6 ways to escape a Coronavirus-induced slump

It's been a tough few weeks. On top of the whole 'world is ending pandemic' thing my eldest daughter broke her arm for the 4th time so we've been recovering from surgery, I've launched another business, had a cold and am trying to become a home schooler amongst everything else.

It's understandable that my mindset wobbled a little and I found myself indulging in all the habits I'd spent so long recorrecting!

I found myself reading the news multiple times a day, trying to keep track of how far lockdowns were going.

I found myself addicted to social media again and could easily lose 45mins in one time vampiring session.

I was unable to focus and felt like I never really got anything productive done, despite feeling like I was working all the time.

I was playing the comparison game, looking at our home schooling regimen in contrast to others who appear to be raising little oxford graduates and feeling like a crap parent.

What was going on? Can you relate?

You know what I discovered? I'm human!

In times of great uncertainty, which the last few weeks definitely qualify as, our brain plays tricks on us! It has an innate need for control, stability and comfort which have all gone out the window.

While I've given myself permission to wobble, I've spent the weekend putting my plan in place to get my mojo back.

By looks, this upheaval won't be going away in the short-term so we're going to need to learn to adapt and find a way to make the best of an unprecedented situation.

48 hours in… it's already working.. and I know from past experience it will continue to work its magic.

Here's what I'm doing, which you can steal, hack, borrow, tweak or modify. Do whatever you need to start to feel a greater sense of control over your mind.

Forgive myself

I am human. I am giving myself grace. I've eaten way too many hot cross buns, spent way too much time on social media and only given 50% when I exercise. But I’m human. I forgive myself. I've been letting my brain control me, instead of controlling my brain. Only once I've forgiven myself, and absolved from any shame and guilt, can I move on.

Start meditating again

I was in a fantastic routine where I was meditating first thing every morning and actually enjoying getting up at 5.30am for quite a while. Funny thing was, I wasn't sure it was doing anything. Fast forward to the last few weeks and with the chaos that it has been, I've not had the time or inclination to do it. So I made a commitment to myself that it was time to get back on the horse. A few mornings in, I remember why I loved it and have confirmation that it does do something!

Limit my exposure to the news

We're in lockdown for 18 months. Oh wait, maybe it's just a few weeks. Indulging in the media too often floods you with negativity and fuels uncertainty. Instead, I've put my screen time limits back on, I spend my time in a select few positive forums and allow myself to indulge in the news for no more than 10mins each day. Most importantly, I choose not to take in some of the negativity or doom and gloom and always end on a positive story.

Schedule in me-time

When you're never alone, it can be really difficult to catch those moments where you can refuel, whether it's a commute, a car trip or just being in the house by yourself. So I've gone back to scheduling in me-time. I love listening to podcasts that make me think and last night, instead of indulging in another episode of Tiger King, I went into my bedroom, fuelled my mind, 'fluffed' as hubby calls it, and felt amazing by the time I went to bed.

Obsess over opportunity

This could be a generational-defining crisis, or it could be a way to recalibrate our entire lives and have a blank slate upon which to rebuild. There are immense opportunities right now and I choose to focus on all the positives that are in my path. I've stopped having 'the world is ending' conversations, and where they happen to sneak in, I choose not to take on board any of their opinions.

Heighten the focus on gratitude 

This has always been a big one for me, however I've really amped it up in recent weeks. Gratitude for our health, for our healthcare system, that my high risk parents are finally listening to me, that we have amazing technology, that I get to meet the most amazing women every day. As with opportunity, there is much to be grateful for if you look hard enough.

There's plenty more I'm doing, but these are the main elements that have made a radical difference in just days. It's ironic that these have been the cornerstone of my life for the past few years and I believe have been responsible for much of my success. Yet even I can wobble and lose sight of what I know works.

I'd love to know... what are you doing to stay sane in these crazy times?

Borrow, steal and implement just a few of these ideas and I promise… you'll start to feel better within days.