Depending on how you and your family have coped with the world over the last 18 months, you may have lost a lot of steam regarding achieving your goals and feeling optimistic. While the pandemic challenges are real, it’s still important to keep your overall wellness top of mind.
And with no clear picture of when normalcy will ever return, now is an ideal time to gain insight into what you can do to get yourself and the other members of your family back on track to regain a sense of comfort, confidence and ease about your path.
The Innovative Nutritionist offers the following tips on how you can hit the reset button.
Focus on What You Can Control
It’s understandable to get swept up in the massive shifts around you and even feel despair. Rather than focus on what’s out of your hands, concentrate on the things in your life you can control. Making a list of what you can influence and what’s outside your realm of authority helps you realize where you should focus your time and energy.
Revisit Goals, Or Make New Ones
Establishing a new goal and having a realistic plan to achieve it can be considerably motivating. Make a list of new goals or revive older ones, and plot out ways you can hit your milestones. Are you determined to advance your career? Perhaps returning to school is the best choice. With the prevalence of online schools, it’s easy to find a degree program that fits your schedule, whether it’s for business, nursing, computer science, or any other field.
Perhaps your health or the desire for weight loss are at the top of your list. To reach the goals you have in mind, set yourself up for success. Work with a dedicated nutritionist to find the right balance in your diet, determine an exercise plan you can stick with, and make a point to track your progress. A proactive approach in meeting your goals increases the likelihood that you’ll meet and exceed them.
Join a Support Group or Find a Counselor
You may not realize how badly the last year affected your mental health. If you or anyone in your family is struggling with anxiety, depression or similar conditions, a mental health support group or therapist can help you make sense of your thoughts and emotions in a healthy, productive way. Even if you feel fine, you may have stress and unresolved emotions simmering underneath the surface outside the realm of your current awareness. Learning how the body and mind respond to trauma and hardship gives you and your loved ones the tools you need to elevate your life and tap into your full potential.
(Re)Familiarize Yourself With Your Comfort Levels
It’s hard to know what to do right now. Should you go out to dinner? Should it just be outside? Should you have a dinner party? Can you go to the movies? Sit down and get in touch with what you feel comfortable doing and where you feel comfortable going. Take things one day at a time, and realize your comfort levels may shift daily. Check in with yourself to see what you feel up for and what you may want to delay for a little while. With planning and consideration, you may not have to make as many sacrifices as you think. Also, before making plans with family and friends, ask them what they feel comfortable doing so everyone feels supported and at ease.
Rather than give up on your goals and favorite pastimes, learn how to adjust them to fit your circumstances and mental health. Take this opportunity to tap into your resilience and assemble a plan that lets you slide gently back into your best life.
Marjorie McMillian
Guest Contributor
ComeOnGetWell.net
