Can We Stay Positive During A Pandemic?
You might have been affected by the pandemic in some shape or form, it might not be your fault, but the question is
what did you learn?
What next step you can take for yourself?
Somebody asked me a question, "How can we stay optimistic during this pandemic?". Well, this question is now a common one given the scenario we are living in for the last couple of months or we can say for almost the entire 2020! This pandemic has our attention because we do not know who will be affected next and the disease has now proved fatal for millions of people! As much as we humans are concerned with what's happening all around the globe, the bitter truth is and I say it with a heavy heart that we can't do much except showing kindness in our actions, making little donations if we can, helping & supporting those in need and having more compassion in our hearts than ever because we do not know what someone might be going through!
Something that concerns me is the fact that most people are not looking at this time as an opportunity to pause a little bit and observe what's going on in their own lives and relationships! It's a time for personal transformation, and yes your work or career may be a part of it. I see people sharing & commenting on inspirational quotes and things of that nature but how many of us are even aware of something called "Intentional Living"? This is not some trending fancy term but a way of life that unfortunately has never been taught to us while growing up!
Do you have a set of life practices that you can swear by to help you align your mind, body, and spirit? Have you ever given a thought to something like this? And if not then you are not really giving yourself a chance to do better in your life, whatever that means to you! Some people believe that they are the victims of social media and all that outside chatter about the pandemic, things going wrong, losses in businesses, economic slowdown, and life coming to a standstill! Let me remind you something... things have been going horribly wrong before as well, just because you are not aware of it doesn't mean that people didn't die before or economic slowdown didn't happen before among many other things. The fact that this pandemic has slowed down all of our lives in some shape or form has forced all of us to pay attention to the world we are living in as well as our own lives! Don't we have a responsibility to tend to this beautiful life we have been blessed with? Do we realize that consuming unnecessary information in form of social media feeds or mindless discussions & debates about what is happening and what is going to happen is messing with our subconscious brain?
Do you even realize that some of your darkest thoughts are not really yours, they are mere projections of the fears & insecurities of the people around you, those you talk to or those you interact with on social media! It's time we stand tall with accountability, ask yourself what is that I can do to make my life more abundant & fulfilled, even during a situation like this pandemic! You might have been affected by the current situations, it might not be your fault, but the question is what next step you can take for yourself? What did you learn? People often brush off these questions and those who don't they don't really understand where to start! If you are reading this I am sure you are well-fed and have a roof over your head and you should be grateful that you are still breathing when some people are dying in pain & suffering!
Let's walk the talk... I really want to share 3 action steps you can incorporate into your daily life right away to stay positive and actually level up your life!
Limit your inputs: It's a good thing to keep a tab on news, but please for your own wellness' sake don't make your life all about the pandemic or what's happening in the world! Show some compassion to yourself first... Start penning down your thoughts in a journal or a notes app or whatever way you prefer! Review what you have been doing all these years, try to figure out what is that one thing you can do now to move a step forward in your life! Just do it and get out of your own head. Remember actions always beat anxiety!
Practice gratitude: I am really serious about this one... If you woke up today and all your loved ones are still safe & healthy, be grateful!! Ask yourself what are the three things you are grateful for today? Again, write it down so that your subconscious brain remembers it even when your conscious brain faces a challenging situation, it will help you sail smoothly through the darkest of times!
Listen to positive affirmations: I am actually surprised that most people are completely unaware of the power of listening to and even writing positive affirmations! We often talk about staying positive, inspired, confident, etc. but come on you got to do something to rewire that brain of yours which has been conditioned with all sorts of judgments, fears, and negativity for so many years! I am telling you again that most of your negative self-talk is not really yours! I will link some of my favourite affirmations videos below, try them out and you will be amazed how that shifts your mindset without much effort!
