thrive during lockdown

Being in lockdown and self-isolating is no joke for many. The effort it takes to adjust to our current new way of living and working can take its toll on you, if it's not a lifestyle you're accustomed to and you don't adjust to it easily.

So I thought I'd pull together a few tips to help you through your day; ideas to cultivate into a daily practise that will carry you beyond our current climate.

Fear is still a very strong energy at the moment and many are feeling into it either consciously or unconsciosuly. Whilst it's important and sensible to be cautious at the moment, being fearful and feeling fear is not benefitting you or those around you.

Let's put this into perspective. In our every day 'normal' lives there's plenty that you could feel fearful about, should you choose to. However, we don't tend to experience or even think fearful thoughts as we follow our daily routine because our daily routine is exactly that, it's a routine, it's a habit, it's something we're accustomed to.

Fear really only kicks in when we're faced with something different, something that's new and unknown, something we're unaccustomed to, something that's challenging us. And that's exactly what we're experiencing now. As we become more accustomed to our new way of living, the fear will gradually subside as things begin to feel more familiar and routine.

In the meantime, however, until that happens, it's important to consciously move your thoughts away from the low and heavy energy of fear. It's important to focus on the positives and invite positivity into our lives on a daily basis. And, by doing so, you'll find that you much better cope with your current unfamiliar lifestyle. Heck you might even grow to feel comfortable with it.

TIP #1 - Start Your Day on the Right Footing

I find the most important time of the day is when I waken up. As soon as I waken up I have a choice. I can either begin the day on a positive footing or I can turn my attention to negativity and fear.

Checking the news, checking social media is not a good way to start the day as, no doubt, you'll quickly be dragged into a downward spiral.

Rather begin your day with a positive affirmation, and begin by thanking the Universe for what will come your way that day. Express gratitude for everything you have in your life, especially the small things. Express gratitude for the comfortable and warm bed you slept in, for the sun shining through your window or the rain watering your garden, express gratitude for the food you will get to enjoy today and the time you will spend with those you love.

In this way you are starting your day with gratitude and hope, emotions which carry a much higher energy than fear. So, already, even before you get out of bed, you've started your day off on the right footing.

TIP #2 - Create a Thought Interruptor

Very few of us can stay positive every minute of every day. There's always something or someone that can trigger a negative response in us. And that's okay. What is important is that we are aware when our thoughts turn negative (or fearful) and we act.

One way I've found that works really well is to have a special (and positive) word ready and waiting for such times. So, when you notice your mind wandering towards something more negative, when you hear that negative little voice in your head begin to chatter, when you feel yourself being pulled down, the word you have chosen simply acts as a thought interuptor and stops the negative thoughts and feelings taking over.

It's important that your word is something positive, something uplifting, something that makes you smile because to interrupt and reverse a negative thought or emotion, you have to interrupt it with something positive.

Words such as "laugh", "joy", "excitement", "love", "smile", all work. You can also create a short positive phrase that's easy to remember and that resonates with you such as "I am so fortunate", "I am so grateful", "I love my life", "remember to laugh".

Positive words and phrases are empowering and help bring your wandering mind back to your centre. They also immediately raise your vibrational frequency to one that is higher than the negative thought or emotion that was there previously.

TIP #3 - Stay Grounded

When we're not grounded, or our energy loses its connection with the earth, we are more prone to negative thinking, panic, feeling fearful or scared, unable to stay focused or concentrate, feel drained, to name but a few emotions. Many of the emotions that are being experienced by people at the moment, emotions such as fear, panic, shock, thinking too much, anxiety, excessive worry, believing that the world is a frightening place, are emotions that cause you to become ungrounded. So, in the present time, it's as if your chances of becoming ungrounded are twice as likely.

When we're grounded, we put an end to the overwhelm, we feel calmer and more connected to everything and everyone around us. Our thoughts are more stable and there's a much smaller likelihood that we'll let them run amok. Unsupportive and negative thoughts on repeat tend to subside and drift away. We also move out of our head and into our heart and we have better clarity, and our nervous system is soothed and we sleep better.

