For many of us, life feels a bit like a juggling act right now. The problem is: we’re not very good at juggling. Like, at all. Because we knew we wouldn’t be the only ones feelings this way, we asked you on Instagram for your golden tip: something you’ve found out over the past few weeks that has really helped you to cope. A lot of you replied, and it makes us so happy that we can now share a compilation of your golden tips. Here you go:
Your golden tips
Write things down
A lot of you recommend writing on a daily basis; noting down your feelings, all of them. ‘Write something down every day,’ says Frouke. ‘What are you grateful for? And try to look back on it every week. You got this.’
Limit the time you read the news
We got a lot of replies about news, and how helpful it is for many of you not to read it too much. It’s okay to keep up to date, but if it’s causing you lots of anxiety and stress, maybe it’s helpful to only read the news once or twice a day, at a specific time.
Move your body
Get your groove on. ‘Even if it’s just 15 minutes of crazy dancing,’ says Annroe. Some say it’s really calming to go outside, if possible, for some fresh air. If you can’t get out of the house, one reader suggests simply opening the windows and doing jumping jacks.
Create mini routines
Our normal routines have gone out the window, but you can create mini ones that are still manageable. ‘A little predictability in the day helps me with the anxiety,’ says one reader. ‘What helps me is to get dressed every day; the small routine of getting ready in the morning,’ says another. Deborah advises making a kind of family schedule in order to determine what is work time, what is social time and what is ‘me-time’.
Let feelings be
‘You don’t have to be positive all the time,’ says Sahina. ‘It’s okay to be sad, angry or overwhelmed.’ Just feel all the feelings and try to not run away from them.
Take it slow
A reader also points out that you don’t have to be productive all the time. ‘It’s okay to just be.’ Someone else mentions the fact that now is also the time to discover that things you thought were important aren’t so crucial after all. And the last piece of advice on this topic: ‘You don’t have to finish everything. You still have tomorrow!’
Keep in contact
Though we can’t physically visit each other, it’s still possible to keep in touch with our loved ones. ‘Try to contact those you love by video, so distance doesn’t seem so bad,’ says a reader. You can also write letters to family and friends or use an app such as Houseparty to contact them.
More tips and uplifting words from you all
- You can’t be everything to everyone.
- This too shall pass.
- Go back to something you know makes you feel good, like a tv show that never gets old for you.
- Imagine the intense joy of the first ice cream with friends, the first swim after the crisis.
- Don’t think beyond what you want to be today.
- Keep looking for the little moments and things.
- Play like a kid. Explore your backyard or balcony, paint rocks etc.
- Dive deep in what makes you feel happy, even for just ten minutes a day.
- And last but not least: breathe in, breathe out.
Photography Fotografierende/Unsplash.com
