There are challenges in life that present themselves unexpectedly, and if you rise to them, then those challenges will toughen you up.
The world isn’t ending but the speed at which things can end has never been more visible to me with the recent happenings that I am left with some deep questions hung all over my thoughts and the need for a proper evaluation has never been so obvious.
My mind is flooded with questions like; have I been chasing the right goals? Have I been living a potential and fulfilling life? Have I been focusing on the necessary areas of my life? Are my accomplishments so far valuable? Have my goals been worth chasing? Have I been pursuing internal richness alongside with my physical goals, have my routines been matching up lately? How am I doing lately? Have I been finding true happiness?
We are currently passing through a very difficult phase that is quite challenging and knowing how to scale through the process physically and mentally is the greatest challenge because we don’t know what’s going to happen or hit us next.
Our fast-paced lives have drastically changed, daily routines and regular schedules uttered, our mental strength and positive energy are currently being tested, and responding positively to the situation isn’t an easy task.
I personally have been going through some complex emotional imbalance, more like, I have been so vulnerable and opened to the fear of uncertainty, anxiety, panic, and worry.
I know I have talked about overcoming your fears and worries during the crisis but some emotions and feelings are inevitable and I have come to accept that it’s totally okay, you simply have to find the limit.
In these troubled times, it is very necessary that your activities, routines, and actions, no matter how subtle, are geared towards positivity. And this can be a really challenging formula to fix, so, I have outlined some edifying morning activities that can be practiced during the crisis to keep your mental and physical state balanced, to help calm the anxiety, panic, and worry looming around.
I know it’s really hard to stay sane through this, some people have been extremely affected while some mildly, I want you to remember that we are all in the turmoil together, I am here for you! If you need anyone to cut the pile of fear short you can send me an email or send me a direct message on Instagram and I’ll help out in any way I can.
I want you to remember that life is a journey for us all, we are faced with trials, we all have ups and downs. All of us are humans but we also are the masters of our fate. We are the ones who decide how we are going to react to life. And these hard moments are the teachers life instructs to groom us. They teach us
- Resilience
- Love
- Endurance
- Strength
- Meaning
- Gentleness
- Forgiveness
- Patience etc.
With the current shut down and shift we are all experiencing globally, our mornings have changed and for most people including me, it can be hard to shift to a new routine. So, today I will be sharing some effective ways to start your day right while you’re stuck at home or in a lockdown.
1. Practice Deep Breathing
This may sound so cliché right now but one thing that can detoxify and soothe your physical and mental balance is deep breathing. Your routines have been messed up leaving you with irregular emotions; I want you to take some time immediately you wake up in the morning to practice deep breathing. You could do this in bed, at your balcony, outside your room but just take short and long breaths.
A lot of us are not aware that 70% of your body toxins are released through your lungs and exhalation making the act of ‘’full breathing’’ a natural and powerful detoxifier.
You can simply inhale for 6 seconds, hold for 24 seconds, and exhale for 12 seconds. This is an instant reliever to letting go of the negative vibrations that are present.
2. Avoid Consumption Of Negativity
Do not let yourself be bombarded by the media with unsettling news. With everything happening lately, it’s so easy to get caught up in the charts of arising cases and this can be really overwhelming and trigger up some toxic energy.
So when you wake up in the morning, avoid tuning in to the news or any center of information that will stir negative thoughts around you. Also, feel free to set boundaries between people that are constantly sharing any negative information that you do not feel comfortable with.
When I got so overwhelmed with the messages and videos my sister was sending to me, I had to block her off my social media platforms to avoid the constant projection of fear, panic, and worry. Turn your phone off if you have to, or disconnect completely to avoid negative updates.
3. Find A Well Of Inspiration
There is so much fear, negativity, and anxiety looming around and it can be difficult to stay positive and find a channel of inspiration, motivation, and edification.
A lot of us are currently driven by the fear of uncertainty, we don’t know where the world is going to be in the next few months, we don’t know if we or any of our loved ones are going to get sick, we don’t know how long this shift will last and I totally understand all these worries.
