We’ve all succumbed to the loneliness of this difficult time at one stage or another. Even if you’re fortunate enough to be spending time with your families or your housemates at home, it’s easy to feel isolated and become self-critical. The first thing to understand is that you are not alone. This is actually the first time in human history that across the globe we have all suffered the same hardship at the same time. To help you practice self-love during this time, we’ve come up with a loneliness game-plan to help you stay focused on the positive when you’re triggered.
Tune into yourself and start noticing what’s around you. How do you connect to it? What do you see? Why do you notice certain aspects of the world around you? After you’ve written your observations, write 3 things you are grateful for that day.
Journaling these thoughts and feelings is an excellent way to track and express yourself on a daily basis. It’s great to go back on your better days and see what you were feeling and what you noticed as it’s a good reflection of your sense of self when you are feeling down. This can be done at any time of the day, whether you make it a part of your morning routine or you practice mindfulness several times throughout the day.
- Create a Mantra
We all have that little pesky voice in our head that wants us to have a bad day. When we start to feel these creeping feelings of loneliness, it’s great to have a mantra or a compassionate self-talk phrase.
Examples:
“I am okay. I am loved. I am resilient. I will get through this.”
- Move your body.
Don’t fall into the trap of your comfy bed. We’ve all done it before the lockdown and now it’s even easier to turn sedentary. Moving your body doesn’t mean you need to go build a massive home gym or run a 10k. Try having a dance party in your room or better yet, dance with us every Friday at our Virtual Dance Party! Ok- maybe we’re a little bias but we think dancing is an excellent way to release energy. If dancing isn’t your thing, try a little gentle yoga or just go for a leisurely walk. Getting out of your head and getting in tune with your body is the best thing you can do for yourself.
- Take action
Now that we’ve given you the tools to love yourself, start by writing down all of the ways to do just that. Start by answering these questions.
- What do I like to do?
- What makes me happy?
- Where am I when I’m happiest and feeling my best self?
- Think of a time when you felt comforted after you were having a hard time. What helped? Was it a hot bath? Was it journaling? Was it calling your best friend or your mom?
Do the things that make you happy! It’s okay to indulge a little. Under these circumstances, we all could use more self-love and maybe a big hug. Make sure to give yourself a mental hug and allow yourself the grace to let go and be grateful for everything that’s good in your life.
If you want to connect with other like-minded individuals, check out our events page here.