stress is real. Yes, uncertainty is real. Yes, lack of control is real and it sucks.
But surrender and patience are also real. And there is a lot to learn from both. And there are certain things that we CAN take control of. It may take loosening our grip, even 5%, giving ourselves a little wiggle room, doing things a bit different (even if the change is excruciating), creating a sustainable new normal that can lead us to thriving as we take this opportunity to bring our focus in. For many of us, this WILL require permission. You will have to give yourself permission to change, to be flexible, to go with the flow. It may be hard at first, but day by day it gets easier. And many of us will realize, that our precious energy is being used for growth rather than fueling the downward spiral.
White-knuckling life can make us sick. It can burn us out. Surrender can lead us on a path to well-being even in uncertain times. Most-importantly, it can lead us back to ourselves. This is an opportunity to come back to ourselves. I sure don't want to miss out on it. I hope you'll join me.
Staying Sane & Riding The Waves Of Change
1) Start small & start where you're at
-Overwhelm is real. If you're feeling overwhelmed, (let's be honest, most of us are) take your time with all of this, but PLEASE, do something small each day for your sanity.
-Our brains do not like to be overwhelmed. They don't respond well to big change. To build sustainable habits during a time of change, it's smart to take baby steps.
-Choose one thing from this list or your own list at a time. Slowly build it in to your day. Get comfortable with it. Let it become a habit and (very important) ditch it if it doesn't serve you before adding more in.
-Start slow. Start where you're at. Build from there. Stay present.
2) Have a container for your day AKA a schedule.
-It doesn't need to be rigid. Keep it a bit loose & test it & tweak it so it works for you. Experiment as you go. Mine shifts on a weekly basis, like moving puzzle pieces around until they fit.
-Do you wake up before anyone else and have sacred alone time?
-When do you move your body and get outdoors to observe nature?
-Stay accountable for things that need to get done to have your sanity: picking up, laundry, showering, washing dishes, eating meals, putting down the phone, connecting.
-When is your productive time? Do you notice a time in the day when you can get things done with ease? Fill that time intentionally. It will have the most impact.
-Schedule in rest, downtime & time to connect. Bolstering our immune systems include resting to not drain our battery. Many of us have been praying for a break, and now that we have it, we're overfilling it. This can be a time to schedule weekly calls with friends & family to build morale and solidarity.
-For a more solid container, grab my planner for only $20. It has a place to plan your day as well as wellness tips and prompts for gratitude, vibrant foods, self care, physical movement and a daily mantra which can help to create some positive habits and rituals especially during times like these. If you live near Grosse Pointe, skip shipping and pick up on my porch!
3) Stop counting the days & use a timer to receive info and news
-If you're anything like me, the # of days we've been in seclusion elicits heavy pacing. Stop counting. Start being present. Let yourself forget what day it is every now and again. But look forward to your weekly chat with your cousin on Monday's.
-If you've been over consuming news & noticing an uptick in irritability and anxiety, use a 10 minute window to consume news after breakfast and if you truly need more, 10 minutes after lunch. Reading news before bed can keep the wheels spinning & inhibit restful sleep.
-Also try to seek out positive sources of news happening throughout the world, like THIS.
