This week I have been sitting at home not doing much due to the impact of COVID-19. This Coronavirus is currently hitting the whole world, and we are all on lockdown. Everything in Los Angeles is closed and this is also the case in several other cities worldwide.
You have been told to stay home and maintain social distancing. What do you do? You are locked in, bored out of your mind and literarily stuck twiddling your fingers?
This is, however, an excellent time to develop new habits. Here are six life-changing habits that you can choose to adopt during COVID-19 quarantine. Time stuck at home can be used as a catalyst for positive change. One does not have to let the situation become overwhelming; this is the perfect time to develop new habits that can stay with you for the rest of your life.
MEDITATION
Meditation is essentially quieting the mind. There are various forms and techniques for doing mediations, this can include using breath, visualization or listening to tapes. One can do all three at the same time or try different techniques individually. Meditation helps centre the mind and creates a more settled, less anxious feeling.
You can learn to meditate using tapes or just merely by closing your eyes and following your breath. At first, most people may feel like they cannot concentrate, but with time you will soon learn how to let go and stay focused on your breath. The great thing about meditation. Is once you make it habit you will definitely notice the cumulative results.
A simple way to start meditation is to sit down in a comfortable place, close your eyes and focus on the space between your eyes. This is also referred to by some as your “third eye”. Now take a slow deep breath, then exhale slowly. Focus on your breathing, this helps keep your mind from wondering. Try and stay focused on the breath, and before you know it, your mind will quieten down, and be thinking of nothing.
This is the whole idea behind meditation: quieting the mind. There are several techniques one can use to achieve this state. This could be achieved by using music or by simply sitting still and focusing on nothing and just letting go. Music is a great tool that helps to achieve a deep meditative state as one gets carried away and lets go of control.
As mentioned, meditation has been known to help reduce anxiety, high blood pressure, and helps to calm the nerves! While in quarantine, this can be an excellent way to start your mornings, build a simple daily meditation into your morning and/or evening routine.
YOGA
Yoga is a group of mental, spiritual and physical exercises that originated in India. There are various types of Yoga, but the one most commonly practiced in the west is related to a form of Hatha Yoga which involves doing a series of postures called Asanas. Yoga dates back to the pre-Vedic Indian traditions.
There are several learn yourself yoga tapes, videos and apps that you can watch and learn how to do Yoga while one is in quarantine. Yoga is a great practice to get in your daily exercise, and one does not need much space to practice it. However, what you will need is a good yoga mat and a little space just enough to stretch out.
Yoga can help align the body and also stretch out underused muscles. It helps work your body but can also help reduce lack of exercise and help create excellent poise and posture. Yoga is a routine one can easily add to their daily exercise regime and will help keep you in shape while staying home in quarantine. Yoga, added to your daily routine, will help you stay healthy while in quarantine.
PRACTISING NLP
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a pseudoscientific approach to communication, psychotherapy and personal development. It was created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in California, in the ’70s. NLP states that there is a connection between the language and the neurological response, this can be changed through training to create a different pattern of behaviour.
It is claimed that NLP can help depression, phobias, disorders, psychosomatic illness, remove mental blocks and help achieve better mental acuity. An excellent book for the introduction into the NLP is written by Paul MacKenna – Change Your Life in Seven Days.,
NLP helps you get out of the habit producing mind cycle, especially if you have developed bad habits that you cannot break out of. NLP gives you a toolkit of techniques you can use to deal with life opportunities and challenges. Practising NLP is definitely a life-changing habit one could form during this quarantine period.
NLP is a useful tool for self-programming the subconscious mind. You can achieve your goals, help prevent self-sabotage, self-deprecation through procrastination and insecure feelings. These feelings may stop us from achieving our full potential.
START A NEW BUSINESS
Have you always dreamed of starting a new business or project? This may be a perfect time. As we are all home during this quarantine period, yet our internet is fully functional, it places us in the ideal position to be able to research and plan out our business ideas.
Setting up a new business is not easy, and one of the reasons most people don’t start is because of procrastination and lack of time as they have their regular nine to five job to focus on as well. With the current stay at home lockdown due to quarantine regulations. This is the perfect time to start that business you have always wanted, and at the same time, it helps avoid any distractions as you are literarily stuck inside all week.
I think this is the perfect time to get all your business goal ideas in motion and make it habit so when you get back to work, and things get back to normal. You would have gone through all the planning stages for your new business. Perfect time to get the website done, do some research on your new business, perhaps you are thinking of putting your business plan together or designing a new Logo. This would is the ideal time to start.
Being quarantined indoors is not much fun, but it is an excellent time to set the ball rolling for a future business venture you have always wanted to do and develop a methodology that can help you put together with other business ideas more efficiently in the future.
KEEP IN TOUCH
What better time to call friends and family and see how they are than when you are stuck at home. Most of us have busy lives and hardly anytime to keep in touch with all our friend groups and family. This could be a time you can get to call friends you have not seen in a while and touch base with them on how and what they are doing. Time goes by so quickly, and a lot of times we keep thinking we will call at some point then we forget to call for weeks, and then months.
During quarantine, you can call all your loved and friends to keep in touch. Face time and video calling apps are also available. You can then get in the habit of staying in touch even after the quarantine period is over.
The main idea is beginning to form a habit by staying in touch cause you have the time. You will be surprised so many people you have meant to call but have just let slip through the crack.
You may decide on calling an old friend, your grandma or grandpa, mother-in-law or an Ex. This could an excellent time to rekindle your friendship bonds and keep in touch.
START AN ONLINE COURSE
During this time of the quarantine and the COVID -19 virus, a lot of people have lost their jobs. This is the perfect opportunity to start a new online course. These days you can learn anything online, and it is always advisable for one to try and learn something new even when you have a full-time job.
There are several courses online that can help upgrade ones Current position. Even if you are not looking to change jobs acquiring new skills is always a bonus. It could also be a hobby or just something you’ve always wanted to learn. I believe everyone should be continuously growing or at least trying to make themselves better.
Online courses available these days are usually very in-depth, and you can learn quite a lot of new things or just help refresh on something you always wanted to do.
There are several places to learn online. Lynda.com, Udemy, Masterclass several colleges also have online courses now, and the good news is most are free or cost very little.
It is wise to include an online course every few months or so into your habit pattern. It will not only keep your mind engaged but may also inspire you on different levels.
If you can think of any more things or habit-forming activities apart from these six life-changing habits that you can choose to adopt during COVID-19 quarantine. Email me, and let’s talk about it. Remember stay safe, stay in and stay protected.