COVID-19 has made homebodies of many of us. But just like everything, this too shall end. Until then we should focus on the now and use this time of isolation to look inward.
Continue reading to find out why COVID-19 is the perfect time for self-reflection and self actualizing.
Self-quarantine means not visiting friends, not shopping or attending social events. It means either staying home alone or with immediate family. Compared to the busy lives we normally lead; COVID-19 self-isolation has given us extra time on our hands.
Instead of spending this extra time watching television or dwelling on how bored we are, we should use this time to reflect on ourselves.
Recommended: How To Stay Stress Free During COVID-19
In times of stillness we become present in the now, and we are able to focus inward. We are lacking stillness as a modern society. However, given the COVID-19 pandemic, it may feel as if the earth is standing still. Being alone is common now a days, making this the ideal circumstance for us to set our intentions inward in order to make peace within our inner selves.
Being alone in this world is a scary thought, because as humans we thrive off of companionship. When we are alone it forces us to look within ourselves and face our deepest thoughts. Which can be pretty terrifying for those who haven’t done so before. However, once we pass that hurdle and find fulfillment within ourselves, we will find more happiness in the world around us.
We must love our strengths humbly and our shortcomings bravely. Love is the basis of all things ever created, even before the idea of creation itself. We are created from love and want to express love. One of the best ways, is to learn to love ourselves.
One way we can learn to do this is by practicing meditation. Meditation can help us visualize the reality in which we want to live. It helps us rewire our thought processes by communicating to our various levels of consciousness.
“What we think we become.”- Buddha
Meditating with mantras can aid in our journey to self-love. One of my favorite mantras to meditate on is “I Am Loving Awareness”.
When meditating on this, really feel these words. Having confidence while we say them, analyzing and understanding what each word means. Having consistent meditations with this mantra has proven to boost mood levels and open the heart.
Focusing on our minds during COVID-19 is a sure way toward self-improvement, but focusing on our physical wellbeing is another way to self-care. Eating healthy is always important but I’m speaking about self-care through the form of Yoga.
Yoga has a plethora of benefits, I plan on going into depth about in a future post, but in particular it aids in making us more connected with our bodies. Yoga helps us to analyze our bodily strengths and weaknesses, it releases tension and teaches us to appreciate every inch of our bodies for what they are allowing us to do in this moment in time.
It is important to analyze our strengths and weaknesses because if we do not, then we become stagnant and do not grow. We should show gratitude to our strengths because they are gifts blessed upon us and when we give thanks, we are giving self-love. Weaknesses may not be as easy to love but they are a part of what make us who we uniquely are. They can even be reminders of battles won, therefore reflecting badges of strength.
We absorb energy from our surroundings and this energy is stored in our joints and muscles. Yoga is the perfect tool to release this toxic energy. Showing love to our bodies is showing love to our minds because everything is connected.
Practicing self-love through yoga is just what we need so that we may set the tone for the rest of our days during COVID-19 isolation and beyond.
A relaxed body can help ease the mind but getting things accomplished also helps calm the mind.
Sometimes life can get busy and we push off organizing our closets, filling paperwork, or cleaning our windows.
With extra time spent at home during COVID-19 we mine as well use it to get things done that we normally push off for “later”. Having a centered living space is a reflection of a centered mind. How we treat our bodies and our domains are proof of how we feel internally. So, turn that list of “later’s” into “now’s” because now is the time for self-reflection.
While we practice mastering self-reflection, it is also okay to reflect on the world around us and to use these reflections to set goals for ourselves to accomplish, even if that means when isolation is over.
Doing self-reflection and self-care does not mean expressing self-denial or portraying a nonchalant attitude toward our surroundings. Showing recognition towards these feelings or events are important. We should process these emotions and ask ourselves if we are in the position to change them right now? If the answer is no then ask, is there anything right now that can be done to lead you in the right direction and start with that.
Whether we decided to set goals, practice yoga or meditate we should take pleasure in knowing that we are one step closer than we were yesterday, to a non-egotistical complete form of self-love.
As I said before, we are created from love, we want to express love and one of the best ways to do so, is to love ourselves.
Recommended: How To Prepare For Travel During A Pandemic
