Be Wellbeing Wise
Many of us are staying home at this time, with some of us self-isolating or cocooning. As social beings, this is alien to many of us but is necessary at this time. As the pandemic continues, it is important to ensure we taking action to support ourselves. Some of these points may help you to take positive steps to maintain wellbeing.
Practice gratitude
What am I grateful for today? Gratitude is powerful. It loosens the power that negative and difficult emotions have on us and allows us to focus on what is good in our lives, right now. It brings us into the present moment. Take time each day to notice 3 – 5 good
things that you are grateful for. Perhaps it’s a warm cup of tea, a pet, a ray of sunshine, daffodil in the garden phone call from a loved one. If you can, use a notebook to record these 3-5 good things as it helps to cement it in our minds by writing it down.
Have a daily routine
Try to establish and maintain a daily routine. It can be bene cial to go to bed at the same time each night and get up at a similar time each morning. Regular routines for the likes of mealtimes, exercise and work helps to reduce stress. We are creatures of habit and our bodies and brains like routine. Of course, there may be days where things change unexpectedly and we have to be flexible and adapt as necessary. A good motto around this is - ‘as normal as possible, as flexible as necessary’.
Manage your exposure to news
Choose where you focus your attention – think about limiting the amount of news you watch or listen to. Consider turning off news reports or if you feel you need to, tuning into a news update just once per day is probably enough to keep updated. Doing this allows you to claim back some control.
Connect with others
We have limited opportunities to physically see our friends and family. We can utilize technology to allow us to connect with each other via telephones and devices. Feelings of isolation are common at this time and we can sometimes feel as though we are the only ones feeling this way. It is important to remember that we are not alone. One of the mottos being promoted by our Government is ‘We are in this together’ – it promotes this sense of compassion for self and others during this time.
Do things you enjoy
Deliberately seek out activities and that bring you some happiness. We need resilience to get through these times and research has shown that positive experiences help in this regard. Make a list of what brings you joy and think of ways you can introduce these into your daily life. Perhaps you enjoy comedy movies, listening to music, doing a jigsaw or spending time with a pet. You could consider this time as an opportunity to rekindle old interests.
Give yourself a break
Give yourself and others a break. Everyone is doing the best they can. This is not an easy time and we need to give each other space and treat each other with patience and kindness.
Remember that as we continue to navigate the pandemic, together we are stronger.
For information and resources on Wellness – please visit our dedicated Wellness Centre https://www.ms-society.ie/ms-wellness