7 Ways To Be Positive During Change

Our daily lives change (maybe even overnight). While it might not be the easiest time to stay positive, at Bach® we have tried out seven different techniques that seem to help quiet our anxieties and fears and might do the same for you.

The main thing here is to take the pressure off yourself and to treat yourself the way you’d treat your best friend: with kindness, respect and a gentle, loving approach. (Remember, you are enough.)

1. Mindfulness & meditation

Practicing mindfulness and/or meditation on a daily basis can help you turn your attention away from what’s happening around you in the world, and towards what you are doing at this exact moment. Here are a few simple steps to help you get in the right frame of mind:

• Sit in a comfortable place and keep your eyes open with a soft gaze.
• Listen to the sounds around you and be aware of your environment.
• As you start to take three slow and deep breaths in and out, close your eyes gently.
• Imagine a steady stream of warm and glowing sunlight entering your body through the very top of your head and filling it up slowly.
• Visualize all 10 toes filling up; your lower legs; your thighs and hips; your lower back and stomach; your chest and upper back; all 10 fingers and your arms; your neck; and finally, your face.
• As you visualize your body filled with warm, soft light, count your breaths until you reach 20.
• Reconnect with the sounds around you, and slowly open your eyes.

2. Daily routine

There are a few simple principles that we are living by, and having a structured daily routine is one of them. Here are a few keys to keeping to a structured day:

• Consistently waking up and going to sleep at the same time helps set us up for a productive day.
• Eating at regular intervals means that we don’t go rummaging in cupboards throughout the day.
• Making sure we’re showered and getting dressed every day. This doesn’t mean being in a full suit, rather making sure we’re not in our PJs all day.

(And here is work-from-home schedule that we’ve found helpful.)

3. Reach out

Staying connected with friends, family, colleagues and neighbors will help us get through these times with a smile on our faces. Whether you’re in need of a shoulder to lean on, or you can help support someone, checking in with people is the only way you’re going to know.

Use modern technology to chat to loved ones over the phone or FaceTime; have regular group calls with your friends; don’t be afraid to chat openly to colleagues about how you’re feeling; and help your self-isolating neighbors by reaching out to offer your help. There’s no better time than now.

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4. Be patient

Patience is a virtue we all need to live by today and every day. Wherever you are — at home with your family, roommates or by yourself — practicing patience will help you through this. It’s a time where we must give each other and ourselves space to breathe and take on a long-term view of life. As the saying goes: “This too shall pass.”

5. Healthy living

It goes without saying that healthy eating and regular exercise can help us all through this difficult time. But it’s not always that easy. Here are a few ideas to keep you on track.

We know that getting fresh food can be difficult, especially if you’re not able to get to the markets regularly. But it’s a good time to reach out to your friendly neighbor and ask them to pick up a few items. Here are a few thoughts for your list:

• Fruit and vegetables: canned (chickpeas and chopped tomatoes), root (potatoes and butternut squash) and frozen veg (peas, spinach) keep for longer. Add in a few fresh fruits too, apples and oranges can keep for quite a while when properly stored.
• Protein: tofu is a great option if you’re vegan as it keeps for a while, or fresh meat and fish can be frozen.
• Carbs: pasta and rice might be the obvious (and very popular!) choice, but now might be a good time to experiment. Why not try couscous or bulgar wheat that are easy to cook and add a bit of bulk?
• Snacks: healthy snacks like fruit and hummus are great, but we all know that it’s hard not to daydream of chocolate and ice cream. Why not try dark chocolate and pints of frozen yogurt or popsicles as a healthier alternative.

When it comes to exercise, the global fitness community seem to have put modern technology to the test and are connecting with anyone who wants or needs it. Your local trainer might be hosting live workouts that you can join in virtually. Or bigger brands and influencers are adding pre-recorded sessions to their websites and channels. A few great examples on YouTube are:

• Hiit: The Body Coach (aka. Joe Wicks)
• Yoga: Yoga with Adriene
• Aerobics: POPSUGAR Fitness
• Pilates: Blogilates

6. Slow down

This is a marathon, not a sprint. Now is the time to take care of yourself; try to slow your day-to-day life down, focus on the important things and practice self-care every day. Here are a few ideas on how you can do this:

• At the start of the day, ask yourself: “What will I do for myself today?” It might be reading a book, taking a bath, doing some exercise, or watching your favorite show in bed. Stick to it and enjoy it.
• Write a to-do list every morning with one or two achievable tasks. Make a point of stopping after each one, taking a break and celebrating what you have achieved. Anything you do beyond these is a bonus, but there’s no pressure to do them.
• Take the time to enjoy the smaller things: making a coffee in the morning, the light at dusk, a quiet moment to read.
• Practice the mindfulness and meditation techniques above, and remember to breathe. It’s an anxious time and you deserve to slow down.

7. Positive news

The news and social media can be difficult to look at lately. So why not fill your life with positive news? Here are a few simple steps that can help you disconnect from the negative and reconnect with the positive:

• Remove any news apps from your phone and bookmarks and delete any social media apps that are dampening your positive spirits.
• Leave or mute any groups that are overwhelming; where people are talking non-stop, sharing information and links, and not giving you the positivity you need and want.
• Wherever you feel comfortable, ask friends and family not to share any negative or ‘forwarded’ information.
• Ask friends and family to share one happy thought, memory, photo or video whenever they can.

Scroll down for more articles or learn more about how emotions affect decisions, how emotions affect learning or our physical health, and 10 ways to improve your emotional health today.