Life has been a little rough lately. I know that I’m not alone in this, amid week 1,000 of quarantine and a lot of uncertainty as to what the future will look like and when — it’s exhausting. I’ve, personally found that I’ve been in need of more down time and sleep to cope. Below I’ll list out a few of the things that I’ve found helpful. Please share yours too in the comments. 

Routine

I’ve settled on a bit of routine to the days. It’s centered a lot around segmenting my day so that my brain isn’t constantly searching for the next right thing to do. Each morning I get up, read a little from my personal development book and participate in my gratitude practice while drinking my preworkout. Then I get my workout in, after which I stretch and meditate a bit before logging on to the computer. From there, I triage my emails and then eat breakfast. I create a to-do list that is accomplishable for the day and dig in. 

At lunch, I get up and take a walk for a change of scenery. I likely also do my chore for the day, eat and relax before heading back to the computer. I then put in the rest of my work day, accomplishing my to-do list and any other items that come along. I log off between 4 and 5 p.m., at which point I may take another walk, prepare dinner or take a short nap. 

Once rejuvenated from my afternoon task, I might put in some work with my volunteer organization, Alzheimer’s Association, work on a side hustle or catch up with friends and social media. My night finishes up either by reading or watching some Netflix with a calming cup of tea. 

Consistent sleep

I consistently go to bed between 9:30 and 10:30 and wake up at about 6 a.m.  It’s not always the most restful of sleep as my anxiety tends to get the best of me. My therapist and I recently discussed a strategy for dealing with this in a journaling practice as part of your wind down routine each night. I’ve been working to incorporate this, but haven’t quite mastered it yet. On those nights that I do get enough good sleep, is usually when I opt for a nap at the end of my work day. Usually a good 20 minutes will perk me up. 

Find stress relievers

We’ve touched on a few of these in journaling, working out and walks. In my walks I will listen to a podcast or audio book, mostly that can offer a fresh perspective and that will be bringing positive vibes into my life. My recent audiobooks were Dare to Lead by Brene Brown and The Book of Joy, a compilation of discussions between the Dalai Lamba and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, aka peak positive vibes. 

Other stress relievers: reading, obviously. Being transported to a different world for a while is amazing and I find myself escaping more and more often. CBD products and aromatherapy also have been helpful. I sprinkle lavender on my sheets when I change them and have recently gotten NuVita CBD oil, which complements my evening calming tea very well. 

Be with yourself

I think, above all, during this time, I’ve found great discomfort and joy in being with myself. Having the time to process things and really get in tune with what’s going on in my head and my body has been super helpful. My recent tarot practice has also been really great and bringing me back to my intuition and strengthening my relationship with that. 

Bottom line, I think, is that we’re all doing our best. Be kind to yourself and be sure to tell you that as we make it through, out or around these next steps. And, when in doubt, escape with a new book. 

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