I’ve been using the word “surreal” a lot lately to describe this new reality we are living. It kind of feels like that week between Christmas and New Year’s, where I’m just kind of floating around not really knowing what day it is. In fact, I recently wished a friend a “Happy Saturday” and subsequently realized it was Friday. Welcome to the new reality!
“Unprecedented” is another word that embodies this situation. I can remember no other time in my life that even comes close to harboring the levels of fear, uncertainty, and lack of clarity that this pandemic has engendered.
Emotions are swirling. Fear, uncertainty, doubt, grief, and loss abound. It’s normal to feel like we’ve been slighted. It’s normal to feel like opportunities have slipped through our fingers like grains of sand. It’s normal to feel like we’ve been robbed of weeks, if not months of our lives.
While it is important to honor and sit with any feelings we may have, we must adeptly shift out of that space in order to actualize our true transformative potential.
While there are currently a lot of external factors outside our realm of management, there are still several factors that we can manage, including choices we make for ourselves as well as our response to the situation.
This is where we discover our personal power.
In order to transmute our pain and harness our personal power, we must train ourselves to see this situation through new lenses. Rather than viewing the situation through the lens of hardship, inconvenience, struggle, or challenge, we can rise up and meet the occasion with courage. This is where the true spiritual warriors are born, and you already have everything you need within you to become one.
What do I see in this situation? Growth. Opportunities. Gifts. Connection. Hidden gems. Surprises. Adventure. Transformation. Creativity.
This is a pivotal moment for each of us individually as well as for humanity. We have a choice. We can either choose to stay stuck in the energies of fear, doubt, grief, and uncertainty or we can re-frame this situation as an invitation from the universe to reinvent ourselves.
Which will you choose?
This is a golden opportunity to do a “hard reset” on our lifestyle. This is our chance to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. Our slates have been wiped clean. We’ve been given a blank canvas. As a society and as individuals, we need to pivot. We need to adapt. And one of the areas we can do this is our lifestyle.
The exciting part is that we have the creative licence to design our futures as well as our current realities any way we want to. Envision your future self and feel all the feels that accompany that image. How do you want to feel as you emerge from this period? Radiant? Glowing? Energized? Reborn? Revitalized? Amazing?
I love feeling amazing. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. How do I do it? By making conscious choices every day, all throughout the day, that nourish my mind, body and spirit.
In my book SOAR, I discuss the importance of living a holistic lifestyle. Here are two excerpts:
“Holisticism is a multi-faceted endeavor that takes a mind/body/spirit approach to self-care. It’s very much a proactive and preventative way of living and focuses on keeping all aspects of your being in optimal operating condition. Remember, it’s about making mindful decisions about what you consume, which not only includes food, but also encompasses thoughts, people you spend time with and activities.”
Conditions are ideal for you to design a new lifestyle in a way that works for you and makes you feel amazing. Here is another excerpt from SOAR:
“There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to this lifestyle. Within each of the arenas there are several choices, and the fun part is that you get to develop your own “recipe.” You have a menu of options available to you and you get to choose what works for you. The fun part is “trying on” different options and seeing how you feel.”
There are many different ways to nourish your mind, body, and spirit, and I have selected six daily practices that will get you well on your way to living a holistic lifestyle that nourishes your mind, body, and spirit every day.
Remember to be flexible and adapt your practices for your unique situation. And most importantly, have fun!!
-Put Yourself Together
While the idea of a several-week-long pajama party may sound appealing at first, for me, I know it would lose its luster pretty quickly. Get up every day and put yourself together to some degree. That looks different for everyone, and will vary from day to day. I know I’m always in a better frame of mind and am positioned to bring my best self forward when I’m feeling good about how I look.
-Movement
Dedicate time every day to some type of movement. While gyms are closed, there are still several options to get yourself moving. Go for a walk or run outside, go for a bike ride, stretch, do strength training with household items, take a video yoga class, jumping jacks, or any other activity that gets you up and moving.
-Spend Time in Nature
My book SOAR says it best:
“Spending time in nature is rejuvenating because it encourages us to be more mindful and soak in the present moment, devoid of any man-made distractions. Spending time in nature forces us to slow the frenetic pace and constant accessibility that ensues in everyday life, as we slow down and enjoy the beauty and the wonderment that nature has to offer.
It is truly majestic and there is no shortage of naturally-occurring, awe-inspiring creations to admire. From the individual blades of grass under our feet to a canopy of towering trees filled with birds chirping and squirrels frolicking amidst the branches, we don’t have to look very far to find miraculous creations.”
– Journal
Journaling is an incredibly cathartic exercise for crystallizing our thoughts and processing our emotions. Spend a few moments each day writing down what you’re grateful for, what you want to accomplish that day, values you want to work on or anything else that comes to mind. Keep your inner critic at bay and resist the urge to play editor. “Stream of consciousness” journaling is one of my favorite methods for journaling!
-Cook Healthy Meals
It is always important to fuel our bodies with nutritious foods, but it is especially important to bolster our immune system when viruses are particularly threatening, such as the current pandemic we are facing. Eat several servings of vegetables each day, and focus on immune-system boosting foods such as leafy greens, citrus fruits, broccoli, nuts and seeds, and other foods that contain vitamins and minerals.
-Set a goal
During the quarantine, use some of your time to tackle a project that you wouldn’t otherwise have done. Organize your space. Clear out the clutter. Put together a few bags of clothes to donate. Learn a new hobby. Hang some pictures. Break up your goal into weekly and daily tasks and make regular strides toward your goal. You’ll feel tremendously accomplished that you have used your time in productive ways.
As you design your new holistic lifestyle, remember to meet yourself with grace and compassion and keep your expectations in check.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your new lifestyle won’t be overhauled in a day either. Aim for progress, not perfection. Celebrate the small victories.
Just as unprecedented is a word being used to describe our current pandemic, unprecedented can also be used to describe the new levels of evolution that you can achieve. This period of time is a springboard that has the potential to catapult you to new heights.
Choose the path of growth and empowerment!