While most of us in Europe and other parts of the world are now in lockdown at home, avoiding contact with fellow citizens to try to slow down the expansion of the COVID-19 virus and to avoid the death of the more fragile ones in our society, we at Conscious Learning Tribe believe this period is an opportunity to deeply rethink the way we live, work and communicate together.
We believe the coronavirus is a signal to slow down, to reconnect with ourselves and our beloved ones, to reconnect with nature and to reimagine a different and more pleasant way to create a good life on this beautiful planet. This given ‘free’ time is an opportunity to learn how to do things truly differently from how we used to, as many of us are trapped in a system no longer serving our full potential. How many of us are fully focused on work, trying to get to the end of the month without any free time left for ourselves? In the end, life is here to live the way we imagine it, and we have the potential to create our own reality.
The road looks long when we see others shining, living a good life full of abundance and time to do the things they want. Our systemic thinking is, in fact, a system designed for us to produce all the time and be efficient. What if there is another reality we can all create ourselves just by changing our thoughts, behaviours and actions? In the end, everything is a choice you make at every step and there are many choices we take every single day.
In this post, I simply want to list some examples of all the things you can do to reconnect to yourself and your loved ones. I believe that if we take this opportunity to rethink the way we live, if every manager, employee or team member is in line with his own intentions on how to contribute to creating a better society, then – once this crisis is over – we will flourish.
Wake Up, Check-In
The most important moment of the day to check in with yourself is when you wake up: How do you feel? What are your dreams in the mid- and long term? Reflect on the values you live by, connect with your emotions and your body, not your thoughts and mind (which are conditioned by so many things we don’t even realise). What is it you really would love to do today if there were no outside obligations or distractions? Avoid immediately checking your phone.
Check in with your loved one(s) next to you or in your home, and think about something joyful you could do together to start your day instead of trying to fit in all the things you need to do before rushing to work.
This doesn’t just apply in the current situation. I urge you to do all of this every day, whether you are staying home or not. Now, here are some tips, all of which I have used myself, that will help you get into a state of mind to relax and start the day with good intentions, joy and fulfilment.
Meditate
There are numerous guided meditations available on the internet for anyone to start meditating without any training or experience needed. Try the “Creating Abundance: 21-Day Meditation Challenge by Deepak Chopra” for example, available for free on Youtube and Spotify.
Yoga / Tai Chi / Qigong
Besides the benefits of the classic “healthy mind in a healthy body”, any of these disciplines have amazing physical, emotional and mental benefits for your wellbeing and your body. From better sleep, improved mood, increased physical energy, more clarity and focus, to easing depression, stress and anxiety.
Take Nature walks
Nature truly connects us with ourselves, grounds us with the elements of life to understand what really matters for us in that life. Nature walks have been recommended by the greatest thinkers of our time, from Darwin to Nietzsche to Einstein. Of course, only go walking if you are able (and allowed) to. Many areas are on lockdown, so stay updated on whether it’s still advisable.
Allow yourself to daydream while you walk. Let your mind wander about the wonders of the Universe and witness the beauty of nature. In the end, everything and all is in nature. At the core, a healthy amount of daydreaming and reflection enable memory consolidation, allowing non-linear connections to form, which helps both our ability to break down and target issues, as well as looking at them through a new lens.
Read “The Artist’s Way”
A revolutionary program for personal renewal, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron will help get you back on track, rediscover your passions, and take the steps you need to change your life. It’s much more than just a book, it’s a guided program on how to reconnect to the creative juices inside you and learn about who you really are.
Julia introduces the technique of writing ‘Morning Pages’. Every day upon waking, you write three pages and reconnect to yourself by putting the contents of your mind on paper. That way, you can create space for creative juices to flow and can be present in the moment instead of on autopilot mode of yesterday’s thoughts. It’s a surprisingly simple technique with amazing results.
Learn to play an instrument
Music is a language, and the more “words” you learn the more you will be able to say. You will soon find yourself wanting to apply the information you’ve learned to create music of your own and express your own voice. Music is not just about knowing how to play specific songs, it is about expressing emotion through sound. Whether you play your own version of a song or create an entirely new one, learning to play an instrument enables you to use your creativity to say something original. Don’t focus on the difficulty, embrace the joy of being able to connect your emotions through music.
Research shows that music: reduces stress, produces patience and perseverance, develops music appreciation, cultivates creativity, uses almost every part of the brain, strengthens your immune system, increases time-management skills, increases memory capability, allows you to share better with others, increases emotional perception, increases personal discipline, enlarges the brain, breeds confidence, boosts spelling and IQ in children, decreases age-related hearing loss, benefits the brains of babies and speeds up reaction times.
And last but not least: at its core, music is art.
Do a happy dance
Get off your chair and start a spontaneous dance at any time during the day. At home, by yourself, or with whoever is in the house. It’s more fun dancing with your loved ones of course! Research shows dancing can improve mental health by boosting your overall happiness, like any good, low-impact cardio workout, dancing can improve cardiovascular health, increase stamina, strengthen bones and muscles and stave off illnesses. “Maceo, take me to the bridge!!!“
Learn a new skill
Challenge yourself and learn something completely different than what you are used to, or learn something you always wanted to do and never dared to or found the time for. You can turn to your family recipes and start cooking, or how about experimenting to grow your own food? The internet is literally full of courses for all ages and different tastes. More importantly, it allows us to rediscover what it means to be self-sustainable in the old fashioned way.
Take a Virtual Museum Tour
Thanks to the Internet and technology, we can now experience culture and education while confined to your home. Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world.
Redesign your business
The COVID-19 virus is a catalyst for real change. Now is the time to rethink your business and strive to accelerate this transition to more conscious, sustainable, inclusive, meaningful, and holistic futures. Learn about Canay Atalay’s 5D Conscious Business Model Design, a radically different approach to a more comprehensive and relevant way to design the future of your businesses, with consciousness, starting from today.
Rediscover your relationships
Many businesspeople may not see this way, but this period is a gift and a blessing, sending us home to rediscover relationships with loved ones, partner, children, family and friends. There is nothing that matters more than your beloved ones, so take this time to go deeper than you are used to and create some new connecting rituals. Rituals you can continue doing when the self-quarantine is over. You never know, this may be the biggest opportunity in your life.
See the beauty around you, there’s always something positive to learn from every situation.
Stay safe, stay healthy and enJOY every day of your life!
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