Isn't it incredible how many different emotions a person is capable of feeling all within a short period of time? And also how a simple shift in perspective can alter your entire mood? Sometimes throughout these days of quarantine, I find myself getting snippy at my kids or my husband (and vice versa). Then mere minutes later, after taking a few deep breaths, or going upstairs to take a couple minutes to be alone, or stepping outside, the feelings of frustration are gone and I'm back to being simply grateful for them. I've found that the tools I've needed to calm myself when I'm feeling overwhelmed these days are:
1) Exercise. Ever since I found CrossFit 2 and 1/2 years ago, I've found that exercise can been extremely therapeutic. Whereas before I viewed it as something that had to be accomplished, like a chore, I now see it as such a stress reliever. It's my body's way of taking a deep. meditative breath. There is no other feeling like being finished with a tough workout and knowing that you just nourished your mind and body simultaneously. As I've mentioned in my most recent posts, I've started running more since this started, and that's been almost a magical experience. Yesterday I planned to run one lap around the track before my workout but ended up running 2 miles and only stopped because I knew I needed to do 100 burpees before walking back home. I think it's the only time I can block out everything going on in the world. There's no phone to check, no news to read, no meals to cook, no house to tidy, no little faces looking up at me wondering what they're supposed to do now. It's just me, some music and fresh air.
2) Coffee. The smell, the routine, the sound of it filling up my cup. Sounds like a Folgers commercial, I know, but there's just something about a cup of coffee that makes me feel better. I don't know if that's necessarily a tool, but it's something that has been helping me get through the day! And that's not to mention the actual physical affect it has to give me a real energy boost when needed.
3) Connection. That's a hard one to come by these days, what with everyone confined to their own homes. Our phones are usually such a distraction, something we rudely look at while we're having a conversation with someone in person. But now, they're the thing that is keeping us connected to each other. FaceTime play dates, Zoom conferences, Live readings with Authors, Virtual tours of museums, even just group texts with friends and family to get us through the long days and check in with each other are so important. I'm so grateful to be home with my family during this time, but it's nice to be able to connect with the other people in my life since we're all going through the same thing at the same time and are able to give each other ideas or just vent about the day.
4) Fresh air. Being stuck indoors can really have a negative affect on your mood. Walking around the neighborhood or even just in circles around the driveway can help lift a mood. Hearing birds chirping, feeling the sun shining, seeing the flowers starting to bloom- it all combines to help us realize that life is moving forward, even though we may feel stuck at times.
Let's keep taking this all one day at a time and we'll get through it and hopefully come out better than we were before.
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