A slog...

At the beginning, it was: scary, dramatic, unsettling, disrupting, shocking… something new.

Now it is: a slog, tiresome, boring, tedious, wearing, relentless… interminable.

That is how I feel anyway.

I have observed in myself that some days I feel overwhelmed and it gets me down.

I am worried about the world’s mental health.

I wonder how everyone will cope with this very long-lasting bout of extra stress.

And many people are facing much more stress than me, e.g. massive financial, work, relationship, cabin-fever or health issues.

We can only control the controllable. 

One area we can control is our self-care.

We can all improve it by 5%.

4 quick ways to improve our self-care by 5%:

1. Spend time with your best friends – by phone/video/in-person (if allowed). Not just text messages. Share your troubles.
2. Cut down on news by 5%. It’s good to read the news but can you check once less a day. I’ve now cut to just reading the print edition of The Economist, which arrives once a week. Anything really urgent, my wife will tell me!
3. Nurture gratitude. In the evening, Christine and I have recently started listing 20 (small) good things from the day to each other – it takes 10 minutes. Afterwards, my mood is completely uplifted and I sleep better.
4. Sleep and exercise more (5% more)

What about you? What have you found helpful in this long, challenging season?

#selfcare #resilience #Covid-19