Need some anxiety relief and to reconnect with your inner peace at this challenging time?
You are not alone. I am here to support you anyway I can. Check out my article below to learn some key practices that help you to reduce anxiety and practice self-love in this challenging time.
#1 Affirm the Present Moment:
It’s OK to feel whatever you are feeling. This is especially important to remember right now and to affirm this. Anxiety stems from chronic thinking of thoughts about the future, writes Rick Hanson in his book, Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. The way to break patterns of anxiety is to affirm the present moment. Even just taking a deep breath into your belly for a quick moment helps to break the cycle. You may also think about something you are grateful for in this moment or something beautiful around you right now. You may also use these affirmations, “In this moment, I am safe.” “In this moment, I am healthy.” “In this moment, I have shelter.” When you sync these affirmations with a breath practice (like the one mentioned right below), this practice will be even more effective! Continue to use these affirmations and others that encourage a sense of calm, safety and gratitude. Remember, stress is scientifically proven to decrease immune function so the more you can break stress cycles, the more you will improve your immunity.
#2 Develop a Pranayama (Breathing) Practice:
I cannot tell you just how helpful my Pranayama (Breathing) Practice has been as of late. I remembered the power of breath after re-reading Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (written in 400 CE, cornerstone of yoga today). Reading these Sutras gave me comfort and reminded me of the powerful word Pranayama, which is Sanskrit for life-force. The ancient yogis believed that our breath was key to lengthening our life-force and in fact, several scientific studies show how pranayama is effective for treating stress disorders and increasing concentration.
Feeling like my mind was scattered, I longed for concentration and to come back to the light within. So I sat down to meditate on my breath. I counted my inhales 1-2-3-4, briefly holding at the top and exhales 4-3-2-1. Afterward, I felt so much more in touch with myself. I tapped into a peace and security within myself I was missing. I highly recommend the effective “Counting Your Breath” practice above. If you’d like some guidance, I have guided meditations like this and others on my Self Love Living Online Yoga and Meditation Studio with 10 guided meditations, 16 mini yoga practices, and lectures on the power of breath and mindfulness! Info to sign-up is at the bottom of this article.
#3 Do Small Activities to Cultivate positivity & Hope
As part of the women’s circle I am a part of, our facilitator asked us to write down:
1) 3 things we are proud of…
2) 3 things we are grateful for…
3) 3 things that we desire…
I noticed that before doing this, I was in a negative mood and thinking fearful thoughts about lacking money in the future. Through doing this small activity of writing down these 3 things I am proud of, grateful for, and what I desire, I broke my cycle of fear and anxiety. As a result, I felt more uplifted and happy.
I encourage you to do this exercise and notice how you feel afterward. Positive prompts like these break our stress cycles and fill us with some hope and happiness.
#4 Create a Routine
For the first week or two of the stay at home order, this new normal was a lot for me to get used to. I was sleeping in a ton and looking at the news 5X or more per day. This did not do well for my mental health. What helped me feel better and more productive was to create a routine. I made a to-do list with specific work and self-care tasks. With having more of a routine, I felt much more productive and healthy. Reflect upon what makes you feel cared for, nourished, and mentally happy and write them down. Commit to adding some of these things into your life daily and perhaps even make a schedule for yourself to make sure that you do them at specific times.
#5 Exercise:
Moderate intensity exercise is scientifically proven to improve your immune system. Also in this time of social distance, it’s important to keep our spirits up. Exercise releases feel good hormones that make us happier. Please remember to exercise in this time where we need strong health and immunity. If you feel more comfortable exercising inside, do indoor activities. I teach a couple live-streamed restorative classes on Yogaworks this month on Wednesday/Thursday evenings and there are many other teachers with wonderful yoga and other work-out offerings. You may access these classes at www.yogaworks.com. And again, remember to check out my link below for access to my Self-Love Living Online Yoga and Meditation Studio with a collection of recorded yoga classes and meditations.
