COPING WITH HEALTHY VS UNHEALTHY HABITS

As we are faced with retriggered trauma, loss, uncertainty, stress and restraints, now is the time to access our best parts not only to weather this storm well but to be ready for what’s next…

When we allow ourselves to numb out and shutdown, to sink into a hole, to spiral out of control or to simply press pause on our life and our dreams, we are hindering ourselves now and are making things more challenging for later…

Hey, I get it. This are unprecedented times we are living in. This Pandemic is impacting all areas of life and the world. It has thrown life as we know it into a tizzy. But you know what, you don’t have to let it kick you in the teeth!

You do have a choice as to how you deal with your life and everything in it, including the impact of this situation. Please don’t choose being disempowered…

Before this crisis you might have been living your life by how you preferred, now you have to live your life by your Character Strengths… If you were not fully owning your life before the crisis started, you are probably having an even harder time than others now. My heart goes out to you. The struggle is real! I get it.

But you know what, you can start turning things around right now… All you have to do is decide… Yes, decide…

Decide what? Decide that you will not indulge in explanations/excuses, blame, self-pity and gloom… Decide that you will take charge of yourself. Decide that you will own your life and make the most of it… Decide that you will rock it today and going forward, no matter what.

Yes, how you are feeling and how you are doing is the result of the choices you make… Sorry, don’t shoot the messenger. We have so much knowledge and research in the fields of psychology, sociology, neurobiology, epigenetics, and a host of others to know that we create our own state/wellness, health, and success – we create our own reality… Yes, even if the worse stuff is happening…

I refer you to Man’s Search for Meaning a story of triumph (free with Audible trial) by Viktor Frankl, an internationally renowned psychiatrist, who developed a revolutionary approach to psychotherapy based on meaning as a motivational force, while he endured years of unspeakable horror in Nazi death camps!

This is good news! For now, it might rankle as you might have dug yourself into a hole but in the end, this means you can create whatever you want. This means you start now, regardless of the pandemic. It doesn’t cost anything to own yourself… It doesn’t cost anything to do basic self-care to change your state and how you feel… It doesn’t cost anything to make healthier choices. It doesn’t cost anything to have great supportive and empowering habits… Stop with the excuses!

If you are struggling to the point where you can’t function, have been moping around and laying around, can’t make good decisions, and the like, then it’s impressive that you are even reading this. You get a gold star. And, this tells me you can start taking better care of yourself, just saying… Start really small. Do get additional support if the struggle is really great. Why suffer unnecessarily? And, if it’s a financial thing – there is plenty of free content and support out there… And, if you can’t bring yourself to find and engage in these, ask a loved one to help you… Start somewhere…

The key is to not let the world chaos dictate our life but to find internal peace and operate from such instead… This we have control over… This is what makes the difference… I promise!

If you have been thinking, we are in this lock-down, everything is closed, there is nothing to be done and you are waiting for things to reopen and “go back to normal”, I have news for you, you are shooting yourself on the foot.

Stop this thinking immediately. This does not serve you. YOUR LIFE IS NOT ON PAUSE! This is an opportunity to Reconnect, Redefine, Recalibrate, to Reset… To course correct… Your life, as is everyone else’s and the world at large, is going through what I’ve been calling a necessary deconstruction to Reconstruct.

If you are snoozing, are on pause, or are white-knuckling through this, you are missing out on the opportunity… You are making things worse for yourself. For once the shut-down is lifted and we go back to what will be a New Normal, you won’t be ready for it… You won’t have made the necessary adjustments and have experienced the growth needed to Thrive in the New World. You’ll continue to have a struggle, or just go back to things as usual without the ability to do better… This will absolutely suck if you allow this to happen, please don’t.

If you are just waiting to “go back”, you are missing out on the growth and development you are supposed to have… You are missing out on making the changes you are supposed to make in your life anyway… You are missing out on seeing the opportunities to innovate and serve through this crisis and in the New World… You are missing out on tapping into your purpose and living a more meaningful life…. You are missing out on Living…

So, what does this mean?

