With the new announcement of another national lockdown it really does feel like we are all taking a few steps back and that we are losing the fight with Coronavirus. Yet again our lifestyles are becoming more and more restricted with no light at the end of the tunnel.
You are perhaps feeling little lost or hopeless and recent events may be triggering some old emotions like fear and worry. Fear of the future, financial worries & anxiety, loneliness and isolation are just some emotions that may be showing up right now.
But there is a way to cope with these thoughts and feelings. Imagine how your life could be if you knew how to manage these stressful & uncertain times.
Imagine if you could regain the calm you used to have and feel inspired and confident enough to move your life forward
We as human beings crave security. We need to feel safe and know that we have control over our lives and well-being. Fear and uncertainty can leave us stressed, anxious and powerless. Fear and uncertainty can drain us physically and emotionally. Anxiety & Stress can temporarily weaken the immune system leaving us open to all sorts of aliments which is something we need to avoid right now.
You may experience symptoms such as:
Low Energy
Irritability/short temper
Negative thoughts
Physical ailments
Trouble Sleeping
Ask yourself this question, can you control what is happening in the world?
Im sure you would like to but in reality some things are out of our control. You can only control your own actions and thoughts. Trying to eliminate all stresses in your life and the world unfortunately would be impossible but how you deal with situations is under your control.
Here are 10 steps to bring more control in your life and help you cope whilst in lock down.
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Change your Perception
You control how you react to a situation for example how do you react if someone cuts you up in traffic? Or how do you react if someone says something negative about you? Aim to think about the situation first before you react. Aim to look at the bigger picture. You may feel angry and frustrated with another lock down but in reality its there to protect you and your family. Know that it wont last forever, it will come to an end. Aim to look at the situation from afar this will help to assess the situation as it really is.
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Learn to Meditate
Meditation is not just for Buddhist Monks, it is there for everyone to master. Often our stresses come from negative chatter in our mind that has been blown out of proportion causing unnecessary worry and frustration. Just sitting still in a quiet room with no distractions for 10 minutes a day can play a huge part in helping to relax your mind and switch off.
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Take Time Out
Your health and wellbeing is so important so set some time aside for yourself whether that is sitting for half an hour reading a book, watching your favourite movie or even laying the bath listening to some relaxing music . Taking time out to do something you enjoy is very important and can help reduce stress and anxiety.
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Reassess your Lifestyle
How much exercise do you do? Before lock down perhaps we didn’t have any time but a silver lining from lockdown is that many of us have more time on our hands. Exercise helps to release endorphins which can help us to feel happier and more positive. Aim to set up a routine which includes time for exercise and stick to it. Perhaps get up in the morning half an hour earlier to go for a run/walk or do a few yoga stretches. Aim to get outside with some fresh air as this can make a huge difference.
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Reassess your Diet
The food you eat can help to make you feel good about yourself. What you drink can play a part as well. Do you drink a lot of coffee and tea every day? Has your alcohol intake increased this year? What type of foods do you eat? Do you eat foods made with a lot of sugar or eat processed foods? By cutting down on processed foods such as takeaways and replacing this with home cooked food will give you more energy and will in turn help your body fight infections keeping your body healthy enough to face any challenging situation. Perhaps consider cutting down on alcohol and caffeine as this will help to manage your anxiety and stress levels.
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Express your Emotions
The consequence of bottling up your feelings and emotions is that inner anxiety is allowed to build up potentially causing harmful effects on your physical and mental wellbeing. Make an effort to get in touch with friends and family to talk it out. If that would feel too uncomfortable buy a journal and write your feelings and thoughts down. This has a huge positive impact and will help you to see things clearly and put things into perspective.
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Learn to breathe deeply
This may sound a little strange but you would be surprised how many people do not breathe properly. Often people make short, sharp breath intakes and may hold on to the breath, especially in times of heightened stress and anxiety. Remember to breathe deeply and fill your lungs to their full capacity and then let the air out slowly. This ensures that as much oxygen as possible is entering your body and blood cells. Maybe whilst sitting in your car on the way to work you can sit and breathe deeply a few times.
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Live in the NOW
Yes I understand with all the uncertainty at the moment its difficult to not think about the future. Most people generally live thinking about an event in the future like the consequences of not doing something for example. Many people are worried about losing their job and not being able to pay their mortgage and bills. However this future event hasn’t happened and the future reality doesn’t exist. It is only in the NOW that we can control what happens. Your thoughts and actions in the NOW determine your reality. The first step is to notice your thought patterns. What are you saying to yourself? Are these helping you?
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Gratitude
Its easy to get lost in thinking everything is falling apart but everyone has something to be grateful for. Although it seems so simple thinking of 5 things every morning that you are grateful for will help to start the day in a positive way. Even better buy a journal and write 5 to 10 things every day that you are grateful for. Even the little things that we all take for granted.
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Visualise
Hypnotherapy can help you visualise and see a way forward if you feel like there is no way out of the situation. It involves guided visualisation which can often help your sub conscious mind to alter any faulty programs causing you to think and feel the way you do.
Hypnosis can help
It can show you how to create a more positive environment that will give you strength, energy and the confidence and drive to move ahead
Don’t wait any longer!
Personalised support is available for you right now and sessions can be entirely online
Book NOW
And take that first step forward