#6 Rest:
A former client of mine was diagnosed with Co-Vid19. It took her weeks to get better but she finally overcame it. When I asked her what helped her get better and stay calm, she responded through text with one word, “rest.” Not only is resting important to remember when you are sick, but it’s very important for preventative wellness. It’s scientifically proven that people who don’t get enough sleep or good quality sleep are more likely to catch a virus. This is because infection fighting antibodies and cells reduce when you don’t get enough sleep. Adults need 7-8 hours of sleep per night to bolster their immune systems! Make sure you take this time to get good quality rest. (Dr. Eric J. Olson M.D. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/expert-answers/lack-of-sleep/faq-20057757)
#7 Laugh:
They say that laughter is the best medicine. Research shows it make you happier, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, improves heart health, boosts immune function, and more! When facing such a challenging time, laughter is a powerful coping tool. Look at pictures of cute cats, watch funny shows, call up a friend who makes you laugh, see the humor in little moments, do what you need to laugh!
My partner teaches laughter yoga and improv which is keeping the spirits up of many! Check out his Meet-up group, The Cambridge Improv Incubator, for info on his Improv Zoom Calls (for all levels total beginners to advanced) and Laughter Yoga Zoom calls!
#8 Good Hygiene:
It goes without saying that washing our hands and frequently touched surfaces are crucial in keeping ourselves and others safe. However beyond this, now is a perfect time to go beyond through Ayurvedic practices that keep our bodies in tip-top shape. Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga invented thousands of years ago. These age old Ayurvedic practices help detoxify our whole system! Here are a list of practices you may try below for optimal health.
Ayurvedic Physical Health and Energy Practices:
Abhyanga: This practice is putting oil over your body. The word “Abhyanga” in Sanskrit means “self-love.” The practice of oil self-massage is said to The practice of oil self-massage quiet the nervous system, rejuvenate the skin and tissues, promote healthy circulation of lymph, and remove stagnation
Neti-pot: Using a neti-pot is the practice of flushing your sinuses with a salt-water solution. Is said to be particularly helpful for nasal allergies, sinus issues, and colds but helpful all around for sinus health.
Oil-pull: Swishing with coconut or sesame oil for 2-20 minutes. It is said to help detoxify the mouth, whiten teeth, and absorb impurities.
Tongue scrape: Using a tongue scraper (or for years I used a spoon and it worked alright before I finally bought a tongue scraper) in the morning, scrape the coating off of your tongue. It is said to eliminate bacteria and toxins, help you monitor how your diet is affecting your system (if there’s a lot of coating, it is said to be more toxins and bacteria).
Dry-Brushing: A practice for the winter season, this is helpful for stimulating the nervous system, unclogging pores, increase blood circulation, and promote lymph flow/drainage. Brushing your skin.
Warm Water and Lemon in the Morning: Drinking this first thing in the morning is said to stimulate digestion, hydrate, and promote elimination.
#9 Help Others:
“When you feel helpless, help someone.”
-Aung San Suu Kyi
If you feel caught up in worrying, think about what you can do to help someone else in this time. There are so many ways to support, even if it’s checking in on a friend and neighbor. When we focus on others, it gets us out of our own heads. Research shows that the most confident people are actually more focused on others rather than themselves. How might you use your skills, passions, and resources at this time to help another? The answer may surprise you. All acts of kindness—even the really itty bitty tiny ones—bring more light and happiness into the world.
#10 Get support:
Social distance doesn’t mean social isolation. In fact, what we may need now more than ever is social connection. Our communities bring us hope and a reminder that we are not alone. Whether it’s an online community that brings you joy, connecting with friends through phone or video, or through email, seek out connection. It’s an essential component of human happiness!
Furthermore, it’s more than OK to reach out for support. It is normal to be experiencing some intense feelings and emotions coming up at this time. I’ve been working with coaching clients through Zoom technology and Face-time on how to manage these emotions, organize their time, and go inward to do deep self-love work. Some clients look at this as the perfect time to go within, face their fears, and cultivate the self-love they need to move forward in their personal and professional lives with greater clarity and confidence.
Does this sound like you?
Right now I offer free initial 25 minute Tame Your Inner-Critic consultations for clients who want to learn The 5 Keys to Tame Your Inner Critic I use in my personalized coaching program and how these tools are essential to transform their life and achieve their personal and/or professional goals. If you are interested, please book below!