Although the vaccination campaigns are well underway in most countries, it is safe to say that we have a long way to go before the world is vaccinated and it is safe for us to move about freely.
However, as the pandemic continues, it is no longer feeling as ‘unprecedented’ and many of us are all feeling a tad more familiar with the virus and our current situation in regards to the necessary measures and precautions to take in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
These coming months will be challenging as most of us are exhausted of living in uncertainty, but it is important to ground yourself, to stay calm and be present in the moment rather than to spend energy and time getting in an argument with a reality we currently cannot change.
Yes, we do not know when ‘the end’ of this pandemic will happen, or even if and when it does ‘end’ if life will go ‘back to the way it used to be.’ But rather than spending your energy and mental resources on the ‘what if’ scenarios, it would be important to play it day by day and ground yourself in ‘what is’ close to you.
Instead of worrying about “what if I can’t travel in the summer again” focus on what you have in the moment and what you can do at the moment.
The most important things for you to stay the course as the pandemic lingers on is to take care of the physical and psychological health of you and your loved ones. Here are some ways you can do that.
Have a rhythm or routine to your day
When everything in the outside world feels uncertain, you want to create a sense of certainty in your life. Routines can give you that sense of certainty. So whether you are working from home or back to life as usual with kids at school and you at work, it will be important to set a routine to your day.
Sometimes people feel a bit stressed about ‘routines’ when so much is constantly shifting, so if that does not seem feasible, set a rhythm to your day. Set a realistic schedule for yourself and follow it. When you wake up, when you eat, when you exercise, when you go to bed should all follow a similar pattern from day to day.
When you feel organised and certain about what is happening throughout your day, you will feel more contained, less anxious and feel more in control.
To get started: Take note in google calendar how you are spending your time. How much of your time are you spending on social media, or drifting through your day. Once you become conscious of your time, you will know how to use it better.
Take care of your body
When you feel emotionally overwhelmed, there are many ways for you to find your calm. The best approach is to take the ‘bottom up’ approach to mental health. Instead of focusing on your cognitions or meditating in those times of crisis, focus on your body and making it strong again.
This could be making sure you are hydrated, and eating right but also moving your body through exercises like yoga or cardio. Research shows that exercise can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and low mood by boosting neurochemicals such as serotonin and dopamine, also known as the happiness and pleasure neurochemicals. Some research even suggests that exercise is as effective in eliminating anxiety and anxiety as medication.
Even just 30 minutes of exercise a day, at 75 percent of your maximum heart rate, can give you a sense of control while helping regulate your mood and energy.
To get started: Get a wearable device (apple watch or Fit Bit) and see what your baseline is for movement, and build up from there. If you are getting 2000 steps a day, start with adding 500 more steps in the morning sun.
Engage in mindful meditation or mindful activities
Just as it is important to stay physically healthy, it is essential to not neglect your mental fitness as well. You need to work on training your brain to be in the present moment and not worry about the past nor the future. It is not about what could have happened or what could happen, it is about being close to the moment rather than running 20-steps ahead and getting overwhelmed.
This year, make an effort to learn and practice mindfulness and mindfulness techniques to see what suits you, whether it is breathing exercises, walking in nature or simple meditation.
To get started: If you have never meditated. Start by doing some activities which encourage single-tasking such as coloring or playing chess. Put your phones away. If you want to start meditating, start with 1 min of focusing on your breath and build up from there.
Switch off the news
When we feel anxious, we can compulsively seek out more and more information because it makes us feel more in control. However, constantly checking the news and being bombarded with the apocalyptic view of world events, has resulted in more people feeling insecure and anxious as well as scared about the state of the world.
Our flight or fight system is constantly being triggered as we get news on a twitter feed. Instead, limit your news to once a day for one hour and from one channel or platform. If you are feeling particularly overwhelmed, then turn off the news completely. Be very conscious of the media you consume as it will keep on feeding your anxiety without you even realising it.
To get started: Unfollow all news channels and turn off all notifications so you are in control of what you see and when you see it and make sure not to start or end your day with the news.
Guard your sleep
It is important to guard your sleep to regulate your emotions and focus on your diet. Sleep is actually critical for keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy, affecting your blood sugar, blood pressure and inflammation level as well as strengthening your immune system. Sleep also helps balance the hormones that affect your diet since you may feel hungrier when you are lacking sleep rather than when you are well rested. Make sure to get at least eight hours a night so you feel energised to take on the day and any stressors that might arise.
To get started: Establish a night routine which includes taking a hot shower, wearing pajamas, spraying pillow spray, and having a cup of chamomile tea. If you read on screens make sure you have blue light screen protectors for all your devices.
Stay connected to your tribe
With some countries still in lockdown, people are still indoors but that does not mean you need to be socially isolated. It is important to stay connected to your people; download zoom or google hangouts and engage in activities with them. By doing this, you will be able to continue forming deeper and more meaningful connections with others whilst maintaining physical distance.
