We currently are facing some uncertain times in our world today. No doubt that these uncertain times increase our levels of stress, resentfulness, anger, bitterness, and a whole host of other negative emotions. These emotions come straight from our lower brain, or reptilian brain and promote responses that are reactionary, fearful, and panic. Although these feelings are normal, we want to ensure they are leveled as quickly as possible so that we don’t react out of these rash emotions. So, I wanted to provide you with some self-care tips, that when you use them helps you through these uncertain times.

Take a Deep Breath

It may seem pretty rudimentary to hear that you should take a deep breath. Yet, breathing is the basic need that our bodies need to survive. And when you take deep breaths, it can center you. Right now, while you are reading this post, close your eyes, and take 5 deep breaths. While you are doing that, imagine that you are exhaling all of the emotions surrounding your problems away. When you do this, you can open your eyes and tell yourself that you will get through this, and you will do the next best thing. Ensuring you can breath easily is the first step to your self-care.

Assess the Situation

So you are planning on doing the next best thing, but first you need to assess the situation. You have to figure out for yourself what is your current priority.  Now, perhaps that is your health, or perhaps that is security for your family. You might be in a situation that your business if your priority over everything else. Whatever your priority is, you should asses it, and determine that for yourself. A good way to work through this is one of my worksheets called Re-Work Your Work-Life. This worksheet will help you figure out what is important to you and help you direct your steps to do the next best thing.

Do the Next Best Thing

“Do the best you can until you know better, and when you know better, be better.” – Maya Angelou

When you are figuring out your next step, you have to just do what you can. Do the next best thing. When you do that, you get clarity either way. Either you are going to figure out that it wasn’t a good step, or perhaps you figure out that it was a good step, and the next step is highlighted and revealed as a result. So take Maya Angelou’s quote and keep it close to your heart during these times and let it guide your world like a light.

Take Care of Your Body

In times of stress and uncertainty, we tend to forget about our bodies. We reach for the potato chips, or drown our problems in chocolate. We need to practice self-care and take care of our bodies though for our own sake. Having healthy habits when eating, and getting the appropriate amounts of exercise, helps our bodies operate at optimal potential. When we eat better and exercise, we have better immune systems to fight disease. Make sure that you are getting lots of fruits, veggies (especially the green ones), and keeping yourself hydrated with water.

Control What You Consume

Not only should we control what goes in and out of our bodies, we should control what media and information that we consume. Information is flowing in and out of our worlds every minute. Either we are sharing information face-to-face with someone we know, or we are consuming it via social media. We go from our phones, to our tablets, to our tv’s on a daily basis with all of them giving us good information. The goal is to limit the consumption so that we can focus on the things that matter.

Prepare Yourself and Your Family

When you are facing any adversity, you need to be prepared. So when you assess the situation, make sure you also take into consideration what you need in order have in order for you to weather the storm that you are going through. This could mean supplies, food, beverage for however long this situation should last. Additionally, think about how you can prepare your finances accordingly as well. All of the areas of your life should be prepared to be modified to adjust your situation.

Move Forward

Again, once you identify all areas of which you made adjustments, the next thing you need to do, is just to move forward with your new adjustments. When you are doing this, you may still have a lot of emotions that are welling up inside of you, and that is okay. Making these adjustments to your life can be pretty tough. However, the best you can do, is to do the next best thing, and move forward.

What is Your New Norm

After you move forward with your adjustments, you might want to consider, which one of these adjustments will be your new norm. Of course, the goal is to allow the situation to pass over, and hopefully be back to normal again. However, depending on the impact on what you are enduring, it is quite possible, that there will be long lasting effects that you need to settle with. So an important part of self-care is to figure out what the new norms are, so that you can mentally and physically be adjusted to your new normal.

Taking care of yourself is very important when you are going through adversity. I’m hopeful that these tips will help you as you move forward. I would welcome you to discuss your situation below, and also let me know how these tips helped you. Cheers!