In these extraordinary times where Covid-19 is all around us it is really important to see how we can stay positive and reduce our anxiety during this time.
We need to remember that we can't control what is happening around us but we can control our own thoughts, actions and reactions. We know that anxiety is created when we negatively forecast the future, we may be thinking "I'm going to get the virus", "how am I going to pay my bills" "how will I get through self-isolation?"
Our brains can't tell the difference between imagination and reality so if we keep thinking in this negative way, our minds think the situation is real and our brain will step in to help us out and our primitive brain work within three parameters of anxiety, depression and anger or a combination of all three. So we can end up in a vicious circle with anxiety rising out of control about things we cannot control.
Now every negative thought that we have is accumulated and stored, I say it is stored in a stress buckets, and if we pile too much into sadly it overflows and this is when we become anxious, depressed or angry.
Thankfully we have a method for emptying our bucket and it is known as REM sleep. At night we re-run events of the day and change them from being an emotional memory to a narrative memory, a memory we have control over.
However, REM is quite exhausting for the body and is restricted to about 20% of our sleep pattern and if we try to overdo it because we have lots on our mind, our mind wakes us up.
So if you need some help emptying your bucket have a listen to my free download, it will help you sleep better and make sure you are waking up with an empty bucket and helping you cope with this extraordinary times.
We also need to increase our Serotonin which is the happy hormone. We can release serotonin by thinking about "What's been good?". Ask yourself everyday, what's been good today, and when you think about those good things Serotonin will be released and will keep you nice happy, coping, brave little souls.
We can produce serotonin when we act in a positive way, think in a positive way and interact in a positive way. This will help you get through the next few weeks.
Here are a five ways to help you have a more positive experience:
1 Stick to a routine, Try and go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time and write and work with a schedule that is varied and includes time for work as well as self care.
2 Find some time to move each day, for at least 30 minutes. Even if you cant go outside there are so many online classes you can access for free at the moment.
3. Get showered and dressed, put on some bright colours, its amazing how our dress can impact our mood.
4. Reach out to others, each days. Positive interaction is super important and don't forget to do this for your children too, your kids will be missing their friends too.
5. Stay hydrated and eat well, try not to over-indulge or forget to eat. Stress can play havoc with our appetites, so manage our stress and eat good and nutritious foods to keep our mind and body nourished.
Stay well and stay safe.
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