Are the pandemic and political environment getting you down? Read this!!

Let’s be honest and tell it like it is. The last 12 months have been a real chaotic mess!! Those of you who know me well, know I do not usually resort to using such negative words to describe the world, or anything else for that matter. However, I believe there is often power in naming the elephant in the room in the strongest, most descriptive terms.

When we consider everything that has been going on the last 12 months with the pandemic and the multiple stressful events in our news feed, it can become incredibly difficult just putting one foot in front of another. Going about life in an upbeat, congenial, and productive manner can seem like a concept of the past. Those of you who are “empaths” or “feelers” could be having a REALLY difficult time. You might be stuck in a rut and asking yourself, “How in the world can I get past this and take back my life?”

Here are my 4 tips for moving past the overwhelm and getting your life back on track:

REMOVE yourself from social media and newscasts

We have all heard this advice before. However, have you actually taken this advice to heart? Have you closed your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds and walked away? If you are really hooked/addicted to checking your feeds and are spending large blocks of time ruminating over each post and/or event, you may need to delete or archive your accounts for a period to make this break happen.

REFRESH your mind and body

Once you have walked away from your multiple social media accounts and the nightly news casts, turn your attention to refreshing your mind and body, whatever that looks like for you. It may involve taking a nap, taking an Epsom salt bath, retreating for some journaling, meditation, yoga, deep breathing, mindfulness practice, going for a walk in nature, calling a friend to catch up (do not be tempted to talk about current events 😊), turning on a YouTube video of your favorite comedian for a good laugh, or heading to the basement or gym for a good workout.

Do not forget to eat nutrient dense, healthy meals with a good ratio of healthy fats, proteins, and complex carbohydrates. Many nutrients can actually help mitigate the stress response. In addition, consider addressing your gut health to improve your mood. YES, recent research is showing that taking care of your gut with healthy foods and supplements has the potential to improve your mood! Hit me up for more information on this topic if gut health is an issue for you.

Sleep is another area that often suffers when we are overwhelmed or stressed. Make sure you are getting a good 8 hours of quality, restful, uninterrupted sleep each night. A good nighttime routine is incredibly powerful in allowing this to happen. Again, if you are having difficulties and need some suggestions, please reach out!

REFRAME your thoughts

This is where journaling, meditation, and mindfulness can become incredibly powerful! During your journaling practice, write down a thought as you currently perceive it. It might be as catastrophic as, “The world is going to hell in a hand basket.”

Capture that thought and do your absolute best to reframe it more optimistically. For instance, you might reframe it to something like, “We are going through a particularly stressful time right now, but the current events have brought everything to the forefront.” Folks are waking up and are now willing to address the elephant in the room (or are willing to look for solutions to avoid further problems, etc.)

Here is another one, “The pandemic numbers are off the charts and getting worse.” We obviously know that this can indeed be the case. However, for the sake of nurturing ourselves with more positive thoughts, what if we were able to say something like, “The vaccines are being distributed, we will soon see an improvement in numbers, and will no longer have to (or soon be able to . . .)

Fill in the blank with the thought that will impact you in the most positive way_______________.

If you would like to begin a journaling practice or improve on the one you already have, message me for my “Master Self-Love with Journaling Guide.” You will find expert tips to get you started on the path to journaling mastery!

The same processes can be used in meditation and mindfulness practices.

RENEW your commitment to keeping things in perspective

If you find yourself slipping in your commitment to keeping things positive, catch yourself right away! Be on the lookout for thoughts like, “this is really awful,” or “I can’t believe this is happening again.” Whatever that less-than-desirable thought is, reframe it immediately!

Renew your commitment to the positive and see what happens. I think you will be amazed at the impact this will have on your mindset long term!

Here is a little clip that may help in lifting you out of negativity and into positivity. It brought a smile to my face. I hope it does the same for you!!

Bette Midler – The Bing Crosby Special (1977)

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