Staying grounded in the age of Coronavirus

Written by: Lillian Cuthbert

Currently, here in NY, and probably in your area too, you have been asked to stay at home, self-quarantine. Things you normally do are closed. You are working from home, or maybe not working at all. You can’t visit friends or family — especially not your older relatives. You can’t go to your gym, or yoga studio. And to make it all worse, we don’t know how long this lockdown will last.
It is very easy to fall prey to depression, anxiety or worry during this period. So, what can do we to counter this, and stay grounded?
One thing I have started to do is to establish new house-bound routines. For example, I used to go to a yoga studio and do a daily practice. Now, I do a yoga practice at home, and I try to set up my space exactly as if I was in a studio. That is, I turn off my phone and other distractions, before I lay down my mat, I organize my space with all props I need, and I allow myself to focus as if I was in my class. I also try to do my practice at the same time every day, to give myself a routine.
Other things I do: even though I have very little going on every morning, I still set my alarm and wake up relatively early. I take care of daily hygiene — I do not sit in my pajamas all day, but rather I dress as if I was going out.
I also try to move, even if it is just around my apartment building. I walk down to the lobby when I can.
Think about your day. Think about ways to structure your day to give you things to look forward to — be it a late afternoon yoga practice, or even a call to a loved one at a specific time of day. It is these little things that will help us keep ourselves grounded and positive.