5 Tips for Staying Cool, Calm and Collected

Posted by Katie Kovaleski on April 15, 2020 in Quick Facts

1.) Use technology! Establish a sense of normalcy and connection by planning daily morning virtual coffee meetings. Make yourself a grounding, warm beverage and FaceTime/Zoom/Skype someone you love and enjoy connecting with. Even just a 15-minute virtual coffee date can shift your mood. (Same goes for virtual happy hours if that’s up your alley)

2.) Create a peak experience – a peak experience is one where the mind is so focused and present that you lose track of time and get lost in the moment. Some favorite ways of doing this include: doing puzzles, adult coloring books, and abstract pour painting (https://www.rayeoflightstudio.com/pour-painting/) – these will engage your senses and require enough concentration to keep you PRESENT.  The coloring books and painting materials can be ordered quickly on amazon and can provide relief for the entire household. 

3.) Practice self-care! My go-to-self-care tool recommendations are: meditation (check out the free app insight timer and search for sounds baths, yoga Nidra by Jana Roemer and anything by Sarah Blondin) and gentle stretching with mindful breathwork. Deep breathing clears the lungs and keeps the heart healthy in addition to lowering cortisol and stress in the body. Lowered cortisol = immune system boost. If you need suggestions and guidance in this area reach out, we have a series of virtual self-care programs starting next week. 

4.) Vitamin D – vitamin D can only be properly absorbed through the skin, get in the sunlight for 10-15 minutes a day, preferably in the morning to reset your circadian rhythms and get a mood boost. This is also a great time to be barefoot and enjoy some grounding benefits from all your bare feet to be in direct contact with the earth. 

5.) Write handwritten letters – this benefit is two fold, you can use it as a journaling exercise for yourself OR you can write letters to loved ones OR you can write letters to folks in nursing homes who are unable to have outside visitors right now. Write a letter, introduce yourself, tell them some fun facts about you and make a request for a pen pal. If you are feeling open and vulnerable, write that a stranger a letter about the best day of your life, the first time you fell in love or what you wish you could tell your younger self. 

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