Let’s be honest: we could all use some positivity, right? During dark times, it can be hard to feel happy or motivated. Here are 4 ways to inject some light into your life and feed your soul, even when the world seems dim.
- Listen for positive news
I promise, its there! In every newscast, it’s been there this whole time: it’s just that the top stories can induce anxiety strong enough to cause you to overlook them. I’m seeing Gayle King and the CBS This Morning team feature great, heartwarming stories throughout their newscasts: not just before a break or before the end of a half-hour, but sprinkled throughout as you need your heart to feel lighter and feed your soul. The Eye Opener always has a good story included each morning!
And local news is in on it too! Some news stations like WHNT News 19 in Huntsville are even doing half-hour good-news broadcasts!
John Krasinski even made his own good news show! As of this post, it has 15 MILLION views! Clearly, we all need a dose of happiness (and we don’t have to go far to find it):
- Create your perfect self-care routine
Self-care is, thankfully, all the rage these days. Feed your soul with encouraging acts like calming baths, a long walk outside, a mug of tea, a good book, a cuddle session with your dog or a cheat meal fit for a king. Forbes offers this great article to get you started.
For me, self-care has been the most rewarding part of self-quarantining at home. I now have all the time I ever wanted to do things like start running with Couch to 5K, take long baths with a glass of wine and a magazine, and sit outside on the back patio with a good book. This time is restorative: it’s what feeds my soul! I miss social interaction, but my self-care also includes virtual hangouts with friends which help me a lot.
For many of us, finding ways to be outdoors if we are able to distance is soul-feeding too. Going outside helps us feel less trapped, and more in-touch, with the world. This can be harder and harder to do if you live in a city or don’t have a yard. The National Institutes of Health suggests the outdoors can be restorative: “proximity to greenspace has been associated with lower levels of stress… and reduced symptomology for depression and anxiety.” We could all use more of that effect in our lives!
- Make small goals
Someone recently asked me, “How are you making sure your life is better after this than before it?” I really had to think about that and honestly, at that time I didn’t have an answer. Since then, I have challenged myself to find a few ways to be better and part of that is making small goals, and working toward them every day.
I started counting calories and keeping track of what I eat because, for me, that’s a really small goal I can work toward right now. In the next 3-5 weeks, I think it can become a habit that will help me stay healthy after all this!
If you need time to start working on those goals while working from home, click here. This article from a few weeks back can help you manage your time and take some breaks along the course of your day.
- Do something for someone else
Remember all the good news we just talked about? There are so many examples of human kindness around us right now, from parades past children’s homes for birthdays to community-wide rounds of applause for first responders and medical staff. Doing something nice for someone else just feels good! One way to feed your soul might just be to find a way to be there for someone who is struggling through the pandemic.
Websites, including that of this New York-based nonprofit, have tons of information about how you can help virtually or with important acts like blood donation. We are all in this together!
I hope this helps, and that you have a better understanding of what you can do to feed your soul through this difficult time!
I pray you find encouragement and motivation, strength and hope. Three thoughts to close: be well, be kind and be at peace!
