Stressed? not on you, It's Covid-19
Welcome to Sridhar’s newsletter number # 5. Appreciate you being here, so we can connect on interesting topics. If you haven’t subscribed yet, here is the link (https://sridhargarikipati.substack.com).
This week I would like to talk about anxiety around Covid-19 as its impacting our day to day schedule and making us more stressed. People next to us when more anxious about it, they talk about it every now and then throughout the day either looking at the numbers or latest news and they never complete this circle. Every article they read will just spin them in circles overthinking about it. So we get impacted not just by our own anxiety and overthinking about it by others as well. Overthinking is just toxic in nature as it uses one’s mental energy and dries us out to be more stressed, depressed. So let’s see if we can make some changes in our lifestyle to take action against this vicious cycle and get it stopped.
Stop checking news
Just stop checking news - period. Many are just starting their day now by looking into News app first. So first thought for the day itself is about latest news about Coronavirus and every break they take in between the day is again about the same. This list includes any social networking apps or text apps as well where one gets news delivered. Stop every means of communication or ignore them fully. You can just schedule some time later in the day for few minutes to check about, that’s enough for you.
Engaging Exercise
Exercise is our best investment towards mental and physical health. Let me explain why I’m saying engaging exercise not just exercise here. Say if you are just walking on treadmill or regular pathway known to your senses fully, than it will leave open space for mind to overthink about other than exercise while exercising itself. So choose your exercise to make sure you are engaged in it while doing it. May be do a High Intensity run with 2 minutes interval break, take a different route for a walk or hike uphill which is new to you, Being engaged in it will allow your mind to relax and focus on exercising.
Experiment day schedule
Either you’re at work or at home, keep schedule of things you would like to do for the day on calendar. If you already have a schedule, than try to experiment with it by doing it in different order than your regular. However the small tasks per day they are, have them on your schedule and check them off. If you spend time without schedule there is more reason to overthink to be stressed. So get it out of the way as open tasks without schedule stresses one more. Accomplish them.
Talking about work day, Hope you all are embracing work from home. Apple summed it up The whole work from home thing in funny way.
Move your body move your mind – Slowdown - Take breaks
We all are aware of moving, being reminded at work, at home so many times but it just gets overlooked. This allows more room to stress. So now it’s must for you to take breaks in your schedule. Get slowdown and just do nothing in your break, I literally mean nothing. Take a walk around, sit in balcony or just stare a wall :-) Move your body to move your mind, so it can get relax at multiple intervals of your schedule, you can come back to your schedule with energetic mind post every break.
Schedule worrying
Any negative thoughts come to your mind during the day, if you cannot ignore them, than just take a note of them. Schedule some time on your calendar for all such thoughts to worry about it later. You can check your news or any negative thought which was concern to you and act upon it during that time.
End of day ritual
Do schedule an evening thing which interests you. May be its reading a book or a walk or a show you want to watch. Keeping an end of the day ritual will help you not to get distracted. As it’s your choice of fun time, select something which keeps you excited throughout the day awaiting it.
Let me know in comments or reply me over email to share your ideas or how you are managing in these times, so we can share it.
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