10 Ways to Get Grounded as We Shift into Our New Pandemic Reality

Dear Friends,

It’s amazing how much can change in a week. To be uprooted from our usual daily routines into a whole new reality, while feeling a constant anxiety over the pandemic and if it’s affected you and your loved ones…. is traumatic. All of this my friend, is a LOT to take in. 

So in between organizing my kitchen inventory, taking stock of my medicine cabinet and sitting with all my feelings last weekend, I decided to postpone my annual birthday sale and put my energy and creativity towards how I can better serve us as we navigate through these chaotic & uncertain times.

To begin with I thought it’d be helpful to get a handle on all the new hats everyone has to wear while trying to work from home. For some that means, you are now also a full-time cook, teacher, cleaner, wellness practitioner, family counselor…. among so many other roles needed to help your family adjust to this huge transition. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and out of control right now, so here are 10 easy and actionable ways to help you get grounded as we shift into a new daily reality…and roles. 

10 Ways to Get Grounded as We Shift Into a New Daily Reality...and Roles

1- SOOTHE THE MIND - the counselor/ wellness practitioner 

To help manage self and family stress levels, in my opinion, the most important place to start is with is the state of our minds. Having a handle over our minds helps us stay calm in the eye of the tornado. There’s no better time than now to start a meditation practice. It’s simple, easy and most beneficial if you can meditate together as a whole family daily. Start with five minutes before breakfast or 10 minutes before bed—and then gradually you can add to this. Not only will this soothe the mind, but it will help process feelings that don’t even have words yet. I'm working on a guide to help those that have never meditated before....so stay tuned.

2- CREATE A ROUTINE - the teacher

An esteemed mentor of mine, Jonathan Fields, coined the term, “Anchors of Certainty” which I absolutely love. What I’ve learned over the years is that a good routine is a great way to start creating “Anchors of Certainty”. And from an Ayurvedic standpoint, a good routine helps calm the nervous system down. These anchors provide a sense of stability for your world —so that even when the rug is being pulled out from under your feet, you have scaffolding in place that can help support you get your balance back faster. Now more than ever a routine will help your whole family feel grounded. For now you could start with a set meditation time, meal times, break times and bedtimes. Once your basic needs are addressed, filling in the other spaces will come a little easier. 

3- INVEST IN A CROCKPOT :) - the cook

Right now, this little guy is my best friend :).  Cooking can feel overwhelming, but a crockpot can help eliminate some of the stress of putting together three daily meals.  In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing crockpot recipes and other tools to help you become efficient in the kitchen. So if you don’t have one yet, I would highly recommend one. If you’re cooking for 2-3, you’ll need this size. If you’re cooking for 4-6, this size will fit your needs better. 

4- TAKE STOCK & ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN INVENTORY - the cook

This will help make meal planning easier, as well as provide more peace of direction, efficiency and peace of mind for when you put together a grocery list. 

5- TAKE STOCK & ORGANIZE YOUR MEDICINE CABINET & CLEANING CLOSET - the nurse/the cleaner

 
Knowing what you have on hand and where it is is can help eliminate stress if someone should get a minor cooking wound or the sniffles. If there are certain things you’re low on like bandaids, arnica, calendula, neosporin, cough drops, allergy medicine, pads/tampons, hand soap, laundry detergent... now is the time to order online so should anyone in your need something right away, you can eliminate panic by having it on hand.

6- LIMIT NEWS CHECKING - the counselor

I do think it’s important to stay abreast of what’s going on, BUT it’s easy to get sucked into the news checking rabbit hole which has a tendency to send us straight into fear and overwhelm mode. So limit yourself with how often you check it…and really try to stick to it. I know it can be hard…but I started this practice this week and it’s made a HUGE difference in my anxiety levels.

 Checking first thing in the morning and last thing before bed is definitely off my list. Instead I wait until 5pm-ish...so I'm able to have a productive day while also having sufficient time to process my anxiety before I head to sleep.

7- NATURE/ DAILY MOVEMENT - the wellness practitioner

Make sure to get up and move around. Feeling stagnant is the pits and definitely not something we need right now. If possible, get out into nature and walk with the trees. They are soothing for the soul. Now is also a great time to start a home yoga practice. One of my meditation teachers, Dileepji Pathak has always said that a dozen Sun Salutations provides a complete workout.  And, if you don’t feel comfortable creating your own home practice, there are many practitioners and studio’s offering online classes. In the coming weeks, I hope to put together a list of resources for people to tap into, so stay tuned.

8- GET SUFFICIENT SLEEP - wellness practitioner

Our bodies and minds are taking in a LOT of things right and so let’s give ourselves ample time to rest, process and recuperate daily from the intensity of what’s going on. Sleep also helps build immunity and keeps us energized to fill all our roles. 

9- STAY NOURISHED - wellness practitioner

From an Ayurvedic standpoint, warm foods are most soothing for the body.  So stick to warm cooked foods and hot teas through out the day. And eat your veggies and herbs---mother nature’s bounty is filled with natural immune boosters and vitamins to strengthen our bodies. I’m in the middle of gathering some awesome holistic resources for natural home remedies…so keep an eye out for that, too.

10- BREATHE - wellness practitioner

Set a timer on your phone and stop 2-3 times a day to take some long, slow, deep breaths to calm the mind and to tune inward to hear what you need to do for yourself and your family. Calming the mind is the most beneficial thing we can do right now because it allows us to make decisions from a place of clarity. My teacher, Shri Anandi Ma says that “the breathe is the bridge between you and God”. So take time to breathe and connect. 

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be providing weekly care packages filled with digital sunshine, recipes and additional tools to help us navigate through these unchartered times and roles we now carry. Until then, I’d love to hear from you and what you are doing to get grounded during this time….so please leave a comment below and share some of your own wisdom and insight with our community. 

Stay safe & healthy
xo,
Kajal