To get started: Make a list of 2-3 people you will connect to every week and schedule it in. You can have lunch together over Zoom or catch up on a google meets coffee.
Take note of your courage
You have endured one of the most difficult years that humanity has witnessed in the past 120 years. You should be proud of yourself so why not start a courage jar where you write down all the times you have overcome your fear or moments where you stepped up even when you didn’t think you could, no matter how big or small. When you are feeling down or need a little confidence boost, take one of the notes out of the jar to read as a reminder that you are stronger than you think.
To get started: Take a clear jar and write on slips of paper all the things you have endured that required you to dig deep and show up for the day. You can have a clear jar for gratitude, kindness, and any other value you wish you exercise and appreciate.
Highlight the positive moments
Human beings are wired to see the negative in things and remember the difficulties they encounter in their day — this exact quality has ensured our survival on earth for the hundreds of thousands of years before. Every morning for ions before us, our neanderthal cousins woke up and figured out what went wrong yesterday so they could make sure those same things don’t go wrong today, ensuring survival and safety of their tribes.
And over the years, the neural pathways in our brain that remember the negative events just got stronger while the positive ones didn’t get a lot of exercise, and so our brains became like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones. So if we want to have more positive memories or moments, we have to consciously and deliberately highlight them.
This does not mean you ignore the negative things that are happening in your life or engage in toxic positivity, instead, you want to name the negative things and the associated feelings, but also make the effort to highlight the positive events in your day. This way you will have a balanced view about your life and your experiences resulting in realistic optimism.
To get started: Notice when you have a moment where you feel good about something in your day or when something goes right. This could be that the tea was exactly the right temperature, or the sun warmth on your back — take 3 breaths of 5 counts in and 5 counts out as you allow that moment to soak all the from your head to your toes. That way, when you think about your days, you will remember the difficult moments but also the positive experiences.
Indeed we all have to carry on carrying on during this pandemic and no one is saying this is easy, in fact, this is the time when most of us have to dig deeper and tap into inner resources that we did not know that we had. By adopting some of these practices you will not only go through the next many months but also grow through them.
It is very possible for you to come out of this experience with greater appreciation for life, deeper and more meaningful relationships, increased psychological flexibility, a chance to step into your courage.
Dr Saliha Afridi is a clinical psychologist and managing director of The LightHouse Arabia
by Staff Writer
More of this topic
Staying calm and carrying on during the pandemic
Dr Saliha Afridi says although these coming months will be challenging, it is important to ground yourself
Dr Saliha Afridi is a clinical psychologist and managing director of The LightHouse Arabia
Coming out of what has been an unprecedented 2020, it is natural for us to be feeling drained and tapped out of internal resources and coping mechanisms to digest the continuation of this pandemic into the new year. We are simply looking for some relief, hope and that blurry little light at the end of the tunnel.
Although the vaccination campaigns are well underway in most countries, it is safe to say that we have a long way to go before the world is vaccinated and it is safe for us to move about freely.
However, as the pandemic continues, it is no longer feeling as ‘unprecedented’ and many of us are all feeling a tad more familiar with the virus and our current situation in regards to the necessary measures and precautions to take in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
These coming months will be challenging as most of us are exhausted of living in uncertainty, but it is important to ground yourself, to stay calm and be present in the moment rather than to spend energy and time getting in an argument with a reality we currently cannot change.
Yes, we do not know when ‘the end’ of this pandemic will happen, or even if and when it does ‘end’ if life will go ‘back to the way it used to be.’ But rather than spending your energy and mental resources on the ‘what if’ scenarios, it would be important to play it day by day and ground yourself in ‘what is’ close to you.
Instead of worrying about “what if I can’t travel in the summer again” focus on what you have in the moment and what you can do at the moment.
The most important things for you to stay the course as the pandemic lingers on is to take care of the physical and psychological health of you and your loved ones. Here are some ways you can do that.
Have a rhythm or routine to your day
When everything in the outside world feels uncertain, you want to create a sense of certainty in your life. Routines can give you that sense of certainty. So whether you are working from home or back to life as usual with kids at school and you at work, it will be important to set a routine to your day.
Sometimes people feel a bit stressed about ‘routines’ when so much is constantly shifting, so if that does not seem feasible, set a rhythm to your day. Set a realistic schedule for yourself and follow it. When you wake up, when you eat, when you exercise, when you go to bed should all follow a similar pattern from day to day.
When you feel organised and certain about what is happening throughout your day, you will feel more contained, less anxious and feel more in control.
To get started: Take note in google calendar how you are spending your time. How much of your time are you spending on social media, or drifting through your day. Once you become conscious of your time, you will know how to use it better.
Take care of your body
When you feel emotionally overwhelmed, there are many ways for you to find your calm. The best approach is to take the ‘bottom up’ approach to mental health. Instead of focusing on your cognitions or meditating in those times of crisis, focus on your body and making it strong again.
This could be making sure you are hydrated, and eating right but also moving your body through exercises like yoga or cardio. Research shows that exercise can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and low mood by boosting neurochemicals such as serotonin and dopamine, also known as the happiness and pleasure neurochemicals. Some research even suggests that exercise is as effective in eliminating anxiety and anxiety as medication.
