Life is challenging most of the time. As the world has been forced to a stop through lockdown and the human interaction is different from what it was before, with the social distancing, there are many challenging moments. No one is immune to that. Here are some tips to help you navigate the those challenging days and nurture yourself.
Ground Yourself
Take some moments for yourself in the morning to centre and ground yourself. It is easier than you think. If you do not have much time sit or stand and close your eyes. Take 3 deep breaths. Remember energy follows intention. One deep breath to connect with yourself and bring yourself to your body and be present. Second deep breath to connect to the Earth through your legs (if you can do this barefoot on the grass fantastic). Third deep breath to bring your awareness and connect to your heart chakra in the middle of your chest.
Make a list
Make a list of 3 things you want to do that day. They can be simple things as watering the plants – if you have any in your space – etc. As you tick things off you will feel more productive. Have at least one thing on your list that is easy to do and doesn’t take too long to do. When you have done it you feel better and the impulse is to keep going with the next task.
Meditation or Prayer
This is tricky for those having children as it can be full on and no time to have quiet time. This means prioritising few minutes in the morning or evening or even getting the kids involved if possible. When children are young (I have a 5 year old) their attention spam is short so make the most of it. Something I’ve been trying with my son is to close his eyes and imagine a balloon in front of him. Any colour he likes. Imagine he is putting things that worry him or frustration (whatever he wants) into that balloon. He takes a deep breath and at the count of 3 2 1 he let’s it go with a big breath out. It only takes minutes but it does wonders.
Take a break from the things you can
As it’s always me cooking I have days when I get the slow cooker out and make a batch of soup or stew. Soup is great as I put it in the blender afterwards (takes couple of minutes) and it’s a great way to get kids to eat vegetables too. I also use that as base for pasta sauce. It makes me feel I had a break as I don’t have to stand next to the cooker for that long plus I have food for at least couple of meals.
Gratitude
Before you go to sleep think of 3 things you are grateful for that day. It can be as simple as the sun shinning. You can write them down if you feel like it. If you can’t think of 3 things just make it 1 thing. Most evenings the first thing that comes to me is feeling grateful for the peace and quiet after bedtime.
Give yourself a day off
Home schooling is tough. There will be good days and days when no matter what you do you can’t get kids to do any work. Allow for those days, take a deep breath and forget about school work. Do something fun like painting, colouring in, singing or play tag. When I make myself a hot raw cacao drink I make one for my son and we sit together and drink it and have a hot chocolate party. Might not be school work but we practice counting and spelling and fine motor skills. Go for a walk out in nature or spend some time in your garden. Nature supports us beautifully. Make yourself a nice cuppa and just take the time to drink it.
Move your body
Move your body. If you are crazy about fitness do a workout. If you haven’t done workouts just put a song you love on and move your body. Get the kids to join the dancing. It’s not a race. It’s about moving and having fun.
Surrender
Surender and take each day as it comes. Some days will be good and some not so much. The beauty of it is that there’s a new day every day. Some days keeping yourself and your family fed and watered and safe is all you can do and that’s enough. Be gentle with yourself.
I hope you find these tips useful for helping you get through these challenging times. If you feel you’d like a bit of extra support, you could consider booking in for a distant healing session.