So, as you hopefully gather, being grounded at the present time, as well as at all times, is important for our energy and our general well-being.

There are a number of simple ways you can ground yourself, that you can do from the comfort of your home and garden:

• stand in your bare feet, preferably on grass or soil, close your eyes and imagine beautiful roots sprouting from the soles of your feet deep into Mother Earth
• eat root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips
• hold or meditate with grounding crystals such as hematite (don't carry/hold for a long period of time if you're prone to inflammation), black obsidian, black tourmaline, jet, smoky quartz, bloodstone, moss agate, red jasper, to name a few
• dowse yourself in really cold water for a minute at the end of your shower. If that's too much (it's not for the faint-hearted!) run your wrists under cold water
• dance to your favourite upbeat music
• stamp your feet on the ground
• do some gardening

TIP #4 - Schedule in Gratitude Time

I mentioned gratitude in TIP #1. However, I want to mention it here again as gratitude is so good for focusing your mind on what you have in life already and away from what you think is lacking or missing.

Just like you would schedule a meeting with a client or your boss, in your calendar, so too I recommend you schedule a meeting with gratitude in your calendar. By scheduling it like a meeting, and honouring that meeting, you are beginning to create a positive habit which will soon become part of your routine.

I tend to schedule gratitude towards the end of my working day so I can review all the positive blessings that came my way throughout the day. It also means I set aside time before I make dinner and get caught up in my evening routine with my family. You can also practise gratitude when you lie in bed at night, just before you fall asleep. Whichever works for you.

How you wish to practise gratitude is also completely up to you. Find a way that resonates with you, your personality, and your lifestyle. When it's time for your meeting with gratitude, you can walk about your home expressing thanks out loud (or in your head) for everything you have and everything that happened that day, you can keep a gratitude journal into which you write up to 10 things (at least 3) you are grateful for that day, you can have a gratitude jar where each day you write what you're grateful for on a coloured piece of paper and put it in a glass jar so you can watch the colours grow.

TIP #5 - Meditate

Although I would say meditation is about quietening the mind and going inward, it's not actually about shutting out the thoughts that will naturally enter your mind as you begin to meditate. If you try to do that you'll only become frustrated. As well as that, it's important to allow some thoughts to enter your mind as, during meditation, you'll be more open to listen to your intuition, higher self, and higher energies you may connect with such as the angels. What it is about is letting your thoughts drift by like clouds in the sky, taking on a relaxed and peace-fulfilling state whereby you can let go of the everyday thoughts and busy-ness that is normal life.

Meditation attracts many benefits. In our current climate some of the benefits of regular meditation that will serve you right now include:

• a reduction in your stress levels
• a greater appreciation of life
• improved immunity which will help you fight off illnesses
• a better night's sleep
• you feel more connected with life in general
• you and those around you feel happier

There are many forms of meditation and it's important to find the one that suits your persononality the best, not to choose the one that may be currently trending. Forms of meditation include sitting in silence and focusing on your breath, listening to guided meditations and visualisations, sitting quietly and repeating a single word in your head as you breathe in and out, listening to meditative music. There's no one-fits-all type of meditation as each of us is unique. So, if you haven't yet discovered your favourite meditation practice, explore the different types that are out there until you find one that clicks.

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I've shared 5 simple tips with you today that you can easily and quickly incorporate into your daily life, in the current situation we all find ourselves in. There are many more tips I could share but sometimes less is more - I don't want to overwhelm you and would rather you take on one  or two tips rather than feel overwhelmed and do nothing.

As I mentioned above, it's important to maintain a healthy mindset during the current climate, to not get caught up in the negativity and fear that is still being brandished about. The tips I have shared with you today are designed to help you remain positive and, when you do find yourself drifting towards the negative, to check yourself and change direction.

Viv xx