We are living in some very strange times right now and it is normal to be scared and sad. As individuals we are different from one another and how we react to this new world we are living in can vary from person to person. We should not judge each other on how we react or how we feel – we are all in this together!
I am taking this situation seriously and being extremely cautious. Therefore, as always, I think that staying positive and optimistic is very important. More important than ever! It can be hard though to be positive with all that is going on, but there are some ways and tools that we can use to help us.
Here are some tips I want to share with you that I believe are working
- Try to get enough sleep each night. When we are tired and we lack sleep we tend to get over emotional and make problems bigger than they are. Also our immune system gets weaker if we don´t get enough sleep and we really need our immune system to be strong right now. Studies show that if we don’t get enough sleep we are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus and it can also affect how fast we recover if we get sick.
- Listen to some music that lifts your spirit. I find that music is helping me a lot during these times. Sometimes I prefer some upbeat music that I can dance to and other times I prefer a good opera. Just listen to whatever makes you happy!
- Take a break from social media and the news – Don´t spend the whole day navigating the internet. But if you find comfort in being online try to watch some youtube videos of dogs, cats or other beautiful creatures. As a dog lover I love to watch funny and beautiful dog videos, and they always make me laugh and feel better. And let me tell you that I do binge watch these right now.
- Laugh, laugh and laugh! The laughter can do wonders for our souls. Laughter causes physiological responses that protects the body from diseases. A good laugh decreases blood pressure and stress hormones, improves sleep patterns and boost the immune system. So although you may find it difficult it is really worth it to try to have a good laugh every day and find the humour in life and all this craziness.
- Be thankful! Be thankful for what you have in life, although everything might seem hard, difficult and sad right now. Practice gratitude, because gratefulness can cause almost an immediate shift in your perspective and helping you to stay positive. Practicing gratitude is one of the quickest ways to shift your focus away from negativity.
- Try to do something you like each day, something that makes you happy and makes you feel good. Whether it is to go for a walk and get some fresh air or to bake a cake, or taking a relaxing bath, reading a book, dancing your butt off in the living room or to just take a nap.
- Talk to your friends. As we can not meet our friends face to face we need to find other ways. Give them a call, send them a text message, snaps or whatever is your thing. But I believe that a good old phone call really does the trick.
- Try not to worry too much. Of course it´s normal to get worried in those uncertain circumstances, but worrying doesn´t solve anything. I know very well that it´s easier said than done. If worrying is bothering you try to meditate each day.
- Get dressed! Don´t spend the days in your pj´s although it´s tempting. Getting dressed definitely makes you more productive the whole day and now is a great time to do something you haven´t had time for in a while. When you feel productive you are more likely to be positive and optimistic.
- Accept! Yes accept the fact that we can not control everything and this time it´s totally out of our control. The only thing we can do now is to do as we are being asked, take care of ourselves and our nearest and dearest, and check in on our friends and relatives. Be positive and optimistic that this will come to an end sooner than later.
The 50Plus Girl 