This past week I’ve had three different interactions with clients and friends all of which focused around a common theme – that theme being that individuals from very different walks of life, ages, and backgrounds all felt tired, depleted, discouraged, and less resilient than ever.
And by all means I get it; we’ve all been living now for nearly half a year in a world most of us would never have imagined 5 years ago, and it seems the level of mis-information and conflicting information is climbing daily.
On the other hand, I’m very impressed by the human characteristic of resiliency; my years in medicine showed me some astounding aspects of human courage, tenacity, and resiliency that I’d never imagined possible, and I for one think that most of us have the potential to be far more resilient than we give ourselves credit for.
These are days that call for resilience and persistence; here’s 5 quick thoughts on maintaining your resiliency I’ve been sharing this week.
Embrace Your Fitness Routine. Regular exercise, in particular that you really enjoy doing, brings so many benefits to the table I could (as many have) write an entire book about it. In these days of persistent stress and angst, considering doubling down on your fitness and fun exercise, and consider it one of the best stress relief and management tools you have in your arsenal. Change things up, add something new, buddy up for part of your workout to add some variety and interest to the game.
Sunshine is Your Friend. During these days of harping endlessly about masking and social distancing, I find it incredibly freeing to be outside as much as possible, soaking up the sun and making vitamin D, and breathing the fresh, clean air, mask free. (I’ve shared before that part of my warmer season routine is an hour or so walking just before and after sunrise – it’s very likely the best part of the day, and watching the sun come is always a spectacle worth beholding).
Stay the Course with Your Food Plan. One of the things that has impressed me the most since hanging my shingle as a health coach has been watching with an attentive eye the overwhelming impact that food has on our health, daily functional capacity, and overall wellness – including our mental and emotional wellness. You’re tired of hearing about stress eating these days and I’m tired of talking about it – stay the course with your food plan.
Cherish A Good Night’s Sleep. Living for years in northern Montana we experienced the most impressive seasonal light swings we’ve ever seen; July morning light started creeping in not long after 4 AM on the horizon, and we could fish or do chores on the horse farm well after 10 PM with plenty of light in the sky. Looking back, we all struggled a bit with restful sleep during the long days of summer, and it was during those days that I began to re-study the impacts of sleep on human health, and how vital restful sleep can be. Protect your evening routine carefully, and beware the impacts of digital devices on sleep hygiene late in the day and evening.
Socialization Matters. One of the absolute travesties of the summer of COVID-19 is the fear that has been inculcated in many regarding any form of socialization. We humans are social critters, and thrive (most of us anyway) on social interactions of all sorts, interactions that just aren’t the same conducted via digital means. Don’t isolate in fear, we all still need to live fulfilled, productive, and interactive lives with others, and that can indeed be done safely.
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