Keeping it together
Unusual times call for a more purposeful approach to our physical, emotional and mental well-being, writes Lorna Lee
French author Sylvain Tesson this week described the current situation as being like a novel, with one of its themes being that “the only way not to succumb to the general collapse—and the only element of it that we can control—is to not collapse ourselves”. He said that we must all be conscious of not allowing the external crisis to spark an internal one.
Everyone will be affected by different stressful elements within the current situation: some by the human tragedy and bad news everywhere you look, others by financial strain, inactivity or uncertainty. We can actively take steps to relax the body and mind—to counteract the negative effects of this stress on our body and mind—and online resources can help.
Exercise
Exercise has been proven to reduce anxiety, depression, anger and a whole range of negative feelings we may be encountering now. Options are more limited these days, but many fitness coaches (like The Body Coach) are offering free online workouts; while some local and online sports shops are still delivering tools such as turbo trainers that allow you to go for a bike ride in your home or garden. In most places walking and running close to home is still OK—so even if you have never been a runner, you could use this as an opportunity to give it a shot for the next two months.
There are lots of training plans out there, the best known of which is probably Couch to 5K, developed over 20 years ago by Josh Clark to help his 50-something mum get off the couch and exercise. It’s a nine-week plan with three 20-30 minute workouts per week, designed to bring you from zero to being able to run 5k. Or if you’re already a seasoned runner, why not set yourself a speed or interval-related goal to train towards over the next few weeks?
Yoga
Yoga stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, causing the body to stop releasing stress hormones. You may think it’s not for you, but there are lots of different types of yoga, and different styles of teaching, that suit different people. There are also lots of online yoga providers and many of them provide certain classes for free (www.doyogawithme.com being one example).
If you are not convinced by the first class you try, find a different one. And once you identify one you enjoy, repeat it several times a week. It takes a few repeats to be able to flow through the poses with confidence, without having to pause to study the onscreen demonstration to get the pose right.
Meditation
Meditation is not that easy. It’s physically difficult to sit in the same position without moving for ten minutes, and mentally difficult to empty our mind of pervasive thoughts and worries. It does improve as you practise—the mind is like a muscle and responds to training—but I find it much easier if I come to it already relaxed and focused from a yoga session, however short.
Headspace is possibly the world’s most popular meditation app and online resource. It offers a beginner’s meditation course of 10 sessions for free before you have to subscribe. At the moment, it is also offering lots of free, targeted meditations for people in different situations. Scheduling 10 minutes per day during this period can’t hurt, can it?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
This is a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment that can be undertaken at home, using resources such as reading material and workbooks available online. It aims us to help deal with overwhelming situations and develop personal coping strategies. It focuses on current problems and practical ways to improve your state of mind, on a daily basis. Searching online for "CBT resources" will bring up numerous results (for example GetSelfHelp.co.uk).
Action
In these uncertain and restricted times, acceptance of the things we can’t control is important. But there are always things we can control and actions we can take to make ourselves useful. This might be to research and apply for any government supports that may be available; to apply for mortgage relief; to look into volunteering activities. Or it might be to use any spare time to improve your LinkedIn profile; do something you have meaning to do for years around the house; or teach your kids a new skill that they will remember fondly, in years to come, having learned with you during this time. It’s bound to make you feel better than doing nothing!