May 2020

May 2020 & Covid-19

Now that we are in May 2020, whether we are cocooning or shielding, working or not, trying to be a teacher to our children or living alone, regardless of our current circumstances it is reasonable to say we are all somehow affected by Covid-19.

Stay connected. Even when we are living on our own, relationships are key to feeling in control. Connection with others will help us get through this difficult time. Reach out to organisations that provide telephone listening services if you do not have someone in your life to contact. Knowing that someone is at the end of the phone is comforting.

We feel good when we know we are helping others. Reach out and connect with people particularly those living alone. Family members are often the last to know when someone is lonely or struggling. A regular phone-call might be all someone needs to feel less afraid. “Hello, how are you?” those four words connect us.

Avoid information saturation. We do not need constant Corona updates. Decide what information you need, from what source and stick with that. Be disciplined with your day. The constant stream of information can drain our mental and emotional resources. We might have a radio on in the kitchen, a tv sounding in another room, whilst talking on our mobile. Sit with silence every now and then.

It is beneficial for our minds to give whatever we are doing our full attention. Focus on the task in hand. Look for whatever brings joy – admiring flowers, bird song, cloud formations, reading fiction etc. When we focus our attention, we quieten and gain control over our thoughts. Stop running on autopilot. Become conscious of all actions. Being mindful helps us keep our thoughts in -the present and not in the anxious-uncertain-future or the regret-filled-past.

To remain calm while Covid-19 is our new reality have structure and routine. Have a daily plan which includes exercise, self-care, social time/connection, meals, breaks, reading, prayer… whatever plan you make, try to adhere to it. Go to and get out of bed at set times. Shower. Get your day off to a good start by dressing well. When we feel we look good, we feel good. It does not matter whether anyone sees you, you see you. Try not to worry if it is difficult to sleep the whole night through, rest and relaxation are beneficial. If you cannot sleep on a persistent basis, firstly chat with your pharmacist who might have suggestions but please seek help.

Challenge your brain. Keep your mind active. Text or brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. Do puzzles/jigsaws. Try something demanding and keep those cogs turning! Perhaps do a free online course like those on alison.com or coursera.org

Never underestimate the importance of water for brain function. Being hydrated helps: lubricate joints; flush waste products; prevent digestive difficulties; keep temperature regulated; boost exercise performance; promote kidney health; deliver nutrients to cells; prevent infections; keep skin supple; improve sleep quality, cognition and overall mood. By drinking more water than you are losing, you are helping your heart do its job. Stay hydrated by sipping water throughout the day.

Spring is here. Summer is on the way.

www.carolinecrotty.ie

Breathing Meditation

Information Overload isn’t new. It has more recently changed so that now, rather than have too many books to read, we have technology demanding our attention. We too are demanding of attention or potentially vying for the attention of others on social media. We are slowly learning that too much screen time may affect our attention span. Learning To Pay Attention to ourselves is beneficial and using a breathing meditation is time spent caring for you i.e. self-care.

Self-care is not self-indulgent, it is vital. Depending on our age, we may not have been taught about self-care in school but as adults, we independently learn that in order to give our best we must care and look after our bodies and minds.

A short breathing meditation can help us relax, gain focus and manage our worries or stressful thoughts.

I am not a mindfulness teacher neither am I am meditation master. My training is in counselling and psychotherapy. However, in my experience, when we learn how to focus our minds on something other than worry or bothersome thoughts, our attention can be a remarkably useful tool.

We can’t stop thoughts or worries from popping into our minds but what do we do with them once there? We can allow any thoughts to be present, while we learn how to bring our attention to our breath.

Using a meditation exercise can help us to be present in the here and now and not back in the past or flying off into the future, not caught up in our imagination. This is not about controling our thoughts or getting rid of them.

Mindfulness involves practicing bringing our attention back to the present, to the here and now – whenever it wanders off.

As an analogy, attention is like a muscle. If we don’t regularly use the muscle, it can become weaker. However, with regular exercise we can strengthen and build it.

Meditation exercises, like learning any new skill, require practice. Here’s one that takes only three minutes initially which, in time, can be increased to ten mins twice per day. In my experience, allowing ourselves even a couple of minutes every day to mindfully breathe is beneficial and relaxing.

Sit in a chair and get yourself comfy. Pay attention to your body and ask yourself, “what do I feel right now? What are my feelings? And what are my thoughts?” Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings and to all the sensations in your body. Describe these experiences to yourself. Don’t judge or alter anything. Accept. Spend up to one minute doing this.

Bring your focus of awareness to your breath. Focus on the sensations of your breath as it enters and leaves your tummy. Bring your awareness to the sensations of movement in your tummy and allow your thoughts to go, to leave you as you breathe. Breathe in as you say ‘relax’ and on each exhalation say “calm”. If your mind wanders, do not try to change the thoughts or make them leave. Acknowledge their presence, allow them to be there, then allow them to go, returning your attention and focus to your breath and breathing. Spend up to two minutes doing this.

Extend your awareness to sensing your whole body breathing. Become aware of sensations throughout your body. If your mind wanders to various thoughts or feelings, acknowledge them and let them go and return your focus to sen1sing your whole body breathing. Spend about two mins doing this.

As you become more familiar with this skill of “letting go”, wherein you choose to notice but let go of thoughts, emotions or sensations, this is the ideal time to increase the time. Acknowledge and appreciate what you are doing, allowing yourself time to settle your mind, to breathe, to pay attention to you.

Attention is like a muscle and with regular exercise, a muscle works really well! Breathing meditation is the same – the more often you allow yourself time to do it, the easier it gets as the more skilled you become!