Hi everyone! I haven’t been much on Insta in the last week. We have a lot happening in the world right now and it’s felt challenging to write and connect with you all. It’s funny. I have a recurring pattern of pulling away when I get scared and overwhelmed. I guess you can say that happened again. What’s wonderful today is that I see the pattern and know how good revealing and connecting with people when I’m feeling afraid is for me.
There's been so much talk about improving our hygiene as we work together to slow the spread of COVID-19. The number one thing we are being told over and over again is to wash our hands. That’s great and let’s all keep doing that. Hygiene is a series of practices performed to preserve health. Most of us think of physical health with regards to this. The hygiene we need during this time goes far beyond washing our hands regularly because health also includes mental, emotional, social, spiritual and environmental. I’ve had to step up my hygiene in those areas too to find balance once again in uncertain times. Here are some ways COVID-19 has forced me to level up my hygiene across the board.
I'll start with the obvious:
1. Physical Hygiene
• washing hands and keeping them away from my face
• self-quarantine and physical distancing
• drinking plenty of water and maintaining my healthy vegan food plan
2. Mental Hygiene
• daily journaling
• getting virtual sessions with my therapist set up
• pulling positive affirmation cards daily
3. Emotional Hygiene
• paying close attention to my feelings and how they shift moment to moment
• using my tools to work though difficult feelings (fear, panic, anger)
• taking gentleness breaks throughout the day
4. Social Hygiene
• FaceTime and video conference with friends and family
• texting, emailing people I haven't seen or spoken to in a while and sending them love
• posting and engaging on Insta :-)
5. Spiritual Hygiene
• praying and meditating daily
• being of service and helping people
• doing random acts of kindness
6. Environmental Hygiene
• wiping down surfaces
• tidying my physical space
• laundry
• organize and inventory my food
Was this helpful? Hope so! Sending you love.