There are no doubts that the current situation around the world will have a different impact on all of us. So it is reasonable to feel frustrated, anxious, and uncertain.
But , can we do something to shift our mindset away from these feelings?
There are many things we can do to help that feeling of hopelessness and uncertainty. For most people not knowing what is going to happen, it’s a cause for stress and even discouragement; however, we can focus that energy on things we can control at home, start on new projects or also learn something new.
There is only so much housework and straighten out we can do at home. After weeks of quarantine, I think it is fair to say that the house is clean. But with all seriousness, having a clean and organized space will give us a sense of control that will boost our mood.
We need to find techniques to teach our brains to create ways to respond to a stressful environment. We first need to identify when we feel something, whether on the news or with the people around us that triggers that sense of fear and confusion. By doing this, we will be prepare on how to respond. If the news is being the cause for these emotions, we need to change the channel, perhaps to one with bright colors, funny or educational content. By doing this, we will immediately dissipate our minds and trigger different emotions within ourselves.
Depending on our personalities and routines, we can take on new activities to exercise, such as yoga, running, or going for a bike ride. Staying fit brings many benefits; one of the most important ones is how it improves our mental health and mood and helps keep our thinking, learning, and judgment skills stay sharp. Another fun thing we can add to our “new routines” is to take on something like photography, painting, or writing. Creativity allows you to express yourself; by doing so, you can positively externalize your feelings and keep your mind focused on something beautiful done by you.
I love to go riding. Horses have a special magic in me, and they help me feel connected with myself and be present at the moment without the worry of what will happen next. So, what I like to do is to ride in the morning before the Florida humidity hits. I want to get to the stables and have my coffee with my horse while he eats his hay. When finished, I get my saddle, girth, reins, and all my things ready for our morning ride. I then take him out and start brushing him slowly, while I talk to him, so he enjoys our time together before our excise routine.
I want him to feel comfortable and unwind; this is a way for me to feel center and relaxed as well. My tone and body language will let him know everything is ok. I am there to spend time and have fun with him. Once he is ready, we go for a ride. We start our routine by walking around the arena, just looking out the trees, listening to all the birds and squirrels running around. Usually, Jack, a gorgeous and naughty lab, and Annie, a sweet dalmatian, are keeping us company while they chase each other between the jumps at the ring. After a good warmup, we begin our exercises and finish up my cantering around the arena, feeling the wind in our face. It’s quite a great feeling.
Once we finished, we head back in, and he goes back to rest for 15-20 minutes before his shower time. I use that time to put away all my equipment and organize my tack. When the time is up, we head to the showers, and he gets a nice, cold, refreshing bath, while I talk to him about our morning. He loves this time not only because it helps him cool down but because he knows that right after, it comes carrot and apple time! And oh, boy! He enjoys his treats!
I spend all my morning with him. He soothes me and recharges my energy. It is my favorite part of the day, once I get back home, I know I will start working on my floral business and writing my different blogs and articles. And even though I love to do both, nothing beats the joy I feel when I am at the barn.
So, as you can see, we all have some activities we enjoy that we can do to help us cope with this challenging time. For me are horses, but for you can be anything from blogging to building something on your patio. Re-arraigning your garage, painting a room in the house. Taking on any activity that keeps our minds busy is an essential technique to help us cope with the crisis.
Many activities don’t necessarily require much effort like reading, listening to music, or a motivational speaker video. Technology has enabled us to reach different outlets of communication and content. By using it to our advantage, like with educational tutorials on how to do things or keeping contact with friends and family, we open the possibilities to new experiences.
I recently joined three different Facebook groups. The best decision I’ve made during this quarantine. One group focuses on writers’ achievements, and we all shared our work and ideas. Another group meets the challenges riders have by providing online courses to help improve your riding skills, connect with your horse, and have fun, no matter what discipline you practice. And the third group is for floral design artists, were we share and learn from each other work.
I got involve in these groups, and I’ve seen the positive impact they have had. I feel motivated about the things I love to do. Collaborating with others helps you realized that struggling with a situation is ok, there be people around to help you get through it. By reading and exchanging messages with others, you can discover and understand a lot of new things.
We have the tools to shift our mindset away from fear and towards positivity and confidence if we are open to it. We can do it by adopting new behaviors, learning new skills, being selective with the amount of news we watch. By choosing carefully the content we consumed. We can create new routines that help us stay fit at home. Go for healthier eating habits and by limiting anything that doesn’t serve us a purpose of development and growth.
We have a long way to go still. During this time, we’ve learned some powerful lessons, and these will guide us and help us do better in the years to come. By creating a healthier environment at home, we will feel more natural to follow the expert’s advice of staying home and keep social distancing.
There is power in the things we do daily. Each action we take will create an energy that will create an experience. Choose to do something that brings you joy and excitement. Keep your mind busy; at some point, this crisis would be over, and we will be looking into a brighter future.