In a few short days, on Sunday, Nov. 1st at 2am (while you’re sleeping off your Halloween fun), the clocks will go back an hour. While it will be nice to have more lightness in the morning, it also means more darkness in the afternoon.
At ZAPPED we’ve been feeling the heaviness of the world lately. We’ve been searching for ways to brighten up our hearts and heads amidst the pandemic’s ongoing presence in every day life. It’s been hard to get excited about Halloween and birthday parties, sad and strange to be kept out of kids’ schools, and effortful to figure out if that extra contact makes our bubble too big or feeling badly for excluding someone we’d love to have a part of our lives.
Thankfully, I guess, we are not alone. Forbes magazine published an uplifting piece by Margie Warrell on Covid burnout, with “Seven ways to reset when you’ve hit the wall”. It’s a 10-minute read but for us parents out there, reality is you might have about a minute to spare!
Here are the highlights:
- Change up your scenery: whether you refresh your décor or get out of the house to hang in nature, freshen up your brain with something new to take in.
- Strategically disengage with ‘sacred rituals’: we focus a lot on doing and also need time for being. Scheduled mini rituals can boost your mood and energy to get back on track and task more happily and purposefully. Give yourself permission to sip your morning coffee slowly, or grab a few minutes of fresh air or sun-rays to pause and re-charge.
- Stand guard against energy drainers: When you are depleted yourself, make conscious choices about the energy and influences you allow into your life, and be conscious of your own effect on others. Maybe social media and news needs a break. Consider some "digital detox", we have found a little can go a long way.
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Make plans for your future, but write them in pencil: It’s essential to have something to look forward to, because the limbo of “whenever this passes” is like pulling up our anchor in a storm. Just put them in pencil, since “blessed are the flexible for they shall not get bent out of shape”.
- Give yourself permission to not feel fabulous: It’s ok to not feel ok. There is no shame in feeling blah and negative, and in fact those emotions are often what helps us be clear on what’s missing and what we need.
- Speak powerfully by being intentional with your language: Pay attention to how you’re describing your life and coping abilities. If you trash-talk yourself you might believe it. How else can you describe your circumstance in a way that leaves you feeling empowered?
- Keep reminding yourself that “you’ve got this!”: Remember that you’ve come this far and have adapted to constant uncertainty and changing circumstances probably most of your life. Keep going with what you are already good at and equipped to handle!
For me, even writing this blog to our Zapped family and fans has lifted my mood. And, we’re pretty excited to introduce our new BEANIES that are MADE IN CANADA with super-cool fully reflective yarns to keep you warm and cozy as the cold creeps in this winter.
Visit our website and our amazing retailers for the BEST in stylish reflective products. Including Reflective Backpack, Reflective Jacket, Reflective Hat and much more! Thanks for supporting local.
