70 days of lock-down
South Africa has been in lock-down for 70 days. It’s almost hard to remember life pre-lock-down and the plans and goals we set in January seem like a distant memory. Life is only slowly starting to return to normal now as more people head back to work under level 3, but what is ‘normal’ anyway? And what parts of our life do we need to reevaluate? Lock-down certainly forced us to slow down but our addiction to busyness and the constant pressure to perform left many people struggling to find motivation. Social media, with it’s unrealistic standards of busyness can make us feel like we constantly had to be working out, baking or starting a new side hustle amongst other hobbies. Society’s need to be busy left many people with feelings of guilt when they struggled to meet these standards.
You are doing you’re best
We believe in leading a balanced life but also allowing yourself the space and time to rest and recover when needed. We are going through a global pandemic after all and there are feelings of loss and loneliness on so many levels. Give yourself a break, you are doing your best. Instead of forcing yourself to keep busy even though you feel exhausted, try to find healthier ways to stay motivated when work needs to be done. Instead of beating yourself up for not doing ‘enough’ try to move mindfully and slowly through whatever task you have at hand.
The question is, how do you remain motivated without feeling pressure to do too much? We investigated some tools to help you maintain motivation throughout the day that energize rather then exhaust you and allow for recovery and clarity of mind to focus on the task at hand.
Meditation
Whether you are back in the office or still working from home; I cannot emphasise enough the benefits of starting your day with meditation. There are numerous benefits to meditation and starting your day this way sets the tone for a calm and productive day. How you start your day is how you live your day. Meditation has been shown to reduce stress, control anxiety, promote emotional health and even lengthen your attention span.
Think of it as just 5 or 10 minutes as a gift for yourself and all you will achieve during the day. You can incorporate other aspects into this mediation time such as gifting your body with a detoxifying mug of warm water with lemon or try a few CBD drops for extra clarity. For a real brain boost, we have been loving Nature’s Relief Neuropro Nootropic. This is a unique blend of three synergistic ingredients: Nano CBD. Cacao extract and Lion’s Mane Mushroom; that boost and protect the mind while reducing anxiety and inflammation at the same time.
If you don’t know how to start when it comes to meditation, try https://www.meditainment.com/guided-meditation-topics/self-motivation-and-energy for some excellent guided meditations for self-motivation and energy. Wim Hof or the ‘Ice man” is known for his meditation techniques that allow you take control of your own body and mind using conscious breathing and cold therapy. Check out the Wim Hof website for some awesome video courses to start your journey.
Take purposeful breaks
This is especially important if you are still working from home. It is easy to become distracted in your own environment but if you plan breaks you can utilize your time better. A break allows you to refocus and avoid burnout. In fact a crucial 2012 study from Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and her colleagues at USC and MIT found that the brain is still highly active during a state of rest and that this default mode is crucial for consolidating memories, reflecting on past experiences and planning for the future. You can use these breaks to meditate, take a walk or even plan to only check social media at these times to ensure you are not distracted at other times throughout the day. One of our favorite ways to take a break is by sipping on some Nature’s Relief antioxidant rich Rooibos and Moringa tea mixed with a teaspoon of Nature’s Relief Canna honey while listening to an interesting podcast or a motivational course. Ineedmotivation.com offers excellent courses for self-improvement and life enrichment.
Be selective of the content you consume
Change you view of any social media accounts that make you feel guilty or like you are not doing enough. Many social media accounts have unrealistic standards of beauty, wealth and fitness ‘goals’. During lockdown you may have felt bombarded with daily exercise routines and glimpse of people filling every hour of their day with productivity. Understand that these are carefully curated accounts and do not set the standard. These accounts can hold a purpose of being a tool for when you are looking for inspiration to exercise, cook or finding healthy ways to fill your time. It is up to you to change your mindset with social media by making it a beneficial tool to enhance your lifestyle. We love tinybuddha.com for all it’s simple wisdom for complex lives.
Be true to yourself
During this unknown and challenging time, pay attention to your mental and physical health. Create your own coping mechanisms, lock the tools to suit you to empower yourself. Pay attention to what you need, considering each day may be different, maybe you need to start the day off with a run or allow yourself a slower morning but practice being true to yourself. If you are struggling, please reach out to us, we are here to help always.