Control

Today the overwhelm is growing. The anxiety in my chest is spreading, as the feeling of unease is increasing in our communities.

I do not wish to overwhelm you with facts, but I do want to encourage you to educate yourself. Not to the point of frantic action, or erratic spiraling, but just enough to make smart decisions. Even if you do not foresee a risk for yourself, you must think of the people around you. There are people you love who could be at serious risk. My heart is breaking that almost 350 people have died in Italy, my home away from home, in the last 24 hours. This is something that I can not control, therefore I am choosing not to focus on it.

Let's talk about things we can control!

1) Gratitude

Being grateful has several health benefits. Do you want better sleep? Enhanced self-esteem? Reduced Aggression? According to Positive Psychology these, and more, are all benefits of having a gratitude practice. Here is a link to an article of 13 gratitude practices. Personally, I try to write a list of 5 things every day that I am grateful for. Unfortunately, I am not great at keeping up with this goal. But now that I am stuck inside, and need a dose of positivity I do not have any excuses.

2) Personal Goals

I'm a goal setter and a list maker at heart! I know that many of you are also. This time is a great way to set small new goals or chip away at old ones that you have pushed to the back burner. My reading goal is 20 books in 2020. Currently, I have ONLY completed 3 books so far. I'm working on making my TBR (to be read) pile for this isolation period. Another goal I am chipping away at is this blogging project. Hopefully, during this time I will be able to prepare some longer, more involved blogs for the future.

3) Setting a Mantra

If you read my first blog of 2020 you know that my word for this year is DO! With recent events, I have decided I need another mantra to soothe my soul. A mantra is a phrase or slogan repeated frequently. After reading a few articles about how to make a mantra I came up with "Breath in, I know it's uncertain. Breath out, trust your heart". Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of writing a mantra? Here is a link to a list of mantras that can serve as a great starting point.

4) Meditation/Prayer

After we've set our mantras we can put them into practice. Overall during stressful times, it is important to set aside some time to process. For some of us, this looks like prayer. For others, it looks like meditation. Whatever it is for you is exactly right. If you are new to meditation, like I am, there are several apps and youtube videos that provide guidance. I use the app Headspace. Headspace is offering free support during the time of writing this. So far I have only used the free parts of the app, but I would definitely recommend it. Whether you are praying or meditating I recommend incorporating your mantra into your practice. So far for me, it has helped provide balance and purpose.

5) Exercise

Okay, so I totally get that not everyone loves to exercise. Myself included. However, during this isolation period, it could have a significant impact on our moods and bodies. There are two youtube channels I use that are totally worth you checking out! Yoga with Adriene and HASfit. In addition to these videos, I will be trying to go on walks/hikes away from people!

This idea was inspired by Jenna Kutcher - Check out her blog!

Is there something else that you are focusing on? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!

Chat soon!

Love always,

AL

xoxo