I stand by what I wrote about last time in terms of there being a lot of fear around the globe in relation to the Corona virus. The biggest positive I can see through all of this is that we are NOT alone. It shows that no matter where we live, what race we are, what gender we are, etc – we are ALL going through the same thing. No one is exempt from this. To me, it brings me hope that we might finally be able to live in a world of peace, where there is no “me” vs “them” but US, where those in power make decisions for the benefit for all of us as opposed to their own political gain.
But, as we are right in the midst of change, or rather, at the beginning of a huge change around the globe – that doesn’t mean that we won’t be affected in some way by it. Whether it’s physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. So I wanted to give you a couple of tips to help you get through these times.
The Physical – Exercise
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that you need to look after your physical health. When we face self-isolation and are restricted from being outside and seeing people outside of our household, we can become very complacent and sit on out bums working from home or watching Netflix!
So, make sure you get some sort of exercise in daily (20-30 mins if you can). Youtube is great for having fitness videos! I have a couple of yoga instructors I subscribe to and have also taken up the practice of qi gong. I find that by doing this in the morning it helps set me up for the rest of the day.
Otherwise, go out for a walk, a run etc – as long as it complies with the Government restrictions (which is changing by the day). Go out and get some fresh air and get some sunlight because being cooped up inside at home, no matter how nice your home is, can get on your nerves sometimes!
Also, remember to get as much sleep as you can too.
The Physical – Diet
Be more cognizant of eating foods that help boost your immunity and your vitality. Examples of such foods are:
- Fruits like mango, orange and mandarin
- Vegetables (look at yellow/orange colored veggies)
- Fish
Limit the amount of refined sugars, processed foods and alcohol in your diet.
From a herbs and supplements perspective, my naturopath, Robyn Eley (nee Spillane) of Optimum Health advises the following:
- 2000mg Vitamin C daily
- 250mg zinc amino chelate daily
- Vitamin D
- For herbs: Andrographis, Astragalus, Shiitake Mushroom, Zingiber and reishi mushroom.
The Emotional & Mental
The Government has placed a lot of restrictions on us in terms of “social distancing” – or, as I’d rather like to call it “physical distancing”. As human beings, we tend to be social creatures! So when times are tough, it can be hard knowing that you can’t just meet up with your friends/loved ones for a chat, a hug, etc.
So here’s a few things to do to look after your emotional and mental health:
- Own your emotions and don’t try to suppress them. That means if all of a sudden you want to cry, then cry. If you feel mad, then allow yourself the time to be angry. You don’t have to understand WHY, just let the emotions flow;
- BREATHE – deep breaths from the belly, not from your upper chest. Place your hands on your belly and as you inhale, push the belly out into your hands, and as you exhale, bring the belly back in towards your spine. This can help you “get out of your head” and back into your body;
- Talk to, and keep in touch with those that you are close to. A quick message or video call to see how they are and check-in can help. Don’t feel like you’re intruding on someone else’s time;
- If you’re struggling, reach out – whether it’s to those you are close to, health practitioners, energy healers or call centers like Lifeline (phone 13 11 14) and Beyond Blue (phone 1300 22 4636);
- Take time out from the news. You seriously don’t need to be watching the news 24/7. Similarly, there is a LOT of “fake” news and a lot of “advice” given by various people about what to do which is just plain wrong. Switch yourself off from it or just limit yourself to keeping updated once or twice a day. The Australian Government recently released a Whatsapp number and a CoronaVirus App where you can keep yourself updated;
- Take time out – period. You don’t have to do everything in one day. Give yourself a break. If you want to rest, rest. I’ve personally been taking a LOT of naps!
- Listen to your favorite music (preferably upbeat), or go and look for binaural beats to help ease anxiety and stress on Spotify, Youtube, etc. There’s heaps of them. Fill your time with good “noise” instead of bad “noise”. Listening to my favorite music makes me want to get up and dance which helps shift your energy and uplifts your mood; and
- Meditate. Use apps like Headspace or Calm. This helps take your focus away from what’s going on and helps you drop into yourself.
The Spiritual
Our eternal world is a reflection of our inner world. As we are restricted from going anywhere outside of our home apart from things that are absolutely necessary, we are encouraged to stay inside – i.e. go within. This is a really good time to focus and reflect on who we are, and then decide who we want to be moving forward.
So what can you do from a spiritual perspective?
- Meditate (same as above) – but this time, go deeper. Get a better understanding of who you are.. connect with the real you. Meditation can be a fantastic tool to get answers or clarity to certain things in your life. Sometimes I will ask questions during meditation and allow “answers” to arise. The first few tend just to be the mind but after that (and trust me, you’ll know), the answers make a LOT of sense;
- Chant mantras – I recently bought a mala and have been using that daily to chant mantras. I guess you can say it’s a form of meditation, focusing on chanting the particular mantra, but I’d go further and say that certain mantras have a certain energy behind it that can really help you. Some mantras I chant are:
- Om Mani Padme Hum (Kuan Yin’s mantra of compassion)
- Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha (Green Tara’s mantra of liberation)
- Om Vajra Sattva Hum (mantra for purification)
- Read spiritual books that you are drawn to, or go and follow the teachings of spiritual teachers (some are pretty big on Youtube and social media). Word of caution here – don’t take everything they say as gospel. Listen to what they say and figure out whether it works for you or not;
- Focus on getting your energy right – By this I mean clear your energy and protect yourself energetically regularly. We’re bombarded with so much stuff which isn’t necessarily good for us. My partner, for a few days, was all doom and gloom and I could feel that energy seeping into our space so I promptly cleared it (e.g. sage, shamanic drumming, sound, sprays, etc). If you need an energy fix, then find yourself an energy healer (e.g. reiki master, shamanic practitioner, theta healer, acupuncturist, whatever works for you) who can help you;
- Ground – get your physical body out on the Earth. Grass between the feet,touch a tree, etc! The Earth is soooo good at resetting you and helping you understand that you are fully supported;
- Call on your spiritual team – This may not resonate with many people but if it does for you, it’s as simple as asking your spiritual team (whether it’s angels, animal totems, spirit guides, etc) for help! Help with ANYTHING. I mean, I ask them to help me find car parks – a mundane task but it helps ease my stress (haha); and
- Be grateful. These times really make us realise how lucky we are. I’m so grateful that the Government has been working to help us out. I’m grateful to my private health insurance company for suspending my membership whilst this is all going on. I’m grateful for my friends who immediately video conferenced me as soon as they knew I was struggling. I’m grateful to all those health workers on the frontline, and I’m grateful to everyone who is doing their part to keep us alive and safe. Small things like those count – and they are beautiful.
There you go! There are loads more but this is a nice start. Try them out sometime and let me know how you go.