Are you stuck at home? Not able to ride or maybe not even able to go visit your horse?
It's a strange new world!
You’re worried about how long this self-isolation, social distancing or lock down is going to last.
It’s scary for all of us.
It’s all that uncertainty, isn’t it?
How long will it last?
What’s happening to the economy?
What does the future hold?
And the truth is … nobody has the answers.
Because we’ve never experienced anything like this in our lifetimes.
The world leaders, the health care professionals - all of the experts are doing their best.
And things keep changing day by day.
But sitting at home and feeling anxious isn’t doing you or anybody else any good.
Managing this particular anxiety is very much the same as managing your horse riding anxiety.
You need to avoid focusing on negatives and what you can’t do. Instead focus on positives and what you CAN do.
How?
Here are 10 suggestions to help you move from anxious to calm:
- Avoid negative media - Stay off social media or at least block people who are fear-mongering. Read, listen to or watch one trusted source for updates. And do it only once a day.
- Have a daily gratitude practice - Keep a journal and write down 10 things you're grateful for. Do it at the same time every day. After a few days, you'll find that you're noticing more and more things to be grateful for. This simple practice re-trains your brain and over-rides its innate negativity bias.
- Eat healthy, nutritious food and drink water - Too much sugar, caffeine or alcohol negatively affects how you feel mentally and physically.
Stick to your regular meal schedule. Make healthy home-cooked meals including protein, fibre and healthy fats. Include foods that can help boost the levels of the happy hormone serotonin, like fish, nuts, dark green vegetables, seeds, oats, yogurt, eggs and poultry. - Meditate - Meditation is as simple as sitting comfortably and focusing on your breath. Inhale. Exhale. This kind of mindfulness meditation slows down the train of thoughts chugging through your mind. Thoughts will still come up as you're meditating. The key is to simply let them drift across like fluffy clouds in a clear blue sky. In my Facebook group, the Confident Horsemanship Community,I shared a live stream of a guided mindfulness meditation (hosted by Gentle Yoga and Wellness 50+). Click here to watch the replay You'll find it helps calm your anxious mind.
- Stay in the moment - Slow down and be mindful of what you are doing. Whether that's washing the dishes, walking the dog or making your morning tea or coffee. Notice what you hear, see, smell, taste and feel. For example, as you make your morning tea or coffee, notice the sound of the kettle or coffee maker. The smell of the brew. The weight and texture of the cup in your hand. The taste and temperature of the drink.
- Stop making up stories about the future - A little bit of daydreaming about something pleasant can be a nice break. But, beware of the kind of future thinking that creates monsters or scary, dangerous situations. Your brain doesn't know the different between what's real and what's imagined. Feeding it scary stories builds your anxiety. So, if you are thinking of the future, create a positive story.
- Be kind to yourself and others - Isn't it true that whenever you're on the receiving end of kindness you feel better about yourself? That's a great gift you can give to others. And it's just as important to give it to yourself. Be patient. Be forgiving. Let go of expectations. You're doing the best you can with what you have (and so is everyone else).❤️️
- Move your body - Stand up and stretch. Walk around the house, the garden or along the street. Run in place. Do jumping jacks. Play with a hula hoop, skipping rope or a hand clapping game (Do you remember this one?)
- Create a peaceful space for yourself - It might be in your garden, on your balcony or a corner of a room. Set out a few things that make you feel comfortable and peaceful. Windchimes. A scented candle. Soothing music. A comfy blanket. Take just a few minutes out of your day to sit quietly with a cup of tea (I love Earl Grey for this), read a book, do a bit of knitting, meditate or journal. You'll feel so much better for it.
- Breathe - The fastest way to calm those anxious feelings is with your breath. When you feel anxious, you'll take short, shallow breaths that keep you in fight/flight mode. Inhaling and exhaling deeply and rhythmically using your diaphragm stops the flow of stress hormones. Click here for the calm, focused breath exercise I teach my clients.
Please know that you’re not alone. We all have good days, not so good days, and better days. It’s only natural. Be patient and kind with yourself. Learn from every experience.
Because even in this challenging situation, you can have more good days than bad days. You can choose to feel calm instead of anxious.
If you need help or someone to talk to, please reach out. Send me an email or book a call.
Anne
