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Life today is very different from the life we planned at the start of 2020. Today’s goals and daily habits are certainly very different from those that we set ourselves at the start of this year.
Given the worldwide development of the COVID-19 virus, now more than ever we need a new focus to deal with the anxieties and fears created by this virus and adapt to our new way of living and working.
Zestivo, meaning zest for life, is a company that promotes mindful living www.zestivo.com. Based on 10 principles of mindful living, mindfulness of the breath, thoughts /emotions, stress, body, diet, movement, nutrition, water, rest/renew and joy.
Mindfulness is now being talked about widely as a simple tool to assist us in dealing with our daily challenges. It guides individuals towards being fully present in their body, in other words being fully conscious of who you are; where you are; what you are doing in the present and blocking out everything else around you.
It is a fact that individuals who engage with mindful living are better equipped to deal with the stresses and strains which life brings.
Positive Thinking
The first essential mindful principle for all of us to adhere to is positive thinking.
Our thoughts have real power!
When are thoughts are linked to a feeling i.e. emotionalized, they attract like-minded thoughts towards them.
So, we need to begin to become aware of our thoughts and when negative thoughts appear, cancel, clear and delete them.
Replace them with a positive feeling thought.
Take solace from all of the positive things around you, family, friends and more down time.
A positive mindset is essential as negative thoughts impact on your stress levels, your energy, your productivity and achievements.
Use your mind to stay calm.
Sleep
The importance of sleep is often overlooked. Getting sufficient, high-quality sleep is absolutely critical for good productivity and also has the benefit of promoting a healthy immune system.
Having a good restful sleep is just as vital as nutrition and fitness when it comes to overall health.
Sleep effects your cognitive behaviour, lowering cognitive function by one third.
A good night’s sleep should be ideally 7.5–8 hours of rest.
Create a Good Structure Around Your Day
A win in the morning is a win for the day!
Having a good morning routine sets you up for a great day.
A daily structure should be put in place for you to achieve your daily tasks, your own and company goals. Some jobs will be task based and others will be time based so your daily structure needs to reflect this. Stick to a routine as you will be more likely to get more work done rather than taking an ad hoc approach. Be clear on your daily priorities and put in place regular breaks every hour.
Mindful meditation exercise, yoga, Pilates and walking are all great ways to move your body during your day, giving you energy to achieve those tasks and create a positive mindset.
These can all be achieved within 15 minutes and will contribute to improving your performance and productivity.
Other simple mindful practices include conscious breathing, alternative nostril breathing (technique tips on Zestivo.com blog) which will produce a sharper focus and enhanced creativity.
It is also important that you take the time to communicate with colleagues who are also working from home or your supervisor/boss, but ideally communications should be planned.
Boost Your Immunity
Our immune system is our last line of defence against any illness and especially this virus. Fuelling your body with the good stuff like immune boosting life energy foods is essential. Selecting tasty nourishing foods, you love and using them to create mouth-watering meals. Cut down on your sugar intake as sugar is an enemy of your immune system, it will zap your energies and can interfere with the way your body fights disease.
Meditating will boost your immune system, take 10 to 20 minutes every day to relax the mind and connect.
You need to put in place a regular eating routine ensuring you are eating a good breakfast, taking a healthy mid-day break and consuming a nutritious evening meal.
Drinking at least 6 to 8 glasses of water every day will hydrate the body and increases your energy.
Beware of binge eating, over consumption of fizzy drinks and overeating, as these will drain the bodies energies.
Protect Yourself Against Negativity
While we can all take advantage of today’s amazing technology, we have access to, we need to keep it in perspective.
Constantly watching and listening to news feeds on the COVID-19 virus development can push individuals into fear and panic causing stress and anxiety.
Stress keeps your body and mind trapped in a place of perpetual unrest, worry and unease.
So, my advice is to minimize your exposure to news bulletins and reduce your viewing to once or twice a day.
Togetherness
No matter what at the end of the day we all need one another.
It is essential that we have daily contact over the phone or video with friends, family and work colleagues to keep moral going.
Although physical connections are limited these can be easily substituted with other forms of interconnectivity to help us through each day.
Day by Day Approach
We are living in unprecedented times and the best way to get through it is to live your life in a more a mindful way by taking each day as it comes. This gives you a sense of control of your daily life and the lives of those around you.
This too will pass you are going to be ok!
Elizabeth Whelan is Managing Director of Zestivo Health and Well-being. She is a mindfulness expert, life coach, public speaker and expert in stress management.