Previous generations have had long periods of living under less than ideal conditions, such as world wars, famine, the Great Depression. Today’s adverse time is the ongoing pandemic. In Nova Scotia we are in the ninth month of restrictions and there are signs that these restrictions and possibly more will be with us for some time to come. In other parts of Canada and the rest of the world restrictions have increased. We are in a waiting game. What steps can we take to thrive during this time?
I’ve written previously about Leaning into Joy , and living life full on despite the pandemic in No Boundaries. What if I could live life now and fully? What if I could choose how I want to respond and what I want to focus my time and energy on is the topic of this blog post Choice.
Tips for thriving during adversity
Whether it is a prolonged illness, a painful family situation or a global pandemic, here are some of my personal tips for staying well and even thriving during adversity.
Tip 1 – Nurture your body with movement and proper nutrition.
Eating well and getting plenty of fresh air and exercise helps us to have a solid baseline for coping with adversity. My routine is to start my day with a short yoga practice followed by writing in my journal and a walk with my dog Nita. I do my best to keep a healthy diet.
Tip 2 – Do something creative.
Having a creative practice (knitting, playing an instrument, gardening, cooking, solving complex problems) can relieve stress and prevent burnout.
Tip 3 – Look for moments of joy.
Notice how your body feels when you notice something that makes you feel joy. Connecting with the body feeling of a positive emotion such as joy is important because it is training our brain and body to look for joy and to recognize the feeling. It helps us to ground, be in the present. When we are looking for joy we see it more. It can crowd out the negative feelings and is healing.
Writing prompt
I believe that what we focus our energy on is what we attract into our lives. This writing prompt from my second book is about attracting marvellous things into our lives. Instead of focussing on our current adverse times, try spending some time each day writing a ‘What if’ something wonderful or marvellous happened? What would the sensation be if it came true? Spend some time connecting to the body feeling of this ‘What if’.
Writing ‘What ifs’ on a daily basis can help to change our focus to inviting positive events into our lives. As well, my experience has been that over time many of my ‘What ifs’ came true.
How can I help?
If you are looking for more creative writing prompts check out my previous blogs, my two books, or sign up for my Heart Notes newsletter. It is published twice a month and is full of inspiration and creativity. I list all of my upcoming public workshops and talks in Heart Notes.
If you are a business owner or team leader and you are looking for fresh, creative ways to engage and support your team, connect with me and we will have a conversation!