This means you start slowly claiming your power and making changes. It’s as simple as starting to implement wellness, connection and success habits, for Intentional Habits™…

This means living more intentionally, mindfully and proactively…

SO:

Don’t do these!

Overeating, overloading on carbs, over snacking, eating late at night
Partaking in stimulants and suppressants – caffeine, alcohol, marijuana, etc.
Taking all kinds of over the counter medicines to help you sleep, go to the bathroom, for sniffles, for this, for that
Laying around, sitting for too long, and otherwise not moving or exercising your body
Binging on Netflix where you are consuming seasons upon seasons of different shows
Killing time gaming
Getting lost in social media, the news or scrolling online
Policing, minding and hating on what a neighbor, a friend, a coworker, the Cuomos, Trump, or an Influencer is doing their stuff
Over stocking your home with goods
Focusing on what your partner is doing or not doing…
Sound familiar? Well, not for nothing you might not be feeling and doing so well…

Do these!

Start Intermittent Fasting and low-carbing
Take supplements
Detox and alkalize – first thing in the morning, drink warm lemon water with turmeric, ginger and cayenne pepper as desired, stay hydrated
Exercise, stretch and do intentional movements throughout the day, take walks or bike rides
Mediate (here is a nice meditation), listen to affirmations, journal, plan your intentional day
Listen to or read inspirational and motivational content
Clean and declutter your environment, organize your home, tackle overdue projects and tasks
Pursue a hobby or interest; stay social by creating and attending virtual gatherings and staying in touch with loved ones
Spread positivity with praise, compliments, appreciation, acknowledgement, shifting to higher level conversations…
Brainstorm and innovate to address an issue or serve better at work or in your business
Take advantage of this opportunity to shift… This is what you’ve been waiting for… If you miss this message, sign, chance, then gosh, not sure what you need to wake up. This is the 2×4, this is it!

Here are prior related Blog posts for quick reference, for you to grab what fits your current state and help you shift…

9 Tactics for weathering your quarantine (lockdown)
5 Insights for your physical and mental health
Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional
Focus on building stamina and resilience
Ready for positiveness yet?
Do you know you create your reality?
ASSIGNMENT: Oh boy, isn’t this fun?! I love playing with creating and developing new Habits. I wish this for you as well as it makes a massive difference on how you feel and how you do… Pick one unhealthy habit you commit to letting go and a healthy one you commit to integrating into your daily routine that you’ll do instead. Be compassionate and gentle with yourself, but don’t enable yourself to fall off… Don’t allow yourself to get too far off course in the face of obstacles or after you got in your own way… Get back on it, and keep course correcting…

You have a chance to shift into your better life… How often are we faced with such a colossal opportunity? Will you jump on it, or will you stay behind? It is up to you…

Complete the Assignment, and share your takeaway, insights, and results with a note in the Comments box at the end! I’d love to hear how you are using this content.

Happy Shifting!

P.S. As always, we are here for you! If you need more support to creating your successful and meaningful life, we are here to help. I’d be honored to speak with you about how we can help you. Schedule a Get Acquainted Call to connect, and discuss how we can help you and how to get started. Look forward to Connecting with you!

P.S.S. Get the Quotes & Quickies™ for this post (Stay Tuned)

P.S.S.S. Share Your Thoughts & Successes in the comment box at the end! Take a moment now to share below any thoughts, comments, take away, tips, and successes! PLEASE post a comment now – we grow in community! Thanks for connecting with the MetroRelationship™ Family!

Copyright (c) 2020 Emma K. Viglucci. All rights reserved.

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Emma K. Viglucci, LMFT is the Founder and Director of Metropolitan Marriage & Family Therapy, PLLC, a private practice that specializes in working with couples, she is the creator of the MetroRelationship™ philosophy and a variety of Successful Couple™ content that assist couples succeed at their relationship and their life. Stay Connected™ with Emma and receive weekly Connection Notes in your inbox with Personal Growth and Relationship Enrichment insights and strategies, visit: www.metrorelationship.com.