These  tips will help keep you positively distracted and sane.

1. Don’t Put Your Head in the Sand

 One thing that you might want to consider is not putting your head in the sand and trying to avoid or ignoring the situation at hand.

While ignoring problems might feel good in the short term ,it can usually stop you of your positivity in the long run. 

2. This too shall pass

 we have to remember this won’t last forever. This is not something that has happened recently, but we do have history to look back on.

Other pandemics that have occurred.

And most people unfortunately in the media they’re using the term “new normal”.

But in reality, it’s all about perspective. We will get past this and I know amid a crisis it’s  feels nearly impossible to keep things in perspective.

but we will get past this if we focus on what is that this is temporary and this is not going to be our overall situation because our ancestors were able to overcome many things that had occurred and I believe this generation has it in them to also do the same thing.

3.Make a Plan

Another two-bit you might want to consider is making a plan.

 What I mean is to make a plan, for your day to day.

Even if it’s just three things that you would like to accomplish on a personal level, spiritual, and emotional.

 For example, I’ve been trying to incorporate more meditation into my routine although I was doing meditation before all of this,

I find that it helps keep me calm, helps me stay focused and at least feel grounded. 

4. Think About the Things You are Grateful For

Practice gratitude, think about the things you are grateful for.

 I noticed that just writing down what I am grateful for or if I find myself about to have a negative thought.

I start listing in my mind what I’m grateful for and it could be the smallest things. 

• that I’m grateful for waking up this morning 
• you’re grateful that you have a roof overhead 
• you’re grateful to be safe grateful to be in a country where your resources are not completely depleted 
• you have access to food or you have access to health care 
• your kids are healthy your friends and found you’re healthy 

And if you are in the individual that might be suffering ,because you might be having loved ones more on the front lines serving the public or may have known someone who is experiencing its current crisis.

I’m in close to home then you have something to be grateful for of course we don’t wish anything.

bad on anyone that you will for anyone but if you’re our lives today and you’re healthy still and you have certain things that many people are struggling just to have the necessities that’s something to be grateful for remember that it is good in the world.

5. Reach Out for Support

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Reach out for support during times like this .

If their officials have said that we have to consider social distancing and it’s ironic because it’s more physical than social,

because of technology we’re capable of reaching out to each other and creating or joining online groups or our communities.

 Reaching out to your loved ones you know to offer your support, but also reach out if you need help too because it does take a toll on any individual.

Anyone who might be suffering from mental illness anyone who might be immune-compromised and  if you know is an elderly an individual.

You may want to reach out to a neighbor or a relative or friend, colleague and of course still keep in mind that we have  to stay within a certain distance, but there are other ways of being compassionate and showing support and have had a sense of community. 

6.Take a Break 

Take a break sometimes our circumstances are just overwhelming and that it forces us to think about our problems constantly.

And I know for myself I had to shut things down because I normally try to take things in small doses.

But I had to scale back even more because it got overwhelming and my anxiety hit the roof. And I was like I don’t want to lose sleep over this.

I felt helpless and I’m thinking you know what if it happens to myself or my daughter or anyone that I know.

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But one of the things that helped was to take a break from watching the news.

Yes, you do need to stay informed, but it’s okay to take a break from the news even social media.

 On social media you see the time loops.

Everyone is on there and sometimes they do have to take a break from other people.

Because they are trolls unfortunately that are posting misinformation and scaring people which is not cool.

7.Journal Your Feelings

 Another thing that you might want to consider is Journaling your feelings.

Some people might think oh that’s so corny.

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Why would I want to do that but in reality, it’s pretty helpful for you to do that.

When you’re journaling it’s simply giving you a place to express your fears and your concerns.

A  journal helps you maintain your positivity outside of its pages.

So in a way you can consider your journal as your best friend, a friend that you can vent.

in you don’t want to tell

certain people certain thoughts or you might just want to get out of your system. Also if you can’t find anyone to talk to.

8.Focus on Things You Can Control

 Focus on things you can control which of course.

The best way for you to focus on things you can control are staying safe washing your hands, ensuring that you have your supplies.

It could be for food or their medicines.

If it is for anything that you know that will keep you and your family safe.

Take the necessary precautions and  you know you have that peace of mind.

Knowing that okay I have control over this I might not have control over what’s going on out there.

Or when this will end or how much this will have to impact my life, but I have control over something and you’re focusing on doing your best.

When it comes to seeing what you do have control over and I know it’s not easy especially when the world seems it’s spinning out of control and you may feel helpless.

I know I did it wasn’t easy to understand how much this would devastate us but when I was following along what was going on and the international news.

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9. Embrace Distractions

The last thing you can do is entertain distractions.

Normally you know we are also trying to learn how to avoid or deal with our distractions and you are discouraged for that.

But when you’re going through something that makes no sense whatsoever.

In a sense you do need a positive thing to keep you distracted and no matter how silly it is. 

We should embrace the distraction that brings you joy during this. 

Actionable Steps

Take these are actionable steps.

The first one which I highlighted was to write down your feelings.

This is where you write down you know what you’re feeling, think about everything you are dealing with and how it’s affecting you and write it down.

 Don’t worry about the grammar and spelling just focus on getting your feelings out of your head and onto paper.

The next thing is to reach out whether you are reaching out to offer support or request name it for yourself reach out and it will help you feel like you’re part of the community or you know when we all work together we can overcome anything .

If you feel that you need to join a support group, prayer group, or just you know a phone group that you can message each  other.

You can put together on your phone with your friends and family members ,do that if that will help you to stay grounded and also to help you just give you a sense that you are not alone going through this.

And last but not least make a plan you’ll feel more positive by just having a plan even though  you think about what your biggest struggle is at the moment and try to make a plan to tackle it and of course some things like I said is beyond your control.

That’s ok if you just make a plan on saying, you know what can I accomplish for day one and what is it that I would like to accomplish up to at least day 7 and you know when you do

that it kind of gives you some type of structure, some type of routine.

Because that’s what it is a lot of us have been thrown off our normal daily routine and if we can just find some semblance of a routine.

That is also productive, constructive that will help us .

Conclusion

We will not only come out of this more humble.

I believe we will also be a lot more resilient and take the time to just focus on things that will better you as a human being, as a

citizen, as a neighbor, as a mother, daughter, father brother, uncle, anything.

I’m hoping that within the time being that we are here.

I believe this is an opportunity for us to reset ourselves or reset our priorities.

Reset our perspective on how we view each other as human beings and understand that anything can happen.

The question is how are we going to respond to it?

Will it bring out the worst in us or will we let it bring out the best in us? 

 I just wanted to share a few these things with you and hopefully, it helps you and a loved one, and if you want to share it with anyone that you might think this might help encourage.

Do share, this my way of putting it forward and trying to help people through this time, and hopefully we’ll get out of this as better human beings.

So I wish you all the best, be safe, and virtual hug to you and namaste.