Council Post: How To Focus On Personal Growth Right Now

As many of us adapt to remote work and social distancing for the time being, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. It’s also tempting to allow the hours to slip by as we scroll mindlessly through social media, read news story after news story, or watch the emails, messages, and texts pile up. This reaction is understandable, of course, as we learn how to live through an unprecedented experience in modern history. To some extent, it’s also a normal and natural way to cope while everything feels unstable and changes day-to-day.

At some point during the coming days and weeks, however, I believe we’ll all begin to find our own ways of looking ahead and moving forward. Despite the chaos around us, this is a time to reconnect with your family, your friends, and yourself. As we answer important external questions about health, finances, and society, we can also reflect on the internal questions about what’s truly important in our lives. Use this time to step away from the noise and find clarity about what you really want and how you can better serve yourself in the future.

Here are a few tips to come out on the other side with more strength and resilience:

Find a daily routine and stick with it.

If you already have a daily routine in place, now is the time to keep it going. I’ve found that a morning plan is helping me to feel more alive, energized, and positive throughout the day, even if everything around me seems vague and unknown. During the few days that I’ve allowed the stock market uncertainty to take over my morning, I’ve skipped my routine and jumped straight into work. This leaves me exhausted, and I feel like I’ve “lost” the day.

For those who don’t yet have a routine or need to get back on track, I recommend finding a mix of habits that works best for you. My own can be extensive — I set aside time for morning meditation, gratitude, daily goal setting, and some type of exercise. Yours may need more or less, but I’ve seen that the most effective and satisfying routines include time for reflection, mindfulness, and physical movement. Instead of allowing the news and others to control your mood, you can set your emotional state first and “own” your day.

Protect your mindset.

When we feel overwhelmed, we also feel unempowered and out of control. Our negative impulses drive our decisions, and we feel like we can put off everything until the next day or until life returns to “normal.” Staying connected to a group of like-minded people, where the emphasis is on positivity and helping each other, can really help you stay the course. Once this ends — whenever that will be and whatever that will look like — you’ll be much better off if you feel more prepared and know that you accomplished something during this time, even if it’s simply peace of mind.

Luckily, a daily routine and morning plan help with this as well. If you don’t already have a meditation practice, I recommend starting one so you can implement a few minutes of quiet stillness into your life. People like to say that they’re too busy to sit in silence, but if you’re following shelter-in-place guidelines, you may find that the pace has slowed enough for you to set aside 10-20 minutes to take a break and keep your sanity.

Consider what’s next for you.

A drastic change in lifestyle is happening across the country simultaneously, which will likely shift what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and who we want to be after this. Attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that became automatic habits may have come to a hard stop.

This is where you can step away from the noise and think about what’s best for you. After meditation, I like to journal and reflect, and right now, these questions may be particularly useful: What’s important? What are my core values? Why are those things important on a deeper level? Why do I want this? What are the reasons?

If you find that you’re happy that you’re not at work right now, or if not seeing certain family members or friends is taking a toll, that might indicate a potential change for the future. What felt “easy” or “required” before may no longer feel in alignment with who you are and what you think you should do in the future.

Do what you want.

Look at this moment as a time for self-improvement, and indulge in the many ways you’ve wanted to expand and grow in past years. If there is a book that you’ve been wanting to read, now is the time to do it. If you’ve wanted to learn a new skill, use this opportunity to get momentum moving in the areas where you intended to focus but never had time. In the past few weeks, for instance, I’ve begun listening to more audiobooks, particularly autobiographies, because I enjoy hearing other people’s stories. I’ve also signed up for an online class to deepen my meditation practice, which I know will improve myself and my business moving forward.

Deep down, I don’t think any of us truly desire to obsessively consume the news and social media, and we don’t want to spend hours watching TV, either. We feel more alive when our creativity is flowing and we’re in a good mental state. Now is the time to bring all that is good inside of you out to the world. In the days, weeks, and months ahead, let’s focus on the priorities and interests that bring us joy and allow us to be positive, open, and create a future that aligns with our core values.