Staying positive during Coronavirus

Now, I don’t know about you but I’ve had enough of all the doom and gloom. So, I thought I would put together some tips on staying positive during Coronavirus.

None of these are groundbreaking, revolutionary or new but sometimes when you are under the control of your fears you forget the basics. Sometimes when you are surrounded by doom and gloom it’s difficult to be positive. But there are so many benefits.

Thinking positive can make us feel better and enable us to then make better decisions. Focusing on the positive can also make us more productive. Have you ever tried to complete an assignment or task when you were consumed by negativity?

And, staying positive during Coronavirus times can, of course, reduce our anxiety and stress levels. Something we could all do with right now. Right!

So, here are eleven tips to support you to be more positive, give you hope and serve simply as a nice reminder for us all to balance out everything that is going on around us, with a bit of positivity.

1 Don’t put your head in the sand

No matter how tempting this is, I don’t recommend ignoring what’s going on around you. Here in Mexico, that’s exactly what they’re doing. It might feel ok short term but it’s only going to drag out the inevitable. For us, it means that instead of a 14-day self-quarantine, we are going to have to do at least 60 days and potentially more.

You don’t need to overload yourself with information either. In fact, I recommend limiting how much you read each day. But it’s important to acknowledge your circumstances so that you can then take action before it gets worse.

2 This too shall pass

We are in the midst of a crisis. That’s the truth. And this makes it more difficult and at times nearly impossible to keep things in perspective. That said, you need to recognize that your circumstances are temporary. Things might seem dire at the moment, but you will serve yourself the best if you try to remember that “this too shall pass.”

There will come a time in the future, and yes, I realise it may not be until next year or even the year after, but there will come a time when you will be able to look back at this time as a memory. Remember nine eleven? We have been able to recover from that even though at the time it felt impossible.  

I find the easiest way to do this is to think of this period as a storm. Ride out the storm and the sunshine always comes up after the clouds have cleared. That’s the thing to remember. And, you may even see a rainbow!

3 Journal your feelings

Journaling is a powerful tool in so many ways. By giving yourself a place to express your fears and concerns, a journal helps you to maintain positivity outside of its pages.

Think of journaling as a way to vent, like you would to your best friend. It’s a safe space where you can say whatever you want to and you won’t be judged. Try it. It’s so powerful and you’ll feel so much lighter and much more positive afterwards.

And, as an addition to that, it’s been proven that physically writing in a journal tends to have a more powerful impact than typing on the computer so go buy a pretty journal online, have it delivered, and get writing.

4 Make a plan

One of the single best things you can do to maintain positivity during tough times is to make a plan on how to deal with it. When you focus on the solution rather than the problem, you will naturally feel more positive.

You will feel like you are rising to the challenge and although your plan may change, it will drive you forward to taking action and action conquers fear.

Now, I’ll be honest, I was feeling stuck with making a plan. Every option I came up just seemed ridiculous or too impossible. And you may be feeling that way too.

So, what I did was reach out and ask some of my super-smart friends to do a brainstorming session with me. Three brains are always better than one! Which leads me to the next tip.

5 Give and receive support

Reach out to loved ones, friends, colleagues, coaches, and business mentors or advisors to help you with staying positive during Coronavirus. Whatever area you need support in, reach out and ask for it.

Now is not the time to hide. We all need to pull together but unless we know what you need (by you asking for it) we can’t help each other.

This works both ways though too. Offer your support to others who are needing assistance too. By helping someone else it will not only make you feel good which helps to lift your positivity but you might also discover solutions to your challenges. There are so many gifts to giving plus it could be a welcome distraction which is my next tip.

6 Embrace distractions

Distractions are usually something we are used to trying to avoid. But when it comes to staying positive during coronavirus (such an overwhelming situation), embracing your distractions can actually serve you well. As long as you don’t let them take over.

So, whether that’s helping a friend out, delivering some groceries to your elderly neighbours, or taking the kids for a walk. By embracing the distractions that bring you joy it can help you get through these tumultuous times.

