“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor Frankl
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou
Over the past 12 months we have endured Covid, political unrest, the overwhelming barrage of news media and social media, new challenges in distance learning, restrictions on travel, Killer Bee’s, hurricanes, earth quakes, wild fires and much more. During this time of uncertainty and imposed restrictions I have had an opportunity to reflect upon the question “what can we learn from this?
At the same time, many of us have had more family dinners together than we have in a long time. We have learned to take more walks, learned to communicate in different ways and learned to take care of our bodies more. We have enjoyed more time with our pets and being outdoors than we have in a long time. We have had healthier meals at home, we have had more movie nights and we have learned how to have virtual social gatherings over zoom.
Prior to Covid, our fast paced lives provided us with fruits of our labor, so we thought. We were successful, productive, moving forward and …… happy, or were we?
Maybe what really happened is that life threw us a curve ball to slow us down and an opportunity to refocus on yourself. An opportunity to recognize what is really important in life and what matters. An opportunity to change things for the better and get back to basics. An opportunity to become healthier in mind, spirit and body before we return to the fast pace lives we had before the pandemic.
This is a time for you, to breath, to meditate, to exercise, to return to the usta’s (I usta cook, I usta take more walks, I usta play my guitar, I usta watch movies with the kids, etc.) and to reflect on what is really important to you. In order for us to be productive and successful we must have foundation/the basics. And those foundations and basics are rooted in our mental, spiritual and physical health.
We know that when we breath with intention, take time for ourselves and exercise we are more productive. So maybe the message for us is to build in rituals, no routines; routines dull us, but rituals that we will embrace and maintain when we are given the opportunity to once again return to our “new normal”.
Let’s take a moment to look at what we can do to improve ourselves and carry forward from this moment on and into our new normal.
Mind
Mentally we need to inspire and exercise our brains and build neuroplasticity. By doing this you contribute to building your own capacity and resiliency. We can do this in several ways.
First – take time to do deep belly breathing with “box breathing” or “autogenic breathing”.
The technique is also known as “resetting your breath”. It is easy to do, quick to learn, and can be a highly effective technique for people especially if you find yourself in a stressful situation.
1. Eyes open or closed (Preferably closed). Breathe in through your nose while counting to four slowly. Feel the air enter your lungs. Breath in deep until your lungs are filled. That deep “in breath” that pushes your belly out.
2. Hold your breath inside while counting slowly to four. Try not to clamp your mouth or nose shut. Simply avoid inhaling or exhaling for 4 seconds.
3. Through your lips, begin to slowly exhale for 4 seconds.
Repeat steps 1 to 3 at least three times. Ideally, continue to do the three steps for at least 4 minutes, or until calm returns.
Resetting one’s breath, or working to make the breath leave fight-or-flight mode, is good for both the mind and body.
The unconscious body, or the autonomic nervous system, refers to the functions that take place without any thought, such as the heart beating or the stomach digesting food. This system can be in a fight-or-flight or rest-and-digest state.
In fight-or-flight mode, the body feels threatened and reacts to help the person escape or avoid a threatening situation. Among other things, the body releases hormones to make the heart beat faster, breathing to quicken, and to boost blood sugar levels.
Having this state of stress activated too often, or for too long, has adverse consequences on one’s health. The physical impact of this state can cause wear and tear on every system in the body.
Long-term stress can increase the risk of conditions that include:
- High blood pressure
- Headaches
- Heart attacks
- Stroke
- Cancer
- GERD
The ability to consciously regulate breath allows the body to leave a state of stress and enter into a state of calm.
Second, relax and open your mind. To do this use a simple technique of journaling. Try putting pencil to paper, it’s very organic and has many benefits. Especially after a stressful day, whether it be at work or at home, before you engage in other activities or recreation, take 10 minutes for your brain and journal your thoughts down and any stressors. Commit to writing down your thoughts and ideas. Also commit to getting rid of those toxins and stressors by writing about them. Once you close the journal let them go. Building a ritual of releasing negative thoughts and energy has many mental and physical benefits.
Likewise, if you are excited about something, journal it. Keep a note pad by your night stand. If you wake up in the middle of the night write down your thoughts so you can go back to sleep.
Third, commit to getting 7 or more hours of uninterrupted sleep per night for mind and body rejuvenation.
Fourth, read books, listen to pod casts and put positive information into your brain. Continue to learn and grow for your benefit and so that you may serve others and yourself in greater ways.
Physically/Body
First, commit to exercising a minimum of 22 minutes a day. Plus, add in time to stretch and breathe.
Second, start off and end your days with hydration (water), and vitamins before you drink your coffee, juice or other beverage. As basic as it sounds, water is so vital to the rejuvenation of our bodies. Use water to hydrate and later in the day add lemon or lime to your water to detoxify.
Third, eat healthy and eat smart. At least ¾ of your meal should be with raw vegetables for longevity of life.
Spirit
First, take time to reconnect spiritually, with Mother-Earth (nature). No matter how hard it is, put your dreams and desires out to the universe. Be very specific in what you want. You may be very surprised what is granted to you in ways you never expected. You can do this while reconnecting with Mother Earth; walking in nature, or sitting outside while you are praying and reflecting. Enjoy the fresh air and the vitamin “D” that Mother Nature provides for each of us. Have an attitude of gratitude; be thankful for the opportunities you are given and you are creating.
Second, create your own vision board and embrace your dreams. Reflect upon it each day. Update it as necessary. And, if inspired, create your own vision statement.
Committing to these steps will have great benefits for your mind, spirit and body and will impact your longevity and quality of life.
Be well, be safe and be vigilant.
Mike Kimball
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