There are so many stress triggers throughout Covid-19 for everyone. Working from home, your business closed down, your kids are cooped up in the house with you, you’re gaining weight, you’re lonely, you’re tired, you’re worried about the future, you miss your loved ones, you can’t get out and about, you can’t stop drinking/eating, your partner is wrecking your head, you’ve financial worries, you don’t know when all this will end, I mean the list could just go on and on, but as they say, we’re in un-precedented times now, so there’s no answer book to help us with any questions we may have.
So we’ve got to make do with what we have and where we’re at now. We’ll get through this, so it’s about accepting the situation now, and getting on with it.
First off, figure out what you want from all this, on a really basic level. The main, most important things to you. Here’s a list of my most important things:
I stay as healthy as I was pre Covid-19
The kids have a great time.
I keep in close contact with my family as I miss them so much.
I have enough food in the house and good books to read at all times 🙂
That’s pretty much it. Beyond that, everything else is really out of my control at the minute.
So once you’ve got your list, write down all the stuff that’s been stressing you out that you actually cannot control, no matter how much you wish you could. All the things! Everything! There’s so many things you can’t control, and isn’t it freeing when you see it on paper and realise there is not one single thing you can do to help any of it?
When I genuinely learned to stop worrying about things I couldn’t control, I felt a freedom I’ve never felt before.
Our bricks and mortar business has temporarily closed, but I’ve found a terrific routine and I’m enjoying every minute of it now.
Structure and routine to your day are the most important things you can have set up for yourself to reduce stress, and it’s got to include stuff for you, that will make you feel good, not for all your family.
I have a checklist, you can use the same one, here it is : My #FEELGOOD ChecklistÂ
The single most important thing to do for yourself to feel less stressed is to workout. Get a tough session in first thing in the morning, and you’ll feel so good all day long. The effect will stay with you all day. The kids won’t wreck your head, [well they will a little bit :-)], and everything will feel so much more manageable.
Knock the over-eating and drinking on the head and wear clothes that make you feel good, and comfortable in yourself.
If you feel good about yourself, you’ll be happier, kinder to others around you and the great person that you normally are.
So get working on that daily checklist and watch your stress reduce and your #FEELGOOD feelings soar.
Hope this helps,
Jessica Cooke
