I’m under no illusions, this situation is awful. Sitting at home worrying about the safety of my four elderly grandparents, my father with his two heart stents and about my cousin who’s in her first year of being an NHS doctor is stressful and upsetting.
But a fundamental, beautiful aspect of human nature is our abiding adaptability and resilience. So while I’m sure, like me, you are greatly looking forward to life eventually returning to some semblance of normalcy, I imagine you’re also experiencing some unexpected benefits of the current situation.
In case you’re struggling to see or lean into these silver linings, I thought I might remind you of some of the ways we can take advantage of the situation, specifically in the context of our physical and emotional wellbeing:
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Sleep
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, sleep is the top player when it comes to every aspect of our wellbeing. So take the chance when you don’t have your commute or late evening social engagements to get more shuteye. Getting into the habit of sleeping from 10pm – 6am or 11pm – 7am will not only help protect your immune system but you might love it so much that you can make it a priority even when we’re allowed out again.
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Cooking
It’s not uncommon these days for us to feel a bit useless in the kitchen or that cooking is a waste of time. Feeling like this means we order in or go out more and we buy more ready made meals which are usually far more expensive than the raw ingredients. If you’re someone who already loves to cook, then awesome. Take this chance to get your Julia Child on big time. And by all means, go crazy on the rich french food and homemade brownies. Homemade is all good in my books.
If you’re someone who’s never enjoyed being in the kitchen, take this time to gently shift that attitude. It’s unlikely we can afford (financially) to order takeout non stop and we certainly can’t afford (physically) to eat highly processed food constantly.So start easy, using simple and fresh ingredients to make some nourishing meals for yourself. We all have more time right now so use some of that to enjoy the experience of creating your meals. Being totally present and engaged in the kitchen can not only be deeply relaxing, even meditative, but it can also really improve your relationship and mindfulness with food.
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Contentment
We can’t shop. We can’t travel. We can’t eat or drink out. How is this a silver lining? Well, many of us are prone to destination addiction: the belief or feeling that success and happiness lie in the next trip, the next handbag, the next promotion etc. This generally leads to us feeling dissatisfied and ‘less than’.
Being unable to really plan anything at the moment is a fantastic opportunity to let that tendency relax and to become more present.
So take the time over small things which you usually take for granted or are usually done for you (making and enjoying your daily coffee for example). Start a daily gratitude practise. If you can go outside, stop and enjoy the feeling of sunshine on your face. If you can’t, try to buy some fresh flowers to brighten up your home and take time to appreciate them whenever you pass them.
These are just a few of the many aspects of life we currently have a chance to reevaluate. The big picture is scary, and it’s scary not to have any control over it. So take the time to turn your gaze inwards and become more intentional over the parts of your life you do have control over.
Well & Truly are offering our value-packed ‘Feel Well, Work Well – Home Edition’ training calls for free until the end of the month, after which we will start charging for them. If you’d like to organise one for your team or for more information, please email sarah@wellandtrulyworkshops.co.uk.
