The last year has been trying (to say the least) but the beauty of having so much time to reflect is that many people have turned their interest to the Self. Distraction comes in many forms, from working all day to scrolling through social media unintentionally. A lot of us have replaced our ‘normal’ distractions with similar ones or even more destructive habits such as using substances or excessively consuming junk foods. These are all normal reactions to the frustration and disconnection we have all faced over the past months. While they are normal, we can also choose to change them if we want to.
There are some fundamental pillars you can incorporate into your life that will help you recenter yourself during this difficult time and even ground you through less turbulent events. Read on to discover these and determine what works for you as an individual – there is no pressure to do everything perfectly or all at once.
Meditation
Meditation is one of those things that people either fall into routine with immediately or dread to start because they find it difficult. Whichever is true for you, meditating for just 10-15 minutes daily helps to improve:
Your brain functioning
Your ability to sleep peacefully
Your pain threshold
Your concentration
Your stress level
Your ability to combat addiction
Your rate of ageing
Movement
Did you know, most major diseases are caused by a sedentary lifestyle? There is a constant debate about how much exercise is healthy as well as what body types are ideal but movement is not about either of these things. Movement is about joy!
When we take the time to walk out in nature, dance in our living rooms or breathe deeply through a yoga stretch, this is when we let go of all the disease-causing energy that is trapped in our bodies.
Connection
We are all dealing with a lack of connection in some way at the moment. Most notably, we lack physical connection with our loved ones which is an essential human need. Of course there are modern tools that help us overcome this through video calls and texts but this is never quite the same.
We do, however, have ourselves to connect with. This can help us soothe the feeling that we are lacking something from others, if only temporarily. Ways to connect with our Self include taking time to be quiet, hearing all the sounds around us and getting rooted into our bodies. Other ways include practising things that bring you joy, whether it be painting or cooking or just brushing your hair. When we do all of these things mindfully, we start to feel ourselves again.
Ultimately, you need to do what feels right for you. If you found this helpful, try to start out slow and make it a lifestyle and if you feel this is not enough, consider seeking external help. This can be a life coach, psychologist, trainer or nutritionist. Remember, we all need support at different times in our lives, it’s perfectly normal to accept it.
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