For the first time in the last two weeks, I stumbled into bed in a completely different mood and mindset. My feelings of fear and anxiety had been replaced by something else; I felt happy.
Earlier that evening I had joined my Military Wives Choir for a zoom choir practice. It’s fair to say we were all slightly outside of our comfort zones, feeling our way through how choir practice could work using this online platform. But it was a success! I can’t tell you how uplifting it was to see the collage of familiar faces smiling and singing away. Seeing this group of amazing women every Monday night has become an engrained part of my weekly routine and I had underestimated the impact of its absence.
My husband talks a lot about the importance of maintaining a “battle rhythm”. For those non-military folk, it’s essentially a routine. I really like the image of this right now. We are all soldiering on through these unprecedented times, fighting our individual battles around self isolation, staying positive, and keeping ourselves and our loves ones safe.
In a time of so many unknowns, it is crucial we create a sense certainty and stability in the way we are living our lives. Keeping to a routine is imperative and here are some ideas and considerations about how we can all create this:
- Exercise and fresh air – I would recommend getting out for a walk/run/bike ride whilst we are able to leave the house for one form of exercise per day. Having that connection with the earth is grounding. It helps shift your focus from your thoughts in your head and helps you become fully present in your body. I find I am unable to think about anything too deeply whilst running which gives me a break from my tendency to be over analytical about things.
- Schedule in the things you like doing – Just because we are on lock down, there are still things you can do to bring enjoyment.
- Keeping a work/life balance – Many people are now working from home and it’s important to maintain a balance. Define your working hours and stick to it. If possible, use a different room to work in to ensure work and home life are kept separate.
- Schedule in calls to people – Break up big stretches of your day by scheduling in phone calls to friends and family. It’s likely they are also facing times in their day where they have nothing planned and would welcome the chance to connect.
- Go to bed/get up at the same time every day – It’s understandable that we all might have shifted our alarm forward by half hour or so but pick a time to get up and stick to it. Likewise, do the same with bedtime. Don’t be tempted to watch that extra episode from the series you are binge watching. It’s imperative that you get enough sleep.
So, keep soldiering on. Times are by no means easy but have a think about how you can keep up a battle rhythm to help you live your life as best you can.