Even just 30 minutes of exercise a day, at 75 percent of your maximum heart rate, can give you a sense of control while helping regulate your mood and energy.
To get started: Get a wearable device (apple watch or Fit Bit) and see what your baseline is for movement, and build up from there. If you are getting 2000 steps a day, start with adding 500 more steps in the morning sun.
Engage in mindful meditation or mindful activities
Just as it is important to stay physically healthy, it is essential to not neglect your mental fitness as well. You need to work on training your brain to be in the present moment and not worry about the past nor the future. It is not about what could have happened or what could happen, it is about being close to the moment rather than running 20-steps ahead and getting overwhelmed.
This year, make an effort to learn and practice mindfulness and mindfulness techniques to see what suits you, whether it is breathing exercises, walking in nature or simple meditation.
To get started: If you have never meditated. Start by doing some activities which encourage single-tasking such as coloring or playing chess. Put your phones away. If you want to start meditating, start with 1 min of focusing on your breath and build up from there.
Switch off the news
When we feel anxious, we can compulsively seek out more and more information because it makes us feel more in control. However, constantly checking the news and being bombarded with the apocalyptic view of world events, has resulted in more people feeling insecure and anxious as well as scared about the state of the world.
Our flight or fight system is constantly being triggered as we get news on a twitter feed. Instead, limit your news to once a day for one hour and from one channel or platform. If you are feeling particularly overwhelmed, then turn off the news completely. Be very conscious of the media you consume as it will keep on feeding your anxiety without you even realising it.
To get started: Unfollow all news channels and turn off all notifications so you are in control of what you see and when you see it and make sure not to start or end your day with the news.
Guard your sleep
It is important to guard your sleep to regulate your emotions and focus on your diet. Sleep is actually critical for keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy, affecting your blood sugar, blood pressure and inflammation level as well as strengthening your immune system. Sleep also helps balance the hormones that affect your diet since you may feel hungrier when you are lacking sleep rather than when you are well rested. Make sure to get at least eight hours a night so you feel energised to take on the day and any stressors that might arise.
To get started: Establish a night routine which includes taking a hot shower, wearing pajamas, spraying pillow spray, and having a cup of chamomile tea. If you read on screens make sure you have blue light screen protectors for all your devices.
Stay connected to your tribe
With some countries still in lockdown, people are still indoors but that does not mean you need to be socially isolated. It is important to stay connected to your people; download zoom or google hangouts and engage in activities with them. By doing this, you will be able to continue forming deeper and more meaningful connections with others whilst maintaining physical distance.
To get started: Make a list of 2-3 people you will connect to every week and schedule it in. You can have lunch together over Zoom or catch up on a google meets coffee.
Take note of your courage
You have endured one of the most difficult years that humanity has witnessed in the past 120 years. You should be proud of yourself so why not start a courage jar where you write down all the times you have overcome your fear or moments where you stepped up even when you didn’t think you could, no matter how big or small. When you are feeling down or need a little confidence boost, take one of the notes out of the jar to read as a reminder that you are stronger than you think.
To get started: Take a clear jar and write on slips of paper all the things you have endured that required you to dig deep and show up for the day. You can have a clear jar for gratitude, kindness, and any other value you wish you exercise and appreciate.
Highlight the positive moments
Human beings are wired to see the negative in things and remember the difficulties they encounter in their day — this exact quality has ensured our survival on earth for the hundreds of thousands of years before. Every morning for ions before us, our neanderthal cousins woke up and figured out what went wrong yesterday so they could make sure those same things don’t go wrong today, ensuring survival and safety of their tribes.
And over the years, the neural pathways in our brain that remember the negative events just got stronger while the positive ones didn’t get a lot of exercise, and so our brains became like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones. So if we want to have more positive memories or moments, we have to consciously and deliberately highlight them.
This does not mean you ignore the negative things that are happening in your life or engage in toxic positivity, instead, you want to name the negative things and the associated feelings, but also make the effort to highlight the positive events in your day. This way you will have a balanced view about your life and your experiences resulting in realistic optimism.
To get started: Notice when you have a moment where you feel good about something in your day or when something goes right. This could be that the tea was exactly the right temperature, or the sun warmth on your back — take 3 breaths of 5 counts in and 5 counts out as you allow that moment to soak all the from your head to your toes. That way, when you think about your days, you will remember the difficult moments but also the positive experiences.
Indeed we all have to carry on carrying on during this pandemic and no one is saying this is easy, in fact, this is the time when most of us have to dig deeper and tap into inner resources that we did not know that we had. By adopting some of these practices you will not only go through the next many months but also grow through them.
It is very possible for you to come out of this experience with greater appreciation for life, deeper and more meaningful relationships, increased psychological flexibility, a chance to step into your courage.
Dr Saliha Afridi is a clinical psychologist and managing director of The LightHouse Arabia
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