For the past year and a half, COVID-19 has caused disruption, both in terms of business and everyday life, and impacted on the mental wellbeing of many people. The concerns will wellbeing extend to people remaining unsure of what to expect in the future and how to adapt to the “new normal” of a post-pandemic society where coronavirus remains endemic.
To gain some advice, especially for those impacted by the mental health issues, Digital Journal caught up with Amelia Vogler, an energy medicine specialist. Vogler highlights how this “new normal” is impacting our overall mind-body-soul wellbeing in monumental ways.
Vogler explains: “As we arrive individually and collectively into a new normal, our mental resilience is waning, and many of us are feeling mentally unmoored and ungrounded. We are in a cycle of restoration and renewal as we create new fixtures of mental resilience.”
Vogler adds that: “This new cycle can feel daunting and overwhelming at times… impacting our mental and physical health in ways we never imagined. However, there are simple, natural ways to help restore and improve your mental, physical and spiritual health during this time.”
In terms of what these strategies mean, Vogler clarifies: “Mindfulness, or the practice of watching your thoughts or feelings without judgment, creates the awareness needed to enact meaningful change in your life. Grounding practices seed empowerment, stability and give you access to additional creativity and inspiration. When practiced together, mindfulness allows you to identify what needs shifting, and grounding provides the power and perspective needed to see these changes through in your life.”
Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what a person is sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment.
As to what can be done practically, Vogler outlines three mindfulness tips designed to help improve mental wellbeing amidst this “new normal”, for Digital Journal readers. These are:
TIP #1:Follow your breath to the present moment
When we are mentally burdened or overwhelmed, our mind can race and our thoughts flow in an ungrounded and uncontrolled manner. This is your mind trying desperately to create solutions. When you notice that the speed of your mind is starting to increase, take a moment and place your palms on your chest and breathe. As you breathe, follow your attention to the rise and fall of your chest under the presence of your familiar breath. With these intentional breaths and your refocused attention, allow the speed of your mind to naturally slow until you feel one with the present moment. It is in the present moment where you are most safe, secure, and available for creative problem solving to flow through you.
TIP #2: Laugh
I know a very dumb joke that makes me smile every time. If that doesn’t do it, I think about that time that I walked right into a metal pole in NYC! Oh, my goodness, I had about 10 people ask me if I was okay! Queue up a picture or a joke or a memory that elicits humor and laughter. (Or think of me running into that really BIG pole!) Laughter is strong medicine for shifting worry to joy and keeping you connected to happiness as a foundation for the new you are creating.
TIP #3: Be Compassionate to Yourself & Others
You can’t change what you can’t see; but, as you mindfully scan and reflect on your life, do so with kindness and compassion. Borrow your best friend’s perspective and invoke their gentle and loving perspective… you will be able to bring more self-love to your practice of mindful awareness and it will be easier for you to not judge yourself so harshly.
