When we are in crisis mode, and we are all in crisis mode these days, in some way or another, we need to be gentle with ourselves and stick to the basics.
1. Eat as healthily and mindfully as you can.
Then, when you don’t eat healthy, tell yourself it’s okay, and start again. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re human. Try again.
One of my clients cut out gluten months ago because she felt better without it. Yesterday her daughter made a batch of brownies (not gluten-free) and she ate one—okay, two. She enjoyed them, and then went right back to her gluten-free diet. No drama, no recriminations.
2. Get plenty of sleep. Sleep is more important than just about anything in keeping us healthy in mind and body.
When you don’t get a good night’s sleep, give yourself permission to go to bed early the next night, or just do something relaxing that you don’t normally get to do. If you are having difficulty sleeping chronically, make sure you are practicing good sleep hygiene and check with your doctor.
I am normally a very good sleeper. But I’ve woken up in the middle of the night a number of times in the past couple of months and couldn’t get back to sleep. What helps me is listening to a guided meditation or a story I already know well, or doing a body scan technique I learned from yoga nidra. Listening to someone’s voice (even the voice in my head that directs my attention to different parts of my body) focuses my mind so my thoughts don’t spin off in circles. I relax and fall asleep.
3. Drink lots of water.
Even if you drink coffee all day long, drink a glass of water in between each cup of coffee. (Just put the water in your coffee mug. You’ll drink it automatically.)
If you didn’t drink much water today, have some now. Sometimes it helps to keep a water bottle with you. Experiment until you find what works best for you.
4. Move your body.
Take a walk, do chair yoga, dance to music in your kitchen.
Back when I first started medical school, the thing I took away from my first week of medical school classes was that exercise was the magic pill. It improves everything, from your skin to your digestion to your brain function to your sex life.
By exercise, I mean everything from nodding and shaking your head after sitting at your computer for an hour to taking a yoga class to walking around the block after dinner. It all counts.
Evolutionarily, we were not made to sit or stand in one position all day. We are meant to move around. So even if you have a sedentary job, set a timer and stretch once an hour. Figure out a time when you can go for a walk or listen to some music and dance. Then, when you’ve created that habit, do a little more. Keep moving.
And when a day comes that you don’t do any exercise, don’t beat yourself up about it. Let it go. And start again.
By sticking to the basics, we can all come through this difficult time with a little more resilience and a little more compassion for ourselves.