Surviving lockdown and the pressures of working from home and balancing work and family life has its challenges.

Life essentially requires balance. The negativity and fear surrounding COVID-19 and the pressures and restrictions of lockdown can easily take its toll, creating mental health issues and feelings of disconnection.

The pandemic has affected every one of us. Our mental health and what we take for granted has been challenged. For many, the absence of human contact and connection has brought feelings of isolation. We are a social species, and we thrive on community and human connection.

Taking a few minutes each day to lift ourselves up brings us more energy, increased productivity, and feelings of happiness and centredness. 

How do we manage the stress, fear and challenges of living our best life in a pandemic and rise above it all?

Here are my suggestions for a more peaceful, harmonious and less-stressed life:

1. Develop a positive mindset. Become aware of your internal thinking and thought processes. When our thoughts are negative, they pull us down and make us feel bad and contribute to our stress and anxiety. Take time to catch yourself when you think a negative thought and immediately turn it into a positive thought. For example. ‘I am hopeless at this’ can be turned into ‘I am doing my best in every moment’ or ‘I always try my best’. Eventually your negative mind will give up and you will experience increased positivity and happiness.

• Don’t look for faults in others, especially your loved ones. Learn to pick your battles. It is often better to let things go than be right or get your own way. Living a peaceful harmonious life sustains us and will reduce your stress levels. Look for the good in others and let this be your focus. What you focus on grows.

• Practising Gratitude. This is one of the most uplifting exercises you can do. It teaches us to focus on the positives and brings about positive changes in our thoughts and feelings. Gratitude can lift us out of a rut, a negative thought process, a negative situation and even depression. We learn to appreciate what we have. Find 3-5 things every day to be grateful for and remember to be grateful for the smaller things too.

• Learning To Let Go. Life isn’t about winning the argument or having control. Learning to manage our emotions and not take our anger and frustrations out on others averts arguments and bad feelings that can lead to resentment. By considering others and choosing empathy over blame, we become more tolerant of other people’s feelings. This can be a real game changer. Learn to accept rather than change other people.

• Listening. Learn to listen when other people are speaking. Be open and interested. Listening requires focus and practise. It promotes better relationships and shows others you care about them and how they are feeling. Active listening helps us to connect and support each other.

• Take Regular breaks. Sitting at a desk or computer screen for hours at a time is not healthy for us. Taking regular breaks increases productivity. Remember to leave your work station and go outside for a few minutes at regular intevals.

• Exercise. When we exercise our body releases chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins trigger a positive feeling in the body and can even help reduce pain.

Many studies show that people who exercise regularly benefit from a positive boost in mood and lower rates of depression. Regular exercise reduces stress levels, improves sleep, improves mental health, increases energy levels and lowers blood pressure.

• Meditation helps us to keep our mind still. Monkey mind is an overactive mind, which can be exhausting. Trying to stop your mind can seem impossible. It takes practise. We can train the mind to slow down and eventually stop racing.

Meditation promotes:

• feelings of happiness and contentment;
• elevates mood and lowers stress levels;
• releases negative emotions;
• and increases patience and tolerance for others.

Other benefits include health benefits and gaining new perspectives on stressful situations. Meditation refreshes us, gives us an instant lift and can even help us to feel like we have had a good night’s sleep.

A simple meditation is to focus on your breathing. Sit somewhere with no distractions. Relax your body. Breathe in and out slowly and deeply. If your mind wanders bring your awareness back to your breathing. Eventually, your mind will slow down and you will feel calmer. Do this for a minimum of 2 or 3 minutes or as long as you like.

Meditating for just 5-10 minutes a day can change your life.

Try focusing on your breath or do a short guided meditation. Check out the many available on you tube. I have a freebie on offer at this end of this article.

• Raise Your Vibration – it is your best asset!

It will help you to have a happier more positive disposition, which is easy to do even in a pandemic. Maintaining a high vibration or elevated mood requires implementing some simple changes to your life.

Here are my suggestions:

• A regular yoga practice to calm, stretch and revitalise the mind and body. Look for an online class or check out you tube.
• Regular meditation or breathing exercises.
• Do something you enjoy!
• Try a new hobby or do something creative.
• Listen to happy music or play an instrument.
• Sing – Studies show singing increases feelings of happiness.
• Exercise – any form is good. Even a quiet stroll around the block is refreshing.
• Spending time in nature is one of the best things you can do. Tune into how you feel after spending time at the beach, in the bush, in your garden or any natural setting. 15 minutes outside can rejuvenate and reset the body and mind.
• Laughter. Very uplifting and releases endorphins.
• Mantra and Chanting. This is also called vibrational medicine. It is nectar for the mind, body and spirit! Repeating mantras will calm your mind and relax your body. For example, repeating Om Namo Narayani over and over for 1 minute or more everyday will change your life. It means I surrender to Source/God/Divine Mother.
• Take a course in spirituality or self-development with a spiritual flavour. Learn how to balance the mind, body and spirit.
• Learn how to work with your energy body and energy centres (chakras) to help you to relax, calm your mind and feel amazing. The benefits of working with the energy body are massive.
• Receive energy healing. This will bring balance and healing. We can heal anything including our negative mind and emotions. Love Soul Healing Therapy can change your life.
• Massage.
• Dancing.
• Playing sport.
• Spend time at the beach swimming or walking. Breath in the positive ions!
  
  
• Remember to have fun!

All of these things help to create feelings of happiness, contentment and fulfilment. This means we feel better and less stressed. We are easier to live with and work with, and we are promoting good mental health strategies.

Our ability to change ourselves lies in the magic of our own perceptions and ability to change. We have to help ourselves; it only takes a second to change a thought and this has the capacity to create healthy new habits and change your life.

Raising our vibration gives us more energy, more time, increased productivity and feelings of happiness and unity. Eventually we realise life is less about us as an individual, and more about helping others. This brings us true joy.

Wishing you love and Divine blessings on your journey,
Deb Stephenson