Right NOW, we are feeling grateful and excited to see our family and friends in person, visit our favorite businesses, and begin to plan travel. While the reopening of our communities has been long awaited, any change can spur a sense of stress and anxiety. Here are some tools to help you navigate change as the world begins to shift and change, yet again!
Eat For Your Mindset: While we know food has a profound effect on our wellness, we don’t always remember that includes our mental wellbeing. However, if you’ve ever had a few too many cups of coffee and felt the effects as a spike of anxiety then you have experienced first hand the food-mental health connection. In direct response to seeing the mental toll of the pandemic, quarantine, and social isolation on his clients, Dr Drew Ramsey wrote “Eat To Beat Depression: Nourish Your Way to Better Mental Health.” Overall, the suggestion is to eat a whole food, anti inflammatory diet that is rich in foods that especially nourish the brain.
Practice & Prioritize Joy: Finding joy is an integral part of wellbeing. Cultivating mindfulness and connection in the present moment through gratitude, self-care, and being in the NOW will help you create space in your life so that joy can flourish. Beyond that, begin a joy practice to intentionally create more joy in your life. Get to know what brings you to a joyful, playful, lighthearted state, and then do that daily. It might be an upbeat song, a phone call to a good friend who always makes you laugh, or a hug from someone you love. When you begin to intentionally bring these into your everyday practice, they’ll naturally begin to shift your mindset and help you cultivate even more joy.
Rest, Rest, and More Rest: Change requires the brain to work overtime so that it can assess and understand the new dynamics which you are living within. Because of this, the brain gets tired and you might feel it in your body, mood, or ability to focus. And while getting good and ample sleep is hugely impactful on your overall well being especially during times of change, incorporating other moments of rest throughout your day will help you adapt more quickly and also avoid burnout, tension, or exacerbated stress. Our favorite way to help navigate change is with a regular massage, and our Ritual Membership will help you commit to your self-care routine.
Lastly, while it is with much relief that the world is safely opening up again, be kind to yourself when experiencing stress or overwhelm from the change. This is natural, and we will all adapt at our own pace. Tune in to what feels comfortable to you in the moment, from choosing to keep your mask or just socializing in small groups to start. However you decide to navigate this next phase, being in the NOW will help you stay grounded and connected along the way.