7 Think about the things you are grateful for

Now, this one comes with a warning because it may trigger you a bit right now. I’ll admit, it did to me the other day when I just couldn’t bring myself to watch anything positive because it all seemed impossible. But the truth is that even during immense turmoil, you still have things that you can be grateful for.

When things get tough, like they are right now, it is vital to remember that there is good in the world, and more importantly, that there is good in your life. Take some time to list the things in your life that you are grateful for right now. Write them down, that’s even more powerful.

If you are struggling to come up with anything without your monkey mind trying to shut it down with a negative, start with the basics. I am grateful that the sun came up this morning. I am grateful I have a roof over my head for another day. I am grateful I have people who care about me. Even by starting with the simplest of things can have a profound effect on you.

8 Take a break regularly

At the moment, the situation everywhere is constantly changing on a daily basis and it’s impossible not to think about it because it’s right there in your face.

This can be exhausting both mentally and emotionally. So, it’s important to look after yourself and make sure you take a break if you want to remain positive.

That could mean taking a break from the news and social media and reading a book. Or it could mean taking a break from the constant planning and evaluating like we did last night. We had a ‘date night’ with a gourmet meal, bottle of wine, and a movie. All within our same four walls but it gave us a nice break and felt like our old normal for a moment. We woke up today feeling much more positive.

9 Discover the benefits of meditation

Now, whether you consider yourself a woo-woo person or not, if you haven’t already embraced the benefits of meditation then now would be a great time to start as a way of staying positive during coronavirus.

Not only does it relax you but it will help with anxiety and dealing with the fears that are bound to be coming up at the moment. I use a fantastic app called Calm. You can try it for free for 7 days.

It also has an easy 30-day course on how to meditate so even if you’ve never tried to meditate before, that’s the perfect place to start. My husband is up to day 10 already and really enjoys the support it gives him. So, if he can do it, anybody can!

10 Add exercise into your life

If you are a regular gym person then make sure you keep up with your exercise and don’t just sloth out on the couch. Sign up for online classes or workouts and keep it going.

Not a regular gym or exercise person? With all this extra time on your hands, now would be the perfect time to start. There are so many online options these days for beginners and the endorphins exercising produces will help you to be more positive.

And, if you are lucky enough to have a dog that needs walking, my guess is he/she is going to get walked a lot! We are currently in serious lockdown and consequently, rather than going for a run, I have resorted to doing online Zumba and kickboxing classes.

It’s working though! In fact, the days I don’t exercise are always that little bit more challenging. So, get your body moving as a way of staying positive during Coronavirus. You’ll be so glad you did.

11 Focus on what you can control

Right now, it may feel like your world is spinning out of control. I know I felt quite helpless earlier this week. Like absolutely everything was out of my control and there was nothing I could do. In fact, the last thing on my mind was staying positive during Coronavirus.

This can easily spiral downwards from there, which isn’t good. But, there is always one thing you can do and that is to focus on the things that ARE in your control.

For example, right now, you may have been sent home from work and everything feels uncertain and out of your control. But, being at home, you still get to choose when you wake up, what book you read, when you can have lunch. I know these may seem simple but start with the basics and the rest will come easier.

If you are one of the businesses that have had to send your employees home and you don’t know where your next new customer is coming from and that feels out of your control. Then start by coming up with ways to still serve the customers you have. By doing a brilliant job on the things you can control, you will get through this.

Staying positive during Coronavirus

The other thing you can control of course is your attitude to all of this and I’m hopeful that if you’re struggling to stay positive right now, these tips might give you a bit of guidance and support in controlling your attitude to be more positive.

No one’s life is ever always rosy and right now, this coronavirus is pretty much a part of all of our lives. But…it isn’t going to be like this forever!

So, journal your feelings, acknowledge your situation, make a plan, take action and also take a break. And if you are still struggling with the anxiety and fear of your current situation do reach out for support.

Keep moving forward everybody. It’s going to be alright. Together we can get through this.

Love and travel always (just not right now!),

Tegan and Clark