What just happened here? Covid19 and JU…

Whole cities, countries and eventually almost the whole world just stopped for few months. It is unbelievable that in such a short period of time, we have been unable to go to work, have fun in the countryside, meet friends and family and even fly or travel more than a few miles to other destinations! The recent pandemic caused chaos and fear beyond our imagination. My yoga classes had to stop, my children could no longer go to school and I started to work from home, all unexpectedly. And this not only happen to me… Scotland became a ghost country, as well as other parts of UK and many other countries in the world.

What started as a response to the coronavirus became a frustrating obstacle. I don’t mean in the physical sense in that we were unable to walk wherever we wanted. I mean as a mental obstacle. Fear, frustration, anxiety, depression, anger, sadness, submissiveness, loss of a quality of life, feeling overwhelmed, disappointment and many more mental health problems occurred. These problems have arisen from what was happening in the world while we tried to figure it out what we should do to stop it. Mental health data from 2014 shows that 19.7% of people in the UK aged 16 and older showed symptoms of anxiety or depression (Fundamental Facts about mental health 2016). I cannot imagine what covid19 has done to those numbers now. I assume that those statistics will have doubled or even tripled now. Watching TV and other media will certainly have added to this as the only news broadcast was related to covid19 and death rates in each country. Much too overwhelming for everyone. I watched it carefully in the beginning but when it started to really affect my mood and attitude towards life, I stopped. I stopped watching news completely and this made a huge difference and I felt much more calm and at peace.

What I have done to stay mentally safe and secure?

I have started to be more ‘in the present’ and definitely more ‘in the now’. I decided that I will maintain my routine and treat each day as I normally would. Therefore, I woke up every morning and have done my best every single day! I restarted my morning yoga practice which I had neglected after starting work for a local charity. I invited my Ju Yoga Tribe to join me and since day one it has been an incredible journey. It turned out to be an online venture attracting people from various parts of the world, including Romania, Sweden, Poland, Australia etc. People started to join the group and practiced together during a live stream. This has had the effect of lifting my soul higher and higher. The practice itself had tremendous impact on my overall mental health as it helped to stay invigorated and positive for the remaining hours of the day. I even appeared in the local newspaper which I am very grateful for. For a non-native speaker it feels like quite an achievement and I am thankful to my angels!

But I did not stop there. I started to focus on my body as well. I have made a decision to start intermittent fasting and then it developed to a beneficial vegan detox that my body needed and appreciated. During lockdown it is easy to overeat or eat the wrong things and that is why opting for a strict diet has helped me. Drinking plenty of water had also had a significant impact as I have stayed hydrated and awake. Work wise, I decided to just maintain my usual work routine. Remote working turned out to suit me well as I have manged to complete many different reports, recruitment and my usual management of staff which in normal conditions would take me much longer. Overall, work has been very stressful but the focus on my personal goals helped me managed that level of stress.

What else… what else…

I stayed connected with people. I love my tribe. I love my family and I love my friends and I have made sure that I stay in touch with them. Phone calls, video calls, letters. Sending gifts to one another made my heart melt and has boosted my mood every time.

I hope that I am not the only one who loved the process. But I can assure you that I had my days when nothing seemed to be right, when I cried, when I was tired and overwhelmed and had enough of everything. Then I usually took a break from everything, went for a walk with my dog, started drawing and tried my best to take my mind off the negative thoughts. I must say that it was the best decision every time. A refreshed mind and calm attitude makes a huge difference to your day.

The best message you can take from reading this today is that whenever you are in a frustrating and/or overwhelming situation, stop, take a breath, take you mind off it by engaging in art, walking, exercising, meditating, writing, reading and other activities that make you happy. Anything that will allow your mind to relax and evaluate the situation from a different angle. But first you need to know what you love to do. Then it really works to reset your mind in a gentle way- an ahimsa way! And you start changing your day into better, positive one you will eventually love.

Namaste