Okay, so there’s a lot going down right now on the home front and around the world. Whether you’ve got a bunch of Covid cases in your workplace, are waiting with bated breath for mandates to be dropped, or concerned for Ukraine, it’s enough to put us a tad off kilter. I’ve had a few days of feeling a bit out of my usual flow and really needing to come back to centre and back to basics. I know I’m not the only one.
Not sure you’re taking good enough care of yourself right now? Here are some simple ideas to help…
Stay on top of the basics
The basics: eating regular healthy meals, drinking plenty of water, getting good sleep, getting sunlight, moving the body and having some relaxation every day. I’m going to add keeping caffeine and alcohol low.
Which of these boxes are you ticking and which ones do you want to focus on this week?
And on the health front, if you’re concerned about contracting Covid and are not feeling entirely confident about getting well quickly, check out this excellent resource for people and families from the World Council for Health.
Remind yourself this is temporary
Okay, so a two-year long pandemic isn’t exactly temporary (!) but in the context of your life, it is all temporary. But perhaps more usefully, often whatever is going on today is quite temporary. Being unwell. Dealing with a big workload. When you’re feeling the pressure of situations or impatience to have things resolved, it can really help to remind yourself that THIS IS TEMPORARY. It will pass.
On the other side of the coin, that means when things are good – and even if it’s just the delicious meal you’re eating tonight – then really make the most of that too because these nice moments like yummy food, a kiss or a beautiful sunset are also fleeting. Take the good while it’s good.
Look after your state of mind. Keep the stress down.
Many in my community and certainly all of my clients know how important it is to be managing your state even when there isn’t drama going on in the world. Use your breath, your tools and even just a good intelligent pause to settle your body and de-escalate the stress response any time of the day. The sooner you catch it and settle the body back down again the better you will feel, the better you will think, and the more energy you’ll have across the day and into the evening.
Go here if you need a top up of tools.
Stay connected to the goodness in life
I’m going to be honest. I lost sight of the goodness in life on the weekend as I observed all that is going on in our beautiful country of New Zealand and around the world. It got me down.
I went out to the beach for a walk and swim late afternoon still feeling a bit of a cloud over me. I got back from my walk only to realise that I’d dropped my car keys along the way. And I was acutely aware that I don’t have a spare. (Last time I put car keys in my bikini top!)
On my travels back along the beach looking for them, numerous people kept an eye out for them too. Someone found them near the walkway where I’d begun and sent them down the beach with a couple of women who were heading my way.
I felt the goodness of these people. Their warmth. Their willingness to help. Their care.
I felt myself fill up with warmth and sunshine, even though it was a little blustery on the beach.
I’m well aware there are people doing some fairly diabolical stuff around the planet right now, but I swear this was a universal tap on the shoulder to remind me of the goodness in most of us. Within people and in the fabric of life. At least that’s what I believe.
Thank goodness for lost car keys ☺️
And thank goodness for the beautiful human spirit.
Please take good careful care of yourself right now. Inside and out. On all levels of self. And always.
Karen x