If you’re anything like me at this point your hands are raw from washing them umpteen times a day. You’re also beginning to crave topics of conversation that are about anything other than the damn virus. COVID-19 just happened to strike during the beginning seasonal allergy season in my part of the world so every time I cough or sneeze I think, in the back of my mind...
Jesus, do I have it?
Do you know what’s even more contagious than COVID-19? Fear and worry. All of us are being bombarded 24/7 by horrific stories and equally horrific theories of how this entire catastrophe may have originated in the mainstream media and on social.
It’s absolutely imperative to your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health to find a way to cleanse yourself from all this toxicity. You can take appropriate measures to limit the amount of news you consume but at the same time you want to stay informed of any new developments. How am I dealing with it?
Structure
There’s much about our current reality that is totally out of our control but how we design our daily schedules during quarantine are something you have absolutely 100% control over. I’m waking up at a specific time every morning. Between meals I have a set time for -- hatha yoga, reading, Russian kettlebell workout, taking MasterClasses (www.masterclass.com), walking the dog, and (of course) writing. This kind of daily routine keeps your body healthy and your mind occupied. It makes you feel like you have a measure of control and provides less time for anxiety or panic to creep in. This too shall pass.
Keeping In Touch
Make it a point to keep in closer contact with family and friends, especially those who are elderly and/or more vulnerable. It could make a massive difference in their mindset. Up until now, for me, it’s been mostly messaging or voice calls but starting today I’m going to start doing more video calls to help take the place of normal face-to-face socializing. Humans, even us introverts, are social beings and we need to communicate with others to feel complete and fulfilled.
Thinking About Your Future
How you deal with this crisis, like anything else, is a matter of perspective. Try to view this time in isolation as a gift in disguise. Write down, in detail, what you want your life to be like in ten years. Write down three things that you would like to accomplish in the next twelve months and set out to make them a reality. These should be things that will make the quality of your life better than it was before, in some way. Many of us may never get this amount of time away from work again until we retire. Use this time to reinvent a better version of yourself. On a personal note, I’m planning on launching my travel channel and it’s coming more and more into focus every single day.
Helping Others
Nothing helps to take your mind off of the negativity surrounding you more than helping others. I've noticed on the Next Door app, people in our neighborhood are offering to run errands for those who can't make it out of their homes. This could make a huge difference in the lives of the elderly or those with mobility issues. Technology now makes helping those in need easier than ever.
Meditation For De-Stressing and Spiritually Detoxing
The following simple meditation will help you to expel negative emotional states like fear, worry, and anxiety. Remember, we tend to attract into our lives whatever we dwell upon -- dwell on negativity and we attract more of it into our lives...focus on the positive and that's exactly when you will manifest into your life. You are what you think and you are also more powerful than you know.
Find a quiet, private, place. Sit upright in a comfortable chair with your eyes closed and concentrate on your breath for a count of thirty.
- Inhale for a count of 5 through your nose. Imagine breathing in bright white light. Breath deeply enough that your belly expands with the inhalation. This will insure that the lower lobes of your lungs are bathed with oxygen;
- Hold the breath for a count of 5. Concentrate of the feeling of pure health, vitality, and perfect peace;
- Exhale for a count of 5 through your mouth. Envision negative emotions exiting with your breath, like soot from a chimney; and
- Repeat for as long as you like (at least 3 repetitions).
After you practice this very simple meditation technique for even a few minutes it’s very helpful to linger in that place of peace and calm, focusing your mind on your happiness, health, and overall well-being.
Did you miss previous installments of the Mindful Moments Series? If so, you can find them here: 1 - Two Week Media Fast, 2 - Worry and Fear, 3 - Setting Boundaries, , 4 - Self Care., 5 - Listening To Understand, and 6 - How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything
I wish you all a peaceful and healthy week!
This song is going to the anthem of the world these next few weeks (Warning: VERY explicit language):
In Gratitude,
~ Eric Vance Walton ~
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
Alarm Clock Dawn, one of the first full length novels published on the blockchain, and the book that started it all for me can be found HERE. Or Click Here to read it for free on the Steemit blockchain
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