There is nothing wrong with having such emotions but I want you to understand that these uncertainties are geared towards the future that hasn’t happened yet and you can’t control the future so you have to focus on what you can control in the present.
So what I do every morning is I dive into a well of inspiration. It can be as simple as listening to some motivating or inspirational podcasts, watch some motivational TED talks, write notes of encouragement, or declare some positive affirmations.
This serves as a string to positivity and intentionality. Before my journaling session or morning pages, I scribble out some affirmations for the day. Positive affirmations are great tools for calmness and reassurance.
I sink in mindfulness and make these positive declarations:
Repeat after me
- I am safe, I am healthy, I am well.
- Everything is always working out for me, this phase is working out in my favor.
- I release all negative emotions that don’t serve me.
- My body is in good health. My body can heal from anything that comes my way.
- I let go of fear because it doesn’t serve me. I allow calmness and wisdom to enter my life.
- I am capable of adjusting to new situations.
- All is well with my world. Everything is working out for my highest good. Out of this situation will come only good.
- I am safe!
- And I choose to remain calm!
4. Sort Your Thoughts
Simply put journal. If you are an avid reader of my blog, you’ll know how journaling has greatly contributed to my personal growth and self-improvement as a whole. Through journaling, I have been able to create time for mindfulness, meditation, and intentionality where I spend time with myself.
When I wake up in the morning, I try to declutter my thoughts that have been accumulated from previous happenings or the previous day. It can be very difficult to come to terms with the current situation thereby, causing conflict in your thoughts or creating some negative signals.
Journaling can help put those thoughts on a check, detangle those negative signals, and bring you back to the present and understand the reason why this phase is passing through. During my journaling session, I try to strip myself and check-in with several questions like:
– How am I thriving through the crisis?
– What am I feeling?
– What gives me hope?
– What do I need right now?
– What does this situation want to teach me?
– How can I stay mentally and physically safe?
– How can I grow/evolve through this?
– How can I show myself love?
For more of my journaling prompts you can purchase The Life Compass Guided Journal that has over 100 journal prompts to take charge of your thoughts and control the vibrations you engage within these turbulent times.
The Life Compass guided journal has been a lifesaver in these uncertain times with the several powerful journals prompts, self-care kit, exercises to break up with your fears, exercises to dig deep within yourself, exercises to increase your motivation, to give yourself permission to succeed, to properly evaluate your life, to thrive through the crisis, exercises to address your fears and worries, stand in your power, reconnect with yourself and recondition your mind.
The journal will enable you to turn the break down into a breakthrough and this challenging period into a portal of change. Checking in with yourself with the right questions can create a ground for you to stay calm. It’s very easy to fall into the fear looming around if we don’t make a conscious effort to keep our mental health in check.
We are in unclear times and it is mandatory we watch over ourselves and build walls of protection around in order to stay safe, not just physically but mentally. We have to cleanse our thoughts of fear, anxiety, worry, and panic.
Journaling entails asking the right quality questions so you can adequately respond and flow out what is really inside of you. Through journaling, you can convert the whole crises to a portal of self-evaluation and self upliftment.
5. Take Charge Of Your Spirit And Mind
During these times, it is very important that you control and watch over the thoughts that you dwell on. Our thoughts are a major control panel and the thoughts we nurture and give in to are birthed into manifestation, so, when you wake up every morning take charge of your mind.
You can do this by meditation, yoga, or just sitting still to understand the sequence of your thoughts.
6. Get Some Fresh Air
Do not remain chocked up within your house when you wake up in the morning allow the sun rays to soak into your skin, turn off the air conditioner and open up your windows and take some long, deep breaths. Too many breaths do not hurt at all.
7. Plan Your Day
Have a plot to conquer each day; irrespective of the lockdown, endeavor to create a daily schedule. The chaos has really changed/re-programmed our daily routines and you don’t have to necessarily do something that is related to your previous routine to be productive.
I have written a detailed post on 100 Easy productive things you can do while you’re stuck indoor to win the day. I know it can be difficult/challenging to bring yourself to the point of being active when there are no pressurized deadlines but you can start with the littlest things like going for a walk in a calm area if that will be safe for you.
I personally get restless when I’m locked indoors and so with the lockdown, I take short walks, sit at my balcony, and watch the sunset while I write, watch a bit of TV, and journal a lot. Like I said in these troubled times, it is essential that you constantly guide the thoughts you receive and dwell on and when your mind is active it becomes less idle.
You can get on track with your wellness journey since you can’t carry on with your regular activities. Have a wellness calendar where you can schedule and track empowering activities that you’ll be doing during the lockdown. It can be really challenging to stay happy but we have to try rather than letting our vibrations drop low.
Make A To-Do List
Inasmuch as your movement is restricted or you are stuck indoor, this doesn’t stop you from creating a to-do list for the day; this helps to organize your tasks.
With a list, you can make everything much more manageable and make you feel grounded even while you’re stuck at home. Seeing a clear outline of your completed and uncompleted tasks will help you feel organized and stay mentally focused.
I personally have resorted to substituting my daily planner with the Life Compass wellness calendar. If you work from home you can have an inter-switch between your regular Goal Planner and the wellness calendar there will never be a better time for you to invest radically into your mental and spiritual wellbeing and the Life compass calendar creates a minimal and easy layout to adequately plan.
There is this gloom moving around, altering the regular positive vibrations that we all connect with. So more than ever, it is necessary to get in tune with ourselves to take charge of that negative vibe.
So much negativity is brewing around so it’s almost impossible not to be weighed down but we must try to take charge of the waves we create through the storm. Using these worksheets was a home call for me to get back on track, properly access and evaluate my life.
8. Optimize Your Body
Every morning endeavor to optimize your body, staying calm and relaxed requires that you take proper care of your body from maintaining your distance, washing your hands always, using a disinfectant, and taking vitamins to boost your immune system. Optimizing your body includes you taking proper care of your body.
Which includes;
- Washing your face.
- Drinking a lot of water.
- Having your bath.
- Exercising.
- Making time out for self-care.
- Stretching your body.
- Soaking up in the sun.
- Treating yourself to a nutritious breakfast.
- Carrying out your skincare routine.
9. Practice Gratitude
Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.
During the darkest times, it’s oftentimes difficult to give thanks but gratitude serves as a gear of positivity for everything you have and where you are today, give thanks for even the smallest of things.
There are people who are homeless and can’t even eat due to the crisis but you are not in such condition and that is a lot to be thankful for. Every morning learn to be thankful for what you already have, while you pursue all that you want. Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
If someone told us that months down into 2020 a huge storm will rise, we won’t believe, so, for even the littlest things give thanks. You can create a gratitude list and declare it every morning before embarking into the day’s activities.
Here is a list of simple things you can be grateful for even when times are tough:
- I am thankful that I am alive and breathing.
- I am thankful that there are good things despite all this chaos.
- I am thankful for a roof over my head and a warm home.
- I am thankful for plenty of drinkable water.
- I am thankful that I don’t have to go hungry.
- I am thankful that I can enjoy the small and free pleasures of life.
- I am thankful for the setbacks that have formed me and made me stronger.
10. Spend Quality Time With Family
One thing that I have come to realize during this lockdown is that life is not a sprint nor a marathon but a relay and how far we go sometimes relies on the next person’s strength in handing down the baton. Simply put, relationships matter a lot; man is not an island and will never be, you need people to survive around you.
So, learn to appreciate these people, mend your relationships if you have to. Every morning after settling for the day, you should check in on your family, call them, send messages, write letters of encouragement to support them through these trying times.
Some take-outs for you: Through the storm, you are an active agent in how life experiences shape you or the lessons you choose to learn. Your perspective is everything when you are experiencing the challenges of life.
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