Our work, health, daily routines, and just about everything else has been thrown into disarray through this pandemic and within this chaos of change and uncertainty what we need most is both a routine and variety. We are creatures of habit and our weekly, monthly, yearly routines of socializing, work, travel, and exercise have all been uprooted with many of us wondering how to plant new seeds to give ourselves some structure.
Then on the flip side of our human nature’s need for some stability and structure at this time, is also the energizing infusion of adding something new or some variety into your life to balance the monotony of pandemic life. Let’s dig into this a bit to set you up for wellness in body, mind, mood, and spirit as you weather this virus through the winter months ahead.
Did you know that on average we make about 35,000 conscious decisions each day? That’s three times more than the 10,000 steps are feet and body are suppose to walk each day, so we need to give our brain a break! Setting up a routine for ourselves takes the decision off the table, but its greater benefit at this time, is in giving us some form of stability, predictability, and yes even intrinsic control lead by our own choice! Now the trick is to give yourself a positive routine that is going to set your mind, body, emotions, and soul up for an energizing boost.
Winter Wellness Routine for Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health
Drastic times call for newness outside your normal and an openness to change that will have you surrender to your knees with what is and become innovative with solutions you may have never considered before. I know, I know there are more excuses against a wellness routine in the winter with the short dark days and cold, wet weather, but with how amazing it feels to feel good, it outweighs any and all excuses; so focus on how you want to feel. The other advantage here over our excuses is setting routines for ourselves and our days because when we do, it is no longer a thought or emotion, it is a habit that you do as part of your day!
Let’s first off look at creating your exercise routine while persisting through this pandemic and the winter months. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Pick the best time of day for you to fit exercise into your daily schedule
- Now, right now, yes, in this very moment, schedule those in your agenda
- Anticipate the obstacles and set yourself up for success, commit to you!
- Plan out what your daily or weekly exercise routine will be and set it!
- Now make yourself accountable to someone other than yourself, Say it!
- What we track, transforms. Track what you do in a highly visible spot
- Make it fun! Choose something you enjoy. Get support or make it social.
Let me tell you about a shift I have made that is completely new and I have to say, it has been pleasantly surprising. In all my years, I have always been a morning exerciser in part to loving the quiet of early morning and also the fear that if I don’t get it done first thing, it will never get done. Yet this year, in the middle of the pandemic, I have enjoyed some midday exercise where it is breaking up my day of work and also getting me outside in the lightness of day rather than the dark of early morning.
My mindset was once I start work, keep working the whole day to keep the focus, but I have actually found the midday break has brought new creativity, greater performance, and a wonderful infusion of self care. It also allows me to have some other morning routines that set me up mentally and emotionally such as reading, journal writing, and mindfulness breath work or meditation. Allowing myself the variety of exercising some mornings or sometimes midday has also been a perk!
Speaking of mindset, I truly believe the whole world upheaval right now has really challenged all of us in our mental wellbeing whether it is discouragement, disbelief, depression, doubt or depletion. Your mental wellbeing and mindset needs to be a top priority and setting an intentional daily mental health routine is absolutely crucial for every one of us right now.
Here are some tips to set up your mind and mental wellbeing with a positive daily routine:
- Supplement with Vitamin D and Get Outdoors into Nature for Vitamin D
- Limit exposure to the stressful sources whether it be news, social media…
- Your brain needs rest from being ‘on’ all the time, give it a break
- Fuel your brain with healthy food and fats so it can operate at its best
- Alcohol is a depressant and impacts mood. Take a break from it weekly
- Process emotions, reach out and talk to others, connect socially online
- Give your brain and mind a positive focus, challenge, or affirmation
- And of course, a daily gratitude practice wires your brain to abundance, receiving, and all that is good right now in the moment
Emotional Wellbeing Routine Through the Pandemic
There is no denying that each and every one of us has been affected emotionally by the pandemic and it may even feel like a constant uninvited roller coaster of emotions. I have heard from so many of you the diverse ways it is challenging you whether it be financial stress, anxiety of the uncertainty, loss, relationship struggles, and uncertainty for so many in their businesses and careers. So how do we create an emotional wellbeing routine amid all the stress and emotion the world is going through right now?
Here are a few suggestions to set up a daily emotional resilience routine:
- It is okay to feel what you feel and it is important to acknowledge your feelings, process them, and get support
- Manage exposure to emotional triggers that cause intense emotions. This may mean limiting social media, news or possibly certain people
- Your nervous system needs calming daily and this can be done with breath work, nature, and other relaxing hobbies or alternative therapy
- Talk therapy with a counselor, friend, coach or community member can relieve an immense amount of stress and help you process emotions
- It sounds both simple and possibly impossible in these times, but allow yourself daily joy, simple joys, to see joy, give it, and make time for it
- Supplement your body and brain with feel good boosts to mood like exercise, adaptogens, gut health, nutrition, and nature
One of the areas I coach people in is with Inner Leadership because it is our inner leader that leads our inner world of thoughts and emotions that lead to actions. The inner leadership coaching also improves performance and productivity because it gives people the tools they need to improve their mindset, beliefs, emotional wellbeing, and confidence. In fact, when we master our inner leadership, we can conquer any external leadership goal we have set for ourselves.
We need Variety and Newness to Optimize our Wellbeing Through the Pandemic
One of the great gifts I receive as a coach is to hear from so many people of what is working or not working for them and right now one of the joys for people is where they have added some variety into their life. One person I know decided to fill their patio with more plants and new blooming winter plants to brighten their home space while stuck working at home. They go out there in the morning and for lunch and each time can see the bright colors of life that brings them so much happiness.
One slice of variety I added in the month of November was a brand new 30 day exercise routine that bumped up the intensity and challenge while also energizing me with so much more variety to what I had been doing. What could you do to add more variety or newness to your day or weeks?
Since a lot of our days are the same right now, I know one client I spoke with was going to try new recipes at home and have a family cooking night perhaps with a themed country flavor since we cannot travel right now. Get creative, explore new ideas, and infuse your days and weeks with some variety.
It was so exciting to hear from one of my clients that after we did their values and they realized ‘discovery’ was a high value for them, they said their weekly walk took a detour to discover new territory; this created excitement, interest, and stimulation to a normal weekly routine. There are truly endless ways that don’t have to cost money where we can spice up our days and weeks with some diversity.
So now it is over to you to create your own daily routines that give you structure and variety to energize your physical, mental, and emotional health. What will you do and what will you try? I would love to hear how you will activate a routine for yourself, so share here or email me at [email protected].
If you would love some support or coaching in creating your weekly wellness routine for peak health, energy, and performance through this pandemic, I would be happy to assist.
Connect with me on Social
