As we continue to shelter in place I’ve been reviewing my own coping strategies and realizing I need more! So I came back to this post to add on. The newer tips are at the top.

Below you will find some tips to help you find peace and security during this uncertain time.

Find joy, Joy is like gratitude when you focus on it, it grows. If this is hard for you you are not alone. Most of us have to be taught or teach ourselves to find and feel joy. Your joy might be as simple as your cup of coffee in the morning. It might be the feeling you get when you close your computer for the day or relaxing after the house is finally clean. It can be totally mundane. The point is it’s yours and it’s in your body and it’s important to marinate and magnify it.

Look forward to something, anything, There are actually studies that have been done that show people who plan vacations get as much benefit, if not more, from looking forward to something as they do doing it. So figure out something you can plan and get it on the calendar. It doesn’t matter if its just the next book you plan to read. It’s that feeling of anticipation we are looking to create.

Connect with what gives you meaning and purpose, Some of the people I talk with are feeling an existential crisis right now. So yeah, let’s validate that this pandemic has changed our lives. For many people it’s slowed them down enough to say, oh yeah before I was too busy. How can do things differently? People I’ve talked to are weighing their relationships with friends, which ones really matter, which ones were obligatory, which ones were just convenient. Others are weighing their relationship to work. Is this what I want to do? Can I re-invent myself? These are all such beautiful, important and sometimes scary questions to ask ourselves! This is a good time to engage yourself with these questions and return to what gives you meaning.

Create routines, revive old ones. We are creatures of habit and many of us find comfort in knowing what to expect. If we can create a routine our brain and body know where to go. It’s 6:00 am, I get my coffee. It’s 7, I eat breakfast. It’s 7:30, I take my morning walk. 8:00 I begin my workday.

There is comfort in a direct path. Less room for the mind to wander. This time of uncertainty is difficult for most people. It’s even more difficult for people who have lived through periods of uncertainty and groundlessness as children. That is why we need to find our own grounding and deeply root ourselves in what feels comforting and stable.

Sometimes that can be connecting to the breath, or noticing ourselves in space, the room we are in connected to a chair, feet on the floor etc… Allowing yourself the simplicity of the moment and the permission not to figure something out.

For some people the space right now feels good, open, vast, creative, for others it feels scary. If it feels right for you lean and allow yourself to savor the pleasant sensations of not rushing.

If you are someone where this space feels too open, too unstructured, create some simple structures. Shore yourself up with extra padding in your life. Sometimes that can be an accountability buddy, someone you agree to check in with regularly, sometimes that can be a daily commitment of a workout. Lean into what energizes you. If you are feeling so down you don’t know what would energize you go back to a time in your life that was going well, see if you can tap into what worked for you at that time and create a version of that in your current life. 

Laughter, Laughter releases endorphins, the feel good chemicals in your brain, it boosts your immune system. You can watch 10 minute SNL skits on Utube or a funny show. Call the person in your life you makes you laugh the most. 

Dance, just like laughter it releases endorphins and reduces cortisol levels. It can bring you out of your busy mind and back into your body. I often put on music while I cook and find myself dancing in the kitchen. It makes the drudgery of dinner prep so much more fun. 

Get outside, Many people I talk to feel anxious about going outside. Their brain is telling them it’s not o.k. This is a time when we need to make sure our anxiety is not running the show. If you can safely get outside, Do. Every Day. Your body mind and spirit will thank you. Walk for 20 minutes and practice mindfulness as you do so. Notice the trees, what color are they? The air, how does it smell? How does it feel on your skin? The ground, can you feel it supporting you? Please go outside daily. Humans are not meant for isolation and indoor life. We are meant to be connected to the world, by going outside you can find that connection. 

Eat vitamin rich food, The more color the better for you. Think red, blue, greens, yellow and orange. There is a reason pediatricians tell kids to eat the rainbow. 

So many of us are struggling right now to stay sane and healthy during the shelter in place order. It’s important to be kind to ourselves. We are adjusting to a new pace of life.

We are still disconnecting from commuting, shopping, task managing and activities. Our body and mind are adjusting to this current pace.

My hope for you is that you find compassion for yourself when you get scared, energy when you feel low, and a deep sense of peace that you are o.k., today, in this moment.