The coronavirus and our experience living in this period of time is hitting a lot of us really hard, especially those of us that are highly sensitive. We can’t know what will happen, but what we do know is that we can strive to do the best we can to take care of ourselves.
Below are some tips to help you during this difficult time.
1. Play uplifting and/or relaxing music - Positive or relaxing music raises your vibration and can help put the mind in a more positive, easeful state. Everyone will have their own personal preference, but for relaxing music I often go for Steven Halpern and Snatam Kaur.
2. Practice yoga/exercise at home - With fear spreading faster than the virus, we must let out some of our worried energy is a positive way. It is the perfect time to start a developing a home exercise routine. Even 10 mins a day of yoga/exercise is extremely beneficial and can help boost your mood and immune system. DownDog, which offers yoga and other exercise classes like HIIT and Barre has just been made free until April 1, and Glo, which has yoga, meditation and Pilates offers a free 2-week trial. I have used Glo for years and highly recommend it. There are also many more free exercises classes on YouTube, such as Yoga with Adriene. I recorded a short 15-min gentle yoga class back in 2015 and I am also considering filming some new yoga classes as well.
3. Meditate - Meditation has made a profound impact on my life and it was the only thing that really taught me to be present with how I feel when I am feeling pain or anxiety, rather than resisting it. I know that meditation made a significant impact on my ability to heal. Resisting your feelings never works, after all what we resist persists! I believe learning to be with what you are feeling is one of the most powerful and important things you can learn. I love Dan Harris' 10% happier app, which has a lot of free content as well as a paid for version which I use personally and love. The app Meditation Studio, has meditations from one of my personal meditation teachers, Elisha Goldstein, and also has a lot of good free and paid for content. Lastly, my husband loves the Waking Up app, with Sam Harris, which has free content and I believe for now he will give the paid content away if you cannot afford it and write to them directly. I will also record more meditations myself soon.
4. Breath with a sigh - Controlling your breath is one of the best ways to relax the nervous system, but sometimes it can be hard to guide yourself, especially if you are experiencing a lot of anxiety. Here is an easy breathing exercise I recorded yesterday that you can practice anytime.
5. Get sunlight and fresh Air - I can’t overstate the emphasis of sunlight and fresh air for health and wellbeing. When I was really struggling, I was stuck inside all of the time and it only made matters worse. Even if you can’t go anywhere, do as best you can to try to get fresh air every single day, while of course keeping a safe distance from others.
6. Drink lots of water - Water flushes out toxins from the body and keeps us mentally and physically sharp. Drinking water is also one of the primary ways to treat viral infections. Keep water with you at all times and avoid letting your mouth get dry.
7. Stay home but stay connected – Social distancing is key to helping reduce the spread of the virus, so if you don’t need to go anywhere, just stay home. Clean-up/organize your house so it feels as peaceful as possible and just try to enjoy being there. Keep in touch with friends and family via phone/Facetime/Whatsapp and if possible, try to chat about other topics. Check in on those you know that belong to a more at- risk population and let them know you care or see if you can offer them any assistance. Giving is receiving and one of the best ways to help you feel better.
8. Take breaks from news and social media and do something you enjoy – Of course we need updates to know what is going on but being connected to the news non-stop will do nothing to help keep your nervous system balanced. I know we all know that, but it can be hard to do. I even found myself glued to the news and social media the last couple of days, even though I pride myself on being someone with healthy tech boundaries. Make it a goal to not check the news for a few hours, or only to check a certain number of times a day and then step away. Find what you love to do when you are at home and do it. Indulge in a favorite activity or craft. Read one of the books you’ve been meaning to read or start writing that novel you always meant to write. Do yoga, mediate, cook, play with your kids or pets and give yourself some healthy space from the news and social media.
9. Use the Namaste greeting instead of shaking hands or hugging - If you happen to be out for whatever reason, giving a namaste is a perfect alternative to shaking hands or hugging, even if it’s with a close friend or loved one. When you refrain from touching others you are protecting everyone.
10. Practice loving kindness while you wash your hands- You don’t need to hear this again, but washing your hands is literally the best way to prevent the spread of coronavirus and protect yourself and others. Molly Hahn, creator of Buddha Doodles has a great suggestion for what to do while hand washing: Practice your Metta, loving kindness meditation. I also recommend saying: "May all beings be well, may all beings be happy, may all beings be healthy, may all beings be filled with loving kindness."
With love & light,